Electronic advertising device and method of using the same

• US 6,484,148 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: John E. Boyd
• Inventors: Boyd, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/507,448
• Time in Patent Office: 1,004 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 340/825.36, 340/286.01, 340/7.55, 340/7.48, 340/825.49, 340/905, 455/41, 455/435
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Electronic advertising devices and methods of using the same for providing targeted advertisements to one or more individuals based on the individual(s) consumer profile(s). The devices or systems include a sensor or receiver for receiving identifying signals from individuals such as signals emitted by cellular telephones. Using information associated with or retrieved using the identifying signal, targeted advertisements are delivered to the individuals.

Claims

1. An electronic advertising device for delivering one or more targeted advertisements to one or more individuals comprising:

(a) a communication element for delivering said one or more targeted advertisements to said one or more individuals; and

(b) a receiver for receiving identifying signals emitted from one or more emitters carried by or associated with said one or more individuals;

wherein said electronic advertising device displays and/or broadcasts said one or more targeted advertisements to said one or more individuals and said one or more targeted advertisements are selected using said identifying signals and further provided that said communication element is not structurally connected to said emitters and wherein said receiver is configured to receive identifying signals emitted from one or more emitters selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

2. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said identifying signals include a personal identification number.

3. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said identifying signals are electromagnetic signals.

4. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said identifying signals are identified by said receiver when emitted from a location within the advertising range of the electronic advertising device.

5. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement database including a plurality of advertisements or a link to said advertisement database.

6. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, further comprising a consumer profile database including a plurality of consumer profiles or a link to said consumer profile database.

7. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, further comprising an association processor.

8. The electronic advertising device of claim 7, wherein said association processor accesses a consumer profile using said identifying signals and selects one or more targeted advertisements based on the consumer profile.

9. The electronic advertising device of claim 7, wherein said association processor compares preset targeting criteria of said one or more advertisements with said consumer profile of said one or more individuals and thereby selects targeted advertisements to deliver to said one or more individuals via said communication element.

10. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said electronic advertising device comprises a housing for said communication element and said receiver.

11. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said communication element comprises a visual display, a loudspeaker or combinations thereof.

12. The electronic advertising device of claim 5, wherein said plurality of advertisements are categorized by advertising content including advertised services, advertised products or combinations thereof.

13. The electronic advertising device of claim 6, wherein said consumer profile database includes at least one type of consumer information selected from the group consisting of (a) recent purchases of consumer, (b) residence of consumer, (c) business and/or profession of consumer, (d) demographics of consumer, (e) recent product and/or service inquiries of consumer, (f) ethnicity, (g) age, (h) income, (i) hobbies or combinations thereof.

14. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said electronic advertising device is an electronic billboard and said communication element comprises a visual display.

15. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said communication element comprises a visual display and/or a loudspeaker.

16. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said communication element comprises a visual display having a longest dimension ranging from 1 to 3 feet and a smallest dimension ranging from 2 inches to 3 feet.

17. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said communication element comprises a visual display having a longest dimension ranging from 2 feet to 100 feet.

18. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, further comprising a protective housing and a means for securing said electronic advertising device.

19. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said device is capable of displaying non-targeted advertisements when identifying signals are not detected.

20. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said device is linked to the internet.

21. The electronic advertising device of claim 1, wherein said identifying signals are automatically emitted by said one or more emitters.

38. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying non-targeted advertisements.

22. An electronic advertising system for distributing advertising information comprising:

(a) a display connected to at least one database, said at least one database including advertising information; and

(b) a signal detector for detecting electromagnetic signals from emitters associated with one or more individuals,

wherein said-electronic advertising system displays and/or broadcasts targeted advertising information to said one or more individuals based on said electromagnetic signals and further provided that said display is not structurally connected to said emitters and wherein said signal detector is configured to detect electromagnetic signals from emitters selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

23. The electronic advertising system of claim 22, wherein said display comprises a visual display having a longest dimension ranging from 2 feet to 100 feet.

24. The electronic advertising system of claim 22, wherein said display comprises a visual display having a longest dimension ranging from 1 feet to 3 feet.

25. The electronic advertising system of claim 22, further comprising a means for securing said system.

26. The electronic advertising system of claim 22, wherein said electromagnetic signals are automatically emitted by said emitters.

27. A method for selectively delivering targeted advertising on an advertising device comprising:

(a) detecting an identification signal from at least one individual;

(b) retrieving a consumer profile based on said identification signal;

(c) selecting one or more targeted advertisements based on said consumer profile; and

(d) delivering said one or more targeted advertisements via a communication element of said advertising device,

wherein said detecting step comprises detecting an identification signal emitted by an emitter selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper, and combinations thereof and said communication element is not structurally connected to said emitter.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said communication element comprises a visual display.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said identification signal is emitted by a mobile cellular telephone.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising repeating steps (a)-(d).

