LOCATION-AWARE ADVERTISING TO VENDING MACHINE USERS

• US 20140040028A1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPS Group Incorporated
• Inventors: King, David William, Randall, Chad P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,423,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

A payment system for parking locations communicates with a plurality of parking meters, each of which is associated with a predetermined geographic location corresponding to a parking location. The system receives user identifying information via a communication related to payment for a parking session at a parking location identified by the communication, and determines a user credit/debit card data for payment of the parking session based on the user identifying information. Data related to the parking session at the geographic location of the parking meter is stored in a database associated with a parking history of the user, and determines one or more advertisements to communicate to the user based on the geographic location of the parking meter and previously stored data related to the parking history of the user

Claims

1. A method of targeting advertisements, the method comprising:

receiving information related to payment for a vending session at a vending machine associated with a specific location, the payment information including information associated with a user making a purchase at the vending machine and determining the specific geographic location of the vending machine;

storing data related to the vending session at the vending machine geographic location in a database associated with vending history of the user; and

determining with a processor one or more advertisements to communicate to the user based on the geographic location of the vending machine and previously stored data related to the vending history of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information related to a geographic location of the user; and

determining the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user based on the location information of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographic location of the user comprises the geographic location of the vending machine.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the determined one or more advertisements to a wireless device of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises a time of the vending session, and determining the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user is further based on the time of the vending session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises a time duration of the vending session, the method further comprising:

predicting a time duration of the vending session based on historical time durations stored in the vending history of the user; and

determining the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user further based on the predicted time duration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the time duration comprises using the historical time durations stored for other machines within a predetermined distance of the vending machine associated with the specific geographic location of the vending machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises amounts of time paid for by the user, and wherein determining the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user is further based on historical amounts of time paid for by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the payment information from a wireless device of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the payment information from a transceiver of the vending machine.

11. A payment system for vending locations, the system comprising:

a communication interface that communicates with a plurality of vending machines, each of which is associated with a predetermined geographic location corresponding to a vending location;

a processor that receives user identifying information via a communication related to payment for a vending session at a vending location, and that determines a user payment card data for payment of the vending session based on the user identifying information, wherein the processor stores data related to the vending session at the geographic location of the vending machine in a database associated with vending history of the user, and determines one or more advertisements to communicate to the user based on the geographic location of the vending machine and previously stored data related to the vending history of the user.

12. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the processor receives location information related to a geographic location of the user, and determines the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user based on the location information of the user.

13. The payment system of claim 12, wherein the geographic location of the user comprises the geographic location of the vending machine.

14. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the processor communicates the determined one or more advertisements to a wireless device of the user.

15. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the stored data comprises a time of the vending session, and the processor determines the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user further based on the time of the vending session.

16. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the stored data comprises a time duration of the vending session, and the processor predicts a time duration of the vending session based on historical time durations stored in the vending history of the user, and determines the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user further based on the predicted time duration.

17. The payment system of claim 16, wherein the processor predicts the time duration using the historical time durations stored for other machines within a certain predetermined distance of the geographic location of the vending machine.

18. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the stored data comprises amounts of time paid for by the user, and the processor determines the one or more advertisements to communicate to the user further based on the historical amounts of time paid for by the user.

19. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the communication originates at a wireless device of the user and the processor receives information identifying the vending machine in the communication.

20. The payment system of claim 11, wherein the communication originates at a transceiver of the vending machine.