Methods and apparatus for inputting messages, including advertisements, to a vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- storing an electronic message within a memory of a computer, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message, the computer being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network;
coupling a vehicle to a dispenser of a vehicular energy source, the dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to the data communications network;
transferring information to the computer using the dispenser and the data communications network, the transferred information comprising a portion that contains an identification of an occupant of the vehicle;
in response to the portion of the transferred information matching the information of a stored one of the electronic messages that identifies the intended recipient of the electronic message, retrieving the stored one of the electronic messages and transmitting the retrieved electronic message from the computer towards the dispenser over the data communications network;
receiving the electronic message; and
presenting the received electronic message to the occupant of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for inputting messages and other infotion, such as advertisements, to a vehicle while the vehicle is coupled to a local station, such as a recharging station or a refueling station. The messages can be selected in accordance with information received from the vehicle, including information that selectively identifies one, some, or all of: (a) a characteristic of an occupant of the vehicle (e.g., name, account number, address, etc.); (b) a characteristic of the vehicle (e.g., make, model, year, class, registration number, marker number, odometer reading, owner, etc.); (c) a destination of the vehicle (entered through a data entry console and optionally stored within a vehicle memory); and (d) any other characteristic of interest.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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storing an electronic message within a memory of a computer, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message, the computer being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network; coupling a vehicle to a dispenser of a vehicular energy source, the dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to the data communications network; transferring information to the computer using the dispenser and the data communications network, the transferred information comprising a portion that contains an identification of an occupant of the vehicle; in response to the portion of the transferred information matching the information of a stored one of the electronic messages that identifies the intended recipient of the electronic message, retrieving the stored one of the electronic messages and transmitting the retrieved electronic message from the computer towards the dispenser over the data communications network; receiving the electronic message; and presenting the received electronic message to the occupant of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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storing an electronic message within a memory of a first computer, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message, the first computer being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network; subsequently transferring the stored electronic message over the data communications network from the memory of the first computer to a memory of a second computer; coupling a vehicle to a dispenser of a vehicular energy source, the dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to the data communications network; transferring information from an occupant of the vehicle to the data communications network using the dispenser, the transferred information comprising a portion that contains an identification of the occupant of the vehicle; in response to the portion of the transferred information matching the information of a stored one of the electronic messages that identifies the intended recipient of the electronic message, retrieving the stored one of the electronic messages and transmitting the retrieved electronic message from the memory of the second computer towards the dispenser over the data communications network; receiving the electronic message; and presenting the received electronic message to the occupant of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising in combination:
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a computer comprising a memory for storing an electronic message, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message, said computer being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network; a dispenser of a vehicular energy source, said dispenser comprising a first data interface, said dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to said data communications network; a vehicle comprising a second data interface for being bidirectionally coupled to said first data interface of said dispenser; and control means for transferring information from said vehicle to said computer via said first data interface, said second data interface, said dispenser and said data communications network, the transferred information comprising a portion that contains information for identifying the occupant of said vehicle;
whereinsaid computer is responsive to a condition wherein said portion of the transferred information, that identifies the occupant of said vehicle, matches the information of a stored one of said electronic messages, that identifies the intended recipient of the electronic message, for retrieving said stored one of said electronic messages and for transmitting the retrieved electronic message towards said dispenser over said data communications network so that said retrieved electronic message can be presented to the occupant of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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originating an electronic message and transmitting the electronic message to a data communications network, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message; receiving the electronic message with a computer that is bidirectionally coupled to the data communications network; storing the received electronic message within a memory of the computer along with other received electronic messages; coupling a vehicle to a fuel dispenser, the fuel dispenser being bidirectionally coupled to the data communications network; transferring information to the computer using the fuel dispenser and the data communications network, the transferred information comprising a portion that identifies an occupant of the vehicle; in response to the portion of the transferred information indicating that an occupant of the vehicle is an intended recipient of one of the stored electronic messages, retrieving the stored electronic message and transmitting the retrieved electronic message from the computer towards the fuel dispenser over the data communications network; receiving the electronic message and storing the received electronic message; transmitting an acknowledgement signal to the computer over the data communications network; and presenting the stored received electronic message to the occupant of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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providing a vehicle fuel dispenser; operating the fuel dispenser to transmit a message to a remote computer that is coupled to the fuel dispenser through a communications network, the message including an identification of the occupant of the vehicle; receiving the message at the remote computer and determining if the remote computer has a stored electronic message that is intended for delivery to the occupant of the vehicle that is identified by the received message; and if yes, retrieving the stored electronic message and transmitting the electronic message to the fuel dispenser for presentation to the occupant of the vehicle.
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33. A method for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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providing a vehicle fuel dispenser; operating the fuel dispenser to transmit a message to a remote computer that is coupled to the fuel dispenser through a communications network, the message including an identification of the occupant of the vehicle; receiving the message at the remote computer and determining if the remote computer has a stored electronic message that is intended for delivery to the occupant of the vehicle that is identified by the received message; and if yes, retrieving the stored electronic message and transmitting the electronic message to the vehicle via the fuel dispenser for presentation to the occupant of the vehicle.
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34. A system for providing a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:
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a first computer comprising a memory for storing an electronic message, the electronic message comprising information for identifying an intended recipient of the electronic message, said first computer being bidirectionally coupled to a data communications network; a second computer that comprises a portion of a vehicle fuel dispenser, said second computer being bidirectionally coupled to said data communications network and also bidirectionally coupled to a fuel dispenser data interface; and a third computer that comprises a portion of a vehicle, said third computer being bidirectionally coupled to a vehicle data interface that is adapted for being bidirectionally coupled to said fuel dispenser data interface; wherein said second computer and said third computer operate together for transferring information to said first computer through said vehicle data interface, said fuel dispenser data interface and said data communications network, the transferred information comprising a portion that contains information for identifying an occupant of said vehicle; and
wherein said first computer is responsive to a condition wherein said portion of the transferred information, that identifies the occupant of said vehicle, matches the information of a stored one of said electronic messages, that identifies the intended recipient of the electronic message, for retrieving said stored one of said electronic messages and for transmitting the retrieved electronic message towards said fuel dispenser over said data communications network for presentation to the occupant of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification