IN-VEHICLE PROMOTIONS SYSTEM

• US 20020007306A1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: WILLIAMS, ERIC N., GRANGER, DANIEL D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

An in-vehicle promotions system and a method for distributing promotions information. A system is installed in a vehicle able to display promotions information from stores or other businesses subscribing to the system. When the vehicle is driven within a certain proximity of the store, the promotions information, which may include coupons, is automatically displayed. The system may also include a printer for printing the promotions or other information either on demand or automatically. The position of the vehicle may be monitored with a GPS or Loran receiver and the promotions information displayed when the system finds the position of the vehicle to be within a defined range of a store with which the promotions information is associated. The store may also transmit the coupon information which is received by the in-vehicle system when the vehicle comes within a defined transmitting range of the store.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle promotions system installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a position receiver;

a controller connected to said receiver;

a wireless communications device connected to said controller; and

a display adapted to be installed in said vehicle and connected to said controller.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising a printer connected to said controller.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver comprises one of a GPS receiver and a Loran receiver.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communications system comprises one of a radio modem, a cellular modem and paging transceiver.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

a memory connected to said controller having a lookup table linking a position of said vehicle with a storage location of promotions information.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, comprising:

means for updating said memory.

7. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein:

said memory comprises a promotions information storage area.

8. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said display comprises touch command areas for controlling display and printing of promotions information displayed on said display.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said receiver outputs a position of said vehicle; and

said controller comprises means for retrieving promotions information based upon said position of said vehicle.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone with promotions information; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said zone based upon said vehicle entering said zone.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone proximate to a store with promotions information associated with said store.

12. A system as recited in claim 10, comprising:

said controller displaying said promotions information associated with said zone only after said vehicle enters said zone.

13. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking promotions information with a business entity; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said business entity based upon a user request for information related to said business entity.

14. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone with promotions information; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said zone based upon a user request for information related to said business entity.

15. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said display displays promotions information including coupon information.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein said display includes means for activating printing of said coupon information using said printer.

17. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises means for logging activity related to display of said promotions information.

18. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a store system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device, said store system comprising:

a second wireless communications device;

a store controller connected to said second wireless communications device; and

said store controller providing automatic promotional benefits to identified persons.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein:

said controller contains personal identification information identifying one or more persons associated with said vehicle;

said controller is adapted to communicate said personal identification information to said store controller; and

said store controller is adapted to provide automatic promotional benefits to said one or more persons.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein said controller is further adapted to communicate to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

21. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a host system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device, said host system comprising:

a second controller;

a second wireless communications device connected to said second controller; and

a promotions information storage device connected to said second controller.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein:

said receiver is adapted to output a position of said vehicle to said controller;

said controller comprises means for retrieving promotions information from said host system based upon said position.

23. A system as recited in claim 21, comprising:

a memory connected to said controller storing information linking position and a storage location of corresponding promotions information;

said controller comprises means for automatically retrieving from said host system updated information linking said position and said location of corresponding promotions information.

24. A system as recited in claim 21, further comprising a store controller in communication with said second controller and wherein said store controller provides automatic promotional benefits to identified persons.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein:

said controller contains personal identification information identifying one or more persons associated with said vehicle;

said controller communicates said passenger identification information to said store controller; and

said store controller provides automatic promotional benefits to said one or more persons.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein said controller further communicates to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

27. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing at least one of position data corresponding to a position of a store with which promotions data is associated and identification data identifying said store;

said display including means for displaying said data based upon at least one said position data and said identification data.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, comprising:

means for retrieving said promotions data based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

29. An in-vehicle promotions system installed in a vehicle, comprising:

an RF receiver receiving transmitted promotions information;

a controller connected to said receiver a display adapted to be installed in said vehicle and connected to said controller for displaying said promotions information.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, comprising a printer connected to said controller.

31. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

said display comprises touch command areas for controlling display and printing of said promotions information displayed on said display.

32. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein said display displays said promotions information including coupon information.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein said display includes means for activating printing of said coupon information using said printer.

