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 8,254,338 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• 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: Anschutz, Thomas Arnold, El Houmaidi, Mounire
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/574,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/332
• 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 comprising:

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

receiving a signal from the mobile electronic device; and

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

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

receiving information from the mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection, wherein the information comprises at least one of personal information about a user of the mobile electronic device or current information about operating parameters of the mobile device and comprises parameters that are subject to variation independent of a geographic location of the mobile electronic device;

transmitting location-specific data associated with the content provider 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 selected based on the information from the mobile electronic device; and

updating location-specific data displayed on the electronic billboard responsive to receiving the personal information about the user or the current information about the operating parameters of the mobile electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, 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 associated with operation of the mobile electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

dynamically altering pricing information included in the advertising content responsive to receiving the information associated with operation of the mobile electronic device, wherein the pricing information is dynamically altered in accordance with the parameters that are subject to variation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information associated with operation of the mobile electronic device comprises receiving vehicular operating information from a plurality of mobile electronic devices within the predetermined distance of the electronic billboard over respective ad hoc wireless connections, and further comprising:

generating traffic data based on the vehicular operating 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 respective information associated with operation 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; and

storing the respective 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 comprising:

a controller configured to;

detect a mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the electronic billboard and establish an ad hoc wireless connection with the mobile electronic device;

receive a signal from a mobile electronic device via a transceiver;

determine a traveling vector for the mobile electronic device based on the signal; and

establish 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, wherein the location-specific data is associated with the content provider; and

the transceiver configured to;

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

transmit 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 targeted advertising content that is based on the information from the mobile electronic device; and

the controller is configured to update the data with the location-specific data responsive to receiving the information about the user or the current operating parameters of the mobile electronic device.

8. The electronic billboard of claim 7, wherein the information associated with operation of the mobile electronic device comprises parameters that are subject to variation independent of a geographic location of the mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is configured to dynamically alter pricing information included in the advertising content in accordance with the parameters that are subject to variation and update the data on the display to indicate the pricing information.

9. The electronic billboard of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to receive respective information associated with operation 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, and wherein the controller is configured to store the parameter respective information in a database.

10. The electronic billboard of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to receive vehicular operating information from a plurality of mobile electronic devices within the predetermined distance of the electronic billboard over respective ad hoc wireless connections.

11. The electronic billboard of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to generate traffic data based on the vehicular operating information.

12. The electronic billboard of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the traffic data to the mobile electronic device.

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

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

establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the electronic billboard;

transmitting information to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection, wherein the information is associated with operation of the mobile electronic device and comprises parameters that are subject to variation independent of a geographic location of the mobile electronic device;

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 selected based on the information transmitted to the electronic billboard; and

displaying the location-specific data such that the location-specific data is integrated with currently-displayed content, wherein;

the location-specific data comprises location-specific advertising data;

the currently-displayed content comprises video content including other advertising data integrated in the video content;

the other advertising data is tagged with metadata indicating that the other advertising data is replaceable; and

integrating 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 date; and

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

14. The method of claim 13, 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 an overlay on at least a portion of the currently-displayed content.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the location-specific data comprises receiving an offer for locally available goods from the electronic billboard, wherein pricing information associated with the offer varies in accordance with the parameters included in the information that was transmitted to the electronic billboard, and further comprising:

transmitting a reply to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection responsive to receiving the offer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the location-specific data comprises receiving targeted advertising from the electronic billboard responsive to transmitting the information associated with operation of the mobile electronic device to the electronic billboard over the ad hoc wireless connection.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

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

18. The method of claim 13, 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 location-specific data to the at least one other mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection.