Providing sponsorship information alongside traffic messages

• US 7,990,284 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• 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:
  US12/938,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 272 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, 455/186.2, 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:

at the traffic message receiver, receiving messages that include data representing sponsorship information;

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

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

retrieving a portion of the data representing sponsorship information stored in the traffic message receiver'"'"'s memory; and

providing 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 a portion of the data includes identifying the active sponsor for the point of interest category.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a location of the traffic message receiver at a particular time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sponsorship information is an advertisement.