Interactive promotional information communicating system

• US 20050080671A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promovu LLC
• Original Assignee: Promovu LLC
• Inventors: Lingane, Paul J., Giraud, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.660
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/16 for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships

Abstract

An interactive advertising system is adapted to identify, measure and track consumer exposure to a number of different advertisements and to expose consumers to several different advertisements. The system simultaneously identifies and measures the number of consumers viewing different advertisements, while displaying different selected advertisements for viewing by the consumer. The system includes a display for displaying advertisements and other information. The system functions in either one of an idle mode, wherein potential consumers are not within a sensed proximity range, and an active mode, wherein the presence of potential consumers within the proximity range is detected. In the idle mode, the system displays programmed non-advertisement information. In the active mode, the display projects a programmed sequence of advertisements, that includes full-motion color commercials that may be interspersed with other information. A sound module may be provided for generating an audio portion of the advertisements. The time period of the active mode is sensed for determining the portions of the programmed sequence of advertisements that were displayed during the active mode, for determining particular advertisements that may have been viewed by the consumer to generate data. The data is retrieved from a host computer for determining what information in the active mode was displayed and the duration that the system was in the active mode for determining consumer presence and what portions of the active mode information may have been viewed by consumers.

Claims

1-30. -30. (cancelled)

31. (amended herewith) A system for selectively communicating promotional information to a person, the system comprising:

a sensing system for sensing the presence of a person at a predetermined location and for measuring a detectable feature associated with the person;

a storage device for storing a plurality of promotional segments;

a controller, comprising a processor, for determining, based on said measured detectable feature, a distinguishing characteristic of the person sensed by the sensing system; and

for, based on said distinguishing characteristic, selecting one of said stored promotional segments for projection; and

a projection device for projecting to the person at the predetermined location said selected promotional segment.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the controller further determines the person'"'"'s interest in the projected promotional segment by measuring a detectable feature associated with the person.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said projection device comprises an electronic display for communicating the promotional information.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller determines the person'"'"'s interest by determining whether the person is looking in the direction of the electronic display.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller determines the person'"'"'s interest by determining the duration that the person is looking in the direction of the electronic display.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller determines the person'"'"'s interest by measuring changes in the person'"'"'s eye pupil size.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller determines the person'"'"'s interest by analyzing eye movement of the person.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein said projection device projects promotional information based on the determined interest.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is in communication with a remote host computer.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the host computer is in communication with a vendor of a service or product which is the subject of the projected promotional information, the controller further operating to afford the person the opportunity to effect a purchase or order of said service or product.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the controller determines a distinguishing characteristic by accessing pre-stored information about the person.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the pre-stored information is conveyed via a data link from a remote location to the location from which the promotional information projected.

43. The system of claim 31, wherein the distinguishing characteristic comprises one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of gender, race, ethnic background, age, nationality, height, weight and shape of the person.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the one or more characteristics are determined by facial scanning.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the one or more characteristics are determined by an optical detector effecting a retinal and/or iris scan.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the one or more characteristics are determined by voiceprint analysis.

47. The system of claim 31, wherein the sensing system senses entry of the person into a detection zone.

48. The system of claim 31, wherein the sensing system senses activity of a device operated by the person.

52. The system of claim 31, said controller further being adapted to cause the identity of said promotional information, and said distinguishing characteristics to be stored on said storage device.

53. The system of claim 31, said controller further being adapted to cause the identity of said promotional information, and said distinguishing characteristics to be transmitted to a remote receiver.

49-51. -51. (cancelled)