System and method of facilitating the dissemination of information by means of active advertisements in portable information transceivers

• US 7,596,602 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Louis Ellman
• Original Assignee: Louis Ellman
• Inventors: Ellman, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US10/649,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20040110517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method to provide a user with a requisite receiving device (e.g., PDA, cell telephone) with the ability to record contact information, no matter how lengthy, from an interactive advertisement for storage and later use, or, at the user'"'"'s option, to obtain the information at his or her convenience even at the location of the advertisement. The invention can work accurately in any environment, including those regions where there might be heavy traffic or congestion, and a plurality of interaction signs or posters can readily interface with the recipient'"'"'s device. However, an important feature of the present invention is that the user can choose to only accept that contact information that is of interest to him or her, and does not have to automatically record and/or interact with any transmitter just because it is in the sphere of influence of the receiving device.

Claims

1. A system of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising a target, said target further comprising:

(a) an information display that is visible to a plurality of interested users;

(b) a memory assembly for storing a URL for a web-site related to the display;

(c) a transmitter assembly adapted to transmit the URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information; and

(d) an identifier that indicates to the plurality of users that the target comprises the memory assembly and transmitter,

(e) a comparator; and

(f) a register adapted to receive and delineate said filtering code and then to subsequently transmit said filtering code to said comparator;

(i) wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said interested user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said entered code is representative of said specific target;

(ii) wherein said comparator compares said filtering code received from said register with said entered code entered by an interested user; and

, if said codes are identical, then permitting said URL to be transmitted to said hand-held transceiver,

(iii) whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use a respective hand-held transceiver to receive the URL transmitted by the target and selectively activate the URL through a browser independent of the target.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

(a) the information display is an electronic display having a URL embedded therein; and

(b) an air mouse capable of scanning said URL into a memory of said air mouse and wherein said air mouse is capable of transmitting said URL so as to place the URL into the browser of a user'"'"'s home computer.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the icon appears on a television commercial and the URL is utilized for an instant purchase to be billed according to information stored in the hand-held transceiver.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an active transmitter, and whereby the URL is available to the plurality of interested users.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a passive transmitter, whereby the respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates the transmitter.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the hand-held transceiver is a cellular phone, personal data assistant, or laptop computer adapted to enable auto-dial of at least one phone number embedded with the URL transmitted by the target.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the URL is a specific embedded page of a web site.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by respective interested user only when the respective interested user initiates communication with the transmitter, whereby the URL is selectively received.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the URL is targeted to a male or female depending on information in the respective hand-held transceiver.

10. A system of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising:

(a) a target comprising;

(i) a display that is visible to a plurality of interested users;

(ii) a memory assembly for storing a URL of a website related to the display;

(iii) a transmitter assembly adapted to transmit the URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information;

(iv) an identifier that indicates to the plurality of users that the target comprises the memory assembly and transmitter; and

(b) a hand-held transceiver;

(c) a comparator; and

(d) a register adapted to receive and delineate said filtering code and then to subsequently transmit said filtering code to said comparator;

(i) wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said interested user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said entered code is representative of said specific target;

(ii) wherein said comparator compares said filtering code received from said register with said entered code entered by an interested user; and

, if said codes are identical, then permitting said URL to be transmitted to said hand-held transceiver,

whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use the hand-held transceiver to receive the URL transmitted by the target.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said display is an article of clothing and said article of clothing has said transmitter embedded therein to transmit the URL.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter assembly comprises a radio frequency transmitter or an infrared transmitter.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter is an active radio frequency tag, whereby the URL is available to the plurality of interested users.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a passive radio frequency tag, whereby the respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates the transmitter.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the hand-held transceiver is a cellular phone, personal data assistant, or laptop computer.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the URL is a specific embedded page of a web site.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by the respective interested user only when the respective interested user initiates communication with the transmitter, whereby the URL is selectively received.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the URL may be received, previewed, stored, activated, or transferred by a respective user using a respective hand-held transceiver.

19. A method of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a target wherein said target comprises;

(i) a display that is visible to a plurality of interested users;

(ii) a memory assembly adapted to receive and store a URL related to the display;

(iii) a transmitter adapted to transmit the URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information;

wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said interested user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said entered code is representative of said specific target

(iv) an identifier that indicates to the plurality of users that the target comprises the memory assembly and identifier;

(b) receiving and storing the URL in the memory assembly;

(c) transmitting the URL together with said filtering code;

(d) receiving and delineating said filtering code at a register and then subsequently transmitting said filtering code to a comparator;

(e) comparing, at said comparator said filtering code received from said register with said entered code entered by an interested user; and

, if said codes are identical, then permitting said URL to be transmitted to said hand-held transceiver;

whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use a respective hand-held transceiver to receive the URL transmitted by the target.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said display is one of a plurality of store displays, and a website hub controls the rotation of URLs to said plurality of store displays by time of day or by store depending on respective locations and time zones.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the URL information is on a timer system.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the transmitter is an active transmitter, and whereby the URL is available to the plurality of interested users.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the transmitter is a passive transmitter, whereby the respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates the transmitter.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the hand-held transceiver is a cellular phone, personal data assistant, or laptop computer.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the URL is a specific embedded page of a web site.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by the respective interested user only when the respective interested user initiates communication with the transmitter, whereby the URL is selectively received.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising data mining of users who initiate communication with the transmitter.