Packetized advertising utilizing information indicia

• US 8,010,408 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walter M. Rubinstein
• Original Assignee: Walter M. Rubinstein
• Inventors: Rubinstein, Walter M., Balban, Simeon Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): TARAE, CATHERINE MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US12/576,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/48 for recognising items expressed in broadcast information

Abstract

A method and system for packetized advertising carried out with machine readable and decodable information indicia, where the packetized advertisements are formed by associating any combination of a plurality of products and services with the information indicia. In response to a device capturing an image of the information indicia a universal resource locator (URL) is generated. The URL generates a webpage with a series of URL that correspond to the plurality of products and services that are associated with the captured information indicia.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating an information indicia within a particular environment containing a plurality of differing displays sponsored by different vendors each relating to a separate product or service provided by said different vendors, said environment comprising either a physically contiguous location in which said plurality of displays exist simultaneously or a media generator in which said displays are generated sequentially over time;

creating a master database storing information relating to a series of products and services that are referenced by differing sets of displays appearing in a plurality of differing environments including said particular environment;

capturing said information indicia with a computer peripheral device or a mobile communication device, said capturing device having a display and containing an application program operative to utilize said captured information indicia to communicate with said master database to retrieve stored information related to a set of products or services depicted or described in said plurality of displays existing in said particular environment; and

generating information related to said set of products and services referenced by said plurality of displays in said particular environment on said capturing device display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said method further comprises;

generating a set of URL operative for user selection from said plurality of URL on said capturing device display corresponding to said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said method further comprises;

generating a set of written or visual descriptions with corresponding underlying URL operative for user selection for each of said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment on said capturing device display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing is with a photographic device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing is with a scanning device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing one or more of said information indicia on or inside a mass transit vehicle that serves as said particular environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said one or more information indicia are printed.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said information indicia is printed on a ticket stub for admission to said particular environment or in a published media.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said one or more information indicia are electronically alterable information indicia that are formed from display technologies, including, liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, organic light emitting diodes (OLED), electronic ink, and vacuum fluorescent.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said electronically alterable information indicia are remotely reconfigurable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein

said information indicia is printed on a ticket stub for admission to said particular environment or in a published media.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

broadcasting said information indicia with said media generator via a radio or television broadcast for display on a user interface of a radio or on a television display, respectively;

wherein said radio or television broadcast is said particular environment; and

wherein said information indicia refers to a set of products and services presented or displayed during said radio and television broadcast, or sequentially generated during a defined time period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said information indicia comprise:

a quick response (QR) code, a Microsoft®

Tag, a machine readable and decodable symbol, two-dimensional bar code, and three-dimensional bar code.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining with a software application the effectiveness of said plurality of differing displays and demographics of the one or more users by the placement of the information indicia, the frequency of user requests for said information indicia and said related set of products and services, and the timing of when a user captures said information indicia or requests said set of products or services.

15. A system comprising:

one or more information indicia replicated within a particular environment containing a plurality of differing displays sponsored by different vendors each relating to a separate product or service provided by said different vendors, said environment comprising either a physically contiguous location in which the plurality of displays exist simultaneously or a media generator in which the displays are generated sequentially over time;

a master database on a computer server storing information relating to a series of products and services that are referenced by differing sets of displays appearing in a plurality of differing environments including said particular environment; and

one or more computer peripheral or mobile communication devices configured for capturing said information indicia, said computer or communication peripheral having a screen display and containing an application program operative to utilize said captured information indicia to communicate with said master database to retrieve stored information related to a set of products or services depicted or described in said plurality of displays existing in said particular environment for display on said screen.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said system further comprises;

a set of URL operative for user selection from said plurality of URL on said screen display corresponding to said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said system further comprises;

a set of written or visual descriptions with corresponding underlying URL operative for user selection for each of said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment on said screen display.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a software application on said computer server that determines the effectiveness of said plurality of differing displays, and demographics of one or more users by the placement of said information indicia, the frequency of user requests for said information indicia and said related set of products and services, and the timing of when a user captures said information indicia or requests said set of products or services.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said capturing is with a photographic device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said capturing is with a scanning device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said information indicia is broadcast with said media generator via a radio or television broadcast for display on a user interface of a radio or on a television display, respectively;

wherein said radio or television broadcast is said particular environment; and

wherein said information indicia refers to a set of products and services presented or displayed during said radio and television broadcast, or sequentially generated during a defined time period.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said information indicia comprise:

a quick response (QR) code, a Microsoft®

Tag, a machine readable and decodable symbol, two-dimensional bar code, and three-dimensional bar code.

23. The system of claim 15 further comprising a mass transit vehicle serving as the environment;

and

wherein one or more replications of said information indicia are placed on or within said mass transit vehicle.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said one or more information indicia are printed.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said one or more information indicia are electronically alterable information indicia that are formed from display technologies, including, liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, organic light emitting diodes (OLED), electronic ink, and vacuum fluorescent.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said electronically alterable information indicia are remotely reconfigurable.

27. A machine-readable medium storing thereon one or more instructions, which when implemented cause a processor to implement a method for packetized advertising, the method comprising:

creating an information indicia within a particular environment containing a plurality of differing displays sponsored by different vendors each relating to a separate product or service provided by said different vendors, said environment comprising either a physically contiguous location in which said plurality of displays exist simultaneously or a media generator in which said displays are generated sequentially over time;

creating a master database storing information relating to a series of products and services that are referenced by differing sets of displays appearing in a plurality of differing environments including said particular environment;

capturing said information indicia with a computer peripheral device or a mobile communication device, said capturing device having a display and containing an application program operative to utilize said captured information indicia to communicate with said master database to retrieve stored information related to a set of products or services depicted or described in said plurality of displays existing in said particular environment; and

generating information related to said set of products and services referenced by said plurality of displays in said particular environment on said capturing device display.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said method further comprises;

generating a set of URL operative for user selection from said plurality of URL on said capturing device display corresponding to said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said stored information comprises a plurality of universal resource locators (URL) that are individually and uniquely associated with each of said plurality of products and services;

and

wherein said method further comprises;

generating a set of written or visual descriptions with corresponding underlying URL operative for user selection for each of said set of products and services appearing in said particular environment on said capturing device display.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said capturing is with a photographic device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said capturing is with a scanning device operative with said computer peripheral or said mobile communication device.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said information indicia comprise:

a quick response (QR) code, a Microsoft®

Tag, a machine readable and decodable symbol, two-dimensional bar code, and three-dimensional bar code.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the method further comprises:

determining with a software application the effectiveness of said plurality of differing displays and demographics of the one or more users by the placement of the information indicia, the frequency of user requests for said information indicia and said related set of products and services, and the timing of when a user captures said information indicia or requests said set of products or services.