System and method for advertising to a Wi-Fi device

• US 20060036517A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Walter, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing information related to goods available for purchase in a building. The method includes establishing a plurality of boundary zones within a Wi-Fi network and storing product information related to the goods available for purchase that are located within each of the plurality of boundary zones. In a particular embodiment, a first set of product information is provided to a Wi-Fi device. The first set of product information can be specific to goods that are located in the same boundary zone as the Wi-Fi device. The location of the Wi-Fi device is monitored and movement of the Wi-Fi device between a first boundary zone and a second boundary zone is detected. A second set of product information can be provided to the Wi-Fi device after detecting the Wi-Fi device moving to the second boundary zones.

Claims

1. A method of providing information related to goods available for purchase in a building, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of boundary zones within a Wi-Fi network; and

storing product information related to the goods available for purchase that are located within each of the plurality of boundary zones.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first set of product information to a Wi-Fi device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the first set of product information specific to goods located in the same boundary zone as the Wi-Fi device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring the location of the Wi-Fi device;

detecting movement of the Wi-Fi device between a first boundary zone and a second boundary zone; and

providing a second set of product information to the Wi-Fi device after detecting the Wi-Fi device moving to the second boundary zones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information is provided to the Wi-Fi device via a graphical user interface at a display on the Wi-Fi device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

an outer boundary representing the perimeter of the retail building.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

at least one graphical representation of a product shelf.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface comprises

a plurality of virtual boundary zones adjacent to the at least one graphical representation of a product shelf.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing product information to the Wi-Fi device as a curser is moved between virtual boundary zones, the product information corresponding to products available in actual boundary zones corresponding to the plurality of virtual boundary zones.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting movement of the cursor between a first boundary zone and a second boundary zone; and

providing a second set of product information to the Wi-Fi device after detecting the cursor moving to the second boundary zone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying at least one graphical representation of a product, the graphical representation of the product corresponding to an actual product available in the retail building.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a brand image for the product.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

charging to display the brand image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information includes at least one of:

a price of a product, a location of a product, a route to find a product, an availability of a product, a coupon for a product, a promotion for a product, and an advertisement for a product.

15. A Wi-Fi device comprising:

a processor, the processor comprising a computer readable medium and a computer program embedded within the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

a plurality of virtual boundary zones, each of the plurality of virtual boundary zones corresponding to a physical boundary zone within a Wi-Fi network; and

instructions to display product information when the Wi-Fi device enters a Wi-Fi network.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to display product information related only to specific products that are located in the same physical boundary zone as the Wi-Fi device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to display a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface providing access to the product information.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to display an outer boundary representing the perimeter of a building; and

instructions to display at least one graphical representation of a product shelf.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to display at least one of the plurality of virtual boundary zones adjacent to the at least one graphical representation of a product shelf.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions to provide product information specific to retail goods corresponding to the plurality of virtual boundary zones as a curser is moved between the plurality of virtual boundary zones presented by the graphical user interface.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for receiving product information at the Wi-Fi device as the cursor is moved between different virtual boundary zones.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions for displaying at least one graphical representation of a product, the graphical representation of the product corresponding to an actual product available in the retail building.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the product information includes at least one of:

a price, a location, a route, an availability, a coupon, a promotion, and an advertisement.

24. A system for sending and receiving retail product data, the system comprising:

a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network being divided into a plurality of boundary zones within a predetermined region; and

at least one server, the at least one server including product data related to one or more products available within each of the plurality of boundary zones.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

a virtual retail building corresponding to an actual retail building in which the Wi-Fi network is deployed.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

at least one virtual product shelf corresponding to an actual product shelf within the retail building.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

at least one virtual boundary zone corresponding to at least one of the plurality of boundary zones within the Wi-Fi network.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

at least one virtual product corresponding to an actual product located within at least one of the plurality of boundary zones within the Wi-Fi network.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

instructions to provide at least of the at least one virtual product shelf, the at least one virtual boundary zone, and the at least one virtual product to a display of a Wi-Fi device.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

instructions to detect a Wi-Fi device within the predetermined region of the Wi-Fi network.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

instructions to transmit the product data to the Wi-Fi device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

instructions to monitor the Wi-Fi device as it moves within the Wi-Fi network.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein product data is boundary zone specific product data.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one server further comprises:

instructions to send boundary zone specific product data as the Wi-Fi device moves within the Wi-Fi network.

35. A system for sending and receiving retail product data, the system comprising:

a first W-Fi access point;

a second Wi-Fi access point;

a third Wi-Fi access point;

a switch coupled to the first access point, the second access point, and the third access point;

a Wi-Fi network established by the first Wi-Fi access point, the second Wi-Fi access point, and the third Wi-Fi access point, the Wi-Fi network being divided into a plurality of boundary zones within a predetermined region; and

at least one server coupled to the switch, the at least one server including product data related to one or more products available within each of the plurality of boundary zones.

36. A method of providing information related to goods available for purchase in a building, the method comprising:

providing remote access to a virtual store, the virtual store corresponding the building, the virtual store being divided into a plurality of virtual boundary zones, each of the plurality of virtual boundary zones corresponding to a physical boundary zone within the building; and

displaying product information related to the goods available for purchase within each physical boundary zone when a user selects at least one of the plurality of virtual boundary zones.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the virtual store is accessed via a Wi-Fi device.