Mobile device activation for events

• US 9,136,957 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Ng, Sei Y., Stone, M. Jeffrey, Napolitano, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Assistant Examiner(s): PLATA, EDD RIANNE L
• Application Number:
  US11/614,744
• Time in Patent Office: 3,190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information

Abstract

A method of activating mobile devices for events is provided. A mobile device owner pays for a subscription to receive local broadcasts of an event on a mobile device. An employee uses a scanner to scan a bar code on the mobile device, or the mobile device owner inputs information identifying the mobile device through a website. A database manager adds an identifier corresponding to the mobile device to an activation list. The broadcaster includes the activation list in the local broadcast stream, thereby activating the subscribed mobile devices for the event.

Claims

1. A mobile device activation method, comprising:

scanning a mobile device for an identifier of the mobile device for activation of the mobile device to receive a local broadcast of an event;

adding the identifier for the mobile device to an activation list comprising a plurality of identifiers for mobile devices subscribed for the event;

providing the activation list to a broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the event and the activation list with the event to local mobile devices such that each of the local mobile devices receives the activation list comprising the plurality of identifiers and each of the local mobile devices that detects their identifier on the activation list activates for the event;

checking a physical identifier for the mobile device against a deactivation list of physical identifiers;

removing the identifier for the mobile device from the activation list for the event when a match of the identifier is found in the deactivation list; and

providing the activation list without the identifier to the broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the activation list without the identifier to local mobile devices to deactivate the mobile device having the identifier that was removed from the activation list for the event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein adding the identifier for the mobile device to the activation list of identifiers comprises determining an electronic identifier corresponding to a physical identifier for the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasts of the activation list comprise an event code for maintaining activation of the mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the event code uniquely associates the activation list with the event.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a universal activation code to the broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster broadcasts the universal activation code to activate all local mobile devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the activation list more than once during the event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the mobile devices having their identifier on the activation list for receiving the event recognizes the broadcast of their corresponding identifier and activates to receive the local broadcast of the event.

8. A mobile device activation system, comprising:

an activation system to receive an identifier of a mobile device for activation of the mobile device to receive a local broadcast of an event;

a database manager to add the identifier for the mobile device to an activation list comprising a plurality of identifiers for mobile devices subscribed for the event, and

an interface to provide the activation list to a broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the activation list in a broadcast stream of the event to local mobile devices such that each of the local mobile devices receives the activation list comprising the plurality of identifiers and each of the local mobile devices that detects their identifier on the activation list activates for the event and each of the local mobile devices that was previously activated for the event that does not detect their identifier on the activation list for the event deactivates for the event.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the activation system comprises a scanner to receive the identifier of the mobile device for activation.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the scanner is further operable to display data for the identified mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the activation system comprises a user interface to receive the identifier of the mobile device for activation.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the database manager is further operable to check a physical identifier for the mobile device against a deactivation list of physical identifiers.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the database manager is further operable to determine an electronic identifier corresponding to a physical identifier for the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein broadcasts of the activation list comprise an event code for maintaining activation of the mobile devices.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the interface further provides a universal activation code to the broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster broadcasts the universal activation code to activate all local mobile devices.

16. A mobile device activation method, comprising:

obtaining a user input identifying a mobile device for activation to receive a local broadcast of an event;

adding an identifier for the mobile device corresponding to the user input to an activation list comprising a plurality of identifiers for mobile devices subscribed for the event;

providing the activation list to a broadcaster, wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the activation list to local mobile devices such that each of the local mobile devices receives the activation list comprising the plurality of identifiers and each of the local mobile devices that detects their identifier in the activation list activates for the event; and

providing a universal activation code to the broadcaster if there is a problem with the activation list, wherein the broadcaster locally broadcasts the universal activation code such that each of the local mobile devices that receives the universal activation code activates for the event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein adding the identifier for the mobile device to the activation list of identifiers comprises checking the user input identifying the mobile device against a deactivation list of physical identifiers.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein adding the identifier for the mobile device to the activation list of identifiers comprises determining an electronic identifier corresponding to the user input identifying the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein broadcasts of the activation list comprise an event code for maintaining activation of the mobile devices.