SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A SERVICE TO VENUES WHERE PEOPLE AGGREGATE

• US 20070179792A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hoozware Incorporated
• Inventors: Kramer, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method for providing a service to promoters, including venues and advertising sponsors, who wish to provide promotions. The service includes making promoter promotions accessible by the mobile phones of members associated with an organization. Typically a promotion and member are matched based on the member'"'"'s geographical position, as determined automatically by a position sensor in their mobile phone, and by the member'"'"'s traits and behaviors. By accepting a promotion, a member receives reward points which can be used to obtain goods and services. In addition to accessing promotions, members have mobile access to real-time information about the venues, such as the demographics of venue attendees and media posted by attendees concerning venue characteristics. Using the system, members can determine before going to a venue, such as a nightclub or bar, which venue has their preferred attendee demographic, atmosphere, music, cover charge, drink specials, friends, etc.

Claims

1. A system for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said system comprising:

mobile communication devices of said members;

a data processor having data comprising;

(A) trait or behavior information of each said member;

(B) demographics of said members;

(C) location information from said mobile communication devices of said members concerning their locations; and

(D) characteristic information of said venues;

said data processor transmitting (a) venue-intended information to said venues, said venue-intended information comprising at least a portion of (i) said trait information, (ii) said behavior information or (iii) said demographics of said members and (b) member-intended information to said mobile communication devices of said members, said member-intended information comprising at least a portion of (i) said demographics of said members at said venues (ii) said characteristic information or (iii) said promotional material.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data processor further receives member-transmitted characteristic information and venue-transmitted information, said venue-transmitted information comprising said promotional material.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data incorporates trait information or behavior information of members collected by said data processor.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data processor processes said trait information and said location information to provide said demographics of said members.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said demographics is used to estimate demographics of said people at said venues.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data processor selects said mobile communication devices of members to which to transmit venue promotional material based on (i) said trait or behavior information of members, (ii) said demographics of members or (iii) instructions provided by said promoters.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said venues is a bar or nightclub.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data processor receives said location information from a said mobile communication device of a said member who is not at a venue.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said data processor processes time-stamped location information to provide behavior information.

10. A system for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said system comprising:

mobile communication devices of said members;

a data processor having data comprising;

(A) trait or behavior information of each said member;

(B) demographics of said members;

(C) location information from said mobile communication devices of said members concerning their locations; and

said data processor (a) receiving venue-transmitted information, said venue-transmitted information comprising said promotional material and (b) transmitting member-intended information to said mobile communication devices of said members, said member-intended information comprising at least a portion of said demographics of said members at said venues.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said venues have communication devices accessing an application provided by said organization for selecting desired demographics, traits or behaviors for said promotional material.

12. A system according to claim 10, said data processor further receiving sponsor-transmitted information comprising sponsor-promotional material, said member-intended information further comprising said sponsor-promotional material.

13. A system for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said system comprising:

mobile communication devices of said members;

a data processor having data comprising;

(A) trait or behavior information of each said member;

(B) demographics of said members;

(C) location information from said mobile communication devices of said members concerning their locations; and

said data processor transmitting member-intended information to said mobile communication devices of said members, said member-intended information comprising at least a portion of said demographics of said members at said venues.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said member-intended information further comprises characteristic information or said promotional material.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said data processor has data comprising characteristic information coming from said mobile communication devices of members concerning characteristics of venues at which members were or are present.

16. A system according to claim 13, wherein said mobile communication devices have position sensors automatically determining said locations.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein using said location information from said position sensors said data processor automatically determines at which venues members are present.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein said position-sensors comprise a global positioning system, an enhanced observed time difference capability, a BlueTooth wireless system, a WiFi wireless system or pseudolites.

19. A system according to claim 13, wherein a said member receives a reward for providing organization value, wherein said organization value is related to (a) said trait information, (b) said behavior information (c) said location information, (d) characteristic information, when said data processor comprises said characteristic information of said venues, (e) said member accepting a venue promotion, (f) said member accepting a promoter'"'"'s promotion or (g) said member recruiting new members.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said reward comprises at least one from the group consisting of cash, credit, reward points, a promotional item, a coupon and a discount.

