Wireless subscriber application and content distribution and differentiated pricing

• US 9,185,538 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Oliver, Mitchell B., Horel, Gerald Charles, Minear, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Rob
• Application Number:
  US11/141,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,815 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods for pricing and distributing applications and content to a wireless client device are disclosed. A first group can be formed by associating at least one item from a main catalog with a first subscriber ID (SID) associated with a first client device. A shopping catalog can be generated for the first client device from the main catalog based on at least one of platform ID, runtime API, and language. The first group can be included with the shopping catalog based on a first SID associated with the first client device. The pricing of the same item can be different in the first group and the main catalog.

Claims

1. A method of distributing items to wireless client devices comprising:

forming, at a server, at least one group by associating at least one item from a main catalog with a first subscriber ID (SID) associated with a first wireless client device;

generating, at the server, a shopping catalog for the first wireless client device from the main catalog based on at least one of platform ID or runtime application programming interface (API) of the first wireless client device; and

including the at least one group in the shopping catalog based on the first SID associated with the first wireless client device, wherein a first group of the at least one group is associated with only the first SID.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a second group by associating at least one item from the main catalog with the first SID and a second SID associated with a second wireless client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item includes a first item, the method further comprising:

associating a first price structure with the first item in the first group that is different from a main price structure associated with the first item in the main catalog.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first price structure and the main price structure each includes at least one of a retail price or a content price.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the retail price of the first item in the first group is zero and wherein the retail price of the first item in the main catalog is greater than zero.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the shopping catalog including the at least one group to the first wireless client device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

organizing the shopping catalog including the first group as a listing of folders, each folder containing at least one of a subfolder or an item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item comprises at least one of an application or content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of the at least one group contains a first item that is only displayed via the first group and is not accessible through the main catalog.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one group contains a first item that is contained in the main catalog and accessible via the one group but is hidden from display in the main catalog.

11. A server comprising:

logic configured to form a first group by associating at least one item from a main catalog with a first subscriber ID (SID) associated with a first wireless client device;

logic configured to generate a shopping catalog for the first wireless client device from the main catalog based on at least one of platform ID or runtime application programming interface (API) of the first wireless client device; and

logic configured to include the first group in the shopping catalog based on the first SID associated with the first wireless client device, wherein the first group of at least one group is associated with only the first SID.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein a second group is formed containing the first SID and a second SID associated with a second wireless client device.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein the at least one item includes a first item, the server further comprising:

logic configured to associate a first price structure with the first item in the first group that is different from a main price structure associated with the first item in the main catalog.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the first price structure and the main price structure each includes at least one of a retail price or a provider price.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the retail price of the first item in the first group is zero and wherein the retail price of the first item in the main catalog is greater than zero.

16. The server of claim 11, wherein the at least one item comprises at least one of an application or content.

17. The server of claim 11, wherein the first group of the at least one group contains a first item that is only displayed via the first group and is not accessible through the main catalog.

18. The server of claim 11, wherein one group contains a first item that is contained in the main catalog and accessible via the one group but is hidden from display in the main catalog.

19. An apparatus for distributing items to a wireless client device comprising:

means for forming at least one group by associating at least one item from a main catalog with a first subscriber ID (SID) associated with a first wireless client device;

means for generating a shopping catalog for the first wireless client device from the main catalog based on at least one of platform ID or runtime application programming interface (API) of the first wireless client device; and

means for including the at least one group in the shopping catalog based on the first SID associated with the wireless client device, wherein a first group of the at least one group is associated with only the first SID.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a second group is formed by associating the at least one item from the main catalog with the first SID and a second SID associated with a second wireless client device.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one item includes a first item, and further comprising:

means for associating a first price structure with the first item in the first group that is different from a main price structure associated with the first item in the main catalog.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first price structure and the main price structure each includes at least one of a list price or a provider price.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a retail price of the first item in the first group is zero and wherein the retail price of the first item in the main catalog is greater than zero.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one group includes the first group, the apparatus further comprising:

means for transmitting the shopping catalog, including the first group, to the first wireless client device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

means for organizing the shopping catalog, including the first group, on the first wireless client device as a listing of folders, each folder containing at least one of a subfolder or a first item.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for wirelessly presenting and distributing items to a first wireless client device, the computer program comprising instructions which, upon being executed, causes a computing device to perform a process of:

forming at least one group by associating at least one item from a main catalog with a first subscriber ID (SID) associated with the first wireless client device;

generating a shopping catalog for the first wireless client device from the main catalog based on at least one of platform ID or runtime application programming interface (API) of the first wireless client device; and

including the at least one group in the shopping catalog based on the first SID associated with the first wireless client device, wherein a first group of the at least one group is associated with only the first SID.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the computer program instructions, upon being executed, further causes the computing device to perform the process of:

forming a second group by associating the at least one item from the main catalog with the first SID and a second SID associated with a second wireless client device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the at least one item includes a first item, and wherein the computer program instructions, upon being executed, further causes the computing device to perform the process of:

associating a first price structure with the first item in the first group that is different from a main price structure associated with the first item in the main catalog.