# US 8,150,867 B2 · Methods for address book synchronization and subscription status notification

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- Number: US 8,150,867 B2
- Document ID: US8150867B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/946,333
- Filed: 2010-11-15
- Published: 2011-03-10
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2007-04-16
- Assignees: Cellco Partnership
- Inventors: Sanjeevan Sivalingham; Biren Patel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150867B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0214: Referral reward systems
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The various disclosed techniques and equipment relate to synchronizing a subscriber's address books located in a portal and in the subscriber's mobile station, determining the subscription status of a directory number of another party with whom the subscriber intends to communicate, and/or for enabling the subscriber to make a referral to another party who might not be a qualified subscriber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for using an entity to send a referral offer to a target directory number, comprising steps:
a) receiving a referral request for the target directory number from a sender mobile station with a sender directory number having a sender subscription status, the sender directory number being different from the target directory number;
b) determining a target subscription status based on the target directory number;
c) determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer, based at least in part upon the sender subscription status and the target subscription status;
d) upon the target directory number being eligible, generating some or all of the referral offer message content related to a carrier or offer details if not performed by the sender mobile station; and
e) sending a message with the referral offer content to a station identified by the target directory number, the identified station being different from the sender mobile station.

### Claim 2

A method comprising steps of:
(a) responsive to a request to send a referral offer, from a sender mobile station, to a directory number for a target station different from the sender mobile station, obtaining carrier related information to be included in the referral offer;
b) receiving a subscription status of the target directory number;
c) determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer, based at least in part upon a subscription status of the sender mobile station and the subscription status of the target directory number;
d) upon the target directory number being eligible, generating a referral offer message including the received carrier related information; and
e) sending the referral offer message to the target station using the directory number.

### Claim 3

A system for communicating a referral offer, comprising:
a messaging service center coupled for message communication through a mobile network; and
a subscriber status database,
wherein the system is configured to perform functions, comprising functions to:
a) receive a referral request message, identifying a target directory number, from a sender mobile station with a sender directory number having a sender subscription status, the sender directory number being different from the target directory number;
b) responsive to the referral request message, determine a target subscription status based on the target directory number and determine whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer, based at least in part upon the sender subscription status and the target subscription status;
c) upon the target directory number being eligible, generating a referral offer message, including carrier related information; and
d) sending the referral offer message to a target station using the directory number, the target station being different from the sender mobile station.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is in the carrier's network and is a centralized address book database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is in the carrier's network and is a subscription status database.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is hosted by a third party on behalf of the carrier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the referral offer is transmitted using short message service or multimedia message service protocols.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer is further based at least in part upon whether another referral offer has recently been sent to the target directory number within a predetermined period of time.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the referral offer includes a personal message from a user of the sender mobile station.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
f) sending notification to the sender mobile station that a referral offer has been sent to the target directory number.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein:
at least the generating and sending steps are performed in the sender mobile station; and
the target station is another mobile station.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the function of sending sends the referral offer message from the messaging service center through the mobile network to a mobile station which is the target station.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the referral offer is transmitted using short message service or multimedia message service protocols.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
g) awarding benefits to an account associated with the sender mobile station conditionally upon the target directory number accepting the referral offer.