Method and system for managing delivery of communications

Procedure and system to control the supply of communications

Invention Sector

The present invention relates generally to procedures and systems for controlling the provision of communications to mobile devices and, more particularly, to methods and systems for controlling the delivery of messages to subscribers of a mobile telephone operator.

Background of the invention

The use of mobile phones or cell phones is very common and common. In a typical provision for the use of a mobile telephone, a user subscribes to a mobile telephone service offered by an operator or mobile telephone company and is part, for example, of a prepaid or post-paid plan with the mobile operator. mobile phones. A prepaid subscription plan is usually a provision in which the user pays in advance for the telephone services to be used for a future period of time. A post-paid subscription is usually a provision in which the user pays for telephone services after the use of the services.

The services available using mobile phone, can be voice services (for example, make and receive phone calls), message services, such as Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), data services, such such as internet browsing or wireless application protocol navigation (WAP), video calls, content download, content delivery, shopping applications, such as games or other software, use of location, guide or navigation services, find information and communicate with a group of people and other services.

The popularity of mobile phones has also enabled its use, together with the corresponding infrastructure, as a means to provide mobile marketing, that is, announcements to the users of the phones.

An issue that arises when notices of a mobile marketing campaign are sent to the mobile phones of subscribers who do not use their home communications network operated by the mobile phone operator, for example, use a roaming network, such as The international roaming network. Frequently, roaming charges to send the ad that are paid by the mobile phone operator on a regular basis are higher than the mobile phone operator's revenue for the ad supply that is paid by the advertiser. Although a Domestic Location Registry (HLR) managed by the mobile telephone operator, indicates the subscriber's roaming situation, does not affect the communications to the subscriber and, therefore, does not prevent the sending of the announcements to the roaming subscriber.

Document EP1253542A2 describes a system for use with the internet, in which the supply of advertisements to a user device capable of determining its geographical location is varied according to the determined geographical location.

Document US2005 / 021853 describes another internet-based system, in which the geographical location of a user is determined by analyzing jumps in a path; The layout of content from a web site can be varied according to the determined location and / or other factors, such as connection speed and bandwidth.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed, at least in part, to a method and system for controlling the supply of communications comprising, content from a content provider to a mobile communications device, in which communications are delivered based selectively on an identified supply parameter, the parameter being identified based on a determination of whether a communications network that is used by the user is a home network or a roaming network and is specified by a content provider that has a resource utilization allocation associated with it, so that the provision of communications from content providers is offset by the allocation of resource utilization. The network used by the user is determined based on a notification or indication of network utilization from a control or determination system, such as an HLR. This provides an efficient tool to control communications and resources associated with them.

In one embodiment, the provision of content to an international roaming subscriber is prevented, or is blocked by determining the roaming status of the subscriber, using the HLR and maintaining this roaming situation in a gateway providing a message. More specifically, based on the roaming situation, the use of resources required to provide content is compared to the use of available resources

for the provision of content, the latter being evaluated based on the use of resources assigned to the content provider. The evaluation is preferably carried out before the content is provided to subscribers and in the event that the use of required resources can be compensated with respect to the use of allocated resources, the content is provided.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention, together with other objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood by referring to the following description in relation to the attached drawings, in which the same reference numerals identify the elements and, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram of an example architecture of an advertisement system, according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a scheme of a communications arrangement to be used in an advertisement system and method according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Referring to the drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements, Figure 1 shows the architecture of an embodiment of a mobile phone ad management system, according to the invention, which is indicated as general way, with the numeral -10-. The system -10- can be implemented to provide subsidized or even free telephone services, the grant being provided by advertisers whose ads are directed to mobile telephone service subscribers.

The system -10- comprises one or more advertisers -12-, defined by including any or all entities or individuals who wish to advertise products or services to customers participating in the mobile marketing system, and a management system -14- of ads that works, for example, as an ad supply company.

Advertisers -12- may refer to the owner of a brand, a service provider, an ad agent, a merchant or any other who wishes to provide ads to consumers. Ads may be commercial, such as the promotion of a product or service or non-commercial, such as a general service notification of information.

