U.S. patent application number 13/733208 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-16 for system for delivering advertisements to wireless communication devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to Opportunity Notification Technologies, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Opportunity Notification Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to Joseph Roberts.
Application Number | 20130124335 13/733208 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39536627 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130124335 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Roberts; Joseph |
May 16, 2013 |
System for Delivering Advertisements to Wireless Communication
Devices
Abstract
An advertising system and method for a communication system that
delivers advertisements to subscribers based on the respective
subscriber data. The advertisers, through the provider of the
system, have advertisements selected and delivered to the
subscriber based on the subscriber data. The advertiser pays for
advertisement delivery such that the provider can offer reduced
rates or free communication services to the subscribers. The
provider is capable through the system to update the subscriber
data in real time including personal profile, purchase history,
financial condition, and location. The provider through the system
is capable of establishing advertisement delivery priority by
evaluating the subscriber data in real time just prior to
triggering advertisement delivery. The advertisement can fee
delivered in place of ring tones, at the end of the conversation,
and while waiting for the other party to answer.
Inventors: |
Roberts; Joseph; (Grafton,
NH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Opportunity Notification Technologies, LLC; |
Grafton |
NH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Opportunity Notification
Technologies, LLC
Grafton
NH
|
Family ID: |
39536627 |
Appl. No.: |
13/733208 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12002459 |
Dec 17, 2007 |
8412578 |
|
|
13733208 |
|
|
|
|
60875008 |
Dec 15, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0258 20130101;
G06Q 30/0269 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101; G06Q 30/0255
20130101; G06Q 30/0207 20130101; G06Q 30/0277 20130101; G06Q
30/0267 20130101; H04M 15/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.66 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A communication system comprising: at least one central station;
a plurality of substations connected to the at least one central
station; a plurality of communication devices capable of
communicating with at least one of the plurality of substations; a
subscriber database including a third party available portion, the
database including subscriber profiles; an advertising database;
and a mechanism for prioritizing advertisements for forwarding to
communication devices based on the subscriber profile of at least
one subscriber.
2. A communication system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of
substations is cells and the communication devices are cellular
telephones.
3. A communication system of claim 2 wherein each, cell corresponds
to a geographic area and has a cell transceiver in communication
with the central station and the cellular telephone.
4. A communication system of claim 1 further comprising an
opportunity notification technology system which controls the
subscriber database, the advertising databases; and the mechanism
for prioritizing advertisements.
5. A communication system of claim 4 wherein, the opportunity
notification system updates the profiles of the subscribers in real
time and has a predictive index to suggest future buying habits.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/002,459 filed Dec. 17, 2007, which
is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a system for delivering
advertisements. More specifically, it relates to a system for
delivering advertisements to a wireless communication device (a
"WCD") which term is used here to include any wireless devices by
which an individual may receive cellular telephone calls, instant
messages, or emails.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Advertisers are always looking for new and better, i.e. more
targeted methods, to advertise their products. For example, this
search has lead to the proliferation of advertising on the
Internet. It is a new advertising medium, and it offers a more
targeted approach, in which search engines can present
advertisements related to a given search and retailers can present
advertisements related to previous purchases.
[0004] As this proliferation of advertisements continues, any one
advertisement tends to be lost in the clutter. Moreover,
individuals tend to ignore the advertisements or purchase software
to block "pop-up" advertisements.
[0005] There are a number of examples in the prior art of methods
for delivering advertisements to cell phones and other wireless
devices. However, these methods suffer from a number of drawbacks.
For example, some systems and methods require the user, or the
user's device, to take action to receive an advertisement; do not
provide any compensation to the user for listening to the
advertisement; and do not provide targeted advertisements. In other
methods the advertisements are delivered without a user taking
action but in which no compensation is paid to the user for
listening to the advertisement. In another method, the
advertisements are delivered without the user taking any action and
in which incentive is provided to the user to listen to the
advertisement in the form of credits toward the cost of the network
service based on the number of advertisements played. However, no
targeted advertisements are provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Unfortunately, there are deficiencies to the above
advertisement systems including the lack of incentive and failure
to target the advertisement to maximize the benefit for the
advertiser and the subscriber. In addition, the prior art
advertisement systems do not facilitate and coordinate the business
and economic needs of subscribers, advertisers, and service
providers, offering each the incentives necessary to justify their
participation in the program.