21. A system for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said system comprising:

mobile communication devices of said members;

a data processor having data comprising demographics of people;

said data processor transmitting member-intended information to said mobile communication devices of said members, said member-intended information comprising at least a portion of said demographics of people at said venues.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein said venues have communication devices accessing an application provided by said organization for selecting desired demographics, traits or behaviors for said promotional material, said member-intended information further comprising said promotional material.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein said member-intended information transmitted to a requesting member is based on said member'"'"'s mood communicated to said data processor.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein said communicated mood comprises demographics or characteristics desired or ranked by said member.

25. A system according to claim 21, wherein said member-intended information further comprises characteristic information.

26. A system according to claim 21, wherein a said member receives a reward for providing organization value, wherein said organization value is related to (a) said trait information, (b) said behavior information (c) said location information, (d) characteristic information, when said data processor comprises said characteristic information of said venues, (e) said member accepting a venue promotion, (f) said member accepting a promoter'"'"'s promotion or (g) said member recruiting new members.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said reward comprises at least one from the group consisting of cash, credit, reward points, a promotional item, a coupon and a discount.

28. A system according to claim 21, wherein said data further comprises location information.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein said location information is updated in real time.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein said location information is updated at predetermined times.

31. A system according to claim 28, wherein said data processor processes time-stamped location information to provide behavior information or predict whether a member is at a venue.

32. A system according to claim 28, wherein said members manually enter said location information into said mobile communication devices.

33. A system according to claim 21, wherein said data processor transmits and receives SMS messages and MMS messages.

34. A system according to claim 21, wherein said data processor transmits and receives video, audio or text.

35. A system according to claim 21, wherein said demographics comprise other than the number of people at a first venue.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein said demographics comprise the number or percentage (a) of one gender, (b) in predefined age ranges, (c) of an education level (d) of an occupation, (e) of a predefined marital status, (f) of a predefined parental status, (g) from a predefined zip code, (h) of a predefined political affiliation, (i) within predefined salary ranges, (j) liking a predefined genre of music, (k) liking a predefined performer, (l) liking a particular avocation, (m) having a particular sexual orientation, (n) being of a predefined race, (o) practicing a predefined religion or (p) who smoke.

37. A system according to claim 21, wherein said member-intended information is transmitted to said communication devices of said members at other than a first venue, said member-intended information comprising at least a portion of said demographics of people at said first venue.

38. A system according to claim 21, wherein member-intended information is presented on said mobile communication devices in the form of a map or text.

39. A system according to claim 21, wherein said data processor transmits from a first member trait information to a second member in the same categories of trait information received from said second member by said data processor.

40. A system according to claim 21, wherein said data processor communicates a message from a first member to a second member.

41. A method for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said method employing communication devices of members and a data processor containing members'"'"' traits and demographics of members, said method comprising:

transmitting members'"'"' location information from said communication devices to said data processor;

transmitting demographics information from said data processor to said communication devices;

whereby said members can select a venue based on said demographics information.

42. A method for providing a service to venues where people aggregate, where the traits, behaviors or demographics of people who attend said venues are of interest to said venues and to members, said members being associated with an organization for processing and transmitting information to said venues and said members, said venues having characteristics or promotional material of interest to said members, said method employing communication devices of members and a data processor containing demographic information of people and characteristic information of said venues, said method comprising:

transmitting members'"'"' location information from said communication devices to said data processor;

transmitting at least a portion of said demographic information and said characteristic information from said data processor to said communication devices;

whereby said members can select a venue based on said demographic and characteristic information.

43. A method according to claim 42, further comprising transmitting characteristic information from said communication devices to said data processor.

44. A method according to claim 43, further comprising transmitting promotional material from said venues to said data processor and transmitting promotional material from said data processor to said communication devices.