Embedded advertising in MMS stationery

• US 9,532,190 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Cox, Mary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US12/270,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20100124913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,965 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/151 Pre-printed media, e.g. media stock, forms, logos
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An electronic device includes a communication circuit configured to establish a communication over a wireless network, and a messaging circuit operative to create messages for transmission to other devices via said communication circuit. The messaging circuit is configured to automatically include into a user-composed message multimedia data that corresponds to an entity subsidizing the electronic device.

Claims

1. A branded electronic device for promoting an interest of an entity, comprising:

a communication circuit configured to establish a communication over a wireless network; and

a messaging circuit operative to create messages for transmission to other devices via said communication circuit, said messaging circuit configured to

obtain multimedia data corresponding to the entity or the interest of the entity,

form electronic stationery based on the multimedia data, and

automatically combine a user-composed message and the electronic stationery prior to transmission of the user composed message from the electronic device, wherein said messaging circuit is configured to update the multimedia data based on predetermined events.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory; and

multimedia data stored in said memory, wherein said multimedia data corresponds to at least one of products, services, or interests of the entity.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia data is at least one of image data, audio data or video data.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said messaging circuit is configured to include the multimedia data as a background image or background video of the user-composed message.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said messaging circuit is configured to use multimedia messaging service (MMS) standard for the user-composed message.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia data comprises a plurality of different multimedia data each corresponding to the entity, and said messaging circuit is configured to select one of the plurality of different multimedia data for inclusion into the user-composed message.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein said messaging circuit is configured to randomly or sequentially select one of the plurality of different multimedia data.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone, headset, personal digital assistant, portable gaming device, or smart phone.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the messaging circuit is configured to

embed the multimedia data into a template,

use the template as a starting point for the user-composed message, and

inhibit a user from altering the template.