Typically, the operator of the ad management system -14- is a company in the ad supply sector from several advertisers, that is, it is the intermediate between advertisers and operators of the ad distribution channels. The operation of the ad management system -14- is typically carried out through an internet interface, but other operating systems are provided.

The ad management system -14- preferably includes tools for each advertiser to define rules of their advertising campaign, that is, to enable the advertising campaign to be adapted to their specific wishes. This may include the reservation, programming and commissioning of an advertising campaign through an internet interface. The parameters that are determined include, but are not limited to, the period or periods in which the ads have to be sent, the duration of the advertising campaign, the target group or groups, the demographics of the target group or groups, the format or type of ad, the level of target price or cost per ad or full advertising campaign, the sociological background of the target audience, demographics of the target group or groups including, for example, age, sex and income level or levels, type of target phone, etc. In addition to determining the rules, each advertiser -12- typically provides one or more real ads, in the form of data, text, images, video, audio, HTML documents, links, phone content, videos, HTML pages, xHTML, WAP , web pages, or any compatible digital content for reception and viewing by mobile user terminals -16A-, -16B-.

An announcement can be made available to the mobile user terminals -16A-, -16B-through a communications network -18-. The communications network -18- can be any cellular, radio, wide area, local area or internet network. For example, Figure 1 shows a typical arrangement of a cellular communications network -18 containing one or more base stations (BS) -20-, a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) -22- and a service center of multimedia messages (MMSC) -24-. The communications network -18- can also be a combination of different communications networks, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a multiple network by Broadband Code Division (WCDMA).

The communications network -18- can use any cellular network technology that includes, but is not limited to GSM, WCDMA, CDMA, GPRS. In addition to traditional cellular networks, local area networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLAN), BlueTooth (BT) and other technologies, such as WiMax, broadcasting via DVB-H, ISDB-T, DMB or By radio by mobile phone can be used to deliver ads. The communications network -18- can also be a generic internet access network using any methods

of data transport. Using the above networks, advertisers ads -12- can be SMS, MMS, WAP Push, web pages, or any digital object.

The subscribers to the mobile phone operator using the mobile terminals -16A-, -16B-, can use the same communications network or another communications network as a communications network -18- used to deliver announcements from advertisers -12- to through the ad management system -14-, that is, a hybrid network is possible. In a preferred embodiment, the communications network -18- is a cellular network and the mobile user terminals -16A-, -16B- are mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, a multimedia computer, a multimedia communication device, a PDA or a laptop.

The communications network -18- can be considered as the home communications network of the mobile terminal users -16A-, -16B-. In some cases, for example, when a mobile user terminal -16B-is unable to access the home communications network -18-, the mobile user terminal -16B- must access a roaming communications network is -26- . The itinerant network -26- is any non-domestic communications network, in which the user's mobile terminal cannot access the domestic communications network -18-, for example, when the user is visiting a place without coverage through the network of domestic communications -18-. A common example of this situation is a subscriber to a mobile phone service that visits a foreign country and accesses mobile phone services in the foreign country using a local network in that country.

When the mobile user terminal -16B-, access the roaming network -26-, the transmissions for mobile terminal -16B- are sent through the base station -28- of this roaming network -26- from the SMSC -22- of the home communications network -18- when the transmission is an SMS. In the roaming network -26- a Visited Mobile Switch Center (VMSC) -30- can frequently be found that provides location updates of the visiting mobile user to the Home Location Register (HLR) -32-of the home communications network -18-.

When the user of the mobile terminal -16B-uses a roaming network -26-, there is typically a different and higher cost incurred to send and receive communications, unlike the use of the home communications network -18- by The same user. The highest costs occur for sending and receiving most or all of the communications including messages, such as, marketing messages sent from the ad management system -14- to the mobile terminal -16B-. Unlike the marketing messages from the ad management system -14-, communications to and from the mobile terminal user -16B- that produce a higher cost, can be those to or from any other user and / or computer system, regardless of the form of communication, that is, voice communication, messages, data and the like.

