Providing sponsorship information alongside traffic messages

• US 7,855,659 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Saunders, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/842,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 151 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995.13, 340/539.1, 340/439, 370/329, 370/466, 455/186.1, 455/414.1, 455/450, 701/117, 701/119, 701/201, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/55 for traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/49 for identifying locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/53 of destinations

Abstract

A method and system for providing sponsorship information to a user of a traffic message receiver is disclosed. Sponsorship messages are sent to the traffic message receiver and include data to be stored in the memory of the receiver. The transmission of the sponsorship messages is performed as a background routine to the regular transmission of traffic messages. The sponsorship data stored in the traffic message receiver is provided to the user of the traffic message receiver based on a triggering event, such as the end-user entering a point of interest string into the user interface of his navigation system or receipt of a message that includes an activated trigger flag.

Claims

1. A method of providing sponsorship information to a user of a traffic message receiver, comprising:

updating data representing the sponsorship information stored in memory of the traffic message receiver on a regular basis;

identifying an event indicating that sponsorship information is to be sent to the user;

retrieving the data stored in the traffic message receiver'"'"'s memory that represents the sponsorship information; and

sending the sponsorship information to the user of the traffic message receiver via a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is the user entering a point of interest string into the user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the traffic message receiver identifies a point of interest category associated with the entered point of interest string.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the traffic message receiver identifies an active sponsor for the point of interest category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is receiving a message that includes a trigger flag.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the message further includes data indicating a point of interest category and an active sponsor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein retrieving data includes identifying the active sponsor for the point of interest category.

8. A method of providing sponsorship information to an end-user of a traffic message receiver, comprising:

obtaining an identifier to include in a first message that causes the traffic message receiver to recognize the first message;

receiving the first message at the traffic message receiver that causes the traffic message receiver to recognize a second message;

receiving the second message having data representing sponsorship information;

storing the data representing the sponsorship information in memory of the traffic message receiver; and

providing the sponsorship information to the end-user of the traffic message receiver upon identification of a triggering event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first message conforms to a traffic message broadcasting standard.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second message conforms to a proprietary protocol that can co-exist within the same transmission as the first message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the triggering event is the end-user entering a point of interest string into the user'"'"'s navigation system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is receiving a third message that includes a trigger flag.