Location based advertising systems

• US 8,315,905 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Navadi Incorporated
• Inventors: Adair, Perry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERHORST, MARIA VICTORIA
• Application Number:
  US11/688,761
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 701/1, 379/93.12
• US Class Current: 705/14.63
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Two directional data exchange between a mobile navigation system and a listing system enables pricing models and analytics that are responsive to trips initiated in response to location based listings on the navigation system. The data exchange may include information to present the listing to the user, track whether the user elected to begin navigating to the destination based on that listing, intermediate status as the user progresses towards the destination, and an indication that the user arrived at the location. The data may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the listing in bringing customers to a physical location associated with the listing. The data may be applied in a performance-based pricing model by which pricing for the listing is based in full or in part on the number of trips initiated and/or completed as a result of the listing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing location-based listings to a user through a mobile navigation unit, where the user can select one of the location-based listings and initiate a trip to a destination determined by the selected listing;

monitoring the trip to the destination determined by the selected listing by receiving trip information from the mobile navigation unit; and

pricing the location-based listing selected by the user in response to the trip information using a listing server programmed to price the location-based listing in response to the trip information.

2. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the number of trips to the destination determined by the selected listing.

3. The method of claim 2 where the number of trips to the destination determined by the selected listing includes the number of trips initiated per listing.

4. The method of claim 2 where the number of trips to the destination determined by the selected listing includes the number of trips completed per listing.

5. The method of claim 2 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a tiered pricing scale.

6. The method of claim 2 where the price a service provider charges a business for listing is based on a scale having a price ceiling.

7. The method of claim 2 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a scale having a quota of trips to the destination determined by the selected listing.

8. The method of claim 4 where a trip to the destination determined by the selected listing is considered completed if the user enters an arrival zone.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising customizing the arrival zone for a destination.

10. The method of claim 8 where the price for a completed trip to the destination determined by the selected listing depends on the size of the arrival zone.

11. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on unique visitor pricing.

12. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on share-of-visits pricing.

13. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on pooled pricing.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting information on the popularity of an event associated with the listing to the user.

15. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the popularity of an event associated with the listing.

16. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the length of a trip related to the listing.

17. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the starting position of the trip to the destination determined by the selected listing.

18. The method of claim 17 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a starting zone in which the starting position of the trip is located.

19. The method of claim 18 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing that resulted in a trip depends on the size of the starting zone.

20. The method of claim 18 where the price a service provider charges a business for a listing that resulted in a trip depends on the location of the starting zone.

21. The method of claim 18 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing that resulted in a trip depends on the demographics of the starting zone.

22. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the time of day during which a trip related to the listing is made.

23. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the date on which a trip related to the listing is made.

24. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a guaranteed minimum number of trips to the destination determined by the selected listing.

25. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a fixed listing fee plus a fee based on the effectiveness of a listing.

26. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a combination of trip events and listing information.

27. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the time a trip related to the listing is made in relation to an expiration time of the listing.

28. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on a category in which the user accesses the listing.

29. The method of claim 1 further comprising charging a sponsor for the listing in response to the trips that have been initiated in response to the listings listing.

30. The method of claim 1 where the price a service provider charges a business for the listing is based on the demographics of the user.

31. A method for providing navigation based advertising services comprising:

transmitting location-based listings from a service provider to a mobile navigation unit;

presenting the location-based listings to a user through the mobile navigation unit, where the user can select one or more of the location-based listings and initiate a trip to one or more destinations determined by the one or more selected listings;

monitoring the trip to the one or more destinations determined by the one or more selected listings by transmitting trip information from the mobile navigation unit to the service provider; and

pricing the one or more listings selected by the user in response to the trip information using a listing server programmed to price the one or more listings in response to the trip information.