Methods for Marketing Digital Content to Mobile Communication Device Users

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for allowing mobile device users to select digital content for use or to recommend to other mobile device users to facilitate marketing of digital content among mobile device users. In addition, systems and methods are provided to facilitate sharing of mobile device user's ratings of digital content among users having similar interests. Further still, a system and method are provided for awarding points to mobile device users from purchases made by other mobile device users of digital content.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram showing a mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a high level data flow diagram showing a concurrency application server that communications with a library component in a mobile device according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an electrical block diagram of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the software architecture of the concurrency application system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing how the concurrency application server interacts between digital content servers and sites and mobile devices according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method according to an embodiment of the invention in which a mobile device user may select digital content to be used as a ringback tone for calls from another mobile device user.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram for a method according to an embodiment of the invention in which a caller may select digital content to be used as a ringback tone when calling a mobile device user.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram for a method according to an embodiment of the invention in which a caller can recommend digital content to a mobile device user.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are flow diagrams for methods according to embodiments of the invention in which mobile device user preferences for digital content downloads is used to enable a mobile device user to select content suitable to other mobile device users.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram for a method according to an embodiment of the invention in which mobile device users may rate digital media content.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram for a method according to an embodiment of the invention in which mobile device users may earn points for promoting sales of digital content to other mobile device users.

Claims

1. A method for selection of digital content to be presented to a caller, comprising: a. supplying information to a mobile device describing a plurality of digital media content one of which may be presented to a caller when said caller calls said mobile device; andb. selecting one of the plurality of digital media content for presentation to the caller when the caller calls the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising detecting the call placed by the caller to the mobile device, and wherein said (a) supplying is after said detecting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) supplying comprises transmitting a list identifying the plurality of digital media content to said mobile device for display on said mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) supplying further comprises identifying a digital media content currently assigned to the caller for presentation to the caller when the caller calls the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving from said caller information identifying one or more caller-recommended digital media content to be presented to said caller when calling said mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein (a) supplying comprises including information identifying said one or more caller-recommended digital media content.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein (b) selecting comprises selecting from one of the caller-recommended digital media content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) selecting is performed by a user of said mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising presenting a selected one of the digital media content to the caller when the caller calls the mobile device, and wherein the caller is a user of another mobile device.

10. A method for selection of digital content to be presented to a caller when calling a mobile device, comprising: a. supplying information to the caller describing a plurality of digital media content one of which may be presented to the caller when said caller calls said mobile device; andb. receiving from the caller a selection of one of the plurality of digital media content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said caller is a user of another mobile device, and wherein (a) supplying comprises transmitting a list to the mobile device of said caller.

12. A system for enabling selection of digital content to be presented to a caller when calling a mobile device, comprising: a. a plurality of mobile devices capable of mobile wireless communication; andb. a computing device that manages communication services to a plurality of mobile devices, wherein the computing device supplies to a first mobile device information describing a plurality of digital media content one of which may be presented to a caller when said caller calls said mobile device, and receives a selection of one of the plurality of digital media content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device detects the call placed by the caller to the first mobile device and supplies the information after detecting the call.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device transmits a list identifying the plurality of digital media content to said first mobile device for display on said first mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device further supplies information identifying a digital media content currently assigned to the caller for presentation to the caller when the caller calls the first mobile device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device supplies the information describing the plurality of digital media content including digital media content recommended by said caller.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device receives the selection from a user of the first mobile device.

18. A method for marketing content to mobile device users, comprising: a. storing preference information associated with digital media content used or downloaded by mobile device users including first and second mobile device users;b. transmitting to the first mobile device user recommended digital media content based on preference information for the second mobile device user; andc. selecting by the first mobile device user digital media content based on said recommended digital media content, wherein said selected digital media content is to be presented to said second mobile device user when said second mobile device user calls said first mobile device user.

19. The method of claim 18, and further comprising said second mobile device user downloading digital media content corresponding or related to said selected digital content asset.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said second mobile device user downloads the digital media content for use as a ringtone, wallpaper or other media viewing or listening function.

