Apparatus and process for automated payment for the attachment of advertising to a vehicle

• US 6,356,877 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Christoph J. Schulden, S. Quintus F. F. Von Bonin
• Original Assignee: Christoph J. Schulden, S. Quintus F. F. Von Bonin
• Inventors: Von Bonin, S. Quintus F. F., Schulden, Christoph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMPAGNE, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US09/433,406
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/13
• US Class Current: 705/14.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles

Abstract

The apparatus includes a first communication device 20 disposed at a control point 14 and a second communication device 26 disposed on the advertising medium 16. The second communication device supplies data for the first communication device, by means of which the presence and integrity of the advertising medium on the vehicle can be checked. Other information bearing on the eligibility of the vehicle for a credit may be included in the data and checked by the first communication device. The apparatus and method also include a device for issuing a credit as payment for the attachment of the advertising medium to the vehicle, provided that the result of the check for the presence and integrity of the advertising is positive.

Claims

1. Apparatus for automated payment of the fee for the attachment of at least one advertising medium to a vehicle, comprising:

means including a first communication device disposed at a control point and a second communication device disposed on the advertising medium for checking the presence of the advertising medium on the vehicle and producing a signal indicative thereof, and

means for issuing a credit as payment for the attachment of the advertising medium to the vehicle in response to the signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control point includes at least one of a filling station, a toll booth, an induction device in a roadway, a relay station of a mobile telephone network, and a satellite orbiting the earth.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device includes at least one bar code disposed on the advertising medium and the first communication device includes a bar code reading device for detecting the at least one bar code.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second communication device includes a number of bar codes which are distributed over the surface of the advertising medium.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device includes a camera and an image processing unit and/or pattern recognition unit for detecting at least one surface feature of the advertising medium, which surface feature is at least in part the second communication device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second communication device includes a plurality of surface features which are distributed over the surface of the advertising medium.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device includes an interrogator, which initiates a data exchange connection with a transponder of the second communication device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device includes at least one sensor unit for detecting the integrity of the advertising medium.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensor unit includes a conductor loop and a resistance sensor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device is arranged to receive and store data which are sent to it by the first communication device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device supplies data regarding the time at which a preceding credit was issued.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device supplies data regarding the time at which the advertising medium was attached to the vehicle.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication device supplies data regarding the duration of an agreed-upon time period for which the advertising medium is to remain on the vehicle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, the second communication device supplies data regarding the vehicle to which the advertising medium is attached.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising an approach detection device which activates the first communication device and/or the second communication device upon detection of an approach of the vehicle to the control point.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the approach detection device includes an induction loop.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertising medium comprises a sheet.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertising medium comprises a three-dimensional body.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertising medium is embodied and/or can be disposed on the vehicle in such a way that, on the one hand, it can be removed without damaging the vehicle, but, on the other hand, it can only be removed from the vehicle by destroying the advertising medium itself.

21. A process for payment of the fee for the attachment of at least one advertising medium to a vehicle, comprising the steps of

a. checking by means of a first communication device disposed at a control point and a second communication device disposed on the advertising medium for the presence of the advertising medium on the vehicle and causing the generation of a signal indicative thereof, and

b. issuing a credit as payment for the attachment of the advertising medium to the vehicle in response to the signal.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein the checking step includes detecting the integrity of the advertising medium and the credit issuing step is carried out only if the integrity of the advertising medium has been detected.

23. The process according to claim 21, wherein the credit is only issued if a predetermined time period has passed since a credit was last issued.

24. The process according to claim 21, wherein the credit is issued by means of immediate calculation into an amount to be paid at the control point.

25. The process according to claim 21, wherein the credit is issued in the form of a credit receipt.

26. The process according to claim 21, wherein the credit is issued by means of a corresponding entry on a read/write storage medium.

27. A process for checking and paying for the presence of an advertisement on vehicles at set time intervals wherein fuel credits are redeemed by the drivers of the vehicles at filling stations after the presence of the advertisement is checked.

28. The process according to claim 27, wherein the redemption of this credit is dependent upon whether a predetermined time has passed since a most recent prior partial entry of a credit was redeemed.

29. The process according to claim 27, wherein the checking is carried out automatically by the exchange of machine-readable information between the vehicle and the filling station.

30. The process according to claim 27, wherein data regarding the fuel credit is stored in a debitable chip card.

31. The process according to claim 27, wherein a debitable medium that contains the fuel credit is attached proximate to a fuel fill conduit of the vehicle and a gas pump nozzle with a device for debiting the cost of dispensed fuel from the medium and from an account is provided in the filling station.

32. A process for checking and paying for the presence of an advertisement on vehicles at set time intervals, wherein:

fuel credits are redeemed by the drivers of the vehicles at filling stations after the presence of the advertisement is checked;

a debitable medium that contains the fuel credit is attached proximate to a fuel fill conduit of the vehicle and a gas pump nozzle with a device for debiting the cost of dispensed fuel from the medium and from an account is provided in the filling station; and

the debitable medium only permits the debit if a positive message is supplied to the device attached to the vehicle, which device communicates with the medium and determines the integrity of the advertising surfaces.