Method and system for geographically-based and time-based online advertising

• US 20070165050A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDELIX Software Inc. (Lat49 Media Inc.)
• Inventors: Baar, David
• Application Number:
  US11/593,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method for generating a presentation of an advertisement image for display on a display screen, comprising: subdividing a map image into a plurality of geographic regions; associating the advertisement image with a region-of-interest, the region-of-interest being one of the plurality of geographic regions; receiving a signal selecting the region-of-interest; and, applying a lens to the map image to produce the presentation, the lens having a focal region with a magnification for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region where the magnification diminishes to that of the map image, the presentation including a view of the advertisement image.

Claims

1. A method for generating a presentation of an advertisement image for display on a display screen, comprising:

subdividing a map image into a plurality of geographic regions;

associating the advertisement image with a region-of-interest, the region-of-interest being one of the plurality of geographic regions;

receiving a signal selecting the region-of-interest; and

,

applying a lens to the map image to produce the presentation, the lens having a focal region with a magnification for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region where the magnification diminishes to that of the map image, the presentation including a view of the advertisement image.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising displaying the presentation on the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the lens is an inset magnifier having a focal region but no shoulder region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the view of the advertisement image is a window for the advertisement image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the window for the advertisement image is presented adjacent to a window for the map image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the view of the advertisement image is presented over a portion of the map image.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the portion of the map image is adjacent to the lens.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the view of the advertisement image is presented within the lens.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying includes displacing the map image onto the lens to produce a displaced image and projecting the displaced image onto a plane in a direction aligned with a viewpoint for the region-of-interest.

10. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving one or more signals to adjust the focal region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the focal region, a shape of the focal region, and the magnification.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a scale of the map image is adjustable and wherein content of the advertisement image changes when the scale is adjusted.

12. A method for generating a presentation of an advertisement image for display on a display screen, comprising:

subdividing a map image into a plurality of geographic regions;

associating the advertisement image with a region-of-interest, the region-of-interest being one of the plurality of geographic regions;

receiving a signal selecting the region-of-interest; and

,

combining a first view of the map image and a second view of the advertisement to produce the presentation.

13. The method of claim 12 and further comprising displaying the presentation on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first view is a first window for the map image and the second view is a second window for the advertisement image.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second window for the advertisement image is presented adjacent to the first window for the map image.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the second view of the advertisement image is presented over a portion of the map image in the first view.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the portion of the map image is adjacent to the region-of-interest.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the second view of the advertisement image is presented within the region-of-interest.

19. The method of claim 12 and further comprising applying a lens to the map image to produce the second view, the lens having a focal region with a magnification for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region where the magnification diminishes to that of the map image.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the lens is an inset magnifier having a focal region but no shoulder region.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the applying includes displacing the map image onto the lens to produce a displaced image and projecting the displaced image onto a plane in a direction aligned with a viewpoint for the region-of-interest.

22. The method of claim 19 and further comprising receiving one or more signals to adjust the focal region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the focal region, a shape of the focal region, and the magnification.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein a scale of the map image is adjustable and wherein content of the advertisement image changes when the scale is adjusted.

24. A method for distributing rights to include an advertisement image with a map image for display on a display screen, comprising:

subdividing the map image into a plurality of geographic regions;

receiving an offer to purchase rights to associate the advertisement image with a region-of-interest, the region-of-interest being one of the plurality of geographic regions; and

,

if the offer is acceptable, associating the advertisement image with the region-of-interest;

wherein when the map image is presented on the display screen and when the region-of-interest is selected, the advertisement image is combined with the map image to produce a presentation for display on the display screen.

25. The method of claim 24 and further comprising establishing a price for the rights to associate the advertisement image with the region-of-interest.

26. The method of claim 25 and further comprising determining the price based on popularity of the region-of-interest.

27. The method of claim 26 and further comprising determining the popularity of the region-of-interest from a distance from a predetermined location in the map image.

28. The method of claim 27 where the predetermined location includes one or more of a city, a state, a country, and a continent.

29. The method of claim 25 and further comprising determining the price based on a time period when the presentation is to be displayed.

30. The method of claim 25 and further comprising determining the price based on a scale at which the presentation is to be displayed.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the offer is received through an auction.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the auction is an online auction.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the presentation is displayed on the display screen.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the presentation is produced by combining a first view of the map image and a second view of the advertisement.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the first view is a first window for the map image and the second view is a second window for the advertisement image.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the second window for the advertisement image is presented adjacent to the first window for the map image.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the second view of the advertisement image is presented over a portion of the map image in the first view.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the portion of the map image is adjacent to the region-of-interest.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the second view of the advertisement image is presented within the region-of-interest.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the second view is produced by applying a lens to the map image, the lens having a focal region with a magnification for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region where the magnification diminishes to that of the map image.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the lens is an inset magnifier having a focal region but no shoulder region.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the applying includes displacing the map image onto the lens to produce a displaced image and projecting the displaced image onto a plane in a direction aligned with a viewpoint for the region-of-interest.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the focal region is adjusted by receiving one or more signals to adjust the focal region through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) having means for adjusting at least one of a size of the focal region, a shape of the focal region, and the magnification.

44. The method of claim 24 wherein a scale of the map image is adjustable and wherein content of the advertisement image changes when the scale is adjusted.