WO2012093396A1 - System and method for sending advertisements and messages with mobile devices - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and system for sending SMS messages with multiple identities by a mobile device having only a single SIM with a single IMSI. A server assigns one or more virtual IMSI's (VIMSI's) to the mobile device. The mobile device sends an SMS message to the server with an identifier of the recipient, and the server replaces the sender's identify with one of the assigned identities. If the server receives a reply from the recipient, the server can determine the sender from the VIMSI and forward the reply to the sender. Anonymous sending is also supported. The server also maintains a set of advertisements from one or more advertisers, where each advertisement is associated with a user commission and each user can specify preferred advertisers. The server can automatically append the highest-paying preferred advertiser's advertisement to the user's SMS message and credit the user with the associated commission.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENDING ADVERTISEMENTS AND MESSAGES

WITH MOBILE DEVICES

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/430,617, filed on January 7, 2011 (entitled "System and method for sending advertisements with mobile device messages"), and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/430,623, filed on January 7, 2011 (entitled "System and method for sending messages"), which are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] The conventional Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) provide convenient methods for communication between users of supporting mobile devices. Applications for these message services exist on virtually all mobile device which support the appropriate protocols. Such mobile devices are typically equipped with a card or other device, (e.g., a removable device, such as a cellular network communications card), which allows them to communicate with the cellular network and send/receive SMS and MMS messages.

[003] Cellular networks operate various communications infrastructures and protocols, and therefore network communications cards within mobile devices typically are compatible with a specific cellular operator's infrastructure. Mobile devices operating within a GSM cellular network, the most popular cellular network infrastructure, utilize a communications card known as a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM). Other systems may use other cards or devices. A SIM card uniquely identifies a subscriber on the cellular network and has a unique serial number, the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). A SIM card may also contain l security authentication and encryption keys, temporary information related to the local network, a list of the services the user can access, and passwords (such as a PIN for regular use and a PUK for unlocking a locked-out PIN). Other cards or devices may include other sets of information.

[004] There are other types of communications cards installed on a mobile device. Most SIM cards contain a single internationally unique number of the mobile user (IMSI), while others may offer two such IMSI numbers.

[005] When a mobile user (a sender) sends an SMS message or other message to another mobile user (a recipient), the sender's IMSI appears on the recipient's mobile as the source of the SMS message. When the recipient replies to the SMS message, the reply SMS is identified by the sender's IMSI, which identifies the SIM to which the SMS must be delivered. Thus, the exchange of SMS messages between a sender and one or more recipients typically uses a single identity for the sender and a single identity for each recipient. In rare cases where the sender has a SIM with two separate identities, the sender is typically asked to choose which identity should be used for each specific SMS message. The recipient's reply then goes directly to the sender's mobile device regardless of whether the recipient chose the sender's first identity or second identity. In such cases, the sender can exchange SMS messages with multiple recipients using two separate identities.

[006] In the case where the sender has two separate mobile devices, each having its own SIM card with a single identity, the sender is again able to conduct SMS conversations with multiple recipients using two separate identities. In this case, however, each conversation is carried out in a separate mobile device of the sender, according to the SIM card and identity (IMSI).

[007] Mobile telephones, however, typically do not allow the sender to send an SMS message in which message is tagged with another identity, so that the recipient cannot know who the sender was, nor would be able to respond to the SMS message. Sending such SMS messages can be done over the Internet from websites that support SMS, but the mobile telephones themselves are typically designed to block anonymous SMS messages.

[008] Revenues for Internet advertising on mobile devices are typically generated according to two principal models — pay per impression (PPM, where "M" indicates one thousand impressions) and pay per click (PPC). In the first the advertiser pays for displays of the advertisement banner to viewers. In the second the advertiser pays for "click-throughs" from a display of an advertisement to the advertiser's website. The advertisements are displayed by websites, online games and mobile applications. Typically the pricing of PPM and PPC are defined in a bidding market where advertisers bid for certain localities and types of applications that will display their banner advertising.

