Methods and apparatus for using information regarding actions performed using traceable objects

• US 8,489,576 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Harris, David B., Herrbach, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, CHEYNE D
• Application Number:
  US12/054,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 707/709, 707/737, 709/224, 709/229, 726/25, 455/456, 455/457, 713/167, 382/100
• US Class Current: 707/709
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

An embodiment of a communication system includes a client device adapted to receive a traceable object that includes tracer information, and to perform one or more object-related actions using the traceable object. The client device stores the tracer information and object usage information, which describes the one or more object-related actions that have been performed using the traceable object. The client device also sends the stored information to a server. The system also includes the server, which is adapted to receive the object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device. In an embodiment, the system also includes a service provider adapted to initiate a billing event, which may include generation and transmission of a bill to a sponsor entity based on an evaluation of the object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a client device adapted to receive a traceable object that includes tracer information identifying a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object, to perform one or more of a plurality of different object-related actions using the traceable object, wherein a unique action code is associated with each of the plurality of different object-related actions, wherein each unique action code is associated with a particular type of the different object-related actions, to store, for each object-related action that has been performed using the traceable object, a record that includes object usage information and the tracer information identifying the business entity, wherein the object usage information includes the unique action code for the object-related action that has been performed by the client device using the traceable object, and to send the object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer information to a server; and

the server adapted to receive and store the object usage information.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the client device further comprises:

a data storage subsystem, wherein the client device is adapted to store the tracer information and the object usage information in a client-side object usage log within the data storage subsystem.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the client device is further adapted to maintain a usage credit value in the data storage subsystem.

4. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

an object usage tracking database, wherein the server is adapted to store the object usage information in a server-side object usage log within the object usage tracking database.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is further adapted to send the object usage information to a service provider, and wherein the communication system further comprises

the service provider adapted to receive the object usage information from the server, and to initiate a billing event based on an evaluation of the object usage information and the tracer information.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the service provider is further adapted to maintain usage credit values for one or more client devices.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the server is further adapted to maintain usage credit values for one or more client devices.

8. A method performed by a client device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a traceable object that includes tracer information identifying a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object;

performing one or more of a plurality of different object-related actions using the traceable object, wherein a unique action code is associated with each of the plurality of different object-related actions, wherein each unique action code is associated with a particular type of the different object-related actions;

storing, for each object-related action that has been performed using the traceable object, a record that includes object usage information and the tracer information identifying the business entity, wherein the object usage information includes the unique action code for the object-related action that has been performed by the client device using the traceable object; and

sending the object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer information to a server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more object-related actions include a play action.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the object usage information comprises:

determining that an object-related action has been performed by the client device using the traceable object; and

generating a record in a client-side object usage log, wherein the record includes an identification of the object-related action and the tracer information of the traceable object.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the tracer information is encrypted tracer information, and wherein storing the object usage information in conjunction with the tracer information comprises:

storing the object usage information in conjunction with the encrypted tracer information.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after receiving the one or more traceable objects from the server, receiving an object usage information request from the server; and

sending the traceable object usage information and the tracer information to the server in response to receiving the object usage information request.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether a reporting event has occurred; and

sending the object usage information and the identification of the business entity to the server when the reporting event has occurred, and wherein the reporting event is an event selected from a group of events that includes a performance of an object-related action, a collection of a predetermined quantity of object usage information, the object usage log reaching a predetermined size, a performance of a predetermined number of object-related actions, an elapse of a predetermined period of time, an entry into a particular operational state, and a receipt of a report request message from the server.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

increasing a usage credit value when the client device performs an object-related action.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

decreasing a usage credit value when the client device performs a redemption action.

27. The method of claim 8, wherein the business entity is a sponsor entity that provides products or services.

29. The method of claim 8, wherein the traceable object is an object selected from a group consisting of a media object, a link object, a location object, an advertisement object, and an information object.

10. A method performed by a client device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a traceable object that includes tracer information identifying a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object;

performing one or more object-related actions using the traceable object, wherein the one or more object-related actions include at least one action selected from a group of actions consisting of a play action, a receive action, a call action, a view action, a map action, a send action, a save action, a search action, a physical navigation action, an arrival action, and a purchase action;

storing object usage information and the tracer information, wherein the object usage information describes the one or more object-related actions that have been performed by the client device using the traceable object; and

sending the object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer information to a server.

17. A method performed by a server, comprising the steps of:

receiving a client-generated information request from a client device, wherein the information request includes parameters for obtaining information;

obtaining one or more traceable objects in response to receiving the client-generated information request, wherein a traceable object of the one or more traceable objects includes tracer information in one or more tracer fields, and the tracer information identifies a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object;

sending the one or more traceable objects to the client device; and

receiving object usage information and client-reported tracer information that includes an identification of the business entity, wherein the object usage information includes a unique action code for each of a plurality of object-related actions that have been performed by the client device using the traceable object, wherein each unique action code is associated with a particular type of the different object-related actions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

before sending a traceable object of the one or more traceable objects to the client device, storing a provider identifier in a provider identifier field of the tracer fields.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

before sending a traceable object of the one or more traceable objects to the client device, protecting the tracer information by encrypting portions of the tracer information.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

before sending a traceable object of the one or more traceable objects to the client device, protecting the tracer information by storing an integrity key in a tracer protection information field of the tracer fields.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

after sending the one or more traceable objects to the client device, sending an object usage information request to the client device, wherein the traceable object usage information and the client-reported tracer information is received from the client device in response to the object usage information request.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

validating the client-reported tracer information.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

maintaining usage credit values for one or more client devices.

24. A client device comprising:

a processing subsystem adapted to determine whether one or more of a plurality of different object-related actions have been performed by the client device using a traceable object that includes tracer information, wherein a unique action code is associated with each of the plurality of different object-related actions, wherein each unique action code is associated with a particular type of the different object-related actions, and when an object-related action has been performed, to initiate storage of a record that includes the tracer information and object usage information into a data storage subsystem, wherein the object usage information includes the unique action code for the object-related action that has been performed by the client device using the traceable object, and the tracer information identifies a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object;

the data storage subsystem adapted to store the object usage information and the tracer information; and

a network interface adapted to receive the traceable object, and to transmit one or more messages that include the object usage information and an identification of the business entity in the tracer information over a network.

25. The client device of claim 24, further comprising:

at least one user interface input device adapted to enable a user to cause the client device to perform the object-related action; and

at least one user interface output device adapted to depict information within the traceable object.

26. The client device of claim 24, wherein the client device forms a portion of any one or more electronic devices selected from a group of devices that includes a cellular telephone, a radio, a pager, a mobile computer system, a personal data assistant, a personal navigation device, and a computer.

28. A method performed by a client device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a traceable object that includes tracer information identifying a business entity associated with the origin of the traceable object;

performing one or more object-related actions using the traceable object, wherein each of the one or more object-related actions is an action selected from a group consisting of receiving the traceable object, saving the traceable object, sending the traceable object to another client device, outputting content in the traceable object on an output device of the client device, initiating a telephone call to a telephone number represented in the traceable object, displaying a map that indicates a physical location represented in the traceable object, initiating an instance of a navigation application to provide navigation instructions to the physical location represented in the traceable object, determining that the client device has arrived at the physical location represented in the traceable object, purchasing a product or service represented in the traceable object, and initiating a search algorithm using information in the traceable object;

storing object usage information and the tracer information, wherein the object usage information describes the one or more object-related actions that have been performed by the client device using the traceable object; and

sending the object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer information to a server.