Abstract:
A system and method allowing a mobile device user to initiate a transaction over the most widely used network such as a CDMA or GSM network and then have the device complete the transaction over a specialized data network such as Wi-Fi. The system includes a server communicating with a wireless device that maintains indexed data from the user&#39;s original transaction to ensure integrity through the completion of the transaction. The system also includes a method for the user to purchase content, download the content and upon successful completion, have it appropriately billed.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/761,509, filed Jan. 24, 2006. 
     
    
     I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to the sale of digital content over existing networks to mobile devices.  
       II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Voice networks such as CDMA and GSM networks provide wide coverage for voice communication using mobile telephones. Although existing wireless telephony networks are optimized for voice communication, they may also provide somewhat limited data communication in various forms, such as instant messenger (IM) or short message service (SMS).  
         [0004]     As understood herein, other wireless networks such as WiFi have also been provided that are oriented toward broader bandwidth wireless data communication and that can be used to, e.g., exploit the multimedia capability of many wireless telephones, but these networks typically are limited by hotspot coverage. The present invention understands that nonetheless, it would desirable to permit a user to purchase titles from the abundance of digital content available on the Internet any time the user likes without waiting for hot spot coverage, despite the difficulty in delivering content to mobile devices over telephony networks that are optimized for voice, not data, communication. Furthermore, the present invention understands the desirability for providing these features without requiring a user to purchase extra services beyond those that most users typically buy.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In non-limiting terms, a wireless communication device such as a mobile telephone can purchase digital content using a voice-optimized telephony network that, owing to its relatively narrow band, is not optimized to download large amounts of data such as multimedia streams. Then, when the wireless communication device establishes communication with a wider band data network, the transaction can be completed by downloading the digital content over the wider band network. Thus, in non-limiting implementations the wireless communication device can use, e.g., a messaging protocol such as short message service (SMS) or instant messenger (IM) that might be available on the voice optimized network (such as CDMA or GSM) to engage first part of a transaction to search, identify and purchase digital content, and then may consummate the transaction at such time as the wireless communication device enters the coverage area of a data network such as WiFi.  
         [0006]     To coordinate these activities, a server on the Internet can communicate with both networks and thus is capable of communicating with the wireless communication device on either network to broker the transaction. The server might use a request and acknowledgement method to execute the necessary commands to complete the first part of the transaction. The server might also maintain a list of items purchased by the user. Predetermined events can trigger a data call on the broadband network to the broker server. After exchanging the purchased items list to confirm the transaction, the device and the server can proceed to download the digital content to the device and follow it with an appropriate billing action that may be done in non-limiting implementations with the carrier&#39;s billing system.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, a wireless communication device includes a processor executing logic that includes generating, using a voice-optimized wireless telephony network, an order for content. The logic also includes receiving the content over a wireless data-optimized network.  
         [0008]     In non-limiting implementations the generating act can be undertaken using SMS or IM, and the voice-optimized wireless telephony network may include a CDMA and/or GSM link. The wireless data-optimized network may include, without limitation, a WiFi link. In any case, a user of the wireless communication device may search for and purchase digital content using a messaging protocol of the voice-optimized wireless telephony network, with the downloading being undertaken without user interaction.  
         [0009]     In another aspect, a system includes a wireless communication device, a broker server, and a voice-optimized wireless telephony network. The system also includes a wireless data-optimized network, and the wireless communication device communicates with the broker server using the voice-optimized wireless telephony network to order digital content for download over the wireless data-optimized network.  
         [0010]     In yet another aspect, a method is disclosed that includes using a wireless communication device to submit a purchase order for digital content over a voice-optimized wireless telephony network, and then consummating the purchase order using a wireless data-optimized network.  
         [0011]     In still another aspect, a broker server executes logic that includes receiving, from a wireless communication device, a purchase order for digital content over a voice-optimized wireless telephony network, and causing the purchase order to be satisfied using a wireless data-optimized network.  
         [0012]     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a non-limiting implementation of the present system;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of the ordering logic executed over a voice-optimized telephony network; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of the transaction consummation logic that is executed over a wider band data-optimized network. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a system is shown, generally designated  10 , that includes one or more wireless communication devices  12  (only a single wireless communication device shown for clarity) such as a wireless telephone with associated processor  12   a  and one or more broker servers  14  that communicate with the Internet  16 . Content servers  18  that store digital content and billing servers  20  that undertake the billing below may also communicate with the Internet  16 , it being understood that a single server or more than three servers may function to provide the functionality described herein.  