[009] An advertiser's advertisements are presented by websites, games, and/or applications, and viewers see the advertisements when they visit the website, play the game, or use the application via the Internet or via a mobile device.

[0010] US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0274651 of Huddleston ("Huddleston") discusses a method of attaching advertisements to SMS messages sent by a user. According to Huddleston, the user of a mobile device downloads a set of advertisements from an advertisement management system, and is able to select which advertisement would be attached to the SMS message the user is sending out. An advertisement management system keeps track of sent messages and may credit the user with the fee the advertiser was willing to pay for a user to send the advertisement. The advertisement in the SMS may be either a message or a link, and the recipient is allowed to click-through according to the message and/or the link. The ability of the user the select which advertising messages are attached to the user's outgoing SMS messages is important, because it allows the user to send endorsed messages endorsing only those advertisers the user would like to support, and via a specific advertisement that the user is willing to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for conducting multiple messaging (e.g. SMS) conversations with single or multiple recipients utilizing multiple identities from the same mobile device. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide this capability without using multiple SIM cards or SIM cards with multiple identities.

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention provide for mobile device users to conduct SMS or other mobile message conversations (sending and receiving messages) with multiple recipients using multiple separate identities, from the same mobile device with a SIM card having a single identity (IMSI).

[0013] In embodiments of the present invention, SMS messages and MMS messages are handled in the same manner and are both referred to as "SMS messages". Likewise, embodiments of the present invention refer to any personalized communication card installed in a mobile device as a "Subscriber Identification Module" ("SIM") card.

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention allow mobile device users to earn income by participating in advertising campaigns in which they send SMS messages with advertising (including, but not limited to: coupons, promotional messages, discount codes, endorsements, and so forth). In existing systems users may send messages endorsing advertisers they support, and may also send specific advertisements of their choice (the Allowed Messages). However, users of existing systems may not be aware that sending certain messages pay better than sending others (e.g., sending one particular message may pay ten times as much as sending another). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] Fig. 1 illustrates a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 2 illustrates a system for use with SMS communications, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 3 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 4 illustrates a method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0021] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. [0022] In embodiments of the present invention, a "mobile device" may be any apparatus including, but not limited to: a cellular telephone; a personal digital assistant; a portable computer; and a mobile communication device.

[0023] Fig. 1 illustrates a system according to an embodiment of the invention that includes multiple mobile devices, illustrated as a mobile device 101 and a mobile device 121, which communicate via a cellular tower (or relay) 131 with a communication system having a server 151. Exemplary mobile device 101 may include, for example, a processor 103, a radio transceiver 111, an antenna 117, a memory 105, a display 115, an input device (e.g. a keyboard or touchscreen) 113, and a SIM card 107. Mobile device 101 may include an application (such as an SMS application) 109, which may be software stored in memory 105 and executed by processor 103.

[0024] Tower 131 typically communicates with mobile device 101, via radio waves using cellular technology, and may connect with server 151 via a link 133, which may include wired links, wireless links fiber-optic links, networks, or a combination thereof. Tower 131 and server 151 may be part of a conventional cellular network, and may also connect to telephony networks or other networks.

[0025] Server 151 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 153, a storage device 157, a memory 155, a display 163, and one or more input devices (e.g. keyboards, touchscreens) 161. Memory 155 and/or storage device 157 may include or be associated with a database 159. Optionally, server 151 may be equipped with an antenna 165.

