Method and apparatus for delivering advertisements to mobile users

• US 7,747,264 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Myriad Group AG
• Original Assignee: Myriad Group AG
• Inventors: Fiorini, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US11/525,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/403, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

Techniques for delivering advertisements and similar promotional messages to mobile users using USSD technology are disclosed. USSD provides session-based communication in which transactions occur only during a session. Advertisements may be delivered through USSD in several ways: by inserting a short text into a message in a mobile-initiated USSD session, by temporarily diverting a mobile-initiated USSD session toward an advertisement sub-session, by triggering a network-initiated USSD session the main purpose of which is the delivery of an advertisement, and by causing a mobile user to initiate a USSD session the main purpose of which is the delivery of an advertisement. Also disclosed is a process for inserting advertisements into USSD messages, a process for inserting advertisement sub-sessions into USSD sessions, and a process for delivering advertisements with network-initiated USSD sessions.

Claims

1. A process for inserting an advertisement into a USSD message, the process comprising:

identifying a USSD message to be sent by a service provider to a mobile user of a mobile device in response to a request initiated by the mobile user;

selecting a specific advertisement to be inserted in the USSD message, wherein the mobile user is a target and intended recipient of the specific advertisement;

generating a transcoded advertisement by transcoding the specific advertisement to adapt to a character set of the USSD message;

modifying the USSD message by inserting the transcoded advertisement into the USSD message;

forwarding the modified USSD message to the mobile user;

monitoring the mobile user'"'"'s response to the modified USSD message, wherein the mobile user'"'"'s response is sent through the mobile device; and

displaying to the mobile user an advertising sub-session when the mobile user elects to view the advertising sub-session in response to the modified USSD message, wherein the advertising sub-session includes at least one of;

one or more USSD messages related to the specific advertisement;

or

one or more USSD responses from the mobile user.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the mobile device to alert the mobile user prior to triggering the USSD session by performing at least one of;

initiating a voice call to the mobile user;

or

sending a text message to the mobile user,

wherein the mobile device is used by the mobile user to receive the USSD message.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the specific advertisement is based on the specific WAP service that the mobile user accesses.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

logging to a database to examine how the mobile user responded to the specific advertisement to enable a mobile operator to bill an advertiser and/or compensate the service provider.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein a decision by the USSD server to insert a particular advertisement into the USSD message is based on at least one of:

a first length of the USSD message;

a second length of the particular advertisement;

or

a maximum allowable length of the USSD message.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein a decision to display advertisements to the mobile user is based on at least one of:

looking-up in a database to determine whether the mobile user has requested not to receive advertisements;

or

looking-up in a database to determine whether the service provider has requested not to receive advertisements.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the specific advertisement is selected by using at least one of:

information that the service provider explicitly attaches to its messages;

detecting words in the USSD message;

detecting the brand and/or model of the mobile device used by the mobile user;

marketing preferences supplied by the mobile user;

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the mobile user has blacklisted;

or

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the service provider has blacklisted.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein one or more steps of the process are performed off-line and a corresponding set of results are stored in a database until the mobile user accesses the USSD service.

9. A process for inserting an advertisement sub-session into a USSD session, the process comprising:

monitoring message traffic between a service provider and a mobile user of a mobile device;

identifying the service provider and the mobile user;

identifying an appropriate time to display advertisements in a particular USSD session between the service provider and the mobile user;

selecting a specific advertisement for delivery to the mobile user to be inserted into the particular USSD session, wherein the mobile user is a target and intended recipient of the specific advertisement; and

diverting the particular USSD session to an advertisement sub-session, the advertising sub-session including one or more USSD messages related to the specific advertisement and one or more USSD responses from the mobile user.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the appropriate time includes a session time when the mobile user utilizes or completes at least one of:

a mobile-initiated USSD session;

a voice call;

a text message;

or

a WAP session.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the session time for the voice call or the text message is determined by at least one of:

monitoring calling records generated by Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) associated with the service provider;

monitoring CAMEL transactions between MSCs and SCPs;

or

monitoring messages between MSCs and Short Message Service Centers.

12. The process of claim 10, wherein the session time for the WAP session is determined by at least one of:

monitoring WAP traffic between the mobile user and a WAP gateway;

monitoring WAP traffic between the WAP gateway and a WAP service provider;

requiring WAP service providers to generate a notification event when a user accesses a WAP service.

