Advertisement scheduling

• US 8,417,226 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ahtisaari, Marko, Romppanen, Timo, Antikainen, Ismo, Aaltonen, Janne, Fisher, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US11/996,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20090176501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336, 370/334, 455/414.1, 455/406, 455/413, 706/21, 705/40
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are concerned with a method and a system for scheduling the transmission of messages to a subscriber in a communications network on basis of communications events that are determined to have occurred from communications events generated by the communications network. The method includes identifying a communications event as one of a plurality of predetermined types of communications events on the basis of at least one said identified current or previous communications session, and, responsive to the identified communications event, triggering a scheduling process for scheduling transmission of a message to the subscriber, in which the scheduling process is dependent on the type of communications event.

Thus in embodiments of the invention, the transmission of messages is determined on the basis of communications events associated with the subscriber; typical communications events include making calls, sending messages, switching off, switching on, roaming, cell to cell handover, answering calls, and trends relating thereto. The method can include reviewing call detail records so as to identify likely actions and availability of the subscriber, and using this information to ensure that messages are received by a subscriber at a time that is convenient to their actions and availability.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring a communications network to identify communication events associated with a subscriber of the communications network, wherein the monitoring includes querying Call Detail Records to identify communication sessions associated with the subscriber;

populating at least one scheduling parameter value based on an analysis of the identified communication events, wherein the at least one scheduling parameter value indicates a time when the subscriber performs daily activities and is populated as a function of day of the week on the basis of the identified communication events;

deriving a set of message transmission rules associated with the subscriber based on the at least one populated scheduling parameter, wherein the set of message transmission rules dictates when messages are to be transmitted to the subscriber in relation to the at least one populated scheduling parameter; and

scheduling a transmission time for messages based on the message transmission rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules is based on real-time communication events.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules is based on historical communication events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call detail records include the type of network usage used by the subscriber along with temporal data relating thereto.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules comprises setting values for parameters defining the availability of the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameters include night, morning and busy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules comprises deriving a first set of message transmission rules for real-time communication events and a second set of message transmission rules for historical communication events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules is further based on temporal preference data specified by the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules is further based on preference data specified by a content provider.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting content for a message; and

transmitting the message to a terminal based on the scheduled transmission time.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving data indicative of actions taken by the terminal in response to receipt of the message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules is further based on the received data indicative of actions taken by the terminal in response to receipt of the message.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the Call Detail Records are a record to network services including any one of data and voice network usage, time and duration of usage, sending messages, network registration and de-registration, making calls, switching off, switching on, roaming, cell to cell handover and answering calls, performed by subscribers of the network.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein in the absence of input from the subscriber specifying the temporal preference data, the temporal preference data is populated with default data.

24. The method of claim 8, wherein in the absence of input from the subscriber specifying the temporal preference data, the temporal preference data is populated with data most commonly associated with a community in which the subscriber belongs.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein deriving a set of message transmission rules includes periodically querying the Call Detail Records and determining whether there are new communication events.

26. The method of claim 5, wherein the message transmission rules dictate that a message should be sent a predetermined time interval from a parameter defining the availability of the subscriber.

27. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates a time of data acceptable for receiving messages.

28. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates a day of the week acceptable for receiving messages.

29. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates a time delay after a previous message before another message can be sent.

30. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates that messages should only be sent on a request basis.

31. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates the type of communication which can include a message.

32. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates communication patterns which can include messages.

33. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal preference data dictates a period wherein no messages can be received.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicative of actions taken by the terminal in response to receipt of the message.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the data indicative of actions taken by the terminal are used to determine the message transmission rules.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein when the data indicative of actions taken by the terminal indicates that a response is more likely when a message is sent as a specific type of communication, the message transmission rules dictate that messages be sent as that specific type of communication.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein when the data indicative of actions taken by the terminal indicates that a response is more likely after a certain communication event, the message transmission rules dictate that messages be sent after that certain communication event.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein when the data indicative of actions taken by the terminal indicates that a response is more likely after communication between certain subscribers, the message transmission rules dictate that messages be sent after communications between those subscribers.

13. A system comprising:

a communication device configured to monitor a communications network to identify communication events associated with a subscriber of the communications network, wherein the monitoring includes querying Call Detail Records to identify communication sessions associated with the subscriber; and

a processor configured to populate at least one scheduling parameter value based on an analysis of the identified communication events, wherein the at least one scheduling parameter value indicates a time when the subscriber performs a daily activity and is populated as a function of day of the week on the basis of the identified communication events;

the processor further configured to derive a set of message transmission rules associated with the subscriber based on the at least one populated scheduling parameter, wherein the set of message transmission rules dictates when messages are to be transmitted to the subscriber in relation to the at least one populated scheduling parameter;

the processor further configured to schedule a transmission time for messages based on the message transmission rules.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor derives a set of message transmission rules based on real-time communication events.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor derives a set of message transmission rules based on historical communication events.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to set values for parameters defining the availability of the subscriber.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the call detail records include the type of network usage used by the subscriber along with temporal data relating thereto.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a messaging device configured to select content for a message;

the messaging device further configured to transmit the message to a terminal based on the scheduled transmission time.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the messaging device is further configured to receive data indicative of actions taken by the terminal in response to receipt of the message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to derive a set of message transmission rules further based on the received data indicative of actions taken by the terminal in response to receipt of the message.

39. The system of claim 13, wherein the Call Detail Records are a record to network services including any one of data and voice network usage, time and duration of usage, sending messages, network registration and de-registration, making calls, switching off, switching on, roaming, cell to cell handover and answering calls, performed by subscribers of the network.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computing device to perform a method comprising:

monitoring a communications network to identify communication events associated with a subscriber of the communication network, wherein the monitoring includes querying Call Detail Records to identify communication sessions associated with the subscriber;

populating at least one scheduling parameter value based on an analysis of the identified communication events, wherein the at least one scheduling parameter value indicates a time when the subscriber performs daily activities and is populated as a function of day of the week on the basis of the identified communication events;

deriving a set of message transmission rules associated with the subscriber based on the at least one populated scheduling parameter, wherein the set of message transmission rules dictates when messages are to be transmitted to the subscriber in relation to the at least one populated scheduling parameter; and

scheduling a transmission time for messages based on the message transmission rules.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the Call Detail Records are a record to network services including any one of data and voice network usage, time and duration of usage, sending messages, network registration and de-registration, making calls, switching off, switching on, roaming, cell to cell handover and answering calls, performed by subscribers of the network.