US 7305442

Summary of U.S. Patent 7,305,442

Title: Asynchronous user-authorized advertising

Assignee: The original assignee was Sprint Spectrum L.P. As of the latest assignment recorded on August 23, 2022, the assignee is Sprint Spectrum LLC, along with several other related entities.

Inventors: Michael T. Lundy

Filing Date: October 12, 2001

Issue Date: December 4, 2007

Abstract: A system and method for advertising on a subscriber terminal. A server may send an advertising authorization request to the subscriber terminal. The advertising authorization request may comprise options that a user may select for accepting or rejecting an advertisement to be sent to the subscriber terminal. If the subscriber terminal accepts the advertisement, the server or subscriber terminal may wait for one or more triggering events to occur. The triggering events may include the subscriber terminal being idle, substantially stationary, and/or a specific time of day. Upon occurrence of the one or more triggering events, the subscriber terminal may display the advertisement on its display screen.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

As of today's date, May 12, 2026, a search of the CAFC 2026 dockets for "7305442" revealed no pending or recent litigation for this patent.

The patent has three independent claims:

• Claim 1: Describes a method for advertising on a mobile device. First, a request for authorization to send an ad is sent to the mobile device. After receiving a reply that authorizes the ad, the system waits for the mobile device to be both "idle" and "substantially stationary." Once both conditions are met, the advertisement is sent to the device.

• Claim 7: This claim also outlines a method for mobile advertising. It starts by sending an ad authorization request and receiving an affirmative reply. However, in this method, the advertisement is sent to the mobile device immediately after receiving authorization. The mobile device then stores the ad and waits to display it until the device is both "idle" and "substantially stationary."

• Claim 9: This claim is similar to claim 7 but with a different starting point. Instead of actively sending a new authorization request, the method begins by retrieving a previously stored reply from memory that already authorizes advertisements for that mobile device. Once this authorization is retrieved, the ad is sent to the device, which then waits to display it until the device is both "idle" and "substantially stationary."