Method and System for Wireless Message-Based Advertising

• US 20090203359A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unomobi, Inc. (Poynt Corporation (Canada))
• Original Assignee: Unomobi, Inc. (Poynt Corporation (Canada))
• Inventors: Makhoul, Elie, Khan, Zia, Igelman, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

Systems and methods for message-based advertising in a wireless communications network are described. A digital message is contained in a data packet set in transit from a terminal of a sender to a terminal of a recipient. At least one of the terminals is implemented as a mobile telephone. The digital message is received through a network connection. A processor determines a context for the digital message and matches the message context to content of advertisements stored in an advertisement database in order to identify at least one relevant advertisement. The data packet set is transmitted to the terminal of the recipient. A processor retrieves the relevant advertisement(s) from the advertisement database and generates a confirmation message containing a delivery status of the data packet set. The confirmation message includes the relevant advertisement and is transmitted to the terminal of the sender.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for message-based advertising in a wireless communications network, comprising:

receiving through a network connection a digital message, wherein the digital message is contained in a data packet set in transit from a terminal of a sender to a terminal of a recipient and wherein at least one of the terminals is implemented as a mobile telephone;

using a processor to determine a context for the digital message and to match the determined message context with content of advertisements stored in an advertisement database to identify at least one relevant advertisement;

transmitting the data packet set to the terminal of the recipient;

using a processor to retrieve from the advertisement database the at least one relevant advertisement and to generate a confirmation message containing a delivery status of the data packet set, the confirmation message including the at least one relevant advertisement; and

transmitting the confirmation message to the terminal of the sender.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network connection is an IP network connection.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation message is responsive to a delivery request made by the sender.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation message is an acknowledgment of receipt of the digital message.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a processor to insert at least one relevant advertisement into the data packet set before it is transmitted to the recipient.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a recipient profile stored in a profile database, the recipient subscribing for wireless message-based advertising;

using the recipient profile and the context for the digital message to identify the at least one recipient-relevant advertisement; and

using a processor to insert the least one recipient-relevant advertisement into the data packet set.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a sender profile stored in a profile database, the sender subscribing for wireless message-based advertising;

using the sender profile and the context for the digital message to identify at least one sender-relevant advertisement; and

using a processor to generate the confirmation message containing the delivery status of the data packet set, the confirmation message including the at least one sender-relevant advertisement.

8. A method according to any of claims 1, wherein both the terminal of the sender and the terminal of the recipient are mobile telephones.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital message is transformed from one communications protocol to another.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein any of an audio clip, image, and video is attached to the digital message.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted digital message is in any one of a SMS, concatenated SMS, EMS, MMS and WAP Push protocol.

12. A wireless message-based advertising system, comprising:

a first digital storage medium in which is stored an advertisement database, each advertisement from the advertisement database characterized by content;

a receiver for receiving a digital message through a network connection, wherein the digital message is contained in a data packet set in transit from a terminal of a sender to a terminal of a recipient and wherein at least one of the terminals is implemented as a mobile telephone;

a context analyzer configured to determine a context of the digital message;

a rule engine configured to match the determined message context with content of advertisements stored in an advertisement database to identify at least one relevant advertisement;

a database manager for retrieving the at least one relevant advertisement from the advertisement database;

a message generator for generating a confirmation message containing a delivery status of the data packet set, the confirmation message including the at least one relevant advertisement; and

a transmitter for transmitting the data packet set to the terminal of the recipient and for transmitting the confirmation to the terminal of the sender.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the network connection is an IP network connection.

14. A system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a message transformer that inserts the at least one relevant advertisement into the data packet set before it is transmitted to the recipient.

15. A system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second digital storage medium in which is stored a profile database containing profiles of senders, the senders being subscribers to the wireless message-based advertising system.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the database manager is further configured to retrieve a sender profile stored in the profile database and the rule engine is further configured to use the sender profile and the context for the digital message to identify the at least one relevant advertisement.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein both the terminal of the sender and the terminal of the recipient are mobile telephones.

18. A system according to claim 12, wherein the message transformer is further configured to transform the digital message from one communications protocol to another.

