Encouraging traffic in a communications network

• US 20050261009A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pedersen, Claus A., Hertzberg, Todd, Kraft, Christian, Benner, Jens, Koch, Povl
• Application Number:
  US10/848,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261009A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Traffic in a communication network is encouraged by providing a small advertisement service. Small advertisements are placed by subscribers and then broadcast to other subscribers to encourage some of the other subscribers to place a call to an advertising subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

transmitting said message, together with a network address identifying a first mobile station, to a plurality of mobile stations including a second mobile station; and

responding to signals from the second mobile station to establish a network connection between the first station and the second station.

2. A method according to claim 1, including receiving a plurality of messages and storing the messages in a database and cyclically transmitting messages, stored in the database, to said plurality of mobile stations.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting of said message is effected by transmitting the message in a cell broadcast message.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message received from the first mobile station is a short message service message.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting of said message is effected by transmitting the message in a cell broadcast message.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network connection is a speech-carrying channel.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the message received from the first mobile station is a short message service message.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting of said message is effected by transmitting the message in a cell broadcast message.

9. A method according to claim 1, including analysing the received message and only transmitting the received message to a plurality of mobile stations if it meets predetermined criteria.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises an advertisement.

11. A method according to claim 3, including classifying said message and selecting a cell broadcast channel for said cell broadcast message in dependence on the classification of said message.

12. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a short message service message from a first mobile station via a mobile communication network;

transmitting at least part of the content of said message, together with a network address identifying the first mobile station, to a plurality of mobile stations, including a second mobile station, in a cell broadcast message; and

responding to signals from the second mobile station to establish a speech-carrying network connection between the first station and the second station.

13. A method according to claim 12, including analysing the received message and only transmitting the received message content to a plurality of mobile stations if it meets predetermined criteria.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the message comprises an advertisement.

15. A method according to claim 12, including classifying said message and selecting a cell broadcast channel for said cell broadcast message in dependence on the classification of said message.

16. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of messages;

transmitting said messages, together with network addresses identifying respective mobile stations, to a plurality of mobile stations; and

responding to signals from one of said plurality of mobile stations to establish a network connection between one of said sending station and said one of said plurality of mobile stations.

17. A method according to claim 16, including analysing the received messages and only transmitting the received messages to a plurality of mobile stations if they meet predetermined criteria.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the messages comprise advertisements.

19. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of short message service messages from mobile stations via a mobile communication network;

transmitting at least part of the content of each of said messages, together with network addresses identifying the respective sending mobile stations, to a plurality of mobile stations in cell broadcast messages; and

responding to signals from one of said plurality of mobile stations to establish a network connection between one of said sending station and said one of said plurality of mobile stations.

20. A method according to claim 19, including analysing the received messages and only transmitting the received messages to a plurality of mobile stations if they meet predetermined criteria.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the messages comprise advertisements.

22. A method according to claim 19, including classifying said messages and selecting cell broadcast channels for said cell broadcast messages in dependence on the classifications of said messages.

23. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving an advertisement;

transmitting said advertisement, together with a network address identifying a first mobile station, to a plurality of mobile stations including a second mobile station; and

responding to signals from the second mobile station to establish a network connection between the first station and the second station.

24. A method according to claim 23, including receiving a plurality of advertisements via the mobile communication network and storing the advertisements in a database and cyclically transmitting advertisements, stored in the database, to said plurality of mobile stations.

25. A method according to claim 23, including analysing the received advertisements and only transmitting the received advertisements to a plurality of mobile stations if they meet predetermined criteria.

26. A method of encouraging use of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

receiving an advertisement from a first mobile station in a short message service message via a mobile communication network;

transmitting said advertisement, together with a network address identifying the first mobile station, to a plurality of mobile stations including a second mobile station in a cell broadcast message; and

responding to signals from the second mobile station to establish a speech-carrying network connection between the first station and the second station.

27. A method according to claim 26, including receiving a plurality of advertisements in respective short message service messages via the mobile communication network and storing the advertisements in a database and cyclically transmitting advertisements, stored in the database, to said plurality of mobile stations.

28. A method according to claim 26, including analysing the received advertisements and only transmitting the received advertisements to a plurality of mobile stations if they meet predetermined criteria.

29. A method according to claim 26, including classifying the received advertisements and selecting cell broadcast channels for said cell broadcast messages in dependence on the classifications of said advertisements.

32. A method according to claim 26, including classifying the received advertisement texts and selecting cell broadcast channels for said cell broadcast messages in dependence on the classifications of said advertisement texts.

30. An advertising system comprising:

message receiving means for receiving advertisement text and mobile station identifying information associated therewith;

message transmitting means for sending cell broadcast messages for a mobile communication system

a database; and

processing means,

wherein the processing means is configured to;

store advertisement text, received by the message receiving means, in the database,

read stored advertisement text from the database, and

transmit the read advertisement text, together with a network address associated therewith, using the message transmitting means.

31. An advertising system according to claim 30, for receiving messages from a short message service function of a mobile communication system.