Disseminating targeted location-based content to mobile device users

• US 8,224,353 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Inventors: Wright, Andrew S., Allan, Swan, Williams, Steven J., Geyer, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US12/235,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/514, 4554561-4566, 455418-420, 4554121-4122, 455/517
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A trusted third party information arbiter for facilitating third party information sources, such as advertisers or data processing services, to accurately target communications to mobile device users. Illustratively, the mobile device users can control target communications through the utilization of discretion requests/permissions processed by the third party information arbiter. Furthermore, the mobile device users may further interact with the trusted third party information arbiter to provide/release additional personal information. For example, a mobile device user may be provided an increasingly rich rewards or payments that may be provisioned by discount, coupons or offers associated with existing or new product advertisements or promotional information messages.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, the computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining current location data and demographic data of a plurality of mobile device users;

maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, permissions that specify amounts of personal information of the mobile device user which may be shared with business entities, wherein the personal information corresponds to at least current location data and demographic data;

receiving a query specified by a business entity, said query specifying demographic and current location criteria for identifying mobile device users satisfying at least a portion of the received query, wherein the demographic criteria corresponds to an age range, specified gender, or one or more specified interests, and wherein the location criteria corresponds to a distance range from a specified point, or a velocity range;

responding to the received query by using the current location data and demographic data to identify a subset of said mobile device users that satisfy the specified demographic and current location criteria;

generating a set of abstracted information based on the identified subset of mobile device users and based on the permissions of each mobile device user, the abstracted information including;

filtered identities of the subset of mobile device users,

generalized demographic data matching specified demographic criteria provided by the business entity, the generalized demographic data corresponding to a number of mobile device users that satisfy the specified demographic criteria without revealing demographic data of any individual mobile device user, and

generalized current location data matching specified current location criteria provided by the business entity, the generalized current location criteria corresponding to a number of mobile device users that satisfy the specified current location criteria without revealing current location data of any individual mobile device user;

providing the set of abstracted information to the business entity responsive to the received query, the set of abstracted information regarding said subset of mobile device users without revealing identities of said users to the business entity, such that the business entity can determine substantially in real time whether to provide an offer to the subset of users;

over a specified period of time, repeatedly determining a number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose current location data no longer satisfies the specified current location criteria, and

if the determined number is above a specified expiration notification number, providing an expiration notification to the business entity, the expiration notification reflecting the determined number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose current location data no longer satisfies the specified current location criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after providing said abstracted information to the business entity, broadcasting an offer supplied by the business entity to the mobile devices of the users such that the broadcast is limited to the subset of users who satisfy the query.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking responses of the users to said offer substantially in real time, and providing feedback data to the business entity regarding said responses.

4. A computer system configured to perform the method of any of claims 1-3.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, embody the method of claim 1.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a laptop computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a query specified by a business entity includes receiving a query specifying current location criteria corresponding to a distance from a specified location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a query specified by a business entity includes receiving a query including demographic criteria corresponding to at least one of a name criteria, an age criteria, a gender criteria, and an area of interest criteria.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of current location data which may be shared with third parties and the amount of demographic data which may be shared with third parties are different amounts.

11. A method, implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, for managing information associated with a mobile device user, the method comprising:

maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, a set of static information, the set of static information corresponding to information associated with a mobile device user and to information which is not subject to frequent change over a defined period of time;

maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, a set of dynamic information, the set of dynamic information corresponding to information associated with a mobile device and to information subject to frequent change over the defined period of time;

maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, a permissions that specify amounts of personal information which may be shared with third parties, wherein the personal information corresponds to at least static information and dynamic information;

receiving a query from an entity, said query specifying dynamic information criteria and static information criteria for identifying mobile device users;

responding to the query by using the maintained sets of static information and the maintained sets of dynamic information to identify a subset of said mobile device users that satisfy the received query;

generating a set of abstracted information based on the identified subset of mobile device users and based on the permissions of each mobile device user, the abstracted information including generalized static information and generalized dynamic information;

providing the abstracted information to the entity without revealing identities of said users to the entity; and

over a specified period of time, repeatedly determining a number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose dynamic information no longer satisfies the specified dynamic information criteria, and

if the determined number is above a threshold, providing an expiration notification to the entity, the expiration notification reflecting the determined number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose dynamic information no longer satisfies the specified dynamic information criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting an offer to the identified subset of mobile device users.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising tracking responses of the identified subset of mobile device users to the offer and transmitting feedback data regarding said responses.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the specified dynamic information criteria corresponds to at least one of location criteria, velocity criteria, meeting status criteria, journey state criteria, and availability criteria.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the amount of static information which may be shared with third parties and the amount of dynamic information which may be shared with third parties are different amounts.

16. A method, by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, for managing information associated with a mobile device user, the method comprising:

maintaining a set of information corresponding to a plurality of mobile device users;

maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, a set of permissions that specify an amount of personal information which may be shared with third parties;

receiving a query, said query specifying information criteria for identifying mobile device users;

responding to the query by using the maintained set of information to identify a subset of said mobile device users that satisfy the received query;

generating a set of abstracted information based on the identified subset of mobile device users and based on the set of permissions of each mobile device user, the abstracted information including generalized information corresponding to each of the mobile device users, the abstracted information satisfying the information criteria specified in the received query; and

transmitting the abstracted information, wherein the abstracted information is utilized to selectively transmit content to the mobile device users corresponding to the abstracted information; and

over a specified period of time, repeatedly determining a number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose information no longer satisfies the specified information criteria, and if the determined number is above a threshold number, providing an expiration notification, the expiration notification reflecting the determined number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose information no longer satisfies the specified information criteria.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting an offer to the identified subset of mobile device users.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising tracking responses of the identified subset of mobile device users to the offer and transmitting feedback data regarding said responses.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the specified information criteria corresponds to both real-time status criteria of the mobile device and demographic criteria of the mobile device user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the the set of permissions specify amounts of information which may be shared with third parties according to a type of information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the types of information include at least real-time mobile device status information and demographic information of the mobile device user.