Managing Advertising Services for Mobile Devices and Users

• US 20130275216A1
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bishop, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

This description provides tools and techniques for managing advertising services for mobile devices and users. These tools may provide methods that include establishing advertising databases for storing representations of geographic areas. These methods may include receiving bids from advertisers, with these bids referencing keywords and the geographic areas. The advertisers specified in the bids may be associated with the keywords and geographic areas specified in the bids, such that when a user of a mobile communications device activates the keyword within a geographic area, the mobile device received advertising information associated with the advertiser.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, by a mobile communications device, a contact list, the contact list comprising an enhanced contact containing advertiser representations of a keyword;

receiving, at the mobile communications device, a first indication, the first indication being indicative of the mobile communications device having entered a first geographic area;

receiving, at the mobile communications device, a first advertiser representation of the keyword from a first advertiser selected to respond to the keyword when the mobile communications device is within the first geographic area;

updating, by the mobile communications device, the enhanced contact to include the first advertiser representation of the keyword;

receiving, at the mobile communications device, a second indication, the second indication being indicative of the mobile communications device having entered a second geographic area;

receiving, at the mobile communications device, a second advertiser representation of the keyword from a second advertiser selected to respond to the keyword when the mobile communications device is within the second geographic area; and

updating, by the mobile communications device, the enhanced contact to include the second advertiser representation of the keyword.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced contact is responsive to a user input to activate the mobile communications device to present advertising information associated with the first advertiser when the mobile communications device is in the first geographic area, and the enhanced contact is responsive to a user input to activate the mobile communications device to present advertising information associated with the second advertiser when the mobile communications device is in the second geographic area.

3. A method comprising:

storing, by a mobile communications device, a contact list, the contact list comprising an enhanced contact containing an advertiser representation of a keyword;

receiving, at the mobile communications device, an indication that the advertiser representation of the keyword as stored in the contact list in association with the enhanced contact has been activated via a user input;

identifying, by the mobile communications device, a geographic area in which the mobile communications device is located when the keyword was activated;

identifying, by the mobile communications device, an advertiser selected to respond to the advertiser representation of the keyword when the mobile communications device is within the geographic area and the keyword has been activated; and

presenting, by the mobile communications device, advertising information associated with the advertiser for user consumption in response to the keyword.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving user preference information and storing the user preference information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the user preference information comprises receiving a proximity preference, the proximity preference indicating a distance that a user associated with the user preference information is willing to travel to interact with the advertiser.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the user preference information comprises receiving an advertiser preference, the advertiser preference indicating whether a user associated with the user preference information is willing to transact with the advertiser.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the user preference information comprises receiving a promotions preference, the promotions preference indicating that a user associated with the user preference information is willing to participate in a discounted transaction with the advertiser.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the user preference information comprises receiving a ratings preference, the ratings preference indicating that a user associated with the user preference information is willing to participate in transactions with advertisers achieving a minimum rating based on reviews provided by a plurality of other users.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request to provide feedback information regarding a transaction conducted with the advertiser;

receiving the feedback information as a user input; and

sending the feedback information in response to the request.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising filtering the advertising information before presenting the advertising information via the mobile communications device for consumption by a user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein filtering the advertising information comprises filtering advertising information provided by the advertiser based upon user preference information.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving directions to a location associated with the advertiser.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a menu comprising a list of items associated with the advertiser.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending a pre-defined order to the advertiser.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending pre-packaged payment information to the advertiser.

16. A mobile communications device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communications device to perform operations comprising

storing a contact list, the contact list comprising an enhanced contact containing advertiser representations of a keyword,

receiving a first indication, the first indication being indicative of the mobile communications device having entered a first geographic area,

receiving a first advertiser representation of the keyword from a first advertiser selected to respond to the keyword when the mobile communications device is within the first geographic area,

updating the enhanced contact to include the first advertiser representation of the keyword,

receiving a second indication, the second indication being indicative of the mobile communications device having entered a second geographic area,

receiving a second advertiser representation of the keyword from a second advertiser selected to respond to the keyword when the mobile communications device is within the second geographic area, and

updating the enhanced contact to include the second advertiser representation of the keyword.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 16, wherein the enhanced contact is responsive to a user input to activate the mobile communications device to present advertising information associated with the first advertiser when the mobile communications device is in the first geographic area, and the enhanced contact is responsive to a user input to activate the mobile communications device to present advertising information associated with the second advertiser when the mobile communications device is in the second geographic area.

18. The mobile communications device of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communications device to perform further operations comprising receiving user preference information and storing the user preference information.

19. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein the user preference information comprises a proximity preference, the proximity preference indicating a distance that a user associated with the user preference information is willing to travel to interact with the advertiser.

20. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein the user preference information comprises an advertiser preference, the advertiser preference indicating whether a user associated with the user preference information is willing to transact with the advertiser.