21. A method for marketing content to mobile device users, comprising: a. storing preference information associated with digital media content used or downloaded by mobile device users including first and second mobile device users;b. selecting digital media content for presentation to the second mobile device user when the second mobile device user calls the first mobile device user; andc. receiving from the second mobile device user information indicating the second mobile device user's rating of the selected digital media content.

22. The method of claim 21, and further comprising transmitting to the first mobile device user the information indicating the second mobile device user's rating.

23. The method of claim 21, and further comprising receiving from the second mobile device user information indicating a recommendation for at least one other digital media content, and presenting to the first mobile device user the information indicating the recommendation.

24. The method of claim 21, and further comprising receiving from the second mobile device user information indicating a recommendation for at least one other digital media content, and presenting to the first mobile device user the information indicating the second mobile device user's rating and the recommendation received from the second mobile device user.

25. A method for marketing content to mobile device users, comprising: a. storing preference information associated with digital media content used or downloaded by mobile device users including first and second mobile device users;b. presenting to the first mobile device user preference information of the second mobile device user;c. receiving from the first mobile device user a selection of digital media content based on the user preference information of the second mobile device user that is presented to the first mobile device user; andd. presenting to the second mobile device user the digital media content selected by the first mobile device user when the second mobile device user calls the first mobile device user.

26. The method of claim 25, and further comprising receiving from the second mobile device user a request to download and/or purchase rights to use digital media content corresponding or related to the digital media content selected by the first mobile device user for presentation to the second mobile device user.

27. The method of claim 25, and further comprising awarding the first mobile device user points for contributing to the second mobile device user's purchase.

28. The method of claim 27, and further comprising storing data representing points awarded to the first mobile device user for purchases made by other mobile device users for which the first mobile device user selects for presentation digital media content that the other mobile device users have not yet purchased.

29. A method for tracking reviews of digital content by mobile device users, comprising: a. playing digital media content to a first mobile device user when said first mobile device user calls a second mobile device user;b. prompting said first mobile device user to rate the digital media content;c. receiving a rating from said first mobile device user; andd. presenting said rating of said first mobile device user to said second mobile device user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein receiving comprises receiving a voice response or data response from the first mobile device user.

31. The method of claim 29, and further comprising receiving from said first mobile device user a recommendation for other digital media content, and presenting information pertaining to the recommended digital media content to said second mobile device user.

32. A method for promoting the sale of digital content to mobile device users, comprising: a. selecting by a first mobile device user digital media content to be played to a second mobile device user when said second mobile device user calls said first mobile device user;b. playing said digital media content to said second mobile device user when said second mobile device user calls said first mobile device user; andc. downloading to the mobile device of said second mobile device user digital media content related to the digital media content played to said second mobile device user.

33. The method of claim 32, and further comprising awarding points or credits to said first mobile device user when said second mobile device user downloads digital media content related to said digital media content played to said second mobile device user.

34. The method of claim 33, and further comprising accumulating data representing said points awarded to said first mobile device user each time another mobile device user downloads digital media content related to digital media content selected by said first mobile device user for presentation to other mobile device users.

35. A system for marketing content to mobile device users, comprising: a. a plurality of mobile devices capable of mobile wireless communication; andb. a computing device that manages communication services to a plurality of mobile devices, wherein the computing device stores preference information associated with digital media content used or downloaded by mobile device users including first and second mobile device users and facilitating marketing of digital media content to mobile device users based on the preference information.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the computing device generates recommendations for digital media content based on preference information for the second mobile user, transmits the recommendations to the first mobile device user, and receives from the first mobile device user a selected digital media content based on said recommendations, wherein the selected digital media content is to be presented to the second mobile device user when said second mobile device user calls said first mobile device user.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the computing device receives a request from the second mobile device user to download digital media content corresponding or related to the selected digital media content.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the computing device receives from the second mobile device user information indicating the second mobile device user's rating of the selected digital media content.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the computing device transmits to the first mobile device user the information indicating the second mobile device user's rating.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the computing device receives from the second mobile device user information indicating a recommendation for at least one other digital media content, and transmits to the first mobile device user the information indicating the recommendation.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the computing device awards points to said first mobile device user when other mobile device users download digital media content related to digital media content played to those mobile device users when calling said first mobile device user.