Abstract: The present invention is directed to Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) based advertising, and more specifically to methods and systems for the real-time insertion of one or more ads into said messages for effective and targeted advertising to consumers. In one embodiment, a web-based purchasing marketplace (i.e. an Ad Marketplace) is provided, which facilitates sale, by publishers to advertisers, of ads space on a publisher's message or message inventory. In a further embodiment, methods and systems for managing the process by which ads are selected and inserted into a given message, in real-time, without substantial interruption of the standard process for delivery of said message during a messaging campaign, are provided.

Abstract: Real-time mobile advertising marketplace for messaging advertisement campaigns. Publishers may showcase their mobile inventory in one ad marketplace location to maximize their use of inventory and enable competitive pricing for advertisers. Advertisers are provided an interface to Ad Marketplace for viewing available inventory, pricing, and demographic reach. Once various selections are made and the advertising is transmitted to a publisher in real-time for viewing and approval. Publishers may also define new inventory, review pending inventory buys, and/or accept or reject advertising requests. Once approved, the advertisements may be queued for serving into scheduled campaigns for various mobile devices using, for example ad insertion and ad requestor mechanisms. As the advertisement campaigns are running, advertisers and/or publishers can both view real-time performances metrics, such as impressions served, response rates, and/or revenue earned.

Abstract: Automatically associating users of a communication system, without using an invitation or affirmative permission. In one embodiment, a first user submits contact information about a second user to a relationship system, which stores the information in the first user's contact list. Similarly, a second user submits contact information about the first user to the relationship system, which stores the information in the second user's contact list. The relationship system detects the cross reference in the two contact lists, and stores a first degree relationship between the two users. One of the users submits a request to the relationship system to enable an operation with any other user that was associated with the submitting user. Associations can also be selectively higher degrees with other users. The submitting user need not know which other users will participate in the operation, and the other users need not know the submitting user's identity.

Abstract: A method and system for quickly and reliably processing a high volume of messages. In one embodiment, text messages are submitted by mobile phone subscribers to cast votes. The votes are recorded and replies are returned in near real time by updating a state in active memory for each subscriber that submits a message. To provide scaling and reliability, a message summary is also used to distribute the processing over a number of master-slave pairs that are each defined to access certain messages based on one or more message characteristics, such as an area code of the submitting subscriber. Campaign processing rules are applied to the summary to produce a subscriber state change, which indicates a corresponding reply to be returned. Billing and other administrative operations are done on a post processing basis so as not to slow the vote processing.

Abstract: Identifying a reply message using a relatively limited number of message source identifiers divided among multiple enterprises. In an exemplary embodiment, a message is sent with a source device to one or more target mobile devices on one or more wireless carriers. Each target mobile device can be associated with multiple enterprises. A gateway assigns one of a limited number of long codes to the message for each wireless carrier. The long code is selected from a sub-block of long codes that are associated with one of the multiple enterprises. Each long code identifies the gateway as a return address for the message. Upon receiving a second message, addressed to the long code, the gateway examines an associated target mobile device inbox for a message assigned the same long code. If a matching message exists, the gateway interprets the second message is a reply to the first message.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying a reply message using a relatively limited number of message source identifiers. In an exemplary embodiment, a message is sent with a source device to one or more target mobile devices on one or more wireless carriers. A gateway assigns one of a limited number of long codes to the message for each wireless carrier. Each long code identifies the gateway as a return address for the message. The gateway also stores the message in a virtual inbox for each target mobile device. When a target mobile device sends a second message to the long code, the gateway examines the associated inbox for a message assigned the same long code. If the gateway finds a matching message, the gateway interprets the second message received from the target mobile device as a reply to the first message.