System for enabling sponsored user identities on a mobile device

• US 9,392,394 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Movirtu Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Horn, Chris, Murray, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Application Number:
  US14/074,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A system for enabling brands to engage with mobile users having sponsored identities dedicated to those specific brands. Brands are enabled to give mobile numbers to individual users without the need of mobile infrastructure investment by the brand itself and without the need of the end user to purchase a specific mobile device or SIM and without the need for the brand to act as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. The system therefore allows brands to engage with mobile users using dedicated sponsored identities in a much faster and more engaging way and without the need of mobile infrastructure investment by the brand itself.

Claims

1. A system for enabling at least one sponsored identity, comprising:

a mobile device communicatively coupled to a mobile network, the mobile device having at least one mobile application offered by a brand, each of the at least one mobile application having an assigned sponsored identity associated with the brand, the assigned sponsored identity being separate and distinct from a mobile telephone number assigned to the mobile device by a mobile network operator that is separate and distinct from the brand, one or more communications performed by the mobile application being managed by the brand using the sponsored assigned identity;

at least one server instance located within the mobile network, wherein the at least one mobile application communicates a prefix comprising a sequence of digits indicating the at least one sponsored identity to the at least one server instance and the server instance allocates at least one of a range and a list of the at least one sponsored identity, the prefix being unique to the mobile application at least for a given period of time and associated with the brand;

an application server that communicates with the brand and the at least one server instance, the application server receiving a request from the brand to reserve the at least one sponsored identity with the application server; and

a mapping table to convert the prefix to the at least one sponsored identity.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a charging system, wherein the at least one server instance interacts with the charging system so that each unique sponsored identity has a unique account.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server instance comprises a stored list of available prefixes and a timer, wherein the at least one server instance communicates an available prefix from the available prefixes to the at least one mobile application, and wherein the at least one mobile application comprises a timer.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for prepending the prefix to a destination address and for sending Short Messages to a Short Message Service Centre.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for prepending the prefix to the at least one sponsored identity and for sending Multimedia Messages to a Multimedia Message Service Centre.

6. A system for enabling at least one sponsored identity, comprising:

a mobile device communicatively coupled to a mobile network, the mobile device having at least one mobile application offered by a brand, each of the at least one mobile application having an assigned sponsored identity associated with the brand, the assigned sponsored identity being separate and distinct from a mobile telephone number assigned to the mobile device by a mobile network operator that is separate and distinct from the brand, one or more communications performed by the mobile application being managed by the brand using the sponsored assigned identity;

at least one server instance located within the mobile network;

an application server capable of communication with at least the brand and the at least one server instance, the application server receiving a request from the brand-to reserve the at least one sponsored identity; and

when the application server communicates with the at least one server instance;

the at least one server instance allocates a at least one of a range and a list comprising at least some of the at least one sponsored identity;

the mobile application uses a prefix comprising a sequence of digits indicating the sponsored identify used for mobile originated calls to the at least one server instance; and

the at least one server instance uses a mapping table to convert a unique prefix to a sponsored identity to be used by the at least one mobile application when originating calls indicating the at least one sponsored identity to the at least one server instance, the prefix being unique to the mobile application at least for a given period of time and is associated with the brand.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the at least one server instance interacting with a charging system so that each unique sponsored identity has at least one of its own prepaid and postpaid account.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the prefix is used to indicate the at least one sponsored identity and the prefix is prepended to a destination address by the at least one mobile application instance and used for sending Short Messages to a Short Message Service Centre.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the prefix is used to indicate the at least one sponsored identity and the prefix is prepended to a destination address by the at least one mobile application instance and used for sending Multimedia Messages to a Multimedia Message Service Centre.

8. The system of claim wherein a pool of available prefixes is maintained by the at least one server instance and where the prefix is communicated to the at least one mobile application using a mechanism of two timers, a first timer held in the at least one mobile application and a second timer held in the at least one server instance.