Vehicle-based dynamic advertising

• US 6,898,517 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Froeberg, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/915,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 26, 701/211, 701214-216, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456, 455/517, 455/566, 340/995.13, 340/995.17, 340/995.27, 340/7.48, 340/7.55, 340/988, 340/990, 340/991, 340/992, 340/995, 340/996, 340/7.51, 340/7.43, 340/7.62, 340/7.53, 340/7.64, 705/14, 705 26- 27, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system for dynamically targeting content (e.g., advertising) displayed by a moving vehicle according to the location and direction of travel of the vehicle. Multiple items of content are loaded onto the vehicle and updated at periodic intervals. Position information (such as Global Positioning System information) is used to determine the location and direction of travel of the vehicle. Using the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction of travel, and perhaps the time of day, a particular item of content can be selected and displayed to an audience external to the vehicle. The amount of time each particular item of content is displayed can be measured and used as the basis for billing clients.

Claims

1. A vehicle for dynamically targeting content according to location-based information, said vehicle comprising:

an integrated position and direction system that resides on board said vehicle and that is adapted to determine a position and a direction of travel of said vehicle, said integrated position and direction system comprising;

a digital compass adapted to determine said direction of travel using Global Positioning System (GPS) information;

a satellite positioning system adapted to determine said position using said GPS information, said satellite positioning system comprising an antenna, a receiver and a processor;

memory comprising a direction program comprising instructions that control operations of said integrated position and direction system;

memory comprising a content targeter comprising instructions that control selection of an item of content based on said position and said direction of travel; and

a controller coupled to said digital compass and to said satellite positioning system;

a storage unit coupled to said controller, said storage unit adapted to store multiple items of content on board said vehicle; and

a display unit coupled to said storage unit, said display unit adapted to provide a changeable display viewable by an audience external to said vehicle;

wherein said controller selects content from said multiple items of content using said instructions that control selection of an item of content, said content selected according to both said position and said direction of travel; and

wherein said content selected according to said position and said direction of travel is displayed on said display unit, wherein said content selected is viewable by said audience external to said vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said content selected is also selected according to a time of day.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said multiple items of content stored on board said vehicle are updated with different content at periodic intervals.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said controller is also adapted to measure an amount of time said content selected is displayed.

5. A method of dynamically targeting content according to location-based information, said method comprising:

a) determining a position and a direction of travel of a mobile vehicle using an integrated position and direction determination system that resides on board said vehicle and that analyzes satellite-broadcast position determining signals, wherein said integrated position and direction determination system comprises a digital compass for determining said direction of travel using said satellite-broadcast position determining signals, memory comprising instructions that control operations of said integrated position and direction system, memory comprising instructions that control selection of an item of content based on said position and said direction of travel, and a satellite positioning system for determining said position using said satellite-broadcast position determining signals, said satellite positioning system comprising an antenna, a receiver and a processor, said vehicle having a changeable display viewable by an audience external to said vehicle;

b) selecting content from multiple items of content stored on board said mobile vehicle, wherein said content is selected according to said position and also according to said direction of travel; and

c) displaying said content selected in step b) on said changeable display, wherein said content selected in said step b) is viewable by said audience external to said vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said satellite-broadcast position determining signals comprise Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said content selected is also selected according to a time of day.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein said multiple items of content stored on board said mobile vehicle are updated with different content at periodic intervals.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

d) measuring an amount of time said content selected is displayed.

10. A method of dynamically targeting content according to location-based information, said method comprising:

a) loading multiple items of content into a storage unit on board a mobile vehicle;

b) selecting an item of said content according to both a position and a direction of travel of said mobile vehicle and a time of day, said position and said direction of travel determined using an integrated position and direction determination system that resides on board said vehicle and that analyzes satellite-broadcast position determining signals, wherein said integrated position and direction determination system comprises a digital compass for determining said direction of travel using said satellite-broadcast position determining signals, memory comprising instructions that control operations of said integrated position and direction system, memory comprising instructions that control selection of an item of content based on said position and said direction of travel, and a satellite positioning system for determining said position using said satellite-broadcast position determining signals, said satellite positioning system comprising an antenna, a receiver and a processor; and

c) displaying said item of said content selected according to said position and said direction of travel on a changeable display viewable by an audience external to said mobile vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said satellite-broadcast position determining signals comprise Global Positioning System (GPS) information.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

d) measuring an amount of time said content is displayed.