System for targeting location-based communications

• US 9,099,080 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Muzak LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Muzak LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Courtney, Gordon Howard III, Hammond, Russell John, McAliley, James Hodges
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US13/933,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing targeted location-based communications. An exemplary apparatus is configured to receive an encoded signal, decode the encoded signal such that embedded data is retrieved, send the embedded data a remote server; and receive a message based at least partially on sending the embedded data. Another exemplary apparatus is configured to provide the encoded signal by receiving data input, receiving a host signal, embedding the data input within the host signal such that an encoded signal is generated, and transmitting the encoded signal. A third exemplary apparatus is configured to provide the targeted communications by storing one or more messages associated with an entity, receiving data, selecting at least one of the one or more messages based at least partially on the data received, and sending the at least one of the one or more messages selected.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting a selected message from a message server to a mobile device of a user present within an audio signal broadcast area by transmitting an audio signal in the broadcast area that includes encoded data indicating a location of the message in the message server and transmitting the message from the message server to the mobile device based on the mobile device of the user decoding the encoded data from the audio signal and transmitting the encoded data to the message server to request the selected message, the system comprising:

a searchable database comprising one or more messages stored at respective storage locations in said searchable database;

a message server in communication with said searchable database and configured for storing in and retrieving messages from said searchable database;

a content management server in communication with the message server and configured to store one or more instructions associated with a message stored in said searchable database, where the instructions comprise information for encoding an audio signal with embedded data indicating the storage location of a message in said searchable database, wherein the embedded data is recognizable only by mobile devices running a decoding application where the decoding application is configured to decode the embedded data from the signal and transmit the decoded embedded data indicating the storage location of the message from the mobile device to the message server;

at least one encoding device in communication with said content management server configured to use the instructions stored in the content management server to generate an encoded signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the message stored in said searchable database;

at least one audio broadcast device in communication with said at least one encoding device and configured to broadcast, in the audio signal broadcast area, the audio signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the selected message stored in said searchable database; and

wherein the message server is further configured to;

receive a return signal transmitted by at least one mobile device carried by at least one user located in the audio signal broadcast area in response to the at least one mobile device identifying and decoding the embedded data from the encoded signal transmitted by said audio broadcast device using the decoding application, wherein the return signal from the mobile device includes the decoded embedded data that indicates the storage location of the message in the searchable database;

select the message associated with the storage location of the searchable database indicated in the return signal; and

send the selected message to the at least one mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the users are present in at least one location of a plurality of locations;

the one or more messages are associated with a messaging campaign of a third party entity in a searchable database based on instructions received from the third party entity through a messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the message server;

the at least one encoding device is maintained by a media distribution entity to generate at least one encoded signal comprising the embedded data and based at least in part on instructions from the content management server; and

wherein the system further comprises;

a plurality of broadcast devices, maintained by the media distribution entity, to broadcast the at least one encoded signal proximate at least one of the plurality of locations based at least in part on instructions from the content management server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the content management server comprises the message server.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the third party entity comprises a product supplier that supplies at least one product to the at least one location and the selected at least one message is associated with the at least one product.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the media distribution entity manages a media distribution network comprising the plurality of broadcast devices and the at least one encoding device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of a plurality of encoding devices is operably connected to each of the plurality of broadcast devices and wherein each encoding device generates at least one encoded signal based at least in part on instructions from the content management server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the third party entity through the messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the content management server.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the media distribution entity through a media distribution interface operatively connected with the content management server.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one encoding device is further configured to use the instructions stored in the content management server to generate the encoded signal using a layered spread spectrum configuration whereby multiple bits of the embedded data are encoded within a single frame of the audio signal.

10. A computer program product for transmitting a selected message from a message server to a mobile device of a user present within an audio signal broadcast area by transmitting an audio signal in the broadcast area that includes encoded data indicating a location of the message in the message server and transmitting the message from the message server to the mobile device based on the mobile device of the user decoding the encoded data from the audio signal and transmitting the encoded data to the message server to request the selected message, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to;

store one or more messages, by a message server on a searchable database each at respective storage locations in said searchable database, wherein the messages are associated with a messaging campaign of a third party entity in the searchable database based on instructions received from the third party entity through a messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the message server;

store one or more instructions, by a content management server in communication with the message server, wherein the instructions are associated with a message stored in said searchable database and associated with the messaging campaign of the third party entity, wherein the instructions comprise information for encoding an audio signal with embedded data indicating the storage location of a message in said searchable database, wherein the embedded data is recognizable only by mobile devices running a decoding application where the decoding application is configured to decode the embedded data from the signal and transmit the decoded embedded data indicating the storage location of the message from the mobile device to the message server;

generate, by at least one encoding device maintained by a media distribution entity and in contact with said content management server and using the instructions stored in the content management server, an encoded signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the message stored in said searchable database;

broadcast in the audio signal broadcast area, by at least one audio broadcast device maintained by the media distribution entity and in communication with said at least one encoding device, the audio signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the selected message stored in said searchable database;

receive, by the message server, a return signal transmitted by at least one mobile device carried by at least one user located in the audio signal broadcast area in response to the at least one mobile device identifying and decoding the embedded data from the encoded signal transmitted by said audio broadcast device using the decoding application, wherein the return signal from the mobile device includes the decoded embedded data that indicates the storage location of the message in the searchable database;

select, by the message server, the message associated with the storage location of the searchable database indicated in the return signal; and

send, by the message server, the selected message to the at least one mobile device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the message server comprises the content management server or the content management server comprises the message server.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the third party entity comprises a product supplier that supplies at least one product to the at least one location and the selected at least one message is associated with the at least one product.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the media distribution entity manages a media distribution network comprising the plurality of broadcast devices and the at least one encoding device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein at least one of a plurality of encoding devices is operably connected to each of the plurality of broadcast devices and wherein each encoding device generates at least one encoded signal based at least in part on instructions from the content management server.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the third party entity through the messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the content management server.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the media distribution entity through a media distribution interface operatively connected with the content management server.

