Managing advertising devices

• US 7,501,941 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Outdoorlink Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lites Out, LLC
• Inventors: Reinle, Brian K., Galaise, Scott H., Arnold, Brent D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US11/331,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/5.9, 340/5.91
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

In one general aspect, a request to determine a status of a first of a plurality of advertising devices is received. The advertising devices are spatially separated. Operating conditions of the first advertising device are identified. The status of the first advertising device is determined based, at least in part, on the operating conditions. A presentation including information indicating the status of the first advertising device is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving operating conditions from a plurality of advertising devices through an Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein each of the plurality of advertising devices include cellular technology to wirelessly transmit operating condition to and receive commands to update operating conditions from a cellular network;

receiving a request to determine a status of a first of a plurality of advertising devices, wherein the advertising devices are spatially separated;

identifying operating conditions of the first advertising device;

determining the status of the first advertising device based, at least in part, on the operating conditions; and

transmitting a presentation including information indicating the status of the first advertising device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying operating conditions of the first advertising device comprising identifying operating conditions of a power supply of the first advertising device.

3. The method of claim 1, the first advertising device includes components, wherein determining the status of the first advertising device comprises determining whether the components are operating within specified operating conditions.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to at least one component violating specified operating conditions, generating a notification indicating the violation; and

transmitting the notification to a user via a network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the status of the first advertising device comprises determining that a component of the first advertising device is not operating.

6. The method of claim 1, the advertising device comprising a billboard and the component comprises a lamp.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of advertising devices comprises a plurality of billboards.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to update the operating conditions of the first advertising device; and

transmitting a command to the first advertising device based, at least in part, on the selection independent of other advertising devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request comprises a selection via the presentation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating conditions comprise a schedule for activating and deactivating the advertising device.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive wireless cellular signals encoding requests;

a controller operable to process the requests, determine operating conditions of components associated with an advertising device in accordance with requests, and update operating conditions of the components of the advertising device in response to at least the requests including commands;

a transmitter operable to transmit wireless cellular signals to a cellular network encoding the operating conditions of the components; and

wherein the apparatus is assigned a cellular phone number and a network address.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operable to adjust operating power levels of the components in response to commands.

13. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions for causing data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving operation conditions from a plurality of advertising devices through an Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein each of the plurality of advertising devices include cellular technology to wirelessly transmit operating conditions to and receive commands to update operating conditions from a cellular network;

receiving a request to determine a status of a first of a plurality of advertising devices, wherein the advertising devices are spatially separated;

identifying operating conditions of the first advertising device;

determining the status of the first advertising device based, at least in part, on the operating conditions; and

transmitting a presentation including information indicating the status of the first advertising device.

14. The article of claim 13, the first advertising device includes components, wherein determining the status of the first advertising device comprises determining whether the components are operating within specified operating conditions.

15. The article of claim 14, the article further performing operations:

in response to at least one component violating specified operating conditions, generating a notification indicating the violation; and

transmitting the notification to a user via a network.

16. The article of claim 13, wherein determining the status of the first advertising device comprises determining that a component of the first advertising device is not operating.

17. The article of claim 13, the article further performing operations:

receiving a request to update the operating conditions of the first advertising device; and

transmitting a command to the first advertising device based, at least in part, on the selection independent of other advertising devices.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the operating conditions comprise a schedule for activating and deactivating the advertising device.

19. A method, comprising:

identifying a command associated with a first of a plurality of advertising devices, wherein the command updates operating conditions of one or more components of the first advertising device;

identifying a network address assigned to the first advertising device, wherein the network address is operable to route the command through an IP network to a cellular network such that the cellular network wirelessly transmits the command to the first advertising device using cellular technology; and

transmitting the command to the first advertising device using the network address.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the command comprises a request for operating conditions of the first advertising device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the command comprises a schedule for updating a timer associated with the first advertising device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein identifying a command comprises receiving a request to shut down the first advertising device from a user.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying operating parameters associated with the first advertising device;

determining the operating parameters of the first advertising device violates a specific operating range; and

wherein the command is operable to adjust the operating parameters of the first advertising device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the adjustment comprises shutting down the first advertising device for maintenance.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the adjustment comprises increasing a power supply to the first advertising device.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the network address comprises a dynamically assigned Internet Protocol (IP) address.