IP Library Granted Patent US 8,725,127
Granted Patent B2
US 8,725,127 · App. 14/021,660 · Granted May 13, 2014

System and method for providing short message targeted advertisements over a wireless communications network

Inventors: Vernon Meadows (Lilburn, GA); Charles M. Link, II (Atlanta, GA); Donald M. Cardina (Lawrenceville, GA)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,725,127
App. No.
14/021,660
Granted
May 13, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system for providing targeted advertisement information to consumers over a wireless communications network. In one embodiment, local advertisers register to advertise on wireless communications devices that are in close proximity to the advertiser. As a consumer enters a cell site that is near the location of the advertiser, the wireless network delivers a message to the wireless device specified by the local advertiser. An acknowledgement signal is then received by the network, and the local advertiser's account is charged for transmission of the advertisement. In a further embodiment, each of the messages stored in the database is also associated with one or more demographic codes, and users of wireless communications device select from one more demographic codes to describe their advertisement preferences. Messages to be transmitted to particular wireless communications devices are selected based upon both the location information and the demographic codes associated with the messages.

Claims (48)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless communications device, an advertisement transmitted to the wireless communications device based on a location of the wireless communications device; and

providing, by the wireless communications device, a prompt to a user of the wireless communications device to block future advertisements from an advertiser associated with the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a further prompt to the user of the wireless communications device to make a reservation associated with the advertisement.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of the further prompt; and

in response to receiving the selection of the further prompt, transmitting, to an address that originated transmission of the advertisement, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a further prompt to the user of the wireless communications device to save the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of the further prompt; and

in response to receiving the selection of the further prompt, transmitting, to an address that originated transmission of the advertisement, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the advertisement comprises at least one of a promotional message or a coupon.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the advertisement comprises a coupon and wherein the method further comprises receiving a response from the user to redeem the coupon.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface, a request from a user to access a profile associated with the user, the profile associated with the user comprising advertisement preferences for receiving advertisements via a wireless communications device of the user;

providing, via the user interface, a list of advertisers to the user; and

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an advertiser from the list of advertisers from which the user requests advertisement information be blocked, the selection for updating the advertisement preferences of the profile associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing, via the user interface, a further list of advertisers to the user; and

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an advertiser from the further list of advertisers from which the user requests advertisement information be received.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing, via the user interface, a question associated with demographics of the user;

receiving, via the user interface, a response to the question; and

adding a demographic code to the profile associated with the user, the demographic code corresponding to the response to the question, wherein advertisements received at the wireless communications device of the user correlate to the demographic code.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the demographics of the user comprise at least one of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an occupation of the user, hobbies of the user, or food preferences of the user.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless communications device, an advertisement transmitted to the wireless communications device based on a location of the wireless communications device; and

providing, by the wireless communications device to a user of the wireless communications device, a first prompt to make a reservation associated with the advertisement, a second prompt to save the advertisement, and a third prompt to block future advertisements from an advertiser associated with the advertisement.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first prompt; and

in response to receiving the selection of the first prompt, transmitting, to an address that originated transmission of the advertisement, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the advertisement.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of the second prompt; and

in response to receiving the selection of the second prompt, transmitting, to an address that originated transmission of the advertisement, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the advertisement.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, via a user interface, a request from the user to access a profile associated with the user, the profile associated with the user comprising advertisement preferences for receiving advertisements via the wireless communications device of the user;

providing, via the user interface, a list of advertisers to the user; and

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an advertiser from the list of advertisers from which the user requests advertisement information be blocked, the selection for updating the advertisement preferences of the profile associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing, via the user interface, a further list of advertisers; and

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an advertiser from the further list of advertisers from which the user requests advertisement information be received.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing, via a user interface, a question associated with demographics of the user;

receiving, via the user interface, a response to the question; and

adding a demographic code to the profile associated with the user, the demographic code corresponding to the response to the question, wherein advertisements received at the wireless communications device of the user correlate to the demographic code.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the demographics of the user comprise at least one of a gender of the user, an age of the user, an occupation of the user, hobbies of the user, or food preferences of the user.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the advertisement comprises at least one of a promotional message or a coupon.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the advertisement comprises a coupon and wherein the method further comprises receiving a response from the user to redeem the coupon.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2016
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.,
To: KNAPP INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 040165/0161 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 031192 FRAME 0157. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE EXECUTION DATE FOR CHANGE OF NAME SHOULD BE 7/27/2007. Recorded Aug 11, 2016
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 039646/0318 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 031192 FRAME: 0197. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 11, 2016
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 039646/0336 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: LINK, CHARLES M., II; CARDINA, DONALD M.; MEADOWS, VERNON
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031170/0862 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 031176/0015 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 031192/0157 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 031192/0160 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 031192/0197 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 13543103 · Jul 6, 2012
Continuation 13167146 · Jun 23, 2011
Continuation 12406234 · Mar 18, 2009
Continuation 11303649 · Dec 15, 2005
Continuation 09822504 · Apr 2, 2001
Related Publication 20140012679A1 · Jan 9, 2014