Wireless subscriber unit and method for presenting advertisements as a message indicator

• US 6,157,814 A
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snipp Interactive Inc
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Indekeu, Jack P., Hymel, James Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/191,408
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/5.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/420, 455/566, 455/550, 455/403, 455/412, 455/414, 455/419, 455/422, 455/424
• US Class Current: 340/7.56
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A wireless subscriber unit (30) contains an advertisement manager (56). The advertisement manager (56) is programmed to assign an advertisement icon (54) to a message indicator (46) on the display (42) of the wireless subscriber unit (30). Assignment of the advertisement icon (54) to the message indicator (46) associated with a message (26) may be based on a predetermined algorithm in the advertisement manager (56), or based on a notification received from the wireless communication system (10).

Claims

1. A wireless subscriber unit for receiving a message from a wireless communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving the message;

a message processor coupled to the receiver for processing the message;

a memory coupled to the message processor for storing the message;

a display coupled to the message processor for displaying the message, the display providing;

a plurality of message indicators, wherein a message indicator associated with the message is activated in response to receipt of the message;

an advertisement memory for storing a plurality of advertisement icons; and

an advertisement manager coupled to the advertisement memory and coupled to the display for assigning an advertisement icon to the message indicator activated in association with the message; and

a user input for selecting the advertisement icon associated with the message, wherein the message is displayed on the display in response to the selection by the user input.

2. A wireless subscriber unit as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the message includes a message identification number;

the advertisement icon includes an advertisement identification number; and

the advertisement manager assigns the advertisement icon to the message indicator by matching the message identification number with the advertisement identification number.

3. A wireless subscriber unit for receiving a message from a wireless communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving the message, wherein the message includes an advertisement icon;

a message processor coupled to the receiver for processing the message;

an advertisement manager coupled to the message processor for processing the advertisement icon;

an advertisement memory coupled to the advertisement manager, receiving the advertisement icon from the advertisement manager and storing the advertisement icon;

a display coupled to the advertisement manager and coupled to the message processor for displaying a stored message, the display providing;

a plurality of message indicators, wherein a message indicator associated with the message is activated in response to receipt of the message;

wherein the advertisement manager assigns the advertisement icon to the message indicator activated in association with the message; and

a user input for selecting the advertisement icon associated with the message, wherein the message is displayed on the display in response to the selection by the user input.

4. A wireless subscriber unit as recited in claim 3, wherein the message further comprises a message identification number, and wherein the advertisement manager assigns the advertisement icon to the message indicator using the message identification number.

5. A wireless subscriber unit as recited in claim 3, wherein the message further comprises a time duration, and wherein the advertisement manager assigns the advertisement icon to the message indicator using the time duration.