[0007] In contrast to the above-described advertisement system, the
system and method herein described gives the subscriber, through a
profile and history, the ability to receive advertisements that
anticipate both current and future needs. The subscriber therefore
is more likely not to ignore the advertisements. The advertiser
will therefore be able to better target their advertisements and
receive a better return on their investment. The provider of the
system and method is given the ability to increase revenues by
accepting advertisements.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved system of delivering advertisements to a wireless
communication device. It is another object of the present invention
to provide a network service provider an opportunity to increase
revenues both by increasing the use of its network and by selling
time for advertisements. It is still another object of the present
invention to provide advertisers with real time information to use
to target individuals who may be more interested in a given
advertisement than the population as a whole. It is still another
object of the present invention to provide the user of a wireless
communication device with advertisements without taking any action;
the incentive of reduced cost of "air time;" intuitive
advertisements that are targeted to anticipate the subscriber's
desires; and an interactive service that allows the subscriber to
communicate directly with advertisers that advertise goods or
services of particular interest.
[0009] One embodiment of the method is an advertising method for a
communication system that has a central station for allowing
communication of a plurality of subscribers. The system has the
ability for at least one subscriber to communicate with others,
such as fellow subscribers, using a communication device of the
communication system. A rate is established for the communication
services provided to the subscriber. Advertisements are provided
from at least one advertiser to at least one subscriber.
Advertisers are charged for providing the service of delivering
advertisements to the subscribers. The cost for subscribers who
receive advertisements is reduced from the established rate.
[0010] In an embodiment, the communication system is wireless. In
an embodiment, the wireless communication system is a cellular
telephone system and the communication device is a cellular
telephone.
[0011] In an embodiment, the system provides the ability for the at
least one subscriber to reduce their cost for the communication
services by increasing the opportunity to receive
advertisements.
[0012] One method of providing the advertisements is as the ring
tone. Another method of providing the advertisements is while the
communication system is attempting to reach the other party. A
third method of providing the advertisements is while the
communication device of the communication system is disconnecting
from the other party.
[0013] In an embodiment, the method has the ability for at least
one subscriber to entirely subsidize the cost of the communication
services by receiving a sufficient number of advertisements.
[0014] In an embodiment, the method has the ability for the at
least one subscriber to reduce their cost for the communication
service by agreeing to participate in at least one special program.
One such special program is acceptance and use of a credit card
wherein the transaction history of the credit card is used in
determining what advertisements are forwarded to the at least one
subscriber. Another such special program is a speakerphone
broadcast wherein the advertisement is capable of being heard by
persons near the communication device of the at least one
subscriber. Another special program is the ability to purchase
products directly from at least one of the advertisers by the at
least one subscriber by taking a step while the advertisement is
playing or displayed.
[0015] In an embodiment, the method has the ability for the at
least one subscriber to adjust the amount of advertisement
received. In an embodiment, the communication system allows
adjusting the amount of advertisement received by allowing the at
least one subscriber to postpone at least one advertisement by so
indicating on the communication device. In an embodiment, the
communication system allows adjusting the amount of advertisement
received by allowing the at least one subscriber to turn off the
receiving of advertisements for a set period.
[0016] In an embodiment, the communication system allows adjusting
the amount of advertisement received by allowing the at least one
subscriber to retain and replay at least one advertisement. In an
embodiment, the communication system allows adjusting the amount of
advertisement received by allowing the at least one subscriber to
request more information in association with at least one
advertisement. In an embodiment, the communication system allows
adjusting the amount of advertisement received by allowing the at
least one subscriber to contact the advertiser associated with at
least one advertisement.
[0017] In an embodiment of the advertising method, the system
provides the ability to adjust the advertising received by the at
least one subscriber based on a subscriber profile. The subscriber
profile can include the subscriber's stated preferences. The
subscriber profile can be updated in real time to include the
current location of the communication device. The subscriber
profile can include information on call patterns including type and
location of businesses contacted. The subscriber profile can
include information collected from a credit card associated with
the subscriber including location and type of purchases.
[0018] In an embodiment of the advertising method, the system
provides advertisements from at least one advertiser to at least
one subscriber including providing the at least one subscriber
opportunities associated with at least one advertisement. In an
embodiment, the opportunity is in the form of a coupon displayable
on and readable on the communication device.
[0019] In an embodiment of the advertising method, the
communication system is wireless and the communication device is a
personal digital assistant (PDA). In an embodiment of the
advertising method, the communication system is a land line phone
service. In an embodiment of the advertising method, the
communication system is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP)
telephone system. In an embodiment of the advertising method, the
communication system is a satellite system.
[0020] An embodiment of a communication system includes at least
one central station, a plurality of substations connected to the at
least one central station, and a plurality of communication devices
capable of communicating with at least one of the plurality of the
substations. A subscriber database includes a third party available
portion. The database includes subscriber profiles. The system
includes an advertising database and a mechanism for prioritizing
advertisements for forwarding to communication devices based on the
subscriber profile of at least one subscriber.
