Method of registering a mobile station with a social networking site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9112883-B2
Application number	US-61713109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2009
Priority date	Nov 12, 2009
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A method of registering a mobile station with a website includes the steps of receiving an identification of the mobile station at the website and, determining whether or not the mobile station is already registered at the website, based on the received identification. Upon determining that the mobile station is not already registered, the website interacts with a user of the mobile station to obtain information from the user to register the mobile station and association thereof with the user at the website. Upon completion of registering of the mobile station at the website, a message is sent to the mobile station, indicating the registration of the mobile station with the website.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of registering a mobile station with a website provided by a server, the method comprising steps of:
receiving an identification of the mobile station at the website, via a communication through a wireless communication network serving the mobile station;
the server determining whether or not the mobile station is already registered with the website, based on the received identification;
responsive to determining that the mobile station is not already registered with the website, performing steps of:
sending a first message, via the wireless communication network to the mobile station, for disabling a web application program stored in the mobile station and configured for interacting with the website; and
the server interacting with a user of the mobile station, via the wireless communication network and the mobile station, and independent of the web application program, to obtain information from the user to register, with the website the mobile station and association thereof with the user; and
upon completion of registering of the mobile station with the website, the server sending a second message, via the wireless communication network to the mobile station, indicating the registration of the mobile station with the website.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the website is a social networking site.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second message indicating the registration of the mobile station at the website enables the mobile station to activate the web application program for interacting with the website, the web application being stored in the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon the determining that the mobile station is not already registered with the website, the server interacting with the user of the mobile station, via the wireless communication network and the mobile station, to request the user to create a new account with the website by performing steps of:
prompting the user to input a desired user name and a desired password;
receiving a user input of the desired user name and the desired password; and
upon determining the received desired user name and the received desired password meet criteria of the website, completing creation of the new account for the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received identification comprises a mobile directory number assigned to the mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the identification of the mobile station comprises receiving a short message service (SMS) message from the mobile station at the website.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of interacting with the user of the mobile station comprises steps of:
the website sending information enabling the mobile station to display a webpage for registering the mobile station to the website;
the mobile station sending registration information including a mobile directory number assigned to the mobile station to the website; and
the website registering the mobile station with the website.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
upon the determining that another mobile station is not already registered at the website, at least one of the server and the other mobile station interacts with a user of the other mobile station and requests the user to create a new account for the website.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the other mobile station is configured to launch another application program for the user to create the account.

10. A method of registering a user of a mobile station with a social networking site, the method comprising steps of:
receiving an identification of the mobile station at the social networking site, via a data session through a wireless communication network serving the mobile station;
the social networking site determining whether or not the mobile station is already registered with the social networking site, based on the received identification;
responsive to determining that the mobile station is not already registered with the social networking site, sending a message via the wireless communication network to the mobile station for disabling a web application program stored in the mobile station and configured for interacting with the social network site; and
initiating an interaction with the user of the mobile station, via the wireless communication network and the mobile station, and independent of the web application program, to register the user of the mobile station with the social networking site.

11. A system for providing a website service to mobile stations, the system comprising:
a server configured to provide a social networking service through the website; and
a database, wherein the server is configured to:
receive an identification of each mobile station sent by each mobile station through a wireless communication network serving the mobile stations, each received identification including a mobile directory number assigned to the respective mobile station sending the identification;
in response to each received identification, determine whether the received identification is already stored in the database;
for a first mobile station for which the server determines the identification of the first mobile station is already stored in the database, send a first message indicating registration of the first mobile station with the website; and
for a second mobile station for which the server determines the identification of the second mobile station is not already stored in the database, send a second message indicating non-registration with the website for disabling a web application program stored in the second mobile station and configured for interacting with the website and send information enabling the second mobile station to display a webpage, independent of the web application program, for registering the second mobile station with the website.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
for the second mobile station for which the server determined the identification is not already stored in the database, receive registration information including a mobile directory number assigned to the second mobile station from the second mobile station, and, upon receiving the registration information, register the second mobile station with the website.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to, upon completion of the registering the second mobile station, send a message indicating registration of the second mobile station with the website and for enabling the web application program stored in the second mobile station and configured for interacting with the website.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
for the first mobile station for which the server determined the identification is already stored in the database, send information enabling the first mobile station to display a webpage for logging-in to the website, and, upon receiving and confirming log-in information, allow the first mobile station to access the website.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
when sending the information enabling the first mobile station to display a webpage for logging-in to the website, the server sends a user name of the first mobile station stored in the database to the first mobile station, and upon receiving a message from the first mobile station indicating that the user name is incorrect, the server sends information enabling the first mobile station to display a webpage for resolving conflict.

16. The system of cla

Assignees

• Abbott Martin Jeffrey
• Tsampalis Ioannis
• Allen Shelley K
• Cellco Partnership Dba Verizon

Inventors

• Abbott Martin Jeffrey
• Tsampalis Ioannis
• Allen Shelley K

Classifications

• H04L51/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L12/588

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/04

  specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability · CPC title

• H04L65/1073 Primary

  Registration or de-registration · CPC title

• H04L12/5895

  Electricity · mapped topic