As shown in Figure 1, the provision -10- also comprises a billing system -34 coupled to the ad management system -14- and / or the communications network -18- or specific parts thereof, is that is, the SMSC -22-, as shown in Figure 1 and can be arranged to control and / or measure the use of the communications network -18- for each of the mobile terminals -16A-, -16B- and control and / or measure the use and payments of or for the announcements provided to each mobile terminal -16A-, -16B-, by the ad management system -14-. The billing system -34- can be a real-time billing system or a near-real-time billing system. The billing system -34- or other means associated with the provision -10- can thus provide for the payment of the users of the mobile terminals -16A-, -16Based on their use of the communications network -18-. The use of the communications network -18- may involve voice services, message services (Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, Instant Message Service, Email Services), video-telephone services, push button services voice (“push-to-talk”), data services, such as internet or Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), navigation services, content usage services (television, radio, video), download services, among others.

In one embodiment of the invention, the billing system -34- measures the use of the services by each user and compares the measured use with a free or subsidized amount, assigned to each user. This free or subsidized amount is associated with one or more content providers, who have reserved an allocation for the use of resources for use in granting communications to users. The reserved allocation can be compensated with respect to the actual supply of communications, so that the subscriber does not receive billing for the use of the resource. In this way, although invoices are not sent to users, the measured use is compared to business rules associated with users and the cost of providing free or subsidized services to users is billed directly or indirectly from content providers based in the amount of use of the resource that has been compensated by the provision of communications. Other techniques are also provided to facilitate subsidized telephone services

or free to users.

The provision -10- includes a Value Added Service (VAS GW) gateway -36- that connects the communications network -18-, or some of the elements thereof, such as the SMSC -22-, as has shown, with the ad management system -14-. The VAS GW -36- can also be connected to the billing system -34-.

The ad management system -14- includes a database -38-, which contains information such as user profiles of mobile terminals -16A-, -16B- and a set of parameters or rules and preferences of users referring, for example, to the supply of advertisements and other messages to users. An interface with respect to the database -38-, can be provided to enable users to modify one or more of these parameters associated with the supply, for example, a web interface, which enables database management - 38-via internet -40-. Typically, this can be done using a personal computer -42- or a mobile phone that has a web browser or wireless application protocol (WAP) and an internet connection (or WAP). More specifically, the user has the possibility of adjusting the supply parameters, by means of a computer program in the ad management system -14- that manages the database -38- and provides the user interface. Additional details regarding the computer program are indicated below.

The HLR -32- controls the communications network that the mobile phone user is using, that is, it provides an indication of which communications network the mobile phone user is using, such as the communications network -18- or the communications network -26-, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. There are other systems that perform the same function as the HLR and these other network determination or network management systems are also provided to be within the scope and spirit of the invention.

In its use, the HLR -32- or other control system, would be programmed to initiate the roaming situation to the ad management system -14-, that is, notify the ad management system -14-that the terminal User mobile -16B- is not communicating using the communications network -18- and, therefore, is roaming using another operator communications network. The start of the ad management system -14- or status notification provided by the HLR -32- can be an indication of whether the user is roaming or not, an identification of the location or country where he is roaming the user (which can be carried out based on the communications network the user is using) and / or an identification of the operator, whose communications network is being used to communicate the roaming user.

In one embodiment, when the HLR -32- generates the communication to the ad management system -14- in which the user is roaming, it can be used by a computer program in the ad management system -14 - to take into consideration whether or not to send an announcement message to the user. There may be several conditions that must be satisfied to allow an announcement message to be addressed to the user when roaming.

One is that the ad management system -14- is arranged to prevent the sending of announcement messages to users when they are roaming. That is, the ad management system -14- may be arranged to prevent the provision of announcement messages to users, when they are roaming without considering other factors, such as a revenue comparison described below. In this case, a determination would be made not to direct an announcement message to the user, taking into account the user's roaming situation, and the ad management system -14- can then send a message to the VAS GW -36- by stop sending ads to the user's mobile terminal -16B-, provided the user is roaming.

Another condition for the supply of the advertisement is that there is at least one advertiser that has allowed the provision of advertisements to users who do not use the home communications network, that is, roaming users. If these advertisers do not exist, communications to the user that is roaming will not be subsidized or will not be allowed.