[0021] In an embodiment, the plurality of substations are cells and
the communication devices are cellular telephones. Each cell
corresponds to a geographic area and has a cell transceiver in
communication with the central station and the cellular
telephone.
[0022] In an embodiment, the communication system includes an
opportunity notification system technology system which controls
the subscriber database, the advertising database, and the
mechanism for prioritizing advertisements. The opportunity
notification system updates the profiles of the subscribers in real
time and has a predictive index to suggest future buying
habits.
[0023] A method for generating revenue by targeting advertisements
on a communication system includes providing a communication system
for use by a plurality of subscribers and providing the ability for
at least one subscriber to communicate with others using a
communication device of the communication system. A rate is
established for the communication services provided to the
subscriber. Advertisements are provided from at least one
advertiser to at least one subscriber. The advertiser is charged
for providing the service of delivering advertisements to at least
one subscriber. The cost to the subscriber who received
advertisements is reduced from the established rate. The system
provides the ability to adjust the advertising received by the
subscriber based on a subscriber profile. In addition, the system
provides the ability for the at least one subscriber to adjust the
amount of advertisement received.
[0024] In one embodiment, the subscriber profile is updated in real
time. The subscriber profile includes information collected from a
credit card associated with the subscriber including location and
type of purchases.
[0025] In one embodiment, the system provides advertisements from
the advertiser to the subscriber including providing the at least
subscriber opportunities associated with at least one
advertisement. In one embodiment, the communication system is a
wireless cellular telephone system and the communication device is
a cellular telephone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of
the invention will be apparent from the following description of
particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to
the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
illustrating the principles of the invention.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic showing a cellular telephone system,
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a simple schematic showing the relationship
between the subscriber, the provider, and the advertiser;
[0029] FIG, 3 is a schematic showing some of the potential
decisions of one of the subscribers;
[0030] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are a schematic showing the relationship
between the subscriber, the provider, and the advertiser;
[0031] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are a schematic showing a basic
advertisement delivery triggering system; and
[0032] FIG. 6 is a schematic showing the queuing of advertisements
for a subscriber.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] An advertising system and method for a communication system
that delivers advertisements to subscribers based on the respective
subscriber data. The advertisers through the provider of the system
have advertisements selected and delivered to the subscriber based
on the subscriber data. The advertiser pays for advertisement
delivery such that the provider can offer reduced rates or free
communication services to the subscribers. The provider is capable
through the system to update the subscriber data including persona
profile, purchase history, financial condition, and location in
real time. The provider through the system is capable of
establishing advertisement delivery priority by evaluating the
subscriber data in real time just prior to triggering advertisement
delivery. The advertisement can be delivered in place of ring
tones, at the end of the conversation, and while awaiting the other
party to answer.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic view of a cellular
telephone-system 20 is shown. The cellular telephone system 20 has
a central station 22 connected to a plurality of cells 24. Each of
the cells 24 corresponds to a geographic area and has a cell
transceiver 26 that is in communication with the central station
22. Each of the ceils 24 are capable of communicating with a
plurality of cellular telephones 28 that are owned or leased by a
variety of subscribers 30. The cell 24 that communicates with the
cellular telephone 28 depends on the location of both.
[0035] There are various techniques or communication systems used
by various wireless providers including time division multiple
access (TDMA), co-division multiple access (CDMA), and global
system for mobile communications (GSM). In all the systems, the
system 20 has methods of identifying which cellular telephone 28 is
in communication with the cellular telephone system 20.
[0036] Still referring to FIG. 1, the cellular telephone system 20
has a subscriber database 32 connected to the central station 22,
the subscriber database 32 includes information regarding the
particular cellular telephone 28 and associated subscriber 30. The
information included in the subscriber database 32 can include the
plan, associated numbers including account numbers and telephone
numbers, user profile, and financial data derived from a provider
40 sponsored credit card and/or other financial services as well as
subscriber defined preferences. Subscriber preferences allow the
subscriber 30 to define areas of real interest aimed at soliciting
opportunity notification alerts (ONA) front advertisers 38 such as
services suppliers, retailers or categories of retailers whose
products the subscriber 30 has expressed a high interest in
purchasing. The subscriber database 32 has two portions including a
private portion 34 and a third party available portion 36. The
third party available portion 36 provides information regarding
subscribers including user profile data, product categorizing of
purchasing history, and defined preferences. However, the third
party available portion 36 does not include information such as
user's name or specific street addresses. As indicated below, the
subscriber 30 might elect to provide personal information to the
advertisers 38.
