Rebate advertising system in use with moving objects

• US 6,374,228 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Litwin
• Original Assignee: Robert Litwin
• Inventors: Litwin, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/437,372
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 705/16, 235/375, 235/380, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

An advertising system and method for providing rebates to individuals who affix advertisement displays, such as bumper stickers, on their vehicles and other objects. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an advertisement display is affixed to the rear portion of a vehicle. The advertisement display comprises an advertisement portion for displaying advertisements or other images and an identification portion for providing identification to at least one predetermined individual or entity. Such identification could include the owner of vehicle, for example, as well as the advertiser or any other needed information. A commercial entity, such as a gas station or any other participating retail or service establishment, is configured with a detector means for detecting and or communicating with the advertisement display and is in turn connected to a commercial entity computer via a connection means in order to connect to the database computer system of this invention. The database computer system comprises a database computer, which is connected to a database via a connection means. The database stores information about the vehicle and the advertisement display and instructs the participating commercial entity establishment if and how to provide the rebate.

Claims

1. A rebate advertising system comprising:

at least one advertisement display, each having an advertisement portion and an identification portion, wherein said advertisement display is associated with at least one individual;

a database computer system configured to store said identification portion and corresponding data of said advertisement display and said individual;

at least one commercial entity, each having at least one detector means, wherein said detector means is configured to retrieve data from said identification portion of said advertisement display, said commercial entity further configured to communicate with said database computer system; and

connection means for enabling said communication between said commercial entity and said database computer system so that at least one rebate can be provided to said individual based on said corresponding data of said database computer system.

2. The rebate advertising system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said advertisement display is a bumper sticker.

3. The rebate advertising system of claim 1, wherein said identification portion is at least one of a bar code, a transmitter, an ID card, and an LED light.

4. The rebate advertising system of claim 1, wherein said commercial entity comprises gas stations, restaurants, parking lots, department stores, recreational and sports locations, business stores, and shopping malls.

5. The rebate advertising system of claim 1, further comprising an object, wherein each of said advertisement display is affixed to said object.

6. The rebate advertisement system of claim 5, wherein said object comprises at least one of a vehicle, a shirt, shoes, a cap, sports equipment, bicycles and moveable objects.

7. The rebate advertisement system of claim 1, wherein said database computer system is accessible to said individual via the Internet.

8. The rebate advertisement system of claim 1, wherein said connection means comprises the Internet.

9. The rebate advertisement system of claim 1, wherein said detector means comprises at least one of a camera, an ID card scanner, a bar code scanner, and a digital scanner.

10. The rebate advertising system of claim 1, wherein said corresponding data of said database computer system comprises an hours driven field, a location index field, a compensation index field, a number of logons field, and a logon history file field.