Parking location reminder and business advertisement

• US 20050258632A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bradford Currier
• Original Assignee: Bradford Currier
• Inventors: Currier, Bradford
• Application Number:
  US10/851,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20050258632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/56
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/02 the advertising matter being displayed by the operation of the article
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/10 on paper articles, e.g. booklets, newspapers

Abstract

Methods and devices for providing parking reminders for people parking at parking facilities. Parking reminders are provided including both a parking location and an advertisement for a business. The advertisement for the business can be used to directly or indirectly pay for the cost of the parking reminders. Some parking reminders are printed paper products including a printed business name and optional business location together with an advertisement which can include an optional coupon good for a discount and/or additional goods or services at the business. The parking reminder can include parking sublocations, such as parking levels or parking lot subsections. The invention also provides parking reminder dispensers which can be located at exit points for parking facilities such as elevators or other exit points. Some dispensers provide electronically transmitted parking reminders through electromagnetic and/or optical signals. Some devices dispense electronic parking reminders to personal digital assistants or pocket personal computers through infrared or Bluetooth signals. The parking reminders thus provided can be used to assist parkers in finding their vehicles when parking in unfamiliar parking facilities, to be paid for through the increased business at the supporting businesses buying the advertisement on the parking reminders.

Claims

1. A printed article comprising:

a paper product;

a printed parking location printed on the paper product; and

a printed advertisement for a business printed on the paper product, where the advertisement is not for a parking business.

2. The printed article of claim 1, wherein the business advertisement includes a business location that is located near the printed parking location.

3. The printed article of claim 1, wherein the business advertisement includes a business location that is located within about 1000 yards of the printed parking location.

4. The printed article of claim 1, wherein the parking location is primarily for airport parking and wherein the business is located within an airport terminal.

5. The printed article of claim 1, wherein the advertisement includes a coupon for the business.

6. The printed article of claim 5, wherein the coupon is redeemable for a reduced price.

7. The printed article of claim 5, wherein the coupon is redeemable for additional goods or services.

8. The printed article of claim 1, in which the printed parking location includes a blank region that can be added to with handwriting.

9. The printed article of claim 1, in which the business advertisement includes a telephone number and/or address for the business.

10. A parking location reminder device comprising:

a plurality of parking location reminders formed of a paper product having a printed parking location and a printed business advertisement where the advertisement is not for a parking business; and

a dispenser for dispensing the parking location reminders, wherein the dispenser is located near the printed parking location.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the dispenser prints out at least part of the parking location.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the dispenser prints out at least part of the advertisement.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the advertisement includes a coupon for the business for a reduced price and/or additional goods or services.

14. The device as in claim 10, wherein the printed parking location is located within 1000 yards of the printed business location.

15. The device as in claim 10, wherein the printed parking location is primarily for airport related parking and wherein the business is located in an airport terminal.

16. The device as in claim 10, further comprising means for transmitting the parking location electronically.

17. The device as in claim 10, further comprising means for transmitting the business advertisement electronically.

18. The device as in claim 10, wherein the business advertisement includes a printed business location, wherein the business location is within about 1000 yards of the parking location.

48. The device as in claim 10, further comprising a receiver for receiving radio frequency signals operably coupled to a printer for printing updated advertisements received through the receiver.

19. A method for providing a parking location reminder for a parking location, the method comprising:

dispensing the parking location reminder, the reminder including a parking location; and

dispensing a business advertisement for a business, where the business is not a parking business.

20. The method of claim 19, in which the advertisement includes a coupon.

21. The method of claim 20, in which the coupon can be used to obtain a reduced price from the business.

22. The method of claim 20, in which the coupon can be used to obtain additional goods or services from the business.

23. The method of claim 19, in which the dispensing includes electronic dispensing through electromagnetic or optical signals.

24. The method of claim 19, in which the dispensing includes dispensing a printed paper article.

25. The method of claim 24, in which the dispensing the printed paper article includes printing at least part of the advertisement and/or parking location.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a remotely generated signal, in which the printing is varied responsive to the received signal.

27. The method of claim 19, in which the parking location is near the business location.

28. The method of claim 19, in which the parking location is within about 1000 yards of the business location.

29. The method of claim 19, in which the parking location is primarily for airport related parking and in which the business location is within an airport terminal.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating an audible message to accept the parking reminder generated responsive to detecting the presence of a person near the dispenser.

31. The method of claim 19, in which the dispensing includes dispensing a phone number and/or address for the business.

32. The method of claim 19, in which the dispensing is performed in a shuttle bus serving the parking facility.

49. The method of claim 26, in which the printing includes printing a gift-giving reminder for an annually recurring holiday.

50. The method of claim 49 in which the reminder includes a suggestion to buy flowers, and in which the holiday is Valentines Day.

33. A parking facility comprising:

a plurality of parking spaces for motorized vehicles;

a plurality of parking location reminders including a parking location and a business advertisement that is not for a parking business; and

a parking location reminder dispenser for dispensing the parking location reminders.

34. The parking facility of claim 33, in which the parking location and business advertisement are both printed on a paper product.

35. The parking facility of claim 33, in which the parking location and business advertisement are both transmitted through an electromagnetic or optical signal.

36. The parking facility of claim 33, in which the parking facility includes a plurality of identifiable sub-locations, in which the parking location reminder parking location includes the sub-location.

37. The parking facility of claim 36, in which the sub-locations include a level location in a multi-level parking ramp, wherein the parking reminder dispenser is located within about 50 feet of an elevator in the parking facility.

38. The parking facility of claim 36, in which the sub-locations include a portion of a surface parking lot.

39. The parking facility of claim 33, in which the business advertisement advertises a business location within about 1000 yards of the parking facility.

40. The parking facility of claim 33, in which the parking lot facility is primarily for airport related parking and in which the business advertisement includes a business location within an airport terminal.

41. The parking lot facility of claim 33, in which the business advertisement includes a coupon.

42. A method for promoting a business, wherein the business has a location, the method comprising:

dispensing a business advertisement that is not for a parking business at a parking facility, wherein the advertisement is for the business, wherein the business advertisement is dispensed with a parking location reminder identifying a parking location for the parking facility.

43. The method of claim 42, in which the dispensing includes electronically transmitting the advertisement and parking location reminder through electromagnetic or optical signals.

44. The method of claim 42, in which the dispensing includes dispensing a printed article including the advertisement as a printed advertisement and the parking reminder as a printed reminder.

45. The method of claim 44, in which the dispensing includes varying the advertisement responsive to receiving a remotely generated signal.

46. The method of claim 42, in which the advertisement includes a coupon for the business and in which the dispensing includes dispensing the coupon.

47. The method of claim 42, in which the business is located in an airport terminal and in which the parking facility is primarily for airport related parking.