[0037] Advertisers 38, which are not part of the cellular telephone
system 20, have access to the third party portion 36 to determine
criteria that they will use in forwarding advertisements to a
provider 40. The provider 40, represented by the dash line,
controls the cellular telephone system 20, including the central
station 22, with the cells 24 and the subscriber database 32. In
addition, the provider 40 has art advertisement database 42. The
advertisers 38 submit advertisements for the advertising database
42 with specific criteria related to transmission.
[0038] The system 20 has an opportunity notification technology
(ON-TEC) operating system 46 that includes the subscriber database
32 and the advertisement database 42. The ON-TEC system 46, as
explained below, prioritizes the advertisements to deliver to a
specific subscriber 30 from the advertisement database based on
information in the subscriber database 32.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, a simple schematic showing the
relationship between the subscriber 30, the provider 40, and the
advertiser 38 is shown. The provider 40 is providing a
communication service to the subscriber 30 in a network to allow
the subscriber 30 to communicate with others. Likewise, the
provider 40 is providing a service to the advertiser 38 in
providing a system 20 for which the advertiser 38 can place
advertisements that are directed to the proper subscriber 30 as
described below.
[0040] The advertiser 38 through advertisements and opportunities
provides information regarding goods and services to the subscriber
30. In addition, as part of the subscriber accepting this
information in the form of advertisement, the advertiser 38 agrees
to pay some or all of the subscriber's 30 costs related to the
wireless communication service through payment to the provider 40.
In return, the subscriber 30 will patronize the establishments of
these advertisers 38 therein justifying the advertisers 38 use of
the system described below.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic showing some potential
decisions one of the subscribers 30 can make is shown. A subscriber
30 upon signing up for service through the provider 40 for the
communication service such as the wireless service needs to
determine if they are willing to receive advertisements as part of
the service. If the subscriber 30 decides not to take
advertisements as shown by the "no" branch from the decision
diamond 50, the subscriber pays regular rates as represented by
block 52. If the subscriber decides to accept advertisements as
part of their service as represented by the "yes" branch of the
decision diamond 50, the subscriber may have the option to select
from multiple types of plans as represented by the decision diamond
54. Depending on the plan chosen as represented by the "1" branch,
"2" branch, and "3" branch, the subscriber will need, to provide
certain information in the form of a profile. The information can
include such things such as age, gender, interest, annual income,
marital status, sports preferences, clothing preferences, etc.
Subscriber 30 must develop and maintain an "Active Customer
Profile" (ACP) which will identify all likes, dislikes, and monthly
needs.
[0042] As part of the "Active Customer Profile" (ACP) the provider
40 offers a credit card to the subscriber 30. Through the use of a
credit card, the provider 40 or an associated third party that
manages the credit card is able to track type of purchases, time
period between purchases and other trends. For example, the
provider 40 from analysts of data can determine that a particular
individual frequents grocery stores on Thursdays; therefore
advertisers 38 will desire to direct advertisement on related
products for late Wednesday or early Thursday. Furthermore, in that
the ACP updates in real time, the ON-TEC system 46 could remove
advertisements related to groceries as soon as the credit card is
recorded as being used in that type of store. Another example is
the provider 40 determines from analysis of data that an individual
purchases running shoes every four (4) months. The system 46 could
direct related advertisement starting a few weeks prior to the
projected date of the next purchase. Likewise, if the subscriber 30
did not indicate an interest in music in the survey form and the
credit card records likewise indicate no purchases, an advertiser
38 would not want to queue advertisements related to music to such
a subscriber 30. The provider 40 can charge a higher rates for
advertisements to the advertisers 38 because of the profiling and
triggering of the advertisements.
[0043] The types of plans available to a subscriber as represented
by branches "1," "2," and "3" from decision diamond 54 may vary
depending on the subscriber's location, the type of phone the
subscriber has, and financial information. For example, in a highly
urban area, the provider 40 may have more types of plans than it
does in a rural area. In addition, if the subscriber 30 has a
cellular telephone 28 which does not have a speaker function,
options may include directing the advertisement over the phone's
earpiece to both the caller and the subscriber (dual play option)
before a direct line is open allowing them to communicate or
allowing subscriber 30 to select a plan that charges a higher rate.
