Content preference system at retail outlet

• US 6,704,774 B2
• Filed: 09/17/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Terranova, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US09/398,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/58, 705/61, 705/27, 705/1, 705/26, 700/231, 700/413, 707/10, 235/381, 709/217-219, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A retail establishment providing user access to the Internet or other information providing sources includes software which allows uses to indicate preferences of which content providing sources should be accessed, in which order and for how long. In this manner, the user is allowed to preselect content to which he or she will be exposed. The selection may occur at an initial registration time or during the retail transaction. The software is especially adapted for use in a fueling environment. The software includes additional features such as printing and allowing a user to access the content from inside a car.

Claims

1. A system adapted to retrieve information and allow access by a user at a retail establishment according to the user'"'"'s preselected preferences, said system comprising:

a) a user input/output including at least a display and an input device;

b) an information server communicatively coupled to said user input/output unit and to at least two information files;

c) software for retrieving information from the at least two information files, and showing said information on said display, said software further for receiving user preferences about which of the at least two information files is to be contacted to retrieve information for display; and

d) wherein said software is adapted to switch automatically between different ones of the at least two information files after a predetermined amount of time, wherein the user programs the predetermined amount of time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said user input/output unit is a fuel dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interrogator communicatively coupled to said information server and a transponder in radio communication with said interrogator, said transponder associated with said user input/output unit.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said user input/output unit is a computer positioned in an automobile.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said computer is a laptop computer.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said computer is integrated into said automobile.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said user input/output device is integrated in a quick sever restaurant point of sale device.

8. A method of viewing information from preselected content providers, said method comprising the steps of:

a) passing an alert from a user input/output unit to an information server;

b) receiving user preferences indicating from which content providers to retrieve information;

c) receiving user preferences indicating designated display time increments for each content provider;

d) retrieving the preferred information; and

e) displaying on the user input/output device the preferred information for the designated times.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of accessing an account host.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein user preferences are received from an account host.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein user preferences are received from the user input/output device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said content providers are displayed in a random order.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said content providers are displayed in a preselected order.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of displaying advertising simultaneously with information from the content providers.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of manually overriding the display of the preselected content.

16. A method of selecting user preferences for content display during a retail transaction, said method comprising the steps of:

a) designating at least one preferred content provider;

b) designating a preferred display time for each of said at least one preferred content providers; and

c) storing in a memory the preferences so designated.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of indicating the acceptability of advertising.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein designating at least one preferred content provider comprises designating a plurality of preferred content providers.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of designating the order in which content from said preferred content providers is subsequently shown.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of designating that content from the preferred content providers is subsequently shown in a random fashion.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of logging in to an account host to make said designations.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the preferences so designated are stored in a memory associated with said account host.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the preferences so designated are stored in a memory associated with a user input/output unit.

24. A computer readable medium containing software for entering user content preferences, said software adapted to:

a) communicate with an information server a request for retrieval of information;

b) access preselected preferred content provider designations;

c) retrieve content from preferred content providers based on the preselected preferred content provider designations; and

d) display information retrieve from the preferred content providers on a user input/output device;

said software adapted to automatically switch between different ones of the preferred content providers after expiration of a preselected amount of time.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein said software is adapted to access preselected preferred content provider designations from an account host.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein said software is adapted to be stored in memory associated with a user input/output unit.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein said software communicates with the information server at least in part through a transponder and an interrogator.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein said software is further adapted to receive a user request for retrieval of information.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the switching is done in a preselected order.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein the switching is done in a random fashion.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein said software is further adapted to retrieve preferences relating to the acceptability of advertising.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein said software is adapted to access preselected preferred content provider designations from a user controlled user input/output unit.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the order is preselected by a user.

33. A computer readable medium containing software for creating and storing user preferences for content providers for eventual display in a retail environment, said software adapted to:

a) receive preferred content provider designations;

b) receive time limits corresponding to display times for each of the preferred content provider designations; and

c) store the designations and time limits in a memory.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein said software is adapted to be run on an account host.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein said software is adapted to be run on a user input/output unit.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein said software is adapted to accept instruction on the acceptability of advertising.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 33 wherein said software is adapted to accept instruction on the order in which information is retrieved from the preferred content provider designations.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 wherein the order is random.

40. A method of receiving information at a retail establishment, said method comprising the steps of:

a) logging into to an account host from a terminal at a retail establishment;

b) executing a set of predetermined preferences at the account host;

c) retrieving information according to the predetermined preference; and

d) receiving information sent from the account host on the terminal of the retail establishment.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising the step of prestoring the preferences in a memory associated with the account host.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein retrieving information comprises the step of retrieving information stored in a memory associated with the account host.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein retrieving information comprises the step of retrieving information from a content provider other than the account host.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein retrieving information comprises the step of retrieving information from the account host and a content provider other than the account host.

45. The method of claim 40 further comprising the step of prestoring the preferences in a memory device possessed by a user.

46. A system for creating and viewing content preferences for eventual viewing on a retail establishment terminal, said system comprising:

a) an account host including a memory device associated therewith;

b) a remote user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein a user may login to a user account stored in the memory device associated with the account host, said login occurring from said remote user operated terminal and for constructing a set of content preferences; and

c) a retail establishment including at least one user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein the user may further login to the user account from said at least one user operated terminal at said retail establishment and view content provided according to said content preferences.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said content is provided by said account host.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said content is provided by at least one information provider other than said account host.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein said preferences are stored in the memory device associated with said account host.

50. The system of claim 46 wherein said at least one user operated terminal includes a fuel dispenser.

51. A system for creating and viewing content preferences for eventual viewing on a retail establishment terminal, said system comprising:

a) an account host including a memory device associated therewith, said account host forming part of a dispersed network;

b) a remote user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein a user may login to a user account stored in the memory device associated with the account host, said login occurring from said remote user operated terminal and for constructing a set of a content preferences; and

c) a retail establishment including at least one user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said dispersed network, wherein the user may further login to said dispersed network from said at least one user operated terminal at said retail establishment and view content provided according to said content preferences.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the user logs in to said dispersed network through said account host.

53. A method of setting preferences for later reception of content, said method comprising the steps of:

a) accessing a preference configuration terminal; and

b) setting individual time limits which control how long individual content preferences are to be received to a subsequent transaction at point of sale terminal.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein setting preferences is accomplished according to a predefined screen.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein setting preferences comprises the step of setting a time limit which limits the total time the content is displayed.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein setting preferences comprises the step of indicating the acceptability of advertising.

57. The method of claim 53 further comprising the step of printing out a sheet containing set preferences.

58. A point of sale terminal configured to access content according to preferences configured by a customer prior to a transaction wherein said preferences include are selected from a group consisting of:

a time limit indicating how long a particular remote content provider is to be accessed; and

an order in which a plurality of particular remote content providers are to be accessed.

59. The point of sale terminal of claim 58 further comprising means to print said preferences and means to change said preferences at said point of sale terminal.

60. The point of sale terminal of claim 58 further comprising means to skip preferred content providers.

61. A computer readable medium containing software for entering user content preferences, said software adapted to:

e) communicate with an information server a request for retrieval of information;

f) access preselected preferred content provider designations;

g) retrieve content from preferred content providers based on the preselected preferred content provider designations; and

h) display information retrieve from the preferred content providers on a user input/output device;

said software communicates with the information server at least in part though a transponder and an interrogator.