19. A system according to claim 12, wherein the message transformer is further configured to attach any of an audio clip, image, and video to the digital message.

20. A system according to claim 12, wherein the transmitted digital message is in any one of a SMS, concatenated SMS, EMS, MMS, or WAP Push protocol.

21. A computer-implemented method for message-based advertising in a wireless communications network, comprising:

receiving through a network connection a digital message, wherein the digital message is contained in a data packet set in a first communications protocol in transit from a terminal of a sender to a terminal of a recipient and wherein at least one of the terminals is implemented as a mobile telephone;

using a processor to determine a context for the digital message and to match the determined message context with content of advertisements stored in an advertisement database to identify at least one relevant advertisement;

retrieving from the advertisement database the at least one relevant advertisement;

using a processor to insert the at least one relevant advertisement into the data packet set to transform the data packet set from the first communications protocol to a second communications protocol; and

transmitting the data packet set to the terminal of the recipient.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the network connection is an IP network connection.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

retrieving a recipient profile stored in a profile database, the recipient subscribing for wireless message-based advertising; and

using the recipient profile and the context for the digital message to identify the at least one relevant advertisement.

24. A method according to claim 21, the method further comprises:

retrieving a sender profile stored in a profile database, the sender subscribing for wireless message-based advertising;

using the sender profile and the context for the digital message to identify at least one sender-relevant advertisement; and

using a processor to generate a confirmation message containing a delivery status of the data packet set, the confirmation message including the at least one sender-relevant advertisement.

25. A method according to any of claims 21, wherein both the terminal of the sender and the terminal of the recipient are mobile telephones.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein the data packet set includes a digital text message, and further comprising determining an amount of unused space in the data packet set.

27. A method according to claim 21, wherein any of an audio clip, image, and video is attached to the data packet set.

28. A method according to claim 21, wherein the first communications protocol is an SMS protocol.

29. A method according to claim 21, wherein the second communications protocol is any one of a concatenated SMS, EMS, MMS, and WAP Push protocol.

30. A wireless message-based advertising system, comprising:

a first digital storage medium in which is stored an advertisement database, each advertisement from the advertisement database characterized by content;

a receiver for receiving an digital message through a network connection, wherein the digital message is contained in a data packet set in a first communications protocol in transit from a terminal of a sender to a terminal of a recipient and wherein at least one of the terminals is implemented as a mobile telephone;

a context analyzer configured to determine a context of the digital message;

a rule engine configured to match the determined message context with content of advertisements stored in an advertisement database to identify at least one relevant advertisement;

a database manager for retrieving the at least one relevant advertisement from the advertisement database;

a message transformer that inserts the at least one relevant advertisement into the data packet set to transform the data packet set from the first communications protocol to a second communications protocol; and

a transmitter for transmitting the data packet set to the terminal of the recipient.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the network connection is an IP network connection.

32. A system according to claim 30, further comprising:

a second digital storage medium in which is stored a profile database containing profiles of recipients, the recipients being subscribers to the wireless message-based advertising system.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein the database manager is further configured to retrieve a recipient profile stored in the profile database and the rule engine is further configured to use the recipient profile and the context for the digital message to identify the at least one relevant advertisement.

34. A system according to claim 30, wherein both the terminal of the sender and the terminal of the recipient are mobile telephones.

35. A system according to claim 30, wherein the data packet set includes a digital text message, and the rule engine is further configured to determine an amount of unused space in the data packet set.

36. A system according to claim 30, wherein any of an audio clip, image, and video is attached to the data packet set.

37. A system according to claim 30, wherein the first communications protocol is an SMS protocol.

38. A system according to claim 30, wherein the second communications protocol is any one of a concatenated SMS, EMS, MMS and WAP Push protocol.

39. A computer-implemented method for providing mobile telephone users with notification of e-mails, the method comprising:

fetching e-mails of the users;

in the course of fetching, identifying each e-mail targeted to multiple recipients, and avoiding the fetching of any previously fetched e-mail targeted to multiple recipients; and

sending a notification of receipt of an e-mail to each user with respect to whom an e-mail has been fetched.