Systems and methods for enabling access to digital content based on geographic locations visited by mobile device users

• US 10,565,619 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: McDevitt, Patrick, Hughes, Joseph, Szymanski, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekerman, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snider, Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/322,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enabling access to digital content based on geographic locations visited by mobile device users. One method includes receiving a promotion associated with premium digital content, access information, and one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible. The premium digital content includes restricted access content and the premium digital content is associated with open access content, determining one or more geo-fences based on the one or more locations, transmitting at least part of the promotion to one or more mobile devices, receiving a geographic location of the one or more mobile devices, determining whether the geographic location of the one or more mobile devices is within at least one of the one or more geo-fences, and transmitting, when the geographic location of the one or more mobile devices is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences, access information for the premium digital content to the one or more mobile devices within the one or more geo-fences.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling access to digital content based on geographic locations visited by a user associated with a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an advertiser server, a promotion associated with access to premium digital content and access information for the premium digital content, wherein the promotion includes one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible, wherein the promotion is associated with one or more tasks for the user to complete, wherein the premium digital content includes restricted access content, and wherein the premium digital content is associated with open access content;

determining, by the advertising server, one or more geo-fences based on the one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible;

transmitting, by the advertiser server, at least part of the promotion to the mobile device;

receiving, at a monitoring server, a geographic location of the mobile device;

determining, by the monitoring server, whether the geographic location of the mobile device is within at least one of the one or more geo-fences;

receiving an indication, at the monitoring server, that the user associated with the mobile device has completed the one or more tasks associated with the promotion;

transmitting by a content server, when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences, access information for the premium digital content to the mobile device within the one or more geo-fences, wherein the access information for the premium digital content is subsequently restricted when the mobile device is determined to be outside the one or more geo-fences; and

adjusting the value of the promotion associated with the premium digital content based on i) a determined number of other mobile device users within the one or more geo-fences and ii) on a loyalty program, wherein the loyalty program includes counting a number of visits the mobile device makes to the one or more geo-fences.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more conditions with the promotion that are associated with access to premium digital content, wherein the one or more conditions must be met to access the premium digital content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the one or more conditions are met,

wherein transmitting access information for the premium digital content to the mobile device within the one or more geo-fences including transmitting when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences and the one or more conditions are met.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting at least part of the promotion to the mobile device includes transmitting for display at least part of the promotion to the mobile device via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein upon determining the one or more conditions are met, receiving a geographic location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein upon determining the geographic location of the mobile device is within the one or more geo-fences, determining whether the one or more conditions are met.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is repeatedly received until the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined not to be within the one or more geo-fences, a notification for display to the mobile device including a location of one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a geo-fence of the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content that is a shortest distance from the geographic location of the mobile device; and

transmitting, for display to the mobile device, directions to the geo-fence of the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content that is the shortest distance from the geographic location of the mobile device.

10. A system for enabling access to digital content based on geographic locations visited by a user associated with a mobile device, the system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to;

receive, at an advertiser server, a promotion associated with access to premium digital content and access information for the premium digital content, wherein the promotion includes one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible, wherein the promotion is associated with one or more tasks for the user to complete, wherein the premium digital content includes restricted access content, and wherein the premium digital content is associated with open access content;

determine, by the advertiser server, one or more geo-fences based on the one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible;

transmit, by the advertiser server, at least part of the promotion to the mobile device;

receive, at a monitoring server, a geographic location of the mobile device;

determine, by the monitoring server, whether the geographic location of the mobile device is within at least one of the one or more geo-fences;

receive an indication, at the monitoring server, that the user associated with the mobile device has completed the one or more tasks associated with the promotion;

transmit by a content server, when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences, access information for the premium digital content to the mobile device within the one or more geo-fences, wherein the access information for the premium digital content is subsequently restricted when the mobile device is determined to be outside the one or more geo-fences; and

adjusting the value of the promotion associated with the premium digital content based on i) a determined number of other mobile device users within the one or more geo-fences and ii) on a loyalty program, wherein the loyalty program includes counting a number of visits the mobile device makes to the one or more geo-fences.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

receive one or more conditions with the promotion that are associated with access to premium digital content, wherein the one or more conditions must be met to access the premium digital content.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

determine whether the one or more conditions are met,

wherein transmitting access information for the premium digital content to the one or more mobile devices within the one or more geo-fences including transmitting when the geographic location of the one or more mobile devices is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences and the one or more conditions are met.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the function to transmit at least part of the promotion to the mobile device includes the function to transmit for display at least part of the promotion to the mobile device via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

upon determining the one or more conditions are met, perform the function to receive a geographic location of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein, the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

upon determining the geographic location of the mobile device is within the one or more geo-fences, perform the function to determine whether the one or more conditions are met.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the function to receive a geographic location of the mobile device is repeated until the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

transmit, when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined not to be within the one or more geo-fences, a notification for display to the mobile device including a location of one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

determine a geo-fence of the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content that is a shortest distance from the geographic location of the mobile device; and

transmit, for display to the mobile device, directions to the geo-fence of the one or more geo-fences associated with the premium digital content that is the shortest distance from the geographic location of the mobile device.

19. A computer readable medium for enabling access to digital content based on geographic locations visited by a user associated with a mobile device that stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform functions to:

receive, at an advertiser server, a promotion associated with access to premium digital content and access information for the premium digital content, wherein the promotion includes one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible, wherein the promotion is associated with one or more tasks for the user to complete, wherein the premium digital content includes restricted access content, and wherein the premium digital content is associated with open access content;

determine, by the advertiser server, one or more geo-fences based on the one or more locations in which the premium digital content is accessible;

transmit, by the advertiser server, at least part of the promotion to the mobile device;

receive, at a monitoring server, a geographic location of the mobile device;

determine, by the monitoring server, whether the geographic location of the mobile device is within at least one of the one or more geo-fences;

receive an indication, at the monitoring server, that the user associated with the mobile device has completed the one or more tasks associated with the promotion;

transmit by a content server, when the geographic location of the mobile device is determined to be within the one or more geo-fences, access information for the premium digital content to the mobile device within the one or more geo-fences, wherein the access information for the premium digital content is subsequently restricted when the mobile device is determined to be outside the one or more geo-fences; and

adjusting the value of the promotion associated with the premium digital content based on i) a determined number of other mobile device users within the one or more geo-fences and ii) on a loyalty program, wherein the loyalty program includes counting a number of visits the mobile device makes to the one or more geo-fences.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 further stores instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform functions to:

receive one or more conditions with the promotion that are associated with access to premium digital content, wherein the one or more conditions must be met to access the premium digital content.