Ad payment for physical presence

• US 9,418,366 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mayers, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US11/694,600
• Time in Patent Office: 3,427 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 705/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of determining reaction to promotional items includes providing to a mobile device a promotional item associated with a geographic location, determining whether the mobile device is proximate to the geographic location, and charging an advertising account if the mobile device is proximate to the geographic location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data from a mobile device, the data identifying a first geographic location;

providing, to the mobile device, a promotional item based on the first geographic location, the promotional item being associated with a second geographic location;

determining that, as a result of a user of the mobile device selecting a representation of the promotional item, a navigational component of the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location;

in direct response to determining that the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, assigning a billing amount because the navigational component of the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, wherein the assigning is performed independent of whether the user navigates toward or visits the second geographic location; and

causing an advertising account to be charged the billing amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geographical location comprises a region defined as a circle having a centerpoint and a radius or diameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic location is a location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a vehicle navigation system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional item is provided in response to a query by the user of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the directions to the second geographic location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the device and providing the promotional item in response to the request, wherein the promotional item has a content relating to content of the request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the mobile device generated the directions to the second geographic location within a determined time window after the promotional item was provided, and charging the advertising account based on the determining.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing updated promotional items to the mobile device as the mobile device is determined to have moved geographically, the updated promotional items corresponding to a current location of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the billing amount comprises determining a distance between the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the promotional item to the mobile device includes providing a branded icon to appear in the second geographic location on a map displayed by the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to the mobile device and with the promotional item, an arrival code; and

receiving the arrival code from the mobile device,

wherein the billing amount is assigned based on receiving the arrival code.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second geographic location is within a threshold distance of the first geographic location; and

selecting the promotional item to provide to the mobile device in response to determining that the second geographic location is within the threshold distance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a billing amount occurs when the mobile device actually arrives at the second geographic location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a billing amount occurs before the mobile device arrives at the second geographic location.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a billing amount because the navigational component of the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location comprises:

assigning a billing amount only because the navigational component of the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

17. A system comprising:

a database storing a plurality of promotional items having associated geographic locations;

an advertising server that selects one or more promotional items in response to a request, wherein the promotional items are selected based on the content of the request and a geographic location associated with the request;

a navigation system adapted to present a promotional item selected by the advertising server and then generate directions for the user to follow to travel to a geographic location associated with the promotional item in response to the user selecting the promotional item; and

a billing engine adapted to, in direct response to the navigation system presenting the promotional item and then generating directions for the user to follow to travel to a geographic location associated with the promotional item, bill an entity associated with a promotional item because the navigation system presented the promotional item and then generated directions for the user to follow to travel to the geographic location associated with the promotional item, wherein the billing is performed independent of whether the user navigates toward or visits the second geographic location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic locations are expressed as latitude/longitude pairs.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the promotional items is associated with a plurality of geographic locations.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the billing engine is adapted to bill the entity associated with the one or more promotional items associated with a plurality of geographic locations if the navigation system generates directions to any of the geographic locations in response to a user selecting the one or more promotional items.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the geographic location associated with the request comprises a location of a user of the navigation system.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a mapping server configured to provide directions to a geographic location associated with a promotional item in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the promotional item.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the billing engine is adapted to bill an entity associated with a promotional item if the navigation system presents the promotional item and then generate directions to a geographic location associated with the promotional item, when the navigation system actually arrives at the geographic location.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the billing engine is adapted to bill an entity associated with a promotional item if the navigation system presents the promotional item and then generate directions to a geographic location associated with the promotional item, before the navigation system actually arrives at the geographic location.

25. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing an advertisement for presentation by a mobile electronic device;

sensing that the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel to a location associated with the advertisement in response to the user selecting the advertisement; and

in direct response to sensing that the mobile device has generated directions for the user to follow to travel to the location associated with the advertisement, billing a sponsor of the advertisement because the mobile device generated directions for the user to follow to travel to the location associated with the advertisement, wherein the billing is performed independent of whether the user navigates toward or visits the second geographic location,

wherein the sponsor is billed an amount that is selected from multiple possible amounts to bill for presenting the advertisement based on how the user is determined to have responded to the advertisement, the possible amounts including a first amount billed if the mobile device is not determined to have arrived at the location and a second different amount billed if the mobile device is determined to have arrived at the location.