         [0017]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the wireless communication device  12  communicates with a voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22  (schematically represented in  FIG. 1  by a telephony tower). Without limitation, the voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22  may include wireless CDMA links and/or wireless GSM links. Additionally, the wireless communication device  12 , when in an appropriate coverage area, wirelessly communicates with a wireless data-optimized network that includes access points  24  (only one access point  24  shown for clarity). Without limitation, the wireless data-optimized network can include WiFi links, or Bluetooth links, etc.  
         [0018]     Now referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , while the present logic is illustrated in flow chart form, it is to be understood that in implementation it can be implemented in any appropriate form, e.g., in state logic. The logic may be executed at least in part by the processor  12   a  of the present wireless communication device as a software application that is separate from the embedded chip drivers typically included in wireless telephones, or that may be integrated into the chip.  
         [0019]     Commencing at block  26 , the wireless communication device  12  may contact the broker server  14  using the voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22  using, without limitation, a messaging protocol such as SMS or IM or push to talk. To this end, the broker server  14  may act as a mobile device on the voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22  and may have a phone number to which the messages can be sent and from which responses can be returned. In non-limiting implementations, request and response communication between the server  14  and the wireless communication device  12  can cover functional areas such as keyword searches for digital content and particular requests to purchase digital content such as music. Thus, at block  28  the server  14  may provide metadata such as a list of available multimedia content in, e.g., the content server  18  to the wireless communication device  12  in response to SMS keyword queries from the wireless communication device  12 . To permit the wireless communication device  12  to parse the content of the messages from the server  14 , a XML-type tagged language may be used in non-limiting implementations.  
         [0020]     At block  30 , the user of the wireless communication device  12  selects content for purchase as desired using the voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22 . A log or other data structure of the selected content is maintained in synchronization at both the wireless communication device  12  and the broker server  14 . The log can include, e.g., transaction identifications, content names, etc. This helps in eliminating any errors in the purchase transaction and ensures integrity in completing the second part of the transaction.  
         [0021]     The broker server  14  can interact with any server on the Internet to fulfill the requests from the wireless communication device  12 , for example, by interacting with the content server  18  to search and retrieve music that relates to keywords that may have been received from the wireless communication device  12  using, e.g., SMS queries. Any type of content servers are contemplated herein, including content servers containing books, music, ring tones, news stories, videos, etc. As stated above, once the user has purchased content over the voice-optimized wireless telephony network  22 , the broker server  14  and the wireless communication device  12  synchronize between them the list of items purchased and end the session.  
         [0022]     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the logic for transferring purchased content to the wireless communication device  12  commences at block  32  upon the occurrence of a download initiation event. Without limitation, a download initiation event may include one or more of the following: detection at the wireless communication device  12  of entering into a coverage area of the wireless data-optimized network  24 ; elapse of a wait period; engagement of the wireless communication device  12  with a battery charging device; and energization of the wireless communication device  12 . Thus, the digital content may be downloaded automatically without user interaction.  
         [0023]     Moving to decision diamond  34 , the wireless communication device  12  determines, using its log, whether any open (unfulfilled) purchases exist. In one implementation the broker server  14  and wireless communication device  12  match their logs and download items that both devices agree remain open. In the event of a conflict (typically because the log in the wireless communication device  12  is incomplete), the log in the server  14  is regarded as a master purchase list and trumps any incomplete list on the device  12 .  
         [0024]     If no open entries exist, the logic ends at state  36 , but otherwise the logic moves to decision diamond  38  to determine whether the wireless communication device  12  is in communication with the wireless data-optimized network  24 . It is to be understood that the test at decision diamond  38  can include determining whether the wireless communication device  12  is configured for wireless data-optimized network communication, whether the user is authorized to access the wireless data-optimized network, etc.  
         [0025]     If the test at decision diamond  38  is positive, the logic flows to block  40  to download, over the wireless data-optimized network  24 , the content indicated in the log. At block  42  billing data may be generated by, e.g., the billing server  20  in response to billing information from the broker server  14 . The billing server  20  may be the billing server of the wireless telephony carrier associated with the wireless communication device  12 . Confirmation of successful download may be provided prior to billing.  
         [0026]     While the particular SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DATA TO A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE as herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the above-described objects of the invention, it is to be understood that it is the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and is thus representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention, that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more”. It is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. Absent express definitions herein, claim terms are to be given all ordinary and accustomed meanings that are not irreconcilable with the present specification and file history.