[0026] SIM 107 may be removable from mobile device 101, and may securely store the user's IMSI or other identifier. In some embodiments of the present invention, using SIM 107 allows users to change mobile devices by removing SIM 107 from mobile device 101 and inserting it into another mobile device. In other embodiments the data and/or functionality of SIM 107 may be integrated within mobile device 101, without being removable. In still other embodiments, SIM 107 has a physical format different from a card-shaped device.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present invention, server 151 maintains multiple identities for SIM 107 and mobile phone 101. The sender (not shown), operating mobile device 101, may request server 151 to assign the sender a virtual identity with an identifier (e.g., a unique virtual IMSI identity, or "VIMSI"), which server 151 uniquely associates with the sender. When the sender wishes to send a message such as an SMS message to a recipient (not shown), mobile device 101 and/or SMS application 109 allows the sender to choose a specific identity for sending that particular SMS message. In an embodiment of the present invention, the selected identity may be one of: the sender's regular or default identifier or identity (e.g. IMSI); or any virtual identity or identifiers (e.g. a Virtual IMSI, or "VIMSI").

[0028] A VIMSI may be stored in SMS application 109 or in another storage location on mobile device 101 (e.g., in memory 105) or a separate memory card (not shown). In some embodiments, SIM 107 includes storage for VIMSI's, so that SMS application 109 may load VIMSI's into SIM 170.

[0029] Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention where a Sender X mobile device 207 may send messages such as SMS messages to multiple recipients using an identity different from the sender's default identity (e.g. IMSI) and from any of its VIMSI's. In this embodiment, more than one ID may be used by Sender X mobile device 207, and a different ID may be inserted by Sender X mobile device 207 or by server 151 into an SMS message for each different recipient such as a recipient A mobile device 203 and a recipient B mobile device 205. In this embodiment, each of the messages from the Sender X mobile device 207 may include a different sender ID, including one or more anonymous sender ID's. [0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, server 151 is connected to SMS system 201. Server 151 receives an SMS message from a sender and sends it to SMS system 201 as a standard message. Server 151, being connected to SMS system 201, could receive a reply from a recipient to the unique VIMSI, which is uniquely identified with the sender by server 151, and by virtue of the known association of that specific VIMSI with the sender, sends the SMS message to the sender's mobile device.

[0031] According to embodiments of the present invention, server 151 is assigned a block of identifiers, such as cellular numbers from a cellular operator. In practice, the company which owns and operates server 151 may purchase blocks of unique cellular numbers from a group of cellular operators. Server 151 then provides the user with a unique number as a VIMSI for the user. In an embodiment of the present invention, server 151 maintains a table 251 that maps each user IMSI to VIMSI's assigned to such user.

[0032] On mobile device 101 the SMS application may be updated with the list of VIMSI's, and may allow the user to select a VIMSI or the IMSI to use when sending a message. In an embodiment of the present invention, the user can obtain a VIMSI from server 151 for an unlimited time or a limited time (e.g., 30 days). In the latter case the same VIMSI could later then be assigned to another user. In one embodiment a user may be able to purchase a "clean" VIMSI (i.e., one that has never been used before by any other user), or a recycled VIMSI that has been in use previously (e.g., in the former 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, one year, etc). In some embodiments of the present invention, each type may have a different price.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present invention, a mobile device user may send messages such as SMS messages to multiple recipients using a identity different from the user's default identity (e.g. IMSI) and different from any of his or her VIMSI's. According to this embodiment, when the sender wishes to send a one-way SMS message, mobile device 101 or an application such as SMS application 109 allows the sender to choose a new identity for sending that specific message. Server 151, which may be connected to the SMS system, receives the SMS message from the sender and sends it to the SMS system as a standard message. When a one-time SMS message is sent, the server may replace or insert the IMSI or VIMSI sent from the mobile device with another unique identification (ID) that is "empty" (e.g., contains text instead of a number - such as "Dear Johnny"), or any other text or number selected by the sender and sent to server 151 to be used as the unique ID prior to delivering the SMS message to the recipient. The identity chosen for the one-way SMS message is not associated with server 151 or with the sender, and therefore any reply from the recipient will not be delivered— neither to server 151 nor to the sender.

[0034] For a one-time SMS message server 151 may for example accept a command from the sender to assign to that SMS message whatever ID the sender wants. For example, "Dear Johnny" could be used many times, or any other text or number provided by the sender. The recipient cannot respond to the sender because the ID field in the reply SMS send by the recipient does not contain a valid identifier.

