System and method of providing advertisements to portable communication devices

• US 20060242009A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Crolley, C. Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.640
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method of advertising is disclosed and includes monitoring the location of one or more portable communication devices in communication with a data network as the one or more portable communication devices travel within a user vehicle along a freeway. The method further includes determining whether the one or more portable communication devices are within a predetermined range of a freeway exit. Additionally, the method includes determining one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices and transmitting one or more advertisements to the one or more portable communication devices. The advertisement is delivered in a format based on the determined one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices.

Claims

1. A method of advertising, the method comprising:

monitoring the location of one or more portable communication devices in communication with a data network as the one or more portable communication devices travel within a user vehicle along a freeway;

determining whether the one or more portable communication devices are within a predetermined range of a freeway exit;

determining one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices; and

transmitting one or more advertisements to the one or more portable communication devices, wherein the advertisement is delivered in a format based on the determined one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising polling the one or more portable communication devices in order to determine the one or more types of media files supported.

3. The method of claim 1, querying a database in order to determine the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the database is queried with a user identification associated with the one or more portable communication devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the database is queried with a make and model identification associated with the one or more portable communication devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is associated with a business accessible via the freeway exit and wherein the advertisement is transmitted based on a service level agreement of the business.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the service level agreement includes four service tiers and the method further comprises charging a business to advertise based on one of the four service tiers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first service tier provides for text message advertisements, a second service tier provides for still graphical advertisements, a third service tier provides for streaming video and audio advertisements, and a fourth service tier provides for real-time voice and video advertisements.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving an advertisement from a database based on a service tier associated with the business and the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising charging the business for transmitting the advertisement based on the one or more type of media files supported by the portable communication devices and the service tier.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one wireless communication access point deployed along a freeway;

a database coupled to the server, the database storing one or more media files associated with one or more advertisements, the database storing information concerning the types of media files supported by one or more portable communication devices;

a server coupled to the database and having access to the at least one wireless communication access point, the server comprising;

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

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

instructions to monitor the location of the one or more portable communication devices in communication with a data network as the one or more portable communication devices travel within a user vehicle along a freeway;

instructions to determine the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices; and

instructions to transmit one or more advertisements to the one or more portable communication devices, based on the location of the one or more portable communication devices and the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication devices.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to poll the one or more portable communication device in order to determine the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to query the database to determine the one or more types of media files supported by the one or more portable communication device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the database is queried with a user identification.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the database is queried with a make and model identification.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the database further stores a service tier associated with one or more service level agreements, each of the one or more service level agreements associated with an advertising customer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the service tier limits the type of media files sent as advertisements to the one or more portable communication devices.

18. A server, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium accessible to the processor; and

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

instructions to monitor a location a portable communication device traveling along a freeway within a user vehicle;

instructions to retrieve at least one advertisement from a database, the advertisement having a format based on a media file type supported by the portable communication device and based on a service tier level, wherein the media file type complies with the service tier level or a lower service tier level.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to transmit the advertisement having the media file type to the portable communication device.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to charge an advertising customer based on the service tier level or the lower service tier level.