17. A method for transmitting a selected message from a message server to a mobile device of a user present within an audio signal broadcast area by transmitting an audio signal in the broadcast area that includes encoded data indicating a location of the message in the message server and transmitting the message from the message server to the mobile device based on the mobile device of the user decoding the encoded data from the audio signal and transmitting the encoded data to the message server to request the selected message, the method comprising:

storing one or more messages, by a message server on a searchable database each at respective storage locations in said searchable database, wherein the messages are associated with a messaging campaign of a third party entity in the searchable database based on instructions received from the third party entity through a messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the message server;

storing one or more instructions, by a content management server in communication with the message server, wherein the instructions are associated with a message stored in said searchable database and associated with the messaging campaign of the third party entity, wherein the instructions comprise information for encoding an audio signal with embedded data indicating the storage location of a message in said searchable database, wherein the embedded data is recognizable only by mobile devices running a decoding application where the decoding application is configured to decode the embedded data from the signal and transmit the decoded embedded data indicating the storage location of the message from the mobile device to the message server;

generating, by at least one encoding device maintained by a media distribution entity and in contact with said content management server and using the instructions stored in the content management server, an encoded signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the message stored in said searchable database;

broadcasting, in the audio signal broadcast area, by at least one audio broadcast device maintained by the media distribution entity and in communication with said at least one encoding device, the audio signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the selected message stored in said searchable database;

receiving, by the message server, a return signal transmitted by at least one mobile device carried by at least one user located in the audio signal broadcast area in response to the at least one mobile device identifying and decoding the embedded data from the encoded signal transmitted by said audio broadcast device using the decoding application, wherein the return signal from the mobile device includes the decoded embedded data that indicates the storage location of the message in the searchable database;

selecting, by the message server, the message associated with the storage location of the searchable database indicated in the return signal; and

sending, by the message server, the selected message to the at least one mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message server comprises the content management server or the content management server comprises the message server.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the third party entity comprises a product supplier that supplies at least one product to the at least one location and the selected at least one message is associated with the at least one product.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the media distribution entity manages a media distribution network comprising the plurality of broadcast devices and the at least one encoding device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of a plurality of encoding devices is operably connected to each of the plurality of broadcast devices and wherein each encoding device generates at least one encoded signal based at least in part on instructions from the content management server.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the third party entity through the messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the content management server.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the instructions from the content management server are received by the content management server from the media distribution entity through a media distribution interface operatively connected with the content management server.

24. A system for transmitting a selected message from a message server to a mobile device of a user present within an audio signal broadcast area by transmitting an audio signal in the broadcast area that includes encoded data indicating a location of the message in the message server and transmitting the message from the message server to the mobile device based on the mobile device of the user decoding the encoded data from the audio signal and transmitting the encoded data to the message server to request the selected message, the system comprising:

a searchable database comprising one or more messages stored at respective storage locations in said searchable database;

a message server in communication with said searchable database and configured for storing in and retrieving messages from said searchable database based on instructions received from the third party entity through a messaging campaign interface operatively connected with the message server;

a content management server in communication with the message server and configured to store one or more instructions associated with a message stored in said searchable database and associated with the messaging campaign of the third party entity, where the instructions comprise information for encoding an audio signal with embedded data indicating the storage location of a message in said searchable database, wherein the embedded data is recognizable only by mobile devices running a decoding application where the decoding application is configured to decode the embedded data from the signal and transmit the decoded embedded data indicating the storage location of the message from the mobile device to the message server;

at least one encoding device, maintained by a media distribution entity and in communication with said content management server, configured to use the instructions stored in the content management server to generate an encoded signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the message stored in said searchable database;

at least one audio broadcast device, maintained by the media distribution entity and in communication with said at least one encoding device, configured to broadcast, in the audio signal broadcast area, an audio signal encoded with embedded data indicating the storage location of the selected message stored in said searchable database;

a mobile device application running on at least one mobile device carried by a user in the selected location, the mobile device application configured to decode the encoded signal to determine the embedded data and communicate a return signal indicating the storage location of the message in the searchable database associated with the decoded embedded data; and

wherein the message server is further configured to;

receive a return signal transmitted by the at least one mobile device located in the audio signal broadcast area in response to the at least one mobile device identifying and decoding the embedded data from the encoded signal transmitted by said audio broadcast device using the decoding application, wherein the return signal from the mobile device includes the decoded embedded data that indicates the storage location of the message in the searchable database;

select the message associated with the storage location of the searchable database indicated in the return signal; and

send the selected message to the mobile device application running on the at least one mobile device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the mobile device application comprises an application maintained by the third party entity.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the mobile device application comprises an application maintained by a second third party entity without access to the messaging campaign interface or the one or more messages associated with the messaging campaign of the third party entity.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the mobile device application further comprises a decoding application comprising a decoding key for use in decoding the at least one encoded signal, the decoding application provided by the media distribution entity to the second third party entity for integration with the application of the second third party entity;

and

wherein the media distribution entity manages access by the third party to the messaging campaign by associating the third party with an administrator role; and

wherein the administrator role is configured for providing access to the managing campaign using the messaging campaign interface.