[0035] In this embodiment, the sender's identity for the one-way message may be stored in mobile device 101 (e.g., on memory 105) and/or in server 151. The sender may select the ID and send it to server 151. In this case the ID is stored in both mobile device 101 and in server 151. In another embodiment, the sender can ask server 151 to assign a random ID (e.g., text or number), in which case the ID is stored only in server 151 and not in mobile device 101. Server 151 may keep a log of each message sent.

[0036] Fig. 3 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a step 301 a unique virtual identity is assigned by a server (such as server 151) to a mobile device, and stores the assigned virtual identity in a multiple identities database 303. In a step 305 the server receives a message from the mobile device, along with an identifier of a recipient. In a step 307, the server applies an identity to the message, from multiple identities database 303. In an embodiment, the applied identity is the real identity of the mobile device. In another embodiment, the applied identity is a virtual identity assigned by the server. In yet another embodiment the user selects which identity the server applies to the message. In a step 309 the server delivers the message with the applied identity to the recipient.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, the server receives from the recipient a reply, which has a virtual identity that has previously been assigned by the server. According to this embodiment, in a step 311 the server uses the virtual identity in the reply to retrieve the sender's real identity from multiple identities database 303, and then in a step 313 the server delivers the reply to the sender.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, whether sending to single or multiple recipients, a sender may want to send the message from mobile device 101 in such a way that the recipient(s) are unable able to send a response directly mobile device 101. For example, the sender may want to use an "anonymous ID".

[0039] Fig. 1 illustrates a system according to embodiments of the present invention, including a mobile device 101, an SMS application 109, and a server 151 with an advertisement management system 171, which allows the advertisers to insert specific advertisements (non- limiting examples of which include coupons, interactive promotional messages, and discount codes, as noted previously) along with the payment terms offered to users for sending each specific advertisement. User can select the advertisers they endorse, for example by reviewing the list of advertisers and their advertisements, including the payment terms offered for each advertisement. In an embodiment, selection is made via advertising management system 171. In another embodiment, selection is made via mobile device 101 as part of messaging application 109, which connects to server 151 and uploads the details. Server 151 is connected to SMS system 201 as previously noted (Fig. 2).

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the user sends an SMS message, messaging application 109 attaches to the message the highest income-generating advertisement within the set of such messages previously allowed by the user, and the message with the advertisement is sent to the recipient.

[0041] In another embodiment of the present invention, SMS application 109 sends the user's message to server 151, and server 151 attaches to the message the highest income-generating advertisement within the set of such messages previously allowed by the user, and the message with the advertisement is sent to the recipient.

[0042] Advertisement management system 171 keeps track of the SMS messages sent by the users and credits the users accordingly. Funds may be transferred to users according to commonly-known procedures. When SMS application 109 directly sends an endorsed message, SMS application 109 updates advertisement management system 171 to ensure that proper crediting and funds transfer takes place.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present invention, advertising management system 171 manages and stores user preferences (e.g. approved lists) for advertisements, chooses advertisements (e.g., the highest-paying advertisement from an approved pool of advertisements), appends advertisements to messages, and tracks credit and billing information for advertisements sent with messages. Advertising management system 171 may be, for example, software, stored in memory 155 and/or storage 157, and executed by processor 153.

[0044] Automatic attachment of the highest-paying advertisement provided by the selected advertiser assures users that they will receive the highest amount of income when sending SMS messages which include advertising. It frees users from having to follow real-time changes in the advertisers' pricing, as updated on the server. In a non-limiting example, an advertiser logs on to advertisement management system 171 and upgrades the user commission for sending a specific advertisement from $0.01 to $10.00. Shortly thereafter a user who is unaware of this real time change, sends an SMS message. In this embodiment of the present invention, the $10.00 message is automatically selected over others that have lower value, even though the user is unaware of the latest commission schedule.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, instead of interacting with server 151, which contains the allowed advertisements, or with SMS application 109, the user sends an SMS message in the regular fashion, via a cellular operator. In this embodiment, the cellular operator's system retrieves the appropriate advertisement and attaches it to the SMS message prior to sending the SMS message to the recipient. The identification of the user can be done via the user's unique identifier in the cellular telephony network.

