Systems and Methods to Advertise a Physical Business Location with Digital Location-Based Coupons

• US 20120130796A1
• Filed: 11/20/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Busch, James David
• Application Number:
  US12/951,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

Methods and systems that record the location of a user and transmit targeted content to a user based upon their current and past location information. A network is configured to include a server programmed with a database of targeted content, a database of location information, a database of user information, a database searching algorithm, and a wireless communication system capable of communicating with the user'"'"'s mobile device. The location of the mobile device is ascertained and recorded. The location information is analyzed to determine the routes taken by the user, businesses visited by the user, and other behaviors of the user. Targeted content is sent to the mobile device of the user and whether the user visits the physical locations associated with the targeted content is monitored. Payment systems, phone exchange systems, and other features may also be integrated to provide detailed conversion tracking to producers of targeted content and business owners.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method of automatically identifying and requesting verification of the location name of a physical location visited by a user of a wireless device having a wireless communication interface, comprising the acts of:

a) receiving, from the wireless device, geographic location coordinates corresponding to the geographic location of the wireless device;

b) comparing the geographic location coordinates to a database including location names and associated geographic location information describing associated physical locations to determine a physical location and the associated location name at which the user may be located;

b) transmitting, to the wireless device, a message including the location name at which the user may be located and asking the user to confirm whether the user visited the physical location;

c) receiving, from the wireless device, a response to the message verifying that the user is located at the physical location; and

d) storing information in a user specific location history indicating that the user of the wireless device visited the physical location.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

e) receiving from the wireless device, updated geographic coordinates corresponding to an updated location of the wireless device;

f) comparing the updated geographic location coordinates to a database including location names and associated geographic location information describing associated physical locations to determine an updated physical location and the associated updated location name at which the user may be located and to the user specific location history to determine whether the user of the wireless device has previously visited the updated physical location;

i) if the user specific location history indicates that the user of the wireless device has previously visited the updated physical location, storing information in the user specific location history indicating that the user of the wireless device visited the updated physical location again;

ii) if the user specific location history indicates that the user of the wireless device has not previously visited the updated physical location, transmitting, to the wireless device, a second message including the updated location name at which the user may be located and asking the user to confirm whether the user visited the updated physical location.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

e) receiving, from the wireless device, information relating to a purchase associated with the user at the physical location.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

e) receiving, from a payment processing system, information relating to a purchase made by the user at the physical location.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

g) transmitting the user specific location history to the user of the wireless device.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising transmitting, to a third party, information indicating that the physical location was visited by the user of the wireless device.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising transmitting information indicating that the user of the wireless device visited the physical location to a social networking service using an Application Programming Interface (API) made available by the social networking service.

48. The method of claim 41, further comprising adding information associated with the user to analytics data associated with the physical location.

49. The method of claim 41, further comprising transmitting information associated with the indicated named location to a social networking service using an Application Programming Interface (API) made available by the social networking service.

50. The method of claim 41, further comprising receiving a list of contacts from a social networking service with a link established with the social networking service through an Application Programming Interface (API) made available by the social networking service.

51. The method of claim 41, further comprising receiving location privacy settings from a social networking service with a link established with the social networking service through an Application Programming Interface (API) made available by the social networking service.

52. The method of claim 41 wherein the physical named location is a billboard that the user is capable of observing from the geographic location of the wireless device.

53. A system that identifies a physical named location visited by a user of a wireless device, comprising:

a) a system including at least one server with a central processing unit, network interface, and memory;

b) a memory of the system containing information associated with a plurality of named locations including the name and geographic location information;

c) the system configured to use a network interface of the system to receive data corresponding to the geographic location of the wireless device;

d) a central processing unit of the system configured to generate a list of named locations corresponding to physical locations near the geographic location of the wireless device and determine a physical location and the associated location name at which the user may be located;

e) the system configured to use a network interface to transmit a message including the location name at which the user may be located that asks the user to confirm whether the user is located at the physical location associated with the location name;

f) the system configured to use a network interface to receive a response to the message to verify the physical location visited by the user of the wireless device; and

g) the system configured to store information indicating that the user of the wireless device visited the physical location in a memory of the system.

54. A wireless device including a display with touch input sensor and a wireless interface, the wireless device being configured to verify a physical named location visited by a user of the wireless device, comprising:

b) the wireless device configured to determine geographic location information representing its location;

c) the wireless device configured to use the wireless interface to transmit the geographic location information to a remote system;

d) the wireless device configured to use the wireless interface to receive a notification from the remote system including a named location and a request that the user confirm that the user is visiting a physical location represented by the named location;

e) the wireless device configured to display a notification indicator on the top portion of the display;

f) the wireless device configured to display the notification when it is determined, from the touch input sensor, that the user selected the notification indicator;

h) the wireless device configured to receive user input that indicates that the user is visiting the physical location represented by the named location; and

g) the wireless device configured to use the wireless interface to transmit information to the remote system that verifies that the user is visiting the physical location represented by the named location.

55. The wireless device of claim 54 wherein the location information is determined using the wireless interface.

56. The wireless device of claim 54 further including a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) interface, and wherein the location information is determined using the GPS interface.

57. The wireless device of claim 54 further including a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) interface, and wherein the location information is determined using a combination of the wireless interface and the GPS interface.