System and Method of Providing Advertisements to Vehicles

• US 20140025500A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey Paul, Crolley, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,710,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.63
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A communication device is removable and operable within a vehicle and is in communication with a data network as the communication device travels in the vehicle. Vehicle identification data is obtained from the communication device, and a type of media file supported by a media system of the vehicle is determined based upon the vehicle identification data. Media content is obtained in a format corresponding to the determined type of media file. When the communication device is within a desired range of a target location, the media content is transmitted to the communication device for presentation on the media system of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processor, whether a communication device, which is in communication with a data network as the communication device travels in a vehicle, is within a desired range of a target location, wherein the communication device is removable from and operable independent of the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the communication device is within the desired range of the target location, obtaining vehicle identification data that identifies the vehicle from the communication device, wherein the communication device is polled for the vehicle identification data;

determining, by the processor, a type of media file supported by a media system of the vehicle based upon the vehicle identification data obtained by polling the communication device; and

obtaining, by the processor, media content in a format corresponding to the determined type of media file, wherein the media content is transmitted to the communication device for presentation on the media system of the vehicle when the communication device is determined to be within the desired range of the target location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the communication device is outside the desired range, wherein transmission of the media content is terminated when the communication device is determined to be outside the desired range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises an advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the type of media file supported by the media system of the vehicle based on the vehicle identification data received from the communication device comprises querying a database, according to the vehicle identification data, to determine the type of media file supported by the media system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is transmitted based on a service tier of a service level agreement of a business, and the business is charged for transmission of the media content based on the service tier.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising retrieving the advertisement from a database based on a service tier of a service level agreement of a business and a type of media file supported by the media system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a business is charged for transmission of the media content based on the type of media file supported by the media system and a service tier of a service level agreement of the business.

8. A communication device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining vehicle identification information associated with a vehicle in which the communication device travels, wherein the communication device is removable from and operable independent of the vehicle;

transmitting the vehicle identification information to a server in response to a polling message received from the server, wherein the polling message is transmitted from the server when the communication device is determined to be within a desired range of a target location, and

wherein a desired format of media content corresponding to a type of media file supported by the vehicle media system is determined by the server using the vehicle identification information;

receiving media content from the server in the desired format when the communication device is within the desired range of the target location; and

transmitting the media content to a vehicle media system for presentation on a display of the media system.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine location information associated with the communication device; and

transmit the location information to the server, wherein a location of the communication device is determined by the server based on the location information as the communication device travels in the vehicle.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein receipt of the media content from the server stops when the communication device is determined by the server to be outside of the desired range.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the media content comprises an advertisement.

12. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the media content is transmitted by the server based on a service tier of a service level agreement of a business, and the business is charged for transmission of the media content based on the service tier.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the advertisement is retrieved by the server from a database based on a service tier of a service level agreement of a business and a type of media file supported by the media system.

14. The communication device of claim 8, wherein a business is charged for transmission of the media content by the server based on the type of media file supported by the media system and a service tier of a service level agreement of the business.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage device having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining vehicle identification information associated with a vehicle in which the communication device travels, wherein the communication device is removable from and operable independent of the vehicle;

transmitting the vehicle identification information to a server in response to a polling message received from the server, wherein the polling message is transmitted from the server when the communication device is determined to be within a desired range of a target location, and wherein a desired format of media content corresponding to a type of media file supported by the vehicle media system is determined by the server using the vehicle identification information;

receiving media content from the server in the desired format when the communication device is within the desired range of the target location; and

transmitting the media content to a vehicle media system for presentation on a display of the media system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

determine location information associated with the communication device; and

transmit the location information to the server, wherein a location of the communication device is determined by the server based on the location information as the communication device travels in the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15,

wherein

receipt of the media content from the server stops when the communication device is determined by the server to be outside of the desired range.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage device communication device of claim 15, wherein the media content comprises an advertisement.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the media content is transmitted by the server based on a service tier of a service level agreement of a business, and the business is charged for transmission of the media content based on the service tier.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein a business is charged for transmission of the media content by the server based on the type of media file supported by the media system and a service tier of a service level agreement of the business.