TECHNIQUES FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION OF PROXIMITY BASED MARKETING

• US 20120116861A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Freelinc Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Radeum, Inc.
• Inventors: Dobyns, Douglas Howard
• Application Number:
  US13/292,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system and method for wireless communication of proximity based marketing is provided. The method includes determining whether a proximity device and a mobile computing device are within a first proximity to each other, wherein the proximity device is associated with at least one of a product and a service, and communicating information indicating that the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other, when it is determined that the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication of proximity based marketing, the method comprising:

setting at least one rule regarding at least one of a product and a service for a proximity based communication filter module, which is associated with at least one of a mobile computing device and a proximity device associated with the at least one of the product and the service, the at least one rule identifying one or more actions performed by the at least one of the proximity device and the mobile computing device when the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within a first proximity to each other;

determining whether the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other; and

performing at least one action by the at least one of the proximity device and the mobile computing device based on the at least one rule set in the proximity based communication filter module when the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes receiving a marketing communication at the mobile computing device for the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising informing a user of the mobile computing device about the at least one of the product and the service with the marketing communication.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the marketing communication is varied based on at least one of a season, a holiday, a time of day, an inventory level of the consumer product, a weather forecast, a history of sales of the at least one of the product and the service, and a history of purchases of the at least one of the product and the service.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the marketing communication is received at the mobile computing device at least one of directly from the proximity device and through a mobile communications network.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the marketing communication at the mobile computing device comprises receiving the marketing communication at the mobile computing device through at least one of an email, a text message, an instant message, a social networking communication, a wired transmission, and a wireless transmission.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising, when the marketing communication is transmitted, notifying a user of the mobile computing device about the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device by displaying at least one of an image and a video on a display external from the mobile computing device that is associated with the proximity device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one action includes determining whether to store the marketing communication at the mobile computing device based on the at least one rule set in the proximity based communication filter module.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the marketing communication includes at least one of an electronic coupon and a rebate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic coupon is a third party coupon that is redeemable at a plurality of selected locations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic coupon includes a bar code that is displayed on a display of the mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the electronic coupon is stored in a cloud storage facility associated with the mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising polling, by a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal, the mobile computing device for the electronic coupon when the at least one of the product and service is purchased at the POS terminal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the point of sale terminal includes a close proximity communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the at least one rule for the proximity based communication filter module on the mobile computing device to increase a user'"'"'s privacy.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein no information is communicated from the mobile device to the proximity device to increase a user'"'"'s privacy.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating with the at least one rule a desire to receive information at the mobile computing device for the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising limiting the information, received at the mobile computing device based on the at least one rule set in the proximity based communication filter, module pertaining to the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the at least one rule regarding the at least one of the product and the service for the proximity based communication filter module by placing the mobile computing device within a second proximity to the proximity device for a predefined amount of time, wherein the second proximity is smaller than the first proximity.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising querying a user of the mobile computing device for approval to update the at least one rule if the at least one rule is set to ignore the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing of the at least one action further comprises performing coupon scraping to search for coupons associated with the at least one of the product and the service to provide to a user of the mobile computing device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes notifying a user of the mobile computing device that the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device is located within the first proximity.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the user of the mobile computing device is notified by at least one of emitting an illumination, emitting an a sound, emitting an a vibration, displaying an image, displaying a video, and presenting a multimedia presentation on at least one of the mobile computing device and the proximity device.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking a location of the mobile computing device based on identification information communicated by at least one of the mobile computing device and the proximity device when the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing a history of the location of the mobile computing device;

storing a history of purchases associated with the mobile computing device; and

analyzing the history of the location and the history of the purchases for data trends.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing a history of the location of the mobile computing device; and

modifying the at least one rule regarding the at least one of the product and the service for the proximity based communication filter module based on the history of the location of the mobile computing device.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the at least one rule regarding the at least one of the product and the service for the proximity based communication filter when a user of the mobile computing device purchases the at least one of the product and the service.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein, if a user of the mobile computing device purchases the at least one of the product and the service after the proximity device and the mobile computing device were within the first proximity to each other, storing the purchase in a history of purchases.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating proximity-related information stored on the mobile computing device to a second computing device to enable marketing communications on the second computing device based on the proximity-related information.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the second computing device is a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the second computing is a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal that is at a location different from a location at which at least a portion of the proximity-related information on the mobile computing device was obtained.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the second computing device receives marketing communications associated with the proximity-related information via at least one of a database, an interne browser, a search engine, an email application, an on-line shopping website, and a social networking site.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving identification information at a selected location regarding the mobile computing device when the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising providing the identification information to a party to determine purchasing decisions made by a user of the mobile computing device.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the user of the mobile computing device receives a financial incentive to allow the identification information to be shared.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the at least one rule for the proximity based communication filter module comprises setting product categories on which information on consumer products related to the product categories are desired to be received.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the at least one rule for the proximity based communication filter module comprises:

