Patent Application
20150149290
A Smartphone is a high-end mobile phone that offers advanced computing ability and connectivity. Smartphones combine the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone. Today's models typically also serve as portable media players and camera phones with high-resolution touchscreen, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband access. Smartphones use mobile operating systems that can run third-party applications.
Growth in demand for advanced mobile devices boasting powerful processors and graphics processing units, abundant memory, and high-resolution screens with multi-touch capability, and open operating systems has outpaced the rest of the mobile phone market for several years. Over 45.5 million people in the United States own Smartphones out of 234 million total subscribers.
Embodiments of the present invention concern a system that provides digital coupons to smartphones. These digital coupons can be displayed in a digital calling card display, in a contacts list or in a display of incoming calls.
Embodiments of the present invention include the use of digital coupons. In one embodiment, a digital coupon is received for a business. This can be done after a user calls the business with a phone. The digital coupon can then be displayed at the phone. The digital coupon can be displayed at one of a call log, call screen or contacts at a position associated with the business.
The phone, such as a smart phone, can be adapted to receive a digital coupon for the business and to display the digital coupon in one of a call log, call screen or contacts at a position associated with the business.
In one embodiment, a digital gift is received at a phone. At the phone, the digital gift can be displayed in one of a call log, call screen or contacts. The digital gift can be a digital coupon or gift certificate.
The digital coupons can be dynamic. They can change over time in response to a time trigger or as a result of events at the phone (such as a user looking at a contact list) or an external event. Dynamic coupons can be loaded one time to update in response to events or can be updated one or more times externally. Updated or new coupons can be loaded from a business or at times advantageous to the business, such as in response to slow periods at the business.
A server associated with a mobile phone system can send the digital coupon to the phone for example upon a call being made to the business. In one embodiment, coupons can be sent by dialing, such as auto-dialing, from the business. Such auto-dialing can automatically send the coupon to the phone without ringing the phone. The digital coupon can include a code or some other information to allow the coupon to be digitally or manually redeemed.
In the example of
Dynamic Icons 104 can be used with the digital calling card. The Dynamic Icons 104 can be linked to data associated with a caller. The Dynamic Icons 104 can include links to social networking data, map application, videos and communication links related to the subject of the digital calling card.
Digital calling cards are discussed in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/547,224 entitled: “PHONE WITH MULTI-PORTAL ACCESS FOR DISPLAY DURING INCOMING AND OUTGOING CALL”, by Jason A. Ashton, filed Jul. 12, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The digital coupon can also be displayed in a contacts list 304, as shown in
In the example of
As shown in
An email access portion 805 can provide a short key to the email address of the other party to the call. Clicking on the email address can send the user to an email page where an email can be sent during the call.
A profile portion 806 can provide access to the profile and social networks of the other party of the call. The profile portion 806 can notify the users of past and recent text, video messages, emails and voicemails related to the other party to the call.
A message portion 808 can provide access to messages from the other party to the call. A message preview section 810 can show preview of past and recent messages, such as emails and text messages. This helps the user to have a context to the call. Reply portion 812 can allow instant reply via email, chat, text, or voicemail.
During an incoming or outgoing call between phone 922 and phone 926. Phone 926 can obtain display information from server 924. The server 924 can obtain updates from social network sites 928 and other sites 930.
Alternately, the server 924 can provide pointers or links to these sites 928 and 930 and the phone can independently get display information from sites 928 and 930. The phone 926 can cache this display information and update it as needed.
The server 924 can be part of or independent of the wireless telephone system 932 setting up the call.
In an alternate embodiment, the digital coupon and/or digital calling card can be directly sent between phone 926 and 922, or be sent through wireless telephone system 1032. Phones can also access website 928 and 930 directly to get digital coupons, digital calling cards, and/or an association between a telephone number and data.
In one embodiment, when a gift certificate is provided, relevant discount coupons can be provided to the user. For example, half-off or other discount coupons can be provided to a user that can be used along with when a provided gift certificate. The phone, such as a smart phone, can be adapted to receive the discount coupons and gift certificates and to display the digital coupon in one of a call log, call screen or contacts at a position associated with the business.
This specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims and their equivalents.