Likewise, if the capability of the video screen is minimal, other
options may be not possible. In addition, the type of plan could be
dependent on credit rating and spending habits. A subscriber 30
with a better credit rating and at a certain amount of spending per
month may qualify for certain plan. Once the subscriber 30 has
decided on a plan at decision diamond 54 and filled out the
associated profile 56, 58, or 60, the profile is saved by tire
provider 40 in tile subscriber database 32, as shown in FIG. 1, and
represented by block 62 in FIG. 3.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, a schematic providing more
detail than FIG. 2 of the relationship between the subscriber 30,
the provider 40, and the advertiser 38 is shown. While the provider
40 operates the communication system 20, the advertisers 38 and the
subscribers 30 interact with the communication system 20 to benefit
all. The communication system 20 has the opportunity notification
technology (ON-TEC) operating system 46. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B shows
benefits and agreements the parties, the provider 40, the
advertisers 38, and the subscriber 30 may agree to for the
communication system 20 with the ON-TEC system 46 to benefit of
all. It is recognized that the parties may not agree to all
elements mentioned with respect to these FIGS. Furthermore, there
may be additional items, some of which are discussed below with
respect to other FIGS.
[0045] The provider 40 provides the subscriber 30 communication
services as represented by block 70. In addition, the provider 40
as the operator of the communication system 20 pushes the
advertisements including notification of advertisers offers,
"opportunities," as represented by block 72. In addition, the
provider 40 can provide the subscriber 30 additional items in
addition to reduced rates for the service. This items as
represented by block 74 can include a credit card, which will be
discussed in further detail below; completely free service through
accepting certain elements of a plan; and other financial
services.
[0046] Still referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the subscriber 30 in
order to receive the benefit of the reduced rate or free
communication services agrees to provide information to the
provider 40, as represented by block 76. The subscriber 30 in
selecting a plan, such as represented by plan 1, plan 2, or plan 3
in FIG. 3 agrees to provide or grant access to certain information.
The items as represented by block 78 can include detailed customer
profile, an "Active Customer Profile" (ACP), and updated
periodically, access to purchase history and financial
information.
[0047] The advertiser 38 provides information and other items to
the provider 40 as represented by block 80. This includes the
advertiser 38 paying the provider 40 for delivering advertisements
as represented by block 82 which subsidizes the cost of the
communication service for the subscriber 30. In addition the
advertiser 38 needs to have advertisements created as represented
by block 84. The advertisements, as represented by block 84,
include creating advertisements, establishing of advertisement
priorities, and providing discount offers.
[0048] Still referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, one major benefit
the provider 40 imparts to the advertiser 38 is details on the
subscribers, as represented by block 88, in order to allow the
advertiser 38 to better target the advertisements. The provider 40
can convey various amounts of information related to the
subscribers 30 based on what the advertiser 38 is paying per
advertisement. The information can be based on the profile
including the subscriber's personal profile, the subscriber's
purchase history, the subscriber's financial history and call
history. In addition, the provider 40 can convey predictive
indexing information designed to suggest future buying habits.
[0049] Another element of the ON-TEC system 46 of the communication
system 20 is that it allows the subscriber 30 the option to provide
specific information regarding them self to the advertiser 38 for
the purpose of receiving a benefit as represented by block 92. For
example the subscriber 30 can secure discount offers, follow-up
related to advertisement of interest, place items of interest on
hold, or purchase an item of interest. This and other information
flows to the advertiser 38 from the subscriber 30 as reflected by
block 94
[0050] The provider 40 based on information provided by the
subscribers 30 and data gathered related to the subscribers 30 as
described above with respect to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B and in
particular block 78 can convey to the advertisers 38 detailed
information as represented by blocks 88 and 90 in FIG. 4A and FIG.
4B related to specific details/demographics related to the
subscribers 30. Referring to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, a schematic of a
basic advertisement delivery triggering system is shown. The
advertiser 38 creates advertisements for both specific categories
and generic advertisements, as represented by block 100. The
advertiser 38 gives the advertisements to the provider 40 for
forwarding to the subscriber 30. In order to maximize benefit for
all parties, the provider 40 prioritizes the advertisements that
the subscriber 30 receives using the ON-TEC system 46, as
represented by block 104. By prioritizing the advertisements, the
subscriber 30 receives advertisements that are relevant to the
particular subscriber 30. The advertiser 38 is able to target the
advertisements better and therefore convert more advertising to
purchases. The provider 40 by increasing return on investment for
the advertiser 38 is able to charge the advertiser 38 higher rates
and at the same time get more subscribers 30.
[0051] Still referring to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, the process of
delivering the advertisement begins with the provider 40 processing
a call for a subscriber 30 as represented by block 102. While the
term "call" is used, it is recognized that it could for other types
of communication such as text, video, etc. When the advertisement
delivery is triggered as represented by block 106, the provider 40
through the ON-TEC system 40 looks at several factors in order to
determine the appropriate advertisement to be selected. Blocks
108-116 represent some of the factors that can be examined.
