Methods, devices and systems for real-time instant presence with advertisement (RIPA)

• US 20020184089A1
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Hitoshi, Kido, Toshiharu, Tsou, I-Wen Winnie
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for Real-time Instant Presence with Advertisement (RIPA) using an instant messaging topology with wireless technology to instantly setup and update of presence information of an instant messaging user. The invention provides location information of a business and other business information to a wireless instant messaging user/customer of the business, and obviates the need for the users/customer to manually enter presence information of the business. The invention further provides methods for promotion, advertising and network marketing of a business using presence information sent to instant messaging users and instantly propagated through instant messaging address lists.

Claims

1. A method of establishing presence information for a first instant messaging user, wherein said first instant messaging user possesses a wireless device while at a location of a business, said wireless device being capable of storing and displaying presence information for said first instant messaging user, comprising:

storing business information identifying said business in a business client system device; and

retrieving said business information; and

transmitting all or part of said business information as presence information to said wireless device of said first instant messaging user;

whereby said presence information is received by said wireless device of said first instant messaging user.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

receiving said presence information of said business in said instant messaging user wireless device from said business client system, and

storing said presence information in said wireless device without requiring manual entry actions on said wireless device by said first instant messaging user,

wherein an instant messaging client component is installed in said wireless device of said first instant messaging user, and said component controls said receiving and storing of said presence information in said wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said receiving of said presence information is in response to a single action performed by said first instant messaging user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the single action is clicking a button.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of moving said wireless device of said first instant messaging user within range to permit communication with said business client system if said wireless device is out of range from said business client system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said business information comprises one or more of the following information items:

the name of said business, a description of said business, promotional information for said business, an advertisement for said business, and location information of said business.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said location information of said business comprises one or more of the following:

an address, phone number, directions to said location, email address information of said business, and one or more links to Internet websites.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein one or more instant messaging users have created an instant messaging address list, wherein said address list contains the instant messaging identity of said first instant messaging user, whereby said one or more instant messaging users may view the presence information for said first instant messaging user;

and

wherein each of said one or more instant messaging users have a device wherein said instant messaging client component is installed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first instant messaging user and said one or more instant messaging users subscribe to an instant messaging service;

wherein said instant messaging service comprises an instant messaging server.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising the additional step of:

transmitting said presence information of said first instant messaging user from said instant messaging server to said devices of said one or more instant messaging users.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising the additional step of

displaying said presence information of said first instant messaging user on said one or more instant messaging user devices.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said displaying includes displaying a selectable icon representing the presence information for said first instant messaging user.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said one or more instant messaging users can select said selectable icon and display all or part of said received business information.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said displaying of said business information includes displaying one or more of the following:

text;

a ticker-type display, wherein said display scrolls;

an animation;

images; and

links to web sites on the Internet.

15. The method of claim 2 comprising the additional step of:

transmitting a user profile of said instant messaging user from said wireless device of said first instant messaging user to said business client system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said user profile of said first instant messaging user comprises contact information of said instant messaging user.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said first instant messaging user needs to explicitly enable said wireless device prior to transmitting said user profile.

18. The method of claim 2 comprising the step of:

transmitting said presence information of said first instant messaging user, under control of said instant messaging client component, to said instant messaging server of said instant messaging service.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein the instant messaging server stores one or more of the following:

a business database,

a user database;

wherein said presence information of said first instant messaging user is stored; and

a database of click statistics, wherein said click statistics include statistics of viewing of said presence information.

20. The method of claim 2 comprising the additional step of displaying said presence information on said wireless device of said first instant messaging user.

21. A business client system for sending presence information with advertisement to a wireless instant messaging user, comprising:

a storage component for storing business information of said business,

a business client device further comprising;

a wireless communication component for transmitting and receiving data using a wireless protocol; and

a transmitting component to transmit said business information to said wireless instant messaging user, whereby presence information for said wireless instant messaging user is updated.