13. The process of claim 9, further comprising:

causing the mobile device to alert the mobile user prior to triggering the USSD session by performing at least one of;

initiating a voice call to the mobile user;

or

sending a text message to the mobile user,

wherein the mobile device is used by the mobile user to receive during the USSD session.

14. The process of claim 9, wherein the specific advertisement is based on the specific WAP service that the mobile user accesses.

15. The process of claim 9, further comprising:

logging to a database to examine how the mobile user responded to the specific advertisement to enable a mobile operator to bill an advertiser and/or compensate the service provider.

16. The process of claim 9, wherein a decision by the USSD server to display advertisements to the mobile user is based on at least one of:

looking-up in a database to determine whether the mobile user has requested not to receive advertisements;

or

looking-up in a database to determine whether the service provider has requested not to receive advertisements.

17. The process of claim 9, wherein the specific advertisement is selected by using at least one of:

information that the service provider explicitly attaches to its messages;

detecting words in the USSD message;

detecting the brand and/or model of a mobile device used by the mobile user;

marketing preferences supplied by the mobile user;

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the mobile user has blacklisted;

or

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the service provider has blacklisted.

18. The process of claim 9, wherein one or more steps of the process are performed off-line and a corresponding set of results are stored in a database until the mobile user accesses the USSD service.

19. The process of claim 9, wherein the appropriate time to display advertisements is determined based on at least one of:

detecting a specific marker that the service provider inserts to indicate a suitable time for displaying advertisements;

detecting a marker that indicates an end of a particular USSD session;

or

detecting transitions within a given USSD session.

20. A process for delivering an advertisement using a network-initiated USSD session, the process comprising:

monitoring message traffic between a service provider and a mobile user;

selecting an appropriate time for delivering advertisements to the mobile user;

selecting an advertiser and a specific advertisement to be delivered to the mobile user, wherein the mobile user is the target and intended recipient of the specific advertisement;

triggering a network-initiated USSD session; and

delivering the advertisement to the mobile user.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the appropriate time includes a session time when the mobile user utilizes or completes at least one of:

a mobile-initiated USSD session;

a voice call;

a text message;

or

a WAP session.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the session time for the voice call or the text message is determined by at least one of:

monitoring calling records generated by Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) associated with the service provider;

monitoring CAMEL transactions between MSCs and SCPs;

or

monitoring messages between MSCs and Short Message Service Centers.

23. The process of claim 21, wherein the session time for the WAP session is determined by at least one of:

monitoring WAP traffic between the mobile user and a WAP gateway;

monitoring WAP traffic between the WAP gateway and a WAP service provider;

requiring WAP service providers to generate a notification event when a user accesses a WAP service.

24. The process of claim 20, further comprising:

causing a mobile device to alert the mobile user prior to triggering the USSD session by performing at least one of;

initiating a voice call to the mobile user;

or

sending a text message to the mobile user, wherein the mobile device is used by the mobile user to receive during the USSD session.

25. The process of claim 20, wherein the specific advertisement is based on the specific WAP service that the mobile user accesses.

26. The process of claim 20, further comprising:

logging to a database to examine how the mobile user responded to the specific advertisement to enable a mobile operator to bill an advertiser and/or compensate the service provider.

27. The process of claim 20, wherein a decision by the USSD server to display advertisements to the mobile user is based on at least one of:

looking-up in a database to determine whether the mobile user has requested not to receive advertisements;

or

looking-up in a database to determine whether the service provider has requested not to receive advertisements.

28. The process of claim 20, wherein the specific advertisement is selected by using at least one of:

information that the service provider explicitly attaches to its messages;

detecting words in the USSD message;

detecting the brand and/or model of a mobile device used by the mobile user;

marketing preferences supplied by the mobile user;

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the mobile user has blacklisted;

or

a database including a list of advertisers or categories of advertisers that the service provider has blacklisted.

29. The process of claim 20, wherein one or more steps of the process are performed off-line and a corresponding set of results are stored in a database until the mobile user accesses the USSD service.

30. The process of claim 20, wherein the appropriate time to display advertisements is determined based on at least one of:

detecting a specific marker that the service provider inserts to indicate a suitable time for displaying advertisements;

detecting a marker that indicates an end of a particular USSD session;

or

detecting transitions within a given USSD session.