Another condition for ad supply may be the existence of a favorable income comparison That is, the computer program of the ad management system -14- may be arranged to send a message to the billing system -34- when it has been determined that a user is roaming (using a communications network other than your home communications network -18-) to inform the billing system -34- about roaming with the objective of determining, for example, the cost of supplying an ad to the roaming user.

In one embodiment, the use of the resource assigned to a content provider for use in offsetting the resources required to deliver the advertisement is calculated and compared to the actual use of resources required to supply the advertisement to the roaming user. This evaluation can be quantified, for example, by means of an income analysis, that is, that the income derived from the supply of the advertisement to the user, when it is roaming, is determined and compared with the cost for the supply of the advertisement to the roaming user. This comparison can be carried out by a computer program resident in the billing system -34- or in the ad management system -14-. If the revenue derived from the ad supply to the user, when the user is roaming, is less than the cost for the ad supply to the roaming user, then the ad management system -14- may prevent the ad supply, for example, by sending a message to VAS GW -36-. To put it another way, if the use of resources assigned to a specific advertiser for use in offsetting supply requirements

of real resources, is less than that required to supply the advertisement, the system -14-management of advertisements, can prevent the supply of the advertisement, for example, by sending a message to VAS GW -36-.

The billing system -34- can be arranged to bill advertisers or to compensate for their corresponding allocation of resource utilization, to provide ads to users at different rates depending on the roaming situation of the users. For example, a computer program of the billing system -34- can determine a subsidized rate for supplying an advertisement to a user using its home communications network, while an unsubsidized rate or a higher rate would be used, when the User is roaming using another operator communications network. The billing system -34-would therefore need to know if the user is roaming to determine the appropriate billing

or the amount of use of resources to compensate, with respect to the use of allocated resources, for the supply of an advertisement to a user.

Another condition for the supply of the advertisement to a roaming user is whether the supply has been allowed by the user by sending their supply parameters. For example, the user can indicate whether he wants to receive communications while roaming or not. An indication that the user does not wish to receive communications when roaming is considered an indication to prevent blocking communications to the user. More specific preferences allow the user to receive or refuse the reception of advertisements or messages that may be or contain advertisements or messages from the operator of the user's home communications network, such as user searches and opinion polls, particularly when roaming . All these parameters or preferences can be provided by the user using the personal computer -42- connected via internet -40- to the database -38- associated with the ad management system -14-. The user has the possibility to adjust the parameters and preferences of supply, by means of a computer program in the ad management system -14- that manages the database -38- and provides the user interface. Further details of the computer program are indicated below.

One way to enable the user to control the reception of communications, is when roaming is to facilitate a user-selectable "Pause" preference, for example, by presenting a "pause" or "party" button to the user screen associated with the personal computer -42-. A similar “party” button could be presented to the user mobile terminals -16A-, -16B-.

When the user clicks this "party" button, the reception of advertisements and other marketing communications is prevented, while the user is roaming. The same or a different button can be programmed to enable the user to prevent the reception of some or all other types of communications, or some or all other communication sources. Clicking on the "party" button could be effective to suspend the supply of advertisements for a predetermined period of time, after which the advertisements would be supplied, or indefinitely, requiring the user to click a "resume" button or push button. similar to restart ad supply.

When conditions may require the user to be available to receive announcements, messages from the operator of the user's home communications network and other marketing communications for a certain number of days per predetermined period of time of use of the mobile phone service , there is, however, a limit on the number of days in which the user can suspend the supply of advertisements, operator messages or communications from the user's home network, as well as other marketing communications. The user can receive notification of the number of days on which the supply of advertisements and messages has been suspended and the number of days remaining during which they can suspend the supply of advertisements and messages, for the predetermined period of time, when they have access to the Ad management system -14 to enter start dates and cease supply suspension. The user may be prevented from suspending the supply of advertisements or messages for more than a certain period of time or may receive notification that he will lose his free or subsidized telephone service if he indicates a longer period of suspension than is allowed.

