Interactive Advertising Using Proximity Events

• US 20140143060A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netclearance Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netclearance Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Fernandez, David
• Granted Patent: US 11,037,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A proximity sensor adapted to collect consumer location information is described. The proximity sensor includes: a detection module adapted to detect a user device within a threshold distance of the proximity sensor; a receiver adapted to collect data regarding the user device; and a communication interface adapted to allow the proximity sensor to send the collected data to a remote server. An advertising system includes: an advertising medium adapted to provide interactive advertising content to users via a multimedia output; a proximity sensor adapted to detect and communicate with user devices that pass within a threshold distance of the advertising medium; and a remote server adapted to communicate with the proximity sensor and to provide advertising content to the advertising medium. An interactive advertising device includes: a proximity sensor; and a display element adapted to display an advertising content element from among a set of advertising content elements.

Claims

1. A proximity sensor adapted to collect consumer location information, the proximity sensor comprising:

a detection module adapted to detect a user device within a threshold distance of the proximity sensor;

a receiver adapted to collect data regarding the user device; and

a communication interface adapted to allow the proximity sensor to send the collected data to a remote server.

2. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the detection module comprises elements adapted to receive a Bluetooth signal.

3. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises elements adapted to connect to a WiFi network.

4. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is associated with an advertising medium.

5. The proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is associated with a particular location.

6. The proximity sensor of claim 1 further comprising a transmitter adapted to transmit a beacon signal that includes a sensor identifier associated with the proximity sensor.

7. The proximity sensor of claim 6, wherein the beacon signal comprises a Bluetooth signal.

8. An advertising system comprising:

an advertising medium adapted to provide interactive advertising content to users via a multimedia output;

a proximity sensor adapted to detect and communicate with user devices that pass within a threshold distance of the advertising medium; and

a remote server adapted to communicate with the proximity sensor and to provide advertising content to the advertising medium.

9. The advertising system of claim 8, wherein the multimedia output comprises a video display and the advertising content comprises video content.

10. The advertising system of claim 8, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a communications interface that is adapted to communicate over at least one of a Bluetooth link and a WiFi connection.

11. The advertising system of claim 8, wherein the proximity sensor is adapted to transmit a beacon signal comprising a sensor identifier.

12. The advertising system of claim 11, wherein the remote server is adapted to determine a location of the proximity sensor based at least partly on the sensor identifier.

13. The advertising system of claim 8, wherein the remote server is further adapted to send targeted advertising content to the user device.

14. The advertising system of claim 13, wherein the targeted advertising content is based at least partly on the advertising content provided by the advertising medium.

15. An interactive advertising device comprising:

a proximity sensor adapted to detect and communicate with user devices that pass within a threshold distance of the advertising display; and

a display element adapted to display an advertising content element from among a set of advertising content elements.

16. The interactive advertising device of claim 15, wherein the interactive advertising device selects the advertising content element to display based at least partly on information associated with at least one user device within the threshold distance of the advertising display.

17. The interactive advertising device of claim 15, wherein the proximity sensor is adapted to transmit a beacon signal comprising a sensor identifier.

18. The interactive advertising device of claim 17, wherein the beacon signal is able to be received by at least one user device that passes within a transmission distance of the beacon signal.

19. The interactive advertising device of claim 17, wherein the beacon signal is a Bluetooth signal.

20. The interactive advertising device of claim 15, wherein the interactive advertising device selects the advertising content element to display based at least partly on information received from a remote server.