Method and system for providing targeted marketing and services in an SDARS network

• US 20140351053A1
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HTI IP LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Link, Charles M. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• 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: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

A targeted area audio distribution system for Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services Receivers (“SDARS”) provides specific content to listeners based on location. A service provider can facilitate delivery of local content using a telematics device installed in the listener'"'"'s vehicle. The telematics device uses a content database indexed on an identifier formed from coordinates of a desired geographical area to target particular content for users in a targeted area as small as a few blocks. In addition, interstate drivers can receive location specific advertisements for exits that they may be approaching. Digital audio content can be queued up for insertion into the audio stream based on specific locations. The identifier can also be used to report vehicle performance information from a plurality of vehicles to facilitate providing real-time traffic conditions for many traffic corridors.

Claims

1. A method for performing an action based on the geographical location of a telematics unit of a vehicle, comprising:

determining values of coordinates of a current location of the telematics unit;

creating a unique identifier based on the coordinate values;

using the unique identifier as a search term to search a database indexed on a plurality of unique keys, wherein the unique keys each correspond to a particular geographical area, and wherein the database is stored on the telematics unit; and

performing an action based on data associated with a unique key that matches the search term.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing an action includes playing a selected content file at a predetermine time during a wireless program that is broadcast from outside the vehicle, wherein the selected content file is associated with one of the unique keys that matches the search term.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing an action includes inserting content into a broadcast stream of an SDARS radio component.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is an NDBM database.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the selected content file corresponds to the coordinates of the current location of the telematics unit.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising rounding down the values of the coordinates to the nearest five one hundredths of a degree before creating the unique identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising rounding down the values of the coordinates to a finer resolution than the nearest five one hundredths of a degree before creating the unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the finer resolution values correspond to geographic areas.

9. A method for generating a database system for associating information with a unique identifier key, comprising:

determining values of coordinates that define a preferred geographic area;

creating a unique identifier based on the coordinate values;

using the unique identifier as an index key value in an index field of a record in a first database; and

associating the index key value with action information in the record.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the action information includes a pointer that points to a record in a second database, wherein the record in the second database corresponding to the action information includes a content pointer pointing to a record in a third database.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the action information includes a pointer that points to a record in a second database, wherein the record in the second database corresponding to the action information includes coordinates of multiple geographic points that define a polygon.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the record in the third database corresponding to the content pointer includes a content file.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the content file is an audio content file.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the defined polygon corresponds to a vehicle telematics unit'"'"'s home location.

15. The method of claim wherein the defined polygon corresponds to a location other than the vehicle telematics device'"'"'s home location.

16. A method performed at a telematics services provider'"'"'s server, comprising:

receiving advertising content in a content segment from an advertiser, wherein the content segment has associated with it geographical coordinates of a particular polygon;

generating an polygon identifier corresponding to the received advertising content, wherein the identifier is based on the geographical coordinates received in the content segment;

associating the polygon identifier with the corresponding advertising content received in the content segment;

combining a value representing an incremental number of polygon identifiers with the polygon identifier, wherein the incremental number of polygon identifiers represents the number of different content segments the telematics services provider has received that have the same geographical coordinates, and wherein the combined incremental number and polygon identifier corresponding to the geographical coordinates form a unique content identifier that corresponds to the advertising content and the geographical coordinates received in the content segment; and

associating the unique content identifier with the corresponding advertising content received in the content segment in a content database.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising combing a code representing a specific demographic group with the incremental number and the polygon identifier to form the unique content identifier.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the content segment includes a polygon size indicator that the advertiser wishes to associate with the advertising content received in the content segment;

and

wherein the telematics services provider'"'"'s server generates the polygon identifier based on the polygon size indicator.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting the content database to a vehicle telematics unit at a vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a content access request message via a wireless link from a vehicle telematics unit at a vehicle that includes geographical coordinates corresponding to the current location of the vehicle;

determining advertising content based on the geographical coordinates corresponding to the current location of the vehicle;

transmitting to the vehicle telematics unit, via the wireless link, advertising content associated with a content identifier that the telematics services provider'"'"'s server received in the content access request message.