System for enabling sponsored user identities on a mobile device

• US 20140128041A1
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Movirtu Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Horn, Chris, Murray, Glen
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A system for enabling brands to engage with mobile users having sponsored identities dedicated to those specific brands. Brands are enabled to give mobile numbers to individual users without the need of mobile infrastructure investment by the brand itself and without the need of the end user to purchase a specific mobile device or SIM and without the need for the brand to act as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. The system therefore allows brands to engage with mobile users using dedicated sponsored identities in a much faster and more engaging way and without the need of mobile infrastructure investment by the brand itself.

Claims

1. A system for enabling at least one sponsored identity, comprising:

a mobile device having at least one mobile application, wherein each of the at least one mobile application has an assigned sponsored identity;

at least one MXGateway instance located within a mobile network, wherein said at least one mobile application is configured to communicate a prefix and to indicate the at least one sponsored identity to the at least one MXGateway instance;

an API Server capable of communication with at least one brand and the at least one MXGateway instance;

a means for making a request to reserve the at least one sponsored identity with the API Server, wherein said API Server is configured to communicate with the at least one MXGateway instance, wherein the at least one MXGateway instance is configured to allocate a range or list of the at least one sponsored identity; and

a mapping table for converting the prefix to the at least one sponsored identity.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Mobile Operator charging system, wherein the at least one MXGateway instance is configured to interact with the Mobile Operator charging system so that each unique sponsored identity has a unique account.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one MXGateway instance comprises a stored list of available prefixes and a timer, wherein the at least one MXGateway instance is configured to communicate an available prefix from the available prefixes to the at least one mobile application instance, wherein the at least one mobile application comprises a timer.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for prepending said prefix to a destination address and for sending Short Messages to a Short Message Service Centre.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for prepending said prefix to the at least one sponsored identity and for sending Multimedia Messages to a Multimedia Message Service Centre.

6. A system for enabling at least one sponsored identity, comprising:

providing a mobile device having at least one mobile application, wherein each of the at least one mobile application has an assigned sponsored identity;

providing at least one MXGateway instance located within a mobile network;

providing an API Server capable of communication with at least one brand and the at least one MXGateway instance, wherein the API Server receives a brand request to reserve the at least one sponsored identity;

wherein said API Server communicates with the at least one MXGateway instance;

said at least one MXGateway instance allocates a range or list comprising at least some of the at least one sponsored identity;

said mobile application using a prefix to indicate to the at least one MXGateway instance the sponsored identity used for mobile originated calls; and

said at least one MXGateway instance uses a mapping table to convert a unique prefix to a sponsored identity to be used by the at least one mobile application when originating calls or messages or when using mobile data services.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the at least one MXGateway instance interacting with a Mobile Operator'"'"'s charging system so that each unique sponsored identity has its own prepaid or postpaid account.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein a pool of available prefixes is maintained by the at least one MXGateway instance and where said prefix is communicated to the at least one mobile application instance using a mechanism of two timers, a first timer held in the at least one mobile application and a second timer held in the at least one MXGateway instance.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the prefix is used to indicate the at least one sponsored identity and said prefix is prepended to a destination address by the at least one mobile application instance and used for sending Short Messages to a Short Message Service Centre.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the prefix is used to indicate the at least one sponsored identity and said prefix is prepended to a destination address by the at least one mobile application instance and used for sending Multimedia Messages to a Multimedia Message Service Centre.