[0052] Block 108 represents inputting into the factoring of the
advertisement selected the needs that are forecasted for that
particular subscriber 30. The needs could vary and could include
that the subscriber shops for groceries on Thursdays so relevant
advertisements are pushed on Thursday mornings or that the
subscriber 30 purchases running shoes every four months and
therefore running shoe and related advertisements are pushed near
that time period and not right after the shoes are purchased. In
addition, it could be pushing advertisements related to vehicles
when the amount the subscriber 30 spends on automobile repairs
reaches a certain dollar amount in a set period.
[0053] Block 110 represents inputting into the factoring of the
selecting of the advertisement based on the subscriber's 30
financial condition. If the subscriber 30 is a college student with
no major assets, the ON-TEC system 46 will likely not send
advertisement for luxury items having values in the tens of
thousands, but relevant items a "poor college student.".
[0054] Block 112 represents inputting into the factoring of the
selecting of the advertisement based on the subscriber's current
location. As indicated above, the ON-TEC system 46 updates in real
time. Therefore, if the subscriber 30 has flow from one city to
another, the ON-TEC system 46 can select advertisements relevant to
the new city. The ON-TEC system 46 determines unit location by what
cells 24, as seen in FIG. 1, to which the cellular telephone 28 is
connected. In addition, the information could come directly from
GPS information from the cellular telephone 28. Block 118
represents a new city or airport and advertisements focusing on
services and products required by subscriber 30 as a traveler.
Likewise, block 120 represents advertisements being selected based
on being near a location in the subscriber's 30 own town, such as a
local mall. The advertisement is likely based on additional factors
listed in blocks 108-116. For example, related to a new city in
block 118, if the subscriber's purchase history 114 provides
information on when the subscriber 30 is scheduled to leave town
(i.e., when a flight is booked to departure), the ON-TEC system 46
can prioritize advertisement for events that will occur when the
subscriber 30 is in the particular town.
[0055] Block 114 represents inputting into the factoring of
selecting of the advertisement based on the subscriber's purchase
history. If the subscriber 30 elects a plan that gives the
subscriber 30 a credit card that allows the provider 40 or
associated third party access to the subscriber's 30 purchase
history, the advertisement can targeted to be on items or services
the subscriber has already purchased and would likely purchase
again or related items. For example, if the subscriber 30 purchases
a trip to a resort, the advertisements could be geared to clothing,
accessories, and gear that might be appropriate for that location,
or travel related products. Likewise, if the subscriber 30
purchases golf clubs, the advertisements could be related to golf
courses or other equipment related to the sport.
[0056] Block 116 represents inputting into the factoring of
selecting of the advertisement based on the subscriber's profile,
the "Active Customer Profile.". The subscriber 30, regardless of
the plan selected, in one embodiment is required to complete a
profile (ACP) related to them self. The profile can include
information related to age, income, marital status, and number and
ages of children. In addition, it can include information related
to hobbies and occupation. The profile could also request birth
dates and therefore forward advertisements and opportunities at the
subscriber or an associate of the subscriber's birthday. For
example, the ON-TEC system 46 could deliver advertisements related
to the subscriber's spouse's interests shortly before the spouse's
birthday.
[0057] Still referring to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, block 122 represents
the advertisement is selected based on the factors, such as
represented in blocks 108-116, and delivered to the subscriber 30.
The subscriber 30 is presented several options by the ON-TEC system
46. One option as represented by block 124 is simply to listen or
view the advertisement and continue with normal actions. For
example, if the advertisement occurs as a ring tone, the subscriber
30 answers the telephone call. If the advertisement occurs after
the subscriber 30 disconnects from the call, the subscriber 30 may
hear the advertisement from the speaker on the cellular telephone
28 as the subscriber 30 returns the telephone 28 to where the
subscriber 30 normally retains their telephone 28.
[0058] Another option as represented by block 126 is to save the
advertisement in order to take further action later. At a later
time, the subscriber 30 may review the advertisement again or take
further action as represented by block 92 in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B.