In a provision, when a user suspends the supply of advertisements or messages and other marketing communications, while roaming, or for other reasons, the duration of the suspension is not considered in the predetermined period of time during which it should receive , be willing to receive or respond to announcements or messages. Therefore, if the user suspends the supply of advertisements or messages for ten days of a thirty-day service period, the service period would be extended ten days and in this extended period of forty days, they would have to receive, be available of receiving or responding to the same number of announcements or messages as for a full service period of thirty consecutive days.

If the user suspends the supply of any or all communications, for example, while roaming, in one embodiment the ad management system -14- stores messages sent to the user during the suspension period and once the user has then determined to use the home communications network, these messages are supplied to the user.

As explained above, the ad management system -14-comprises a program of

computer, which allows users to define parameters and preferences for the supply of any communications addressed to them, particularly when roaming. For example, the user could use the interface to the computer program in the ad management system -14- to indicate allowed message transmitters, that is, to indicate a desire to receive messages from a list of certain persons indicating also the transmitters not allowed, that is, indicate the desire to block the reception of messages from others (whether they are specified or not). This procedure could alternatively or additionally include the provision of an authorization indicator to receive other types of communications, such as telephone calls from a list of certain persons or entities, while similar communications from others are blocked. Alternatively or additionally, this procedure would entail the provision of a list of data or other types of services that can be accessed while roaming.

Figure 2 shows a diagram of communications management software, which can be found in the ad management system -14- or on a separate server connected to it. In the use of the software, each of the users introduces their preferences regarding the reception of communications -44-. A communications management system -46- receives the user preferences of -44- and information regarding the communications network that the user is using from the HLR -32-. Based on the preferences of the user and the communications network that the user is using, the communications management system -46- determines whether a message -A- has to be supplied or not to the user.

A unit -48- of the communication network receives the message -A- that informs the communications management system -46- regarding the origin of the message and objective and / or sends the message -A- and its origin and objective to the communications management system -46-. The communication management system -46- generates a control message to the unit -48- of the communication network to allow the supply of the message -A-to the user or to block said supply. The blocked messages can be stored in the unit -48- of the communications network and / or in the system -46- of communications management, for example, until the moment when the user is no longer roaming and is using The home communications network.

Message A, whose supply is controlled by the communications management system 46, can be any type of communicable message capable of being supplied to a mobile device, including without limiting the following: SMS message, MMS message, WAP “push” message, a data call, a voice call, a video call, music, video, announcement message, marketing message, message from a group of people, message to a group of people, message from an individual person, message to an individual person, message from a computer system or systems, and a message to a computer system or systems. The message -A- can also be a message to a roaming network or from a roaming network.

Several computer programs found in computer readable media can be used in the invention. A computer program is resident in the ad management system -14- and manages the provision of communications to the mobile devices of users, in particular ads. The computer program allows users to manage parameters and preferences for the provision of communications on their mobile devices, maintains the parameters and preferences managed by users in a database, and upon receiving a request to provide communications to users checks databases to ensure if users have allowed or blocked the supply of such communications. If such communications have been blocked, they will not be provided.

In the context of this document, a computer-readable medium could be any medium that may contain, store, communicate, propagate or transmit a program for use by or in connection with the procedure, system, device or device. The computer-readable medium may be, although this is not limiting (it is not an exhaustive list), an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic infrared or semiconductor propagation medium. The medium can also be (not an exhaustive list), an electrical connection, having one or more cables, a laptop diskette, a random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a memory only programmable and erasable reading (EPROM or Flash memory), fiber optics, and a compact disc read only memory (CDROM). The media can also be paper or other appropriate media on which a program can be printed, the program can be electronically captured, for example, by optical scanning of the paper or other media, being then compiled, interpreted or processed from the program. appropriate way if necessary and then stored in a computer memory. Likewise, a computer or data program can be transferred to another computer-readable medium by a suitable process, such as scanning of the computer-readable medium.

Parameters and preferences that refer to the provision of communications may include indications to allow or block specific types of communications and communications from specific sources, as well as indications to allow or block specific types of communications and communications from specific sources when the user is not using its home communications network, that is, the user is using a roaming network, or even when the user is located in the home communications network, but does not wish to receive certain types of communications. Different preferences can be created, depending on whether the user is roaming or not. As such, each user may allow or block the provision of specific types of communications, such as advertisements when roaming, or may allow or

block communications from specific sources when roaming.

