Providing promotional material based on repeated travel patterns

• US 6,546,257 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kavin K. Stewart
• Original Assignee: Kavin K. Stewart
• Inventors: Stewart, Kavin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/494,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/461, 455/466, 340/988-996, 701/201-217
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of providing geographically sensitive promotional information to a predefined location associated with a mobile unit having a transmitter which can transmit position location information, and an apparatus for executing such a method. The method includes receiving from the mobile unit, at least one transmission which provides information on multiple locations of the mobile unit over a span of time, and an identification of the mobile unit. Multiple locations of the mobile unit are determined from the received transmissions, and a repeated travel pattern of the mobile unit determined based on the multiple locations. From a database of locations associated with respective promotional identifications or information, a promotional identification or information is retrieved which is associated with a location which is within a predetermined position relative to the repeated travel pattern. The promotional identification or promotion information based on the promotional identification, is provided to the predefined location.

Claims

1. A method of providing geographically sensitive promotional information to a predefined location associated with a mobile unit having a transmitter which can transmit position location information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving from the mobile unit, at least one transmission which provides information on multiple locations of the mobile unit over a span of time, and an identification of the mobile unit;

(b) determining multiple locations of the mobile unit from the received transmissions, and determining a repeated travel pattern of the mobile unit based on the multiple locations;

(c) retrieving from a database of locations associated with respective promotional identifications, a promotional identification which is associated with a location which is within a predetermined position relative to the repeated travel pattern; and

(d) providing the promotional identification or promotion information based on the promotional identification, to the location.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the received transmissions from the mobile unit carry location information from a position locator carried by the mobile unit.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined location is a fixed location, and the promotional identification or information is physically transported to the predefined location.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile unit also has a receiver, the predefined location is the location of the mobile unit, and wherein the promotional identification or information is transmitted to the mobile unit.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the promotional identification or information is provided to the mobile unit in response to received location information transmission indicating the mobile unit is within a predetermined position relative to the location associated with the promotional identification.

6. A method according to claim 4 additionally comprising, after determining the repeated travel pattern:

(e) receiving from the mobile unit, further multiple location information transmissions over a span of time and an identification of the mobile unit; and

(f) determining from the received multiple location information, that the mobile unit is repeating the determined travel pattern;

wherein the promotional identification or information is transmitted to the mobile unit after step (f).

7. A method according to claim 1, additionally comprising:

coordinating the travel pattern with respect to time;

and wherein the promotional identification is retrieved additionally based on a time feature of the determined travel pattern.

8. A method according to claim 1, additionally comprising:

coordinating the travel pattern with respect to time; and

wherein;

the promotional identifications in the database are also associated with respective time features; and

the promotional identification is retrieved additionally based on an overlap of a time feature of the determined travel pattern and the time feature associated with the promotional identification.

9. A method according to claim 1 additionally comprising crediting an account associated with the identification of the mobile unit based on having received location information from the mobile unit.

10. A method of providing geographically relevant promotional information to a user location associated with a mobile unit having a position locator system and a transmitter which can transmit the position location information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving from the mobile unit, multiple location information transmissions over a span of time and an identification of the mobile unit;

(b) determining from the received multiple location information, a repeated travel pattern of the mobile unit based on the received information and a corresponding time feature for at least one portion of the repeated travel pattern;

(c) retrieving from a database of time features associated with respective promotional identifications, a promotional identification which is associated with a time feature which overlaps the determined time feature of the repeated travel pattern; and

(d) providing the promotional identification or promotion information based on the promotional identification, to the user location.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the promotional identification or information is provided to the user location at a time within the time feature associated with the promotional identification.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the mobile unit also has a receiver, and wherein the promotional identification or information is transmitted to the mobile unit.

13. An apparatus for providing geographically relevant promotional information to a predefined location associated with a mobile unit having a position locator system and a transmitter which can transmit position location information, the method comprising:

(a) a receiver to receive from the mobile unit, transmissions over a span of time and an identification of the mobile unit;

(b) a processor which determines multiple locations of the mobile unit from the received transmissions, and determines a repeated travel pattern of the mobile unit based on the multiple locations;

(c) a database of locations associated with respective promotional identifications;

wherein the processor further retrieves a promotional identification which is associated with a location which is within a predetermined position relative to the repeated travel pattern, and provides the promotional identification or promotion information based on the promotional identification, to the predefined location.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 additionally comprising a printer, and wherein the predefined location is a fixed location and the promotional identification or information is printed by the printer.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 additionally comprising a transmitter, and wherein the predefined location is the location of the mobile unit and the promotional identification or information is transmitted by the transmitter to the mobile unit.