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said detecting includes detecting two or more identification signals and retrieving two or more consumer profiles associated with said two or more identification signals and providing said one or more advertisements based on said two or more consumer profiles.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising accessing a consumer profile using said identification signal and selecting one or more targeted advertisements based on said consumer profile.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising comparing preset targeting criteria of said one or more advertisements with said consumer profile, selecting targeted advertisements, and delivering said selected targeted advertisements to said at least one individual.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising recording post-impression transactional activity of said at least one individual.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising recording said identification signal detected by said advertising device.

36. The method of claim 27, further comprising recording said one or more targeted advertisements delivered by said device.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising allowing said at least one individual to obtain additional information from said device.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein said identification signal is automatically emitted by said emitter.

52. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 33, wherein said signals are automatically emitted by said one or more emitters.

40. An electronic advertising billboard for displaying one or more targeted advertisements to one or more individuals comprising:

(a) an advertising display; and

(b) a receiver adapted to receive signals emitted from one or more emitters carried by or associated with said one or more individuals;

wherein said electronic advertising billboard displays targeted advertisements to said one or more individuals based on said signals and further provided that said advertising display is not structurally connected to said emitters and wherein said receiver is adapted to receive signals emitted from one or more emitters selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

41. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, wherein said signals include a personal identification.

42. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, wherein said signals comprise a profile code or an ad tag.

43. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, further comprising an advertisement database including a plurality of advertisements or a link to said advertisement database.

44. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, further comprising a consumer profile database including a plurality of consumer profiles or a link to said consumer profile database.

45. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, further comprising an association processor.

46. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 45, wherein said association processor accesses a consumer profile using said signals and selects one or more targeted advertisements based on said consumer profile.

47. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 45, wherein said association processor compares preset targeting criteria of said one or more advertisements with a consumer profile of said one or more individuals and thereby selects targeted advertisements to deliver to said one or more individuals via said advertising display.

48. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, further comprising a housing for said advertising display.

49. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, wherein said advertising display comprises a visual display, a loudspeaker or combinations thereof.

50. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 43, wherein said advertisements are categorized by advertising content including advertised services, advertised products or combinations thereof.

51. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 44, wherein said consumer profile database includes at least one type of consumer information selected from the group consisting of (a) recent purchases of consumer, (b) residence of consumer, (c) business and/or profession of consumer, (d) demographics of consumer, (e) recent product and/or service inquiries of consumer, (f) ethnicity, (g) age, (h) income, (i) hobbies or combinations thereof.

53. The electronic advertising billboard of claim 40, wherein said targeted advertisements are passively received by said individuals.

54. A method for delivering targeted advertising using an advertising device comprising a display comprising:

(a) detecting a signal emitted from an emitter associated with at least one individual; and

(b) displaying one or more targeted advertisements to said at least one individual using said display, wherein said display comprises a visual display, a loudspeaker or combinations thereof,

wherein said display is not structurally connected to said emitter and wherein said detecting step comprises detecting a signal emitted from an emitter selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said one or more targeted advertisements are retrieved from an advertisement database.

56. The method of claim 54, further comprising repeating steps (a)-(b).

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said detecting includes detecting two or more signals and retrieving two or more consumer profiles associated with said two or more signals and providing said one or more advertisements based on said two or more consumer profiles.

58. The method of claim 54, further comprising recording post-impression transactional activity of said at least one individual.

59. The method of claim 54, further comprising recording said signal detected by said advertising device.

60. The method of claim 54, further comprising recording said one or more targeted advertisements delivered by said device.

61. The method of claim 54, further comprising allowing said at least one individual to obtain additional information from said device.

62. The method of claim 54, further comprising displaying non-targeted advertisements.

63. The method of claim 54, wherein said signal is automatically emitted by said emitter.

64. A method for displaying targeted advertisements to one or more individuals using an advertising device comprising a display, in which method one or more targeted advertisements are displayed to said one or more individuals within the advertising range of said advertising device based on signals received from emitters associated with said one or more individual, wherein said display is not structurally connected to said emitters and wherein said signals received are received from emitters selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising recording post-impression transactional activity of said at least one or more individuals.

66. The method of claim 64, further comprising recording said signals detected by said advertising device.

67. The method of claim 64, further comprising recording said one or more targeted advertisements delivered by said device.

68. The method of claim 64, further comprising performing a ranking function to optimize the selection of said one or more targeted advertisements.

69. The method of claim 64, further comprising displaying non-targeted advertisements.

70. The method of claim 64, wherein said signals are automatically emitted by said emitters.

71. A method for displaying targeted advertisements to one or more individuals using an advertising device capable of displaying targeted advertisements based on signals associated with said one or more individuals, in which method one or more targeted advertisements are displayed to said one or more individuals within the advertising range of said advertising device based on signals from emitters associated with said one or more individuals, wherein said display is not structurally connected to said emitters and wherein said signals are emitted from emitters selected from the group consisting of cellular telephone, beeper and combinations thereof.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein said signals are automatically emitted by said emitters.