Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing advertising and/or information services over mobile ad hoc cooperative networks using electronic billboards and related devices

• US 7,620,026 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: El Houmaidi, Mounire, Anschutz, Thomas Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu; Yu (Andy)
• Application Number:
  US11/548,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic billboard includes detecting a mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the electronic billboard, establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the mobile electronic device, and transmitting location-specific data to the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection. The location-specific data is associated with a geographic location of the electronic billboard. For example, the location-specific data may include advertising content, traffic and/or construction conditions, emergency information, and/or tourism information associated with the geographic location of the electronic billboard. Related methods, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic billboard, the method comprising:

detecting a mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the electronic billboard;

establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the mobile electronic device;

receiving information about a user of the mobile electronic device and/or about current operating parameters of the mobile electronic device from the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection;

transmitting location-specific data that is associated with a geographic location of the electronic billboard to the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection responsive to receiving the information from the mobile electronic device, wherein the location-specific data comprises content that is based on the information received from the mobile electronic device, and wherein transmitting the location-specific data comprises transmitting targeted advertising content to the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection responsive to receiving the information; and

updating displayed location-specific data on the electronic billboard responsive to receiving the information from the mobile electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mobile electronic device further comprises:

receiving a signal from the mobile electronic device; and

determining a traveling vector for the mobile electronic device based on the signal,

wherein establishing the ad hoc wireless connection comprises establishing the ad hoc wireless connection in response to the traveling vector indicating that the mobile electronic device is traveling in a direction toward a geographic location of a content provider for the electronic billboard,

and wherein transmitting the location-specific data comprises transmitting location-specific data associated with the content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-specific data comprises advertising content, and further comprising:

dynamically altering pricing information included in the advertising content based on real-time supply and demand conditions at a business establishment associated with the advertising content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about the user of the mobile electronic device and/or about the current operating parameters from the mobile electronic device comprises receiving vehicular information from a plurality of mobile electronic devices within the predetermined distance of the electronic billboard over respective ad hoc wireless connections thereto, and further comprising:

generating traffic data based on the received vehicular information,

wherein transmitting the location-specific data comprises transmitting the traffic data to the mobile electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user and/or device information from a plurality of mobile electronic devices that pass within the predetermined distance of the electronic billboard over a respective plurality of ad hoc wireless connections thereto; and

storing the received user and/or device information in a database.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving device identification information from the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection; and

providing information indicating a presence of the mobile electronic device within the predetermined distance of the electronic billboard to a fixed network access point responsive to receiving the device identification information.

7. An electronic billboard configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

8. A computer readable medium for operating an electronic billboard, the computer readable medium comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein that, when executed, performs the method of claim 1.

9. A method of operating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an electronic billboard within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device;

establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the electronic billboard;

transmitting information about a user of the mobile electronic device and/or about current operating parameters of the mobile electronic device to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection;

receiving location-specific data that is associated with a geographic location of the electronic billboard from the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection responsive to transmitting the information to the electronic billboard, wherein the location-specific data comprises content that is based on the information transmitted to the electronic billboard; and

displaying the location-specific data by integrating the location-specific data with currently-displayed content, wherein the location-specific data comprises location-specific advertising data, wherein the currently-displayed content comprises video content including other advertising data integrated therein that is tagged with metadata indicating that the other advertising data is replaceable, and wherein integrating the location-specific data comprises;

identifying the other advertising data in the currently-displayed video content as being replaceable based on the metadata responsive to receiving the location-specific advertising data; and

replacing the other advertising data in the currently-displayed video content with the location-specific advertising data responsive to identifying the other advertising data such that the location-specific advertising data is integrated in the currently-displayed video content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location-specific data is associated with a specific video layer, and wherein integrating the location-specific data comprises:

providing the location-specific data as a text and/or image overlay on at least a portion of the currently-displayed content.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the location-specific data comprises receiving an offer for locally available goods and/or services, and further comprising:

transmitting an acceptance and/or counteroffer to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection responsive to receiving the offer.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting user and/or device information to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection;

wherein receiving the location-specific data comprises receiving targeted advertising from the electronic billboard responsive to transmitting the user and/or device information.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating a database stored in the mobile electronic device with the location-specific data responsive to receiving the location-specific data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing a second ad hoc wireless connection with at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device; and

relaying the received location-specific data to the at least one other mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection.

15. A mobile electronic device configured to carry out the method of claim 9.

16. A computer readable medium for operating a mobile electronic device, the readable medium program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein that, when executed, performs the method of claim 9.