Method for Directed Advertising and Information Distribution Using a Wireless Communications Network

• US 20120095826A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew P. Baur, Peter G. Baur
• Original Assignee: Andrew P. Baur, Peter G. Baur
• Inventors: Baur, Peter G., Baur, Andrew P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

A method of and system for directing individualized information to end users, using wireless or mobile media is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method and system interconnects (a) advertisers or sponsors, (b) wireless device users (“system users”), and (c) wireless telecommunications companies, via (d) an intermediary or “hub entity.” The hub entity maintains and controls computer operated software and data bases to direct specific advertising or information to targeted system users; collects subscription fees and distributes advertising fees; and determines the effectiveness of various advertising or information transmitted to specific system users. The method can further be customized for application as an information provider, alert notice or security warning system. In other embodiments the method and system may be applied to work with the membership of an organization, such as credit card companies'"'"' cardholders, an insurance companies'"'"' policy holders, employees, tenants, or other local, national, or world-wide groups or organizations.

Claims

1. A method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, the method having a central organizing entity using at least one computer processor, subscribing advertisers, subscribing consumers, and a communications service provider, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving from the subscribing advertisers, advertising information to be transmitted to specific subscribing consumers, and storing said advertising information in the at least one computer processor;

b. receiving from the subscribing advertisers, information describing an intended set of recipient consumers, and storing said intended recipient consumers information in the at least one computer processor;

c. collecting from the subscribing advertisers, a fee for transmitting the advertising information to the specific subscribing consumers;

d. receiving from each of the subscribing consumers over a wireless communications network, first information describing each subscribing consumers'"'"' wireless communications identification information, and storing said first information in the at least one computer processor;

e. receiving from each of the subscribing consumers over a communications network, second information describing each subscribing consumers'"'"' preferences for receiving advertising information, including an agreement to receive said preferred advertising information, and storing said second information in the at least one computer processor;

f. determining from analysis by the at least one computer processor specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information to be transmitted, over a wireless communications network, to a subset of the subscribing consumers who have agreed to receive the specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information;

g. transmitting over a wireless communications network the specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information to the subset of subscribing consumers who have agreed to receive the specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information; and

h. distributing to the subset of subscribing consumers who have received the specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' information, a fee for each specific advertising information transmitted to the subset of subscribing consumers.

2. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 1, further comprising additional step:

g1. transmitting, over the wireless communications network, to the subset of subscribing consumers, during a preselected time period, a preselected limited number of subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information not selected in step f but related to the selected specific subscribing advertisers'"'"' advertising information.

3. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 1, further comprising the additional steps:

d1. receiving from at least one of the subscribing consumers over a wireless communications network, authorization to receive information relating to the subscribing consumers'"'"' purchasing history, from a third party having knowledge of the subscribing consumers'"'"' purchasing history;

d2. receiving from the third party, information relating to the subscribing consumers'"'"' purchasing history.

4. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 3, further comprising the additional steps:

i. receiving from the subscribing advertisers, information showing purchases made by the subset of subscribing consumers who received the specific advertisers'"'"' information over the wireless communications network;

j. analyzing the effectiveness of the step f. selection process using the purchasing information received from the subscribing advertisers and the subscribing consumers'"'"' purchasing history received from the third party; and

k. revising the step f. computer processor determination process based upon the analysis of the selection effectiveness step.

5. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 1, wherein the communications network is at least in part a cellular telephone network.

6. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 1, wherein the communications network is at least in part a wireless global computer network.

7. The method for directing individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the fee collected in set c. is retained by the central organizing entity.

8. A system to direct individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, comprising:

a. a central organizing entity to coordinate collection and transmission of advertising information, said central organizing entity also coordinating collection and distribution of fees for the individualized advertising service;

b. a plurality of subscribing advertisers providing advertisements to the central organizing entity to be transmitted to specific consumers using a communications network, said subscribing advertisers paying a fee to the central organizing entity for the central organizing entity'"'"'s service of transmitting the advertisements to the specific consumers; and

c. a plurality of specific consumers agreeing to receive, using a wireless communications network, selected advertisers'"'"' advertisements from the central organizing entity during a preselected time period, in exchange for receiving a fee for each advertisement transmitted to the specific consumers over the wireless communications network.

9. The system to direct individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 8, wherein the plurality of specific consumers select and agree to receive a first set of advertisers'"'"' advertisements from the central organizing entity, and agree to receive a second set of advertisers'"'"' advertisements that are not selected by the specific consumers, from the central organizing entity in exchange for receiving a fee for each advertisement transmitted to each specific consumer using the wireless communications network.

10. The system to direct individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 8, wherein the communications network is at least in part a cellular telephone network.

11. The system to direct individualized advertising to specific consumers using a communications network, as provided in claim 8, wherein the communications network is at least in part a wireless global computer network.

12. A system for directing information over a wireless communications network to various wireless communications devices used by a selected group of wireless communications device users, comprising:

a. a central organizing entity to coordinate collection and transmission of information to be directed to a selected group of wireless communications device users, said central organizing entity also coordinating collection and distribution of fees for the service of directing the information;

b. an information provider supplying the information to the central organizing entity to be transmitted to the selected group of wireless communications device users, using a wireless communications network, said information provider paying a fee to the central organizing entity for the central organizing entity'"'"'s service of transmitting the information to the selected group of wireless communications device users; and

c. a selected group of wireless communications device users subscribing with the central organizing entity to receive the information provided by the information provider and transmitted by the central organizing entity to the wireless communications devices of the selected group of wireless communications device users, wherein at least a portion of said fee paid to the central organizing entity is provided to each of the selected group of wireless communication device users.

13. The system for directing information over a wireless communications network to a selected group of wireless communications device users, of claim 12, further wherein at least a portion of said fee paid to the central organizing entity is retained by the central organizing entity.

14. The system for directing information over a wireless communications network to a selected group of wireless communications device users, of claim 12, wherein the information provider is a medical provider.

15. The system for directing information over a wireless communications network to a selected group of wireless communications device users, of claim 12, wherein the wireless communications network is at least in part a wireless global computer network.

16. A system for directing information over a communications network to various wireless communications devices used by a selected group of information recipients, comprising:

a. a central organizing entity to coordinate collection and transmission of information to be directed to a selected group of information recipients, said central organizing entity also coordinating collection and distribution of fees for the service of directing the information;

b. an information provider supplying the information to the central organizing entity to be transmitted to the selected group of information recipients, using a communications network;

c. a selected group of information recipients subscribing with the central organizing entity to receive the information provided by the information provider and transmitted by the central organizing entity to the wireless communications devices of the selected group of information recipients; and

d. at least one sponsoring entity to pay a fee to the central organizing entity for the central organizing entity'"'"'s service of transmitting the information to the selected group of information recipients, wherein at least a portion of said fee is provided to each of the selected group of information recipients.

17. The system for directing information over a communications network to various wireless communications devices used by a selected group of information recipients, of claim 16, further wherein at least a portion of said fee paid to the central organizing entity is retained by the central organizing entity.