VEHICLE SPECIFIC MESSAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20030233275A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Stephen Melvin
• Inventors: Melvin, Stephen Waller
• Granted Patent: US 6,922,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/00 Boards, hoardings, pillars, or like structures for notices, placards, posters, or the like

Abstract

A system for providing directed advertising or informational messages specific to individual persons or vehicles. The system encompasses a sensing and evaluation mechanism to detect persons or vehicles, in conjunction with a billboard or other display device capable of delivering a message specific to one or more individuals.

Claims

1. A method for providing advertising or informational messages to one or more occupants of vehicles comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing a vehicle;

(b) extracting information from said sensed vehicle;

(c) selecting a message to display;

(d) displaying said selected message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said extracted information comprises any subset of the following:

make, model, year, color, number of passengers, physical condition of vehicle, license plate number, license plate frame information and bumper sticker information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming an occupant profile based on said extracted information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said occupant profile is used by said step of selecting a message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said method operates in real-time to display messages to vehicles in motion.

6. A method of providing advertising or informational messages to one or more occupants of vehicles in motion comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing a vehicle and storing sensed image data;

(b) analyzing said stored image data;

(c) forming an occupant profile using the results of said step (b);

(d) selecting a message based on said occupant profile;

(e) retrieving said selected message;

(f) displaying said selected message.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of updating a database with message delivery information.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of repeating said steps (a) through (f) for a plurality of vehicles.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said step (d) comprises ranking a plurality of messages and selecting the top ranking message based on a selection criteria.

10. An apparatus for providing advertising or informational messages to vehicles comprising:

(a) a vehicle sensing device;

(b) a display device;

(c) a processing system for selecting a message to display and activating the display to display said selected message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said processing system further comprises processing capabilities for analyzing sensed data and extracting information from said sensed data.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a database storing information for developing an occupant profile based on information received from said vehicle sensing device.