Targeted SMS Delivery to Roaming Users via Signaling Traffic Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roaming users often disable data services to avoid roaming charges, making it challenging for over-the-top (OTT) advertisement platforms to collect real-time demographic data and send targeted messages, as they rely on active data connections.
Innovation Solution
A method to send targeted SMS messages to silent roamers by accessing signaling traffic between the roaming user's equipment, visited network, and home network, retrieving demographic information, and using a messaging database to filter and transmit relevant messages based on location and demographic data, without requiring data services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If OTT advertisement platforms use active data connections to collect real-time demographic data and send targeted messages, then message targeting accuracy is improved, but roaming users cannot access these services because they turn off data to avoid roaming charges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mobile network operators as intermediaries between advertisers and roaming users. The operators leverage existing signaling traffic and demographic data they already collect for network management to enable targeted advertising. This mediator approach allows advertisers to reach users without requiring direct data connections from the users' devices, thus solving the accessibility problem for roaming users who have turned off data services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary data collection and processing by the mobile operator before the advertising interaction. The operator extracts demographic information from signaling traffic and pre-processes this data to enable targeted messaging. This preliminary action allows the system to prepare advertising content in advance without requiring real-time data connections from the roaming user, thereby maintaining targeting accuracy while ensuring accessibility.
2Loss of energy
If roaming users turn off data services to avoid roaming charges, then data cost savings are achieved, but OTT advertisement platforms cannot collect real-time customer data
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile operator serves as an intermediary that collects demographic information from signaling traffic independently of the user's data service status. The operator processes this information and makes it available for advertising purposes without requiring the user to consume data. This mediator approach allows real-time customer data collection to continue even when users have turned off data services, eliminating the trade-off between data cost savings and information collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the operator's existing signaling traffic and demographic data collection capabilities to serve advertising purposes. The operator leverages data they already gather for network management functions, transforming this self-service resource into a valuable advertising asset. This approach enables real-time customer data collection without additional data consumption from the user, as the operator utilizes their existing infrastructure and data holdings.
3Adaptability or versatility
If SMS messages are used instead of OTT messaging for silent roamers, then message delivery is achieved without data usage, but message length is limited to 160 characters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the advertising message into multiple components: a concise SMS message containing the core offer and a link to a landing page for additional information. This segmentation allows the SMS to remain within the 160-character limit while still delivering valuable advertising content. The link component provides access to extended information, effectively compensating for the character limitation while maintaining delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension constraint (character count in SMS) to a multi-dimensional communication approach by incorporating URLs and links. This dimensional expansion allows the advertising message to convey more information than the SMS character limit would permit, while still utilizing the SMS channel for initial delivery. The link dimension provides a pathway to extensive content without violating the SMS length constraint.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of sending a targeted SMS message to a roamer. A messaging platform accesses signaling traffic between the roamer's user equipment, a visited network operator, and a home network operator. The messaging platform obtains the roamer's current location from the signaling traffic with the visited network operator and extracts demographic information associated with the roamer from data received from the home network operator. The messaging platform queries a messaging database for prestored messages corresponding to the roamer's current location. The messages corresponding to the roamer's current location are filtered based on the roamer's demographic information to identify the targeted message for the roamer, which is then transmitted to the roamer's user equipment.