22. The business client system of claim 21 wherein said business client device further comprises:

a receiving component for receiving a user profile from said wireless device of said instant messaging user; and

a user database component for storing said user profile of said instant messaging user.

23. The business client system of claim 22 wherein said user profile is sent by said instant messaging user under control of an instant messaging client component of said wireless device, after said instant messaging user agrees to furnish said user profile.

24. The business client system of claim 21 wherein said business information comprises one or more of the following information items:

a introduction to said business, a description of said business, an advertisement for said business, an address of said business, a phone number of said business, directions to said location of said business, an email address of said business, and one or more links to Internet websites.

25. The business client system of claim 21 further comprising a statistics component to receive and store statistic reports on activity of said instant messaging user in selecting said business information of said business, wherein said statistic reports are sent by an instant messaging server of an instant messaging service.

26. The business client system of claim 25 wherein said statistic reports are delivered by email or in printed form to said business.

27. The business client system of claim 25 wherein said statistic reports from said instant messaging server comprise information for business analysis and measurement of marketing success of said transmitted business information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said link is to other parts of the presence information and includes one or more of the following:

a short text message;

a ticker-type display;

an animation;

images; and

links to web sites on the Internet.

31. The method claim 29 wherein said business sends dynamic updates with additional promotions to said visiting instant messaging user and said one or more instant messaging users.

32. The method of claim 29 comprising the further step of linking said one or more instant messaging users to a website, wherein said users can subscribe to additional information about said business;

wherein said subscribing user receives said additional information regardless of whether said presence information of said visiting instant messaging user has been updated.

29. A method of advertising comprising sending presence information to a visiting instant messaging user who visits a business and to one or more instant messaging users who list said visitor on an instant messaging address list;

and displaying part of said presence information to said visiting instant messaging user and to said one or more instant messenger users;

wherein said part of said presence information includes a link to advertisements for said business.

33. A system for real time instant presence with advertising comprising:

a first instant messaging user wireless device belonging to a first instant messaging user, that includes an instant messaging client software component;

a device at a business location for receiving real time presence information from said one or more instant messaging user wireless devices and for sending business information to instant messaging users;

wherein said business information includes advertising;

one or more additional instant messaging user devices;

each including said instant messaging client software component;

wherein each of said additional instant messaging user devices has an instant messaging address list containing the instant messaging identity of said first instant messaging user, wherein said address list is controlled by said additional instant messaging users and the presence information displayed for said members of said address list is under control of said instant messaging client software; and

an instant messaging server;

wherein said instant messaging server communicates over the Internet with said business device, said first instant messaging user wireless device and said additional instant messaging user devices.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said presence information of said first instant messaging user is sent from an instant messaging server to said additional instant messaging user devices via the Internet.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein said first instant messaging user wireless device transmits said presence information of said first instant messaging user, under control of said instant messaging client component, to said instant messaging server via the Internet.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein said instant messaging server stores one or more of the following:

a business database,

a user database; and

a database of click statistics, wherein statistic reports are generated.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said business device includes a statistics component, whereby statistics are sent from said instant messaging server database to said business device and stored for display and analysis of the effectiveness of said advertising of said business.

38. An instant messaging software client method comprising the steps of.

in response to an action performed by a first instant messaging user on a wireless device of said first instant messaging user, enabling acceptance of data transmissions from a first business device using a single action on said wireless device;

wherein said first instant messaging user is a member of an address list of one or more additional instant messaging users and said additional instant messaging users have one or more devices for instant messaging, controlling said instant messaging functions including address lists of said first instant messaging user and said additional instant messaging users based on inputs received from said instant messaging server over the Internet;

transmitting said presence information of said first instant messaging user to an instant messaging server via the Internet;

receiving a selection action from said first instant messaging user that enables or disables transmitting of a user profile from said wireless device of said first instant messaging user; and

if said transmittal of said user profile is enabled, whereby said instant messaging user agrees to furnish said user profile,

then transmitting said user profile of said first instant messaging user from said wireless device to said business device.