METHOD AND SYSTEM TO FACILITATE INTERACTION BETWEEN AND CONTENT DELIVERY TO USERS OF A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20110059729A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cricket Communications Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simon, Daniel, Westling, Mark Ford, Wherry, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A system and method of creating affinity groups of portable communication device users, and distributing targeted content to said users is disclosed. The user affinity groups may be formed by comparing user profiles with each other or with a predefined affinity group profile definition.

Claims

1. A system for creating an affinity group of portable communications device users comprising:

means for providing wireless communication between said users;

means for storing profile data relating to each of said users, said means for storing being operatively connected to the means for providing wireless communications; and

means for (a) comparing the profile data of different ones of said users, and (b) associating users with the affinity group based on the profile data comparison to thereby create the group, said means for comparing and associating being operatively connected to the means for storing.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

user news preferences, user sports preferences, user advertisement preferences, user purchase preferences, user electronic game preferences, user interactive game preferences, user game skill level, user virtual reality character characteristics, user portable communications device capabilities, user portable communications device model, user portable communications device usage level, user occupation, user income level, user education level, user residence, user sex, user religion, other users precluded from communicating with the user, and user frequent location.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data comprises information selected from the group consisting of use electronic game preferences, user interactive game preferences, user game skill level, user virtual reality character characteristics, and user portable communications device capabilities.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data includes user electronic game preferences.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data includes user interactive game preferences.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the interactive game preferences comprise information selected from the group consisting of:

user individual game selection history, user game genre selection history, and user ranking of interest in games.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data includes user game skill level.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data includes user interactive game preferences and user game skill level.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for providing wireless communication includes plural mobile wireless devices, and wherein the means for storing profile data comprises a memory device located in each mobile wireless device.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for providing wireless communication includes a centrally located server, and wherein the means for storing profile data comprises a memory device associated with the centrally located server.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for a user to include herself in an affinity group notwithstanding the failure of the means for comparing and associating to associate the user with the affinity group.

12. A system for creating an affinity group of portable communications device users comprising:

means for providing wireless communication between said users;

means for storing profile data relating to each of said users, said means for storing being operatively connected to the means for providing wireless communications; and

means for (a) comparing the profile data of each of said users with a predefined affinity group definition, and (b) associating users with the affinity group based on the comparison user profile data with the predefined affinity group definition to thereby create the group, said means for comparing and associating being operatively connected to the means for storing.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile data comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

user news preferences, user sports preferences, user advertisement preferences, user purchase preferences, user electronic game preferences, user interactive game preferences, user game skill level, user virtual reality character characteristics, user portable communications device capabilities, user portable communications device model, user portable communications device usage level, user occupation, user income level, user education level, user residence, user sex, user religion, and user frequent location.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile data comprises information selected from the group consisting of user electronic game preferences, user interactive game preferences, user game skill level, user virtual reality character characteristics, and user portable communications device capabilities.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile data includes user electronic game preferences.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile data includes user interactive game preferences.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the interactive game preferences comprise information selected from the group consisting of:

user individual game selection history, user game genre selection history, and user ranking of interest in games.

18. The system of claim 12 herein the profile data includes user game skill level.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the profile data includes user virtual reality character characteristics.

20. The system of claim 12 herein the profile data includes user interactive game preferences and user game skill level.

21-82. -82. (canceled)