Method for providing information to contacts without being given contact data

• US 9,235,842 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Kramer, James F., Ning, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ofori-Awuah, Maame
• Application Number:
  US12/396,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

The subject invention provides an information source, such as an advertiser or product vendor, with a method for transferring information to contacts for which the information source has no contact data. The information source stores information in an information database which communicates the information to a referrer which has the desired contact data. The referrer uses a communication device to transfer the information to one or more contacts using contact data.

Claims

1. A method of operating a server configured to communicate via a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, via a network communication interface of the server, an electronic request transmitted via the communications network from a first mobile phone as a referrer for an invitation to join an organization, wherein the referrer is a member of the organization, wherein the invitation is stored in a database associated with a website, and wherein the website is supervised by the organization;

electronically processing, via one or more electronic processing units of the server, the electronic request;

transmitting, by the network communication interface via the communications network, the invitation to the first mobile phone in response to the electronically processing the electronic request, wherein the first mobile phone stores, in a contacts database, contact data for a contact, wherein the contact data is accessible by the second mobile phone, and wherein the contact data is not accessible by the website;

receiving, via the network communication interface, from the website one or more first categories associated with the invitation;

receiving from the first mobile phone, via the network communication interface, one or more second categories associated with the contact, wherein the one or more second categories are stored in the contact data;

electronically evaluating, via the one or more electronic processing units of the server, the one or more first categories against the one or more second categories;

encoding, via the one or more electronic processing units, a referral container file with instructions configured to

cause the first mobile phone to

select the contact as a potential recipient for the invitation based on the electronically evaluating the one or more first categories against the one or more second categories, and

forward the invitation to a second mobile phone using contact information stored on the first mobile phone, and

cause the second mobile phone to respond to the invitation without providing the contact data to the server; and

transmitting, via the network communication interface to the first mobile phone, the referral container file to the first mobile phone.

2. A non-transitory computer readable storage media configured to store instructions, which when executed by an electronic processing unit of a referrer device, cause the referrer device to perform operations comprising:

detecting, in response to user input entered into the referrer device, an electronic request to provide information from an information source, connected to a communications network, to a contact communication device of a contact;

receiving from the information source, via a network communication interface of the referrer device, one or more first categories associated with the information;

automatically determining at least a portion of the information to transmit to the contact communication device based on electronically evaluating contact data specifying one or more second categories associated with the contact against the one or more first categories, wherein the contact data is accessible by the referrer device, and wherein the contact data is not accessible by the information source;

encoding, via the electronic processing unit, a referral container file with programming instructions configured to cause the contact communication device to, upon accessing the programming instructions, electronically request the at least the portion of the information from the information source without providing the contact data to the information source;

embedding the referral container file in an electronic message; and

transmitting, by the referrer device via the communications network, the electronic message to the contact communication device.

3. A method of operating a referrer device associated with a referrer, said method comprising:

receiving, by a network communications interface of the referrer device, a first electronic message that indicates information from an information source;

determining, by at least one of one or more electronic processing units of the referrer device, one or more first categories associated with the information;

automatically determining, by at least one of the one or more electronic processing units, at least a portion of the information to transmit to a contact communication device of a contact based on electronically evaluating contact data specifying one or more second categories associated with the contact against the one or more first categories, wherein the contact data is accessible by the referrer device, and wherein the contact data is not accessible by the information source;

encoding, via the electronic processing unit, a referral container file with programming instructions configured to cause the contact communication device to, upon accessing the programming instructions, electronically request the at least the portion of the information from the information source without providing the contact data to the information source;

embedding the referral container file in a second electronic message; and

transmitting, via the network communication interface, the second electronic message to the contact communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the contact communication device to:

provide one or more controls for the contact to opt out from at least one of the one or more first categories from being transmitted to the contact communication device; and

restricting, by the referrer device, additional electronic messages from being transmitted to the contact communication device.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising, prior to transmitting the at least a portion of the information to the contact communication device, requesting the at least the portion of the information from the information database.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising encoding into the referral container file a referral identification that identifies the referrer to the contact communication device, and wherein the programming instructions cause the contact communication device to transmit to the information source the referral identification, wherein the information source provides a reward to the referral device in response to the contact communication device accessing the information.

7. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

embedding a selectable link into the referral container file, wherein the referral container file includes a referral file format (RFF); and

transmitting, by the referrer device, the information to the contact communication device in response to a selection of the selectable link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the programming instructions further cause the contact communication device to edit the one or more second categories associated with the contact.

9. The method of claim 3 further including:

determining, by the referrer device, that the contact and the referrer have mutually agreed to be associated within a web-based social network; and

transmitting the at least the portion of the information to the contact communication device in response to the determining that the contact and the referrer have mutually agreed to be associated within the web-based social network.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising withholding, by the referrer device, the contact data from the information source.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the referrer and the contact are members of a web-based social network; and

transmitting, by the referrer device, the at least the portion of the information to the contact communication device via the web-based social network.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more first categories describe contact behaviors.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

accessing, by the referrer device, the contact data from a contact database; and

directing, by the referrer device, a second device to send the at least the portion of the information to the contact communication device.