[0046] Fig. 4 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a step 401 a server (such as server 151) receives advertisements from one or more advertisers along with a commission payment schedule for each advertisement. In a step 403, the server receives advertiser preferences from a user, namely, the advertisers whom the user endorses and wishes to support. In each of the preceding receiving steps, the server stores the received information in a database, such as database 159 (Fig. 1). In a step 405 the server receives an SMS message that the user wishes to send. In a step 407 the server selects the highest-paying advertisement from one of the advertisers whom the user prefers, by consulting the database. Because more than one advertisement may have the same highest commission, the server selects an advertisement for which there is no higher commission paid by the user's preferred advertisers. In a step 409 the server appends the selected advertisement to the user's message, and in a step 411 the server sends the message with the appended advertisement to the recipient. Then, in a step 413, the server credits the user with the appropriate commission according to the advertiser's payment schedule.

[0047] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS [0048] What is claimed is:

1. A method for conducting multiple SMS conversations with a plurality of recipients by utilizing a plurality of identities for a sending mobile device without use of multiple SIM identities, wherein the sending mobile device contains a single SIM with a single identity, the method comprising:

assigning to the sending mobile device, by the server, at least one unique virtual identity different from the single identity, thereby establishing a plurality of identities for the sending mobile device;

receiving, by the server, a message sent by the mobile device;

sending the message to a first recipient, by the server, using a first identity selected from the plurality of identities.

2. The method of claim 1 ; further comprising:

sending the message to a second recipient, by the server, using a second identity selected from the plurality of identities.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a reply to a message sent from a recipient, wherein the reply has a unique virtual identity assigned by the server to the sending mobile device; and

sending the reply, by the server, to the sending mobile device.

4. A system for conducting multiple SMS conversations with a plurality of recipients by utilizing a plurality of identities for a sending mobile device having only a single SIM with a single identity, the sending mobile device also having an SMS application for sending SMS messages, the system comprising: a server that maintains the plurality of identities for the sending mobile device and the single SIM, wherein the server is operative to assign a unique virtual identity to the sending mobile device and to send and receive SMS messages according to the plurality of identities, and to associate received SMS messages with the sending mobile device.

5. A method for advertising via SMS messages over an SMS network, comprising:

receiving, by a server connected to the SMS network, a plurality of advertisements from at least one advertiser, wherein each advertisement is associated with a commission payable to a user;

receiving, by the server, an indication of at least one preferred advertiser from a user; receiving, by the server, a message to be sent, wherein the message is from the user;

selecting, by the server, a selected advertisement from the plurality of advertisements, wherein the selected advertisement is of the at least one preferred advertiser of the user, and wherein the selected advertisement has an associated commission that is not lower than any other commission offered by the at least one preferred advertiser;

appending, by the server, the selected advertisement to the user's message;

sending, by the server, the user's message with the selected advertisement to a recipient of the message; and

crediting, by the server, the user with the associated commission of the selected advertisement.

6. A system for advertising via SMS messages over an SMS network, comprising: a server that maintains a plurality of advertisements, wherein each advertisement is associated with an advertiser and a user commission; wherein the server is operative to receive from a user an indication of at least one preferred advertiser, wherein the server is operative to receive a message to be sent from the user, wherein the server is operative to select an advertisement from the plurality of advertisements such that the associated commission of the advertisement is not lower than any other commission offered by the at least one preferred advertiser; and wherein the server is operative to append the selected advertisement to the message, to send the message to a recipient thereof; and wherein the server is operative to credit the user with the associated commission of the selected advertisement.