34. A system as recited in claim 29, further comprising a host system which comprises:

a second controller;

an RF transmitter for transmitting said promotions information to said RF receiver; and

a promotions information storage device connected to said second controller.

35. A system as recited in claim 34, comprising:

means for updating said storage device.

36. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

said RF transmitter is located in a store;

said RF transmitter has a transmitting range proximate to said store.

37. A system as recited in claim 29, comprising:

said RF receiver receiving said promotions information upon said vehicle entering said range.

38. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein:

said promotions information is displayed in response to information provided by a user request.

39. A system as recited in claim 29, further comprising;

a wireless communications device installed in said vehicle and connected to said controller;

a store system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device.

40. A system as recited in claim 39, wherein said store system comprises:

a second wireless controller; and

a store controller which provides automatic promotional benefits to identified persons.

41. A system as recited in claim 40, wherein:

said controller contains personal identification information identifying one or more persons associated with said vehicle;

said controller communicates said personal identification information to said store controller; and

said store controller is adapted to provide automatic promotional benefits to said one or more persons.

42. A system as recited in claim 41, wherein said controller further communicates to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

43. A method of displaying promotions information in a vehicle, comprising:

storing data corresponding to said promotions information in said vehicle; and

displaying said data after said vehicle comes within a defined proximity to a store with which said promotions information is associated.

44. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

updating said data.

45. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

storing data linking a position of said vehicle with said promotions information;

monitoring said position of said vehicle; and

displaying said data corresponding to said promotions information using said data linking said position and said promotions information after said position of said vehicle is within said defined proximity to said store.

46. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

printing said data in said vehicle.

47. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

said data including coupon information.

48. A method as recited in claim 43, further comprising printing said coupon information in said vehicle.

49. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

defining a zone proximate to said store;

determining a position of said vehicle;

comparing said position with said zone; and

determining whether to display said data based upon said comparison.

50. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

monitoring a position of said vehicle using one of a GPS system and a Loran system.

51. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

transmitting said data from store, and receiving said data in said vehicle.

52. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

storing personal identification information of one or more persons associated with said vehicle;

communicating to said store said personal identification information and identification of said data after said data is displayed; and

providing to said one or more persons an automatic promotional benefit corresponding to said data.

53. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

transmitting said data from a host system; and

receiving said data in said vehicle.

54. A method as recited in claim 53, comprising:

using said data stored in said vehicle for a predetermined period of time; and

updating said data with updated data transmitted from said host.

55. A method as recited in claim 54, comprising:

automatically updating said data with said updated data.

56. A method as recited in claim 43, comprising:

storing at least one of position data relating to a position of said store and identification data identifying said store;

displaying said data corresponding to said promotions information based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

57. A method as recited in claim 56, comprising:

retrieving said data corresponding to said promotions information based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

58. A method of displaying promotions information in a vehicle, comprising:

storing data corresponding to said promotions information in said vehicle;

associating said promotions information with a store and the location of said store;

accepting a user request for a geographical range of interest; and

displaying said data based upon location of said store falling within said geographical range of interest.

59. A method of displaying promotions information in a vehicle, comprising:

storing data corresponding to said promotions information in said vehicle;

associating said promotions information with a store; and

displaying said data based upon user request for information concerning said store.

60. A method of distributing promotions information, comprising:

forming a database of promotions information of at least one store;

wirelessly distributing data corresponding to said promotions information to a vehicle; and

displaying said data after said vehicle comes within a defined range of said store.

61. A method as recited in claim 60, comprising:

displaying said data only after said vehicle comes within a defined range of said store.

62. A method as recited in claim 60, comprising:

printing said data corresponding to said promotions information.

63. A method as recited in claim 62, wherein said data comprises coupon data.

64. A method as recited in claim 60, comprising:

storing personal identification information of one or more persons associated with said vehicle;

communicating to said store said personal identification information and identification of said data after said data is displayed; and

providing to said one or more persons an automatic promotional benefit corresponding to said data.