14. A referrer device associated with a referrer, comprising:

one or more processors;

a network communication interface; and

one or more memory storage devices configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to perform operations to

detect, in response to user input entered into the referrer device, an electronic request to provide information from an information source connected to a communications network to a contact communication device of a first contact;

receive from the information source, via the network communication interface of the referrer device, one or more information categories associated with the information;

automatically determine that the information is matched to the first contact based on electronically evaluating first contact data specifying one or more first contact categories associated with the first contact against the one or more information categories, wherein the first contact data is accessible by the referrer device, and wherein the first contact data is not accessible by the information source;

encode a referral container file with programming instructions configured to, upon execution by a processor of the contact communication device, cause the contact communication device to electronically request the information from the information source without providing the first contact data to the information source;

embed the referral container file in an electronic message; and

transmit, via the network communications interface, the electronic message to the contact communication device.

15. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the instructions to cause the referrer device to perform the operations to transmit the information to the contact communication device includes instructions which, when executed at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to perform operations to transmit the information via a web-based social network to which the referrer and the first contact are members.

16. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to further perform operations to:

access the first contact data from a contact database; and

direct a server associated with the information source to send the information to the contact communication device.

17. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to further perform operations to:

determine whether the first contact and the referrer have mutually agreed to be associated within a web-based social network; and

transmit the electronic message to the contact communication device based on whether the first contact and the referrer have mutually agreed to be associated within the web-based social network.

18. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to further perform operations to:

access the referral container file from a website, wherein the referral container file includes a selectable link; and

transmit the information to the contact communication device in response to a selection of the selectable link.

19. The referrer device of claim 18, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to cause the contact communication device to prevent forwarding of the referral container file until the contact communication device evaluates the one or more information categories against one or more second contact categories from second contact data accessible to the contact communication device, wherein the second contact data is associated with a second contact associated with the first contact.

20. The referrer device of claim 18, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the referrer device to further perform operations to:

encode into the referral container file a referral identification that identifies the referrer to the contact communication device, wherein the programming instructions cause the contact communication device to use the referral identification to notify the information source when the information is accessed by the contact communication device, wherein the information source is configured to provide a reward to the referral device based on the referral identification.

21. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the programming instructions are further configured to cause the contact communication device to request the information from an information database of the information source.

22. The referrer device of claim 14, wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the contact communication device to:

detect that the information is not relevant to the one or more first contact categories; and

indicate, to at least one of the referrer device and the information source, to restrict additional electronic messages from being transmitted to the contact communication device.

23. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a network communication interface; and

one or more memory storage devices configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the at least one of the one or more processors to perform operations to,

generate a referral container file to include first data related to promotional content, wherein the promotional content is available from a server separate from a first mobile device,

determine first contact data for the first mobile device to which to send the referral container file,

encode the referral container file with a first set of programming instructions, wherein the first set of programming instructions are configured to

cause the first mobile device to, after receipt of the referral container file, automatically compare the first data to second data accessible to the first mobile device, wherein the second data is related to a contact entity associated with a second mobile device,

cause the first mobile device to automatically determine, based on the comparison of the first data to the second data, that the promotional content is applicable to the contact entity,

cause the first mobile device to automatically access contact data for the contact entity, wherein the contact data is accessible by the first mobile device, and wherein the contact data is not accessible by the server,

cause the first mobile device to automatically provide the referral container file to a second mobile device using the contact data wherein the second mobile device is separate from the first mobile device and from the server, and

encode the referral container file with a second set of programming instructions configured to

cause the second mobile device to, after receipt of the referral container file, automatically request the promotional content from the server without providing the contact data to the server.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second programming instructions are further configured to prevent the second mobile device from providing the referral container file to a third mobile device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the first data specifies a category of a recipient to which the promotional content should be provided, wherein the second data specifies a category of the contact entity, and wherein the first set of programming instructions are further configured to:

cause the first mobile device to automatically determine that the category of the recipient corresponds to the category of the contact entity; and

cause the first mobile device to automatically provide the referral container file to the second mobile device based on determining that the category of the recipient corresponds to the category of the contact entity.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the first set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the first mobile device to automatically request the second data from the second mobile device.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the second set of programming instructions cause the second mobile device to automatically install an application that provides features to one or more of edit the second data, view the promotional content, or make purchases related to the promotional content.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the first set of programming instructions are configured to cause the first mobile device to automatically launch a computer program installed on the first mobile device, wherein the computer program is configured to one or more of automatically compare the first data to the second data, automatically determine that the promotional content is applicable to the contact entity, automatically access the contact data for the contact entity, and automatically provide the referral container file to the second mobile device using the contact data.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the first set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the first mobile device to

include the referral container file in a text message, and

send the text message to the first mobile device, wherein the text message is configured to be automatically forwarded, with the referral container file, to the second mobile device.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the first set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the first mobile device to include a referrer identifier associated with the first mobile device in the referral container file, wherein the second set of programming instructions are further configured to report to the server the referrer identity in response to detecting that the second mobile device accesses the promotional content, and wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the at least one of the one or more processors to perform operations to automatically provide an electronic reward to the first mobile device using the referrer identity in response to detecting that the second mobile device accessed the promotional content.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the second set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the second mobile device to automatically report to the server one or more actions performed by the second mobile device pertinent to the promotional content.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the second set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the second mobile device to automatically report to the server one or more of whether the second mobile device activates a link in the promotional content, whether the second mobile device changes the second data, or whether the second mobile device makes a purchase specified in the promotional content.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the second set of programming instructions are further configured to cause the second mobile device to automatically report to the server whether the second mobile device attends an event advertised in the promotional content based on location tracking data of the second mobile device.