System and methods for pre-caching broadcast content for merchandising on a wireless mobile device

• US 9,877,173 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soelberg, Emily Lyons, Austin, Mark, Whitehead, James Fraser
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US13/904,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 709228, 725 87, 725112, 725 39, 725109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1076 Revocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing users of wireless mobile devices with content available for purchase are disclosed. Content is loaded into a cache memory in the wireless mobile device and the user is provided with a preview of the content and the ability to purchase the content. If the user does not purchase the content, then the content is purged from the cache memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a broadcast content provider, a menu of content items;

selecting, by the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from the menu of content items a set of content items to be broadcasted by the broadcast content provider;

directing, by the wireless carrier network operator equipment, the broadcast content provider to broadcast the set of content items to a plurality of mobile devices to be cached in a memory in each of the plurality of mobile devices wherein the set of content items includes some content to be displayed on the wireless mobile device with an option to purchase user selected content items from the set of content items;

receiving, in the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, a request for an unlock signal for the user selected content items; and

responsive to receiving the request for an unlock signal sending an unlock signal from the wireless carrier network operator equipment to the first mobile device to make the user selected content items available to a user of the first mobile device when desired by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein content items in the set of content items are multimedia content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content items to be broadcast by the content provider is broadcasted using a technology selected from the group comprising content over satellite, content over broadcast, content over cellular, and multimedia broadcast multicast service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content items comprises one or more of music, ring tones, video, text, graphics, software, and facsimile.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, processing a payment for the rights.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, providing payment for the rights to a content provider.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, by a wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a broadcast content provider, a menu of content items;

selecting, by the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from the menu of content items a set of content items to be broadcasted by the broadcast content provider;

directing, by the wireless carrier network operator equipment, the broadcast content provider to broadcast the set of content items to a plurality of mobile devices to be cached in a memory in each of the plurality of mobile devices wherein the set of content items includes some content from the set of content items to be displayed on the wireless mobile device with an option to purchase user selected content items from the set of content items;

receiving, in the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a first mobile device from the plurality of mobile devices, a request for an unlock signal for the user selected content items; and

responsive to receiving the request for an unlock signal, sending an unlock signal from the wireless carrier network operator equipment to the first mobile device to make the user selected content available to a user of the first mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein content items in the set of content items are multimedia content.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the set of content items to be broadcast by the content provider is broadcasted using a technology selected from the group comprising content over satellite, content over broadcast, content over cellular, and multimedia broadcast multicast service.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the set of content items comprises one or more of music, ring tones, video, text, graphics, software, and facsimile.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, processing a payment for the rights.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, providing payment for the rights to a content provider.

13. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by a wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a broadcast content provider, a menu of content items;

selecting, by the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from the menu of content items a set of content items to be broadcasted by the broadcast content provider;

directing, from the wireless carrier network operator equipment, the broadcast content provider to broadcast the set of content items to a plurality of mobile devices to be cached in a memory in each of the plurality of mobile devices wherein the set of content items includes some content from the set of content items to be displayed on the wireless mobile device with an option to purchase user selected content items from the set of content items;

receiving, in the wireless carrier network operator equipment, from a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, a request for an unlock signal for the user selected content items; and

responsive to receiving the request for an unlock signal sending an unlock signal from the wireless carrier network operator equipment to the first mobile device to make the user selected content items available to a user of the first mobile device when desired by the user.

14. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein content items in the set of content items are multimedia content.

15. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the set of content items to be broadcast by the content provider is broadcasted using a technology selected from the group comprising content over satellite, content over broadcast, content over cellular, and multimedia broadcast multicast service.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the set of content items comprises one or more of music, ring tones, video, text, graphics, software, and facsimile.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, processing a payment for the rights.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising, when the decision is to purchase the rights, providing payment for the rights to a content provider.