Distribution of content items to user devices in a mobile environment

• US 9,225,800 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Saros, Jakob, Arngren, Tommy
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US14/283,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20140258387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/198, 455/414.3, 455/456.2, 709/203, 709/231, 709/228, 709/217, 705/14.73, 705/65, 707/743, 707/749, 707/736, 707/756, 707/752, 725/54, 725/87, 715/733, 715/753, 715/751, 715/756, 715/757, 715/758, 706/12, 710/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

The invention relates to a technique for controlling the distribution of content items such as advertisements, news, etc., to user devices in a mobile communications network. A method embodiment of the technique is performed in a distribution control gateway of the mobile communications network and comprises the steps of receiving, from a content provider server, a target user indication indicative of one or more target user devices for presentation of a content item; accessing a provider registry for determining a provider authorization of the content provider server; accessing a user registry for determining a user authorization for receiving the content item from the content provider server; and initiating a transmission of the content item to one or more of the target user devices.

Claims

1. A method for supporting control of transmission of a content item to a user device in a mobile communications network, the method being performed in the user device and comprising:

receiving the content item and an application identifier associated with at least one of multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device from a distribution control gateway of the mobile communications network;

determining to which of the multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device the content item is to be distributed based on the application identifier received in association with the received content item; and

distributing the received content item to the determined content presentation application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining to which of the multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device the content items is to be distributed comprises determining to which of the multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device the content items is to be distributed based on a context of the user device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the multiple content presentation applications comprises a news service application.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprises providing a news item on the news application of the user device.

5. A user device configured to support control of the distribution of a content item to user devices in a mobile communications network, the user device comprising:

a first circuit configured to receive the content item and an application identifier associated with at least one of multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device from a distribution control gateway of the mobile communications network;

a second circuit configured to determine to which of the multiple content presentation applications implemented on the user device the content item is to be distributed based on the application identifier received in association with the received content item; and

a third circuit configured to distribute the received content item to the determined content presentation application.

6. The user device according to claim 5, wherein the second circuit is configured to determine the content presentation application based on a context of the user device.

7. The user device according to claim 5, wherein one of the multiple content presentation applications comprises a news service application.

8. The user device according to claim 7, wherein a news item is provided on the news application of the user device.