An action that the subscriber 30 takes will be used to update the
subscriber's profile as represented by block 128. Block 130
represents the cellular telephone 28 in its standby position after
the completion of the call and any advertisements.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic showing the queuing of
advertisements for a subscriber 30 is shown. The advertising method
of the cellular telephone system 20 will typically have numerous
types of advertisements that are appropriate for a particular
subscriber 30. The system 20 will determine which advertisement the
subscriber 30 receives when an advertisement is appropriate to be
sent to the subscriber as discussed above with respect to FIG. 4A.
and FIG. 4B. When something has transpired regarding this cellular
telephone 28 such as turning on the phone, dialing, receiving a
call, transitioning to another cell tower area, or updating of the
subscriber's profile, the system 20 will determine what
advertisement to send to the cellular telephone 28. As indicated
above, the profile is updated in real time based on one or more
factors including factors such as subscriber 30 inputs, charges to
credit card, and location.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 6, when it is to determined that a
cellular telephone 28 needs an advertisement sent as represented by
box 200, the first decision the system 20 makes is if there is an
advertisement based on a narrow location as represented by decision
diamond 202. A narrow location could be that determined by global
position system (GPS) of the cellular telephone 28 or the cell 24
to which the telephone 28 is connected. The criteria could be
within a certain block, mile, five (5) miles of a certain location.
If the answer is yes as represented by the "yes" branch of the
decision diamond 202, the first advertisement in this queue as
represented by box 204 is sent to the cellular telephone 28
[0061] If the answer is no, the "no" branch from decision diamond
202 Is followed to the next question of whether there is an
advertisement based on a broad location occasion such as a zip code
as represented by decision diamond 206. If the answer is yes as
represented by the "yes" branch of the decision diamond 206, the
first advertisement in this queue, as represented by block 208 is
sent. While two decision diamonds 202 and 206 are shown, it is
recognized that a multiple of decisions diamonds could exist based
on varying criteria including varying distance and organized to
offer subscriber's 30 an intuitive ad service designed to
anticipate both current and future needs based on the subscribers
30 stated preferences, current location, call history, purchasing
history, and profile to name just a few.
[0062] If the answer is no, as represented by the "no " branch of
the decision diamond 206, the next question is if there is an
advertisement based on demographic information provided by the
subscriber 30 in their profile, as represented by decision diamond
210. If the answer is yes, then the information from this queue is
sent as represented by box 212. If the answer is no, as represented
by the "no" branch of the decision diamond 210, generic information
is sent as represented by box 214. In addition, if generic
information is sent, the administrator is notified of the issue as
represented by box 216 to determine if there are some issues
related to the user's profile.
[0063] After the advertisement is sent to the telephone as
represented by blocks 204, 208, 212 or 216, the next decision as
represented by decision diamond 218 is if another advertisement is
required. If the answer is yes as represented by the "yes" branch
from the decision diamond 218, the flow chart returns back to the
first decision diamond 202. If the answer is no as represented by
the "no" branch from the decision diamond 218, the process is ended
as represented by box 220. It is recognized that FIG. 6 shows just
one of many styles of decision trees that can be used with the
communication system 20 with the ON-TEC system 46.
[0064] The above embodiment has been described related to a system
for delivering advertisements to wireless communication devices
(WCD's) in particular cellular telephones. The advertisement can
take many forms including audio, text, graphical, and audiovisual
advertisement. The system of the present invention integrates a
method of incentivizing users to listen to such advertisements; a
method of ensuring each advertiser that its' advertisement is
delivered to the target recipient as intended; a method of choosing
the advertisements to be delivered to a given individual to target
the individual's needs or interests; and a method of allowing the
user to communicate directly with an advertiser. The system of the
present invention is designed to facilitate and coordinate the
business and economic needs of users. advertisers, and service
providers, offering each the incentive necessary to justify their
participation.
[0065] With respect to the incentive for listening to an
advertisement delivered to a communication device such as a
cellular telephone, the subscriber 30 in one embodiment will
purchase "air time" for the communication device, either from -a
network service provider or a third-party intermediary, tree or at
a significant discount to the otherwise usual cost of such time if
the user agrees to receive advertisements. The subscriber 30 can
also be given the option, for less of a discount, to skip any
advertisement the subscriber 30 desires. The skipping of the
advertisement could be by pushing a button just prior to dialing a
call. Another method could be to turn off advertisement for a set
period of time like 15 minutes, an hour, a half a day. The system
20 could also be set up to not provide additional advertisements if
the subscriber 30 is attempting to redial a number that the
subscriber had attempted to reach in a previous time period.
Skipping an advertisement can also lead to an additional reduction
in discount or loss of opportunities.
[0066] In an embodiment, short advertisements can be delivered to,
and played by communication devices such as a cellular telephone 28
when the device is turned on or in place of ring tones or dialing
tones. Large advertisements can be delivered to, and played by, the
device at the end of a call, during the shut down phase, or when
the device is turned off. The system can be set-up such that the
advertisements cannot be deferred by the subscriber or if deferred,
the next time the subscriber will hear/see additional advertisement
before their "call" is connected. An advertisement can be
personalized by including the subscriber's user's name or other
personal information in it.