learning the buying preferences of a user of the mobile computing device; and

adjusting the at least one rule for the proximity based communication filter module based on the learned buying preferences of the user.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein mobile computing device is one of a handheld computing device, a smart phone, a multimedia device, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, and an embedded computing device.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other comprising detecting a short range communication between the proximity device and the mobile computing device.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the mobile computing device, at least a portion of payment information to a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal to complete a financial transaction for a purchase of the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising transmitting, by the POS terminal, electronic promotions to the mobile computing device, wherein the electronic promotions are associated with the at least one of the product and the service purchased at the POS terminal.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action includes identifying the at least one of the product and the service at the mobile computing device based on information communicated from the proximity device.

43. A system for wireless communication of proximity based marketing, including a proximity device and a mobile computing device, for performing the method as recited in claim 1.

44. A method for wireless communication of proximity based marketing, the method comprising:

determining whether a proximity device and a mobile computing device are within a first proximity to each other, wherein the proximity device is associated with at least one of a product and a service; and

communicating information indicating that the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other, when it is determined that the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising receiving a marketing communication at the mobile computing device for the at least one of the product and the service associated with the proximity device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the marketing communication is received at the mobile computing device at least one of directly from the proximity device and through a mobile communications network.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the receiving of the marketing communication at the mobile computing device comprises receiving the marketing communication at the mobile computing device through at least one of an email, a text message, an instant message, a social networking communication, a wired transmission, and a wireless transmission.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the marketing communication includes at least one of an electronic coupon and a rebate.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the electronic coupon is a third party coupon that is redeemable at a plurality of selected locations.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the electronic coupon includes a bar code that is displayed on a display of the mobile computing device.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein at least a portion of the electronic coupon is stored in a cloud storage facility associated with the mobile computing device.

52. The method of claim 48, further comprising polling, by a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal, the mobile computing device for the electronic coupon when the at least one of the product and service is purchased at the POS terminal.

53. The method of claim 44, further comprising performing coupon scraping to search for coupons associated with the at least one of the product and the service to provide to a user of the mobile computing device.

54. The method of claim 44, wherein the information indicating that the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other comprises information associated with a location of the proximity device, and wherein the mobile computing device stores the information associated with the location of the proximity device.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising tracking a location of the mobile computing device based on the information associated with a location of the proximity device.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

storing a history of the location of the mobile computing device;

storing a history of purchases associated with the mobile computing device; and

analyzing the history of the location and the history of the purchases for data trends.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

storing a history of the location of the mobile computing device;

storing a history of purchases associated with the mobile computing device; and

receiving a marketing communication at the mobile computing device,

wherein the contents of the marketing communication are based on the history of the location of the mobile computing device and the history of the purchases associated with the mobile computing device.

58. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

storing a history of the location of the mobile computing device; and

receiving a marketing communication at the mobile computing device,

wherein the contents of the marketing communication are based on the history of the location of the mobile computing device.

59. The method of claim 44, wherein, if a user of the mobile computing device purchases the at least one of the product and the service after the proximity device and the mobile computing device were within the first proximity to each other, storing the purchase in a history of purchases.

60. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

storing a history of purchases associated with the mobile computing device; and

receiving a marketing communication at the mobile computing device,

wherein the contents of the marketing communication are based on the history of the purchases associated with the mobile computing device.

61. The method of claim 44, wherein the communicating of the information comprises communicating proximity-related information stored on one of the mobile computing device and the proximity device to a second computing device to enable marketing communications on the second computing device based on the proximity-related information.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the second computing device is a Point Of Sale (POS) terminal.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the second computing device receives marketing communications associated with the proximity-related information via at least one of a database, an interne browser, a search engine, an email application, an on-line shopping website, and a social networking site.

64. The method of claim 44, wherein the communicating of the information comprises communicating identification information to a selected location regarding the mobile computing device when the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising providing the identification information to a party to determine purchasing decisions made by a user of the mobile computing device.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the user of the mobile computing device receives a financial incentive to allow the identification information to be shared.

67. The method of claim 44, wherein mobile computing device is one of a handheld computing device, a smart phone, a multimedia device, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, and an embedded computing device.

68. The method of claim 44, wherein the determining of whether the proximity device and the mobile computing device are within the first proximity to each other comprising detecting a short range communication between the proximity device and the mobile computing device.

69. A system for wireless communication of proximity based marketing, including a proximity device and a mobile computing device, for performing the method as recited in claim 44.