In one embodiment, the computer program allows users to manage their parameters and preferences using an internet interface. For example, the computer program may be arranged to present to each user a representation on a screen of his computer including a list of communication transmitters and allow the user to indicate whether he wishes to accept or block the communications of these transmitters. Likewise, a list of different types of communications can be displayed and the user can be provided with means to allow them to indicate whether they wish to accept or block these types of communications. Each user can manage their lists as desired, for example, add issuers to the lists.

In addition to enabling users to provide parameters and preferences for the provision of communications to their mobile devices in a roaming situation or otherwise, the computer program can automatically manage the provision of communications to users based on the communications network that they are using. This can be determined by a network utilization determination system, such as home location registration, with the database containing data regarding users and an indication of the communications network that users are using. The computer program can manage the network utilization determination system and in this way, it can determine which communications network each user is using.

The database can be maintained by the computer program itself or it can be maintained by another computer program with access by the computer program. Thus, whenever a communication supply request is received from a user, the determination is made of whether communications are provided to the user by checking the database to determine which communications network the user is using and allowing or preventing the supply of communications to the user based on the communications network they are using. The analysis of the type of communications can also be performed to prevent the supply of some types of communications, such as announcements, while allowing the provision of other types of communications, such as service messages.

In this regard, the computer program could associate a communications network as each user's home communications network and other networks as roaming networks and prevent the provision of communications to users using a roaming network. The database could therefore contain an indication of each user's home communications network. This feature would be useful in a situation where users receive mobile phone services at a subsidized or free cost as an exchange to receive advertisements and the cost to deliver the ads to users, using a roaming network, is higher than their income earned by the operator of mobile phone services for the supply of the announcement to the user.

The above allows commercialization and innovative and mobile-focused ads. This is important because this concept is considered by advertisers as the next new channel to reach consumers directly, given that it uses core assets and mobile media features, namely, it is personal because of the fact that it is aimed exclusively at individual consumers, is "always accessible" and can reach consumers whenever they access their communication devices, It is mobile and naturally they form groups of people who actively communicate with each other. These characteristics, combined with approaches based on social networks of the Internet, could form a very powerful basis for carrying out marketing strategies.

In general, mobile marketing and ads can be divided into the following four categories: mobile marketing, mobile ads, direct mobile marketing and mobile customer relationship management (CRM). The present invention, in any of its forms explained above, is applicable to all categories.

Mobile marketing is usually considered as the systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities aimed at combining buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products or services, in which the primary point of contact with the Consumer is your mobile device.

Mobile ads are usually considered as the paid, public, non-personal announcement of a persuasive message by an identified sponsor, as well as the non-personal presentation or promotion by a company of its products to existing and potential customers, being provided said communication to a mobile phone or other mobile device. Examples of mobile ads are: the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) banner ads (Banner), mobile search ads, mobile video search engines, and interstitial ads on device portals or on them.

Direct marketing on mobile phones is usually considered a promotion and sales technique in which promotional materials are supplied individually to potential customers through the potential customer's mobile phone or other mobile device. Examples of direct marketing on mobile phones include sending messages, such as Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS) or Protocol

Wireless Application (WAP), "push" messages, Bluetooth messages and other types of marketing to mobile phones or other mobile devices.

Relationship management with mobile customers is usually considered as a combination of all

5 above in a way that establishes a long-term contact relationship between the client and the marketing or promotion company. Currently, mobile marketing and ads are mainly based on momentary ("push") campaigns to access a consumer's mobile number in a database, or "pull" campaigns that capture mobile phone numbers from consumers. The most typical example of a “pull” campaign is a “text-to-win” campaign, in which, for example, a bottle of a drink

10 Carbonic contains a short code to send, by means of a text message to a certain telephone number. In correspondence, the consumer receives a notification if he has won with the selected marketing message or a series of messages is sent to his mobile phone. Other known methods of direct advertisements are achieved using text and video messages.

fifteen Once described exemplary embodiments of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings, it will be noted that the present invention is not limited to said embodiments and that different changes and modifications thereof can be carried out by ordinary technicians in the matter without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.