[0067] An advertisement can be played on the communication device's
speakerphone to reach a peripheral audience in addition to the
subscriber. As indicated above, advertisements of particular
interest can be replayed by activating the communication device's
recall feature within a prescribed amount of time after the
advertisement is first played. Likewise the advertisement can be
stored for replay. Also, an advertisement can include a toll free
direct dial prompt for more information on the advertised product
or service, or to place an item on hold, or to purchase an item of
interest. Each of these actions can be performed through the use of
the communication device's keyboard or through the use of voice
commands.
[0068] With respect to choosing the advertisement to be delivered
to the communication device, as indicated above with respect to
FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the subscriber 30 will receive a better rate
and possible free communication services by providing additional
personal information. This information can include providing basic
demographic information, such as age, gender, and interests, upon
first purchasing air time. In addition, the subscriber 30 in
certain plans must agree to allow both his calling history and the
communication device's location at any given time to be monitored,
recorded, and used to select advertisements to be delivered to
subscriber's: device. The location monitoring can be done by noting
the zip code in which the device is activated or by the use of GPS
technology. Users are provided with a service designed to
anticipate both current and future needs based on their
demographics, stated preferences, current location, and calling
history.
[0069] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
cellular telephone call to an airline from a wireless cellular
device (WCD) can be used to trigger the delivery to that WCD of
advertisements for other travel related goods and services. In
addition, a new activation of a WCD in a particular zip code can
trigger the delivery of advertisements for goods or services
provided in that zip code. Also, the GPS technology within most
WCD's can be used to trigger advertisements for goods or services
provided in a smaller geographic area.
[0070] In yet another preferred embodiment, advertisements to be
sent to a WCD can be queued-up in an order determined by the
urgency of the advertisement. For example, advertisements triggered
by the GPS determined location of the WCD can be more urgent than
advertisements triggered by the first activation, of the WCD in a
new zip code, which can, in turn, be more urgent than
advertisements based on demographic information of the WCD
user.
[0071] Advertisers will be charged for delivery of their ads. In
another preferred embodiment, the rates are dependent on a number
of factors, including the length of an advertisement, whether it is
audio, visual, or audiovisual, the number of times it is delivered,
and the extent to which demographic, calling history, a user's
stated preference, zip code, or GPS information is used to select
an advertisement.
[0072] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an
advertiser receives real time updates of a user's profile and a
forecast of the subscriber's 30 upcoming buying needs based on
her/his purchase history. The updates allow the advertiser to
successfully target specific needs or interests of users.
[0073] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a
service provider receives an operating system and software designed
to queue-up and deliver targeted advertisements to users while
maintaining, directing, and. coordinating all accounting records
and user data tor the purpose of billing or of maintaining and
enhancing the statistical data for each user.
[0074] The present invention is a system for delivering
advertisements to all subscriber based systems, including without
limitation conventional telephone service, cable service, and
satellite receiving service. It includes the delivery of an audio,
visual, or audiovisual advertisement. The system of the present
invention integrates a method of incentivizing users to listen to
such advertisements; a method of choosing the advertisements to be
delivered to a user, a method of targeting a user's needs or
interests; and a method of allowing the user to communicate
directly with an advertiser.
[0075] While FIG. 1 shows a cellular telephone, the system could be
used for other devices including but not limited to satellite
systems, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone systems,
land line phones, and personal digital assistant (PDA).
[0076] While the principles of the invention have been described
herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the an that this
description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation,
as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition
to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein.
Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art
are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
[0077] It is recognized that in some embodiments, the muting of the
speakerphone related to advertisements could result in
automatically redirecting the advertisements to play over the
communication device ear piece of both the subscriber and the party
with whom the subscriber is going to communicate before a direct
line is open allowing the parties to communicate.
[0078] It is recognized that the provider 40 in conjunction with
the advertiser 38 can download special offer coupons directly to
the subscriber's device. Coupons may be coded (visual bar code that
can be scanned off the devices screen, IR pulse, tone code, etc.)
to facilitate the use. This could allow the advertiser immediate
product feedback and valuable market research data. The delivery of
a coupon to the device may be triggered by the subscriber's
proximity to the advertiser's location as determined by the
device's GPS unit.
[0079] It is recognized that the system allows for the development
of advertisements that are targeted only to customers who meet a
very rigid, predetermined profile and/or in a predefined buying
zone.
[0080] It is recognized that the ON-TEC system would allow the
provider 40 to bill subscribers 30 for calls that are not in the
plan or violate the plan/contract. For example. It is contemplated
international calls would not be free in most plans. Likewise
excess use may result in a charge to the subscriber.
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