Location enhanced information delivery system

• US 6,571,279 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fred HERZ Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Pinpoint Incorporated (Altitude Capital Partners)
• Inventors: Parkes, David C., Smith, Jonathan M., Herz, Fredrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/314,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/203, 709/201, 709/217, 709/224, 709/226, 709/229, 709/202, 709/219, 709/225, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The Location Enhanced Information Deliver System Architecture (LEIA) customizes the information that is displayed to an information recipient based on optimizing a match between information purveyors, such as advertisers, and the information recipients who are local to an information delivery system. The present location enhanced information delivery system presents the information most suited to the real current audience, as measured by location information systems, rather than to a static predicted audience. While the preferred embodiment discloses a beaconing-style wireless technology, the system concept is easily extensible both to other location-information systems, such as license-plate scanning with cameras, and to utilizing the location-information for private displays of information in addition to public displays of information.

Claims

1. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for automatically determining a user profile for each of a plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) means for determining a presence of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) means for determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information; and

(d) means for modifying said information as a function of said determined identity and associated user profiles of said potential information recipients.

2. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 1 wherein said means for determining a presence comprises:

means for establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

3. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 2 wherein said means for determining a presence further comprises:

means for retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal devices.

4. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 3 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to said location identifier, for associating said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

5. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 4 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said use identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

6. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 5 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said user profiles of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

7. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 6 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

8. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 1 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said information in said vicinity of said information server, for generating a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

9. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 8 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said user identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said potential information recipient.

10. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 1 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

11. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 10 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

12. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 2 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

13. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 12 wherein said means for prefetching comprises:

means for producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

means for providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritizing information segments of said selected data item.

14. A method for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically determining a user profile for each of a plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) determining a presence of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information; and

(d) modifying said information as a function of said determined identity and associated user profiles of said potential information recipients.

15. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 14 wherein said step of determining a presence comprises:

establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

16. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 15 wherein said step of determining a presence further comprises:

retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal devices in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal device.

17. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 16 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

associating, in response to said location identifier, said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

18. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 17 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

19. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 18 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said user profile of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

20. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 19 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

21. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 14 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

generating, in response to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said vicinity of said information server, a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

22. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 21 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier, said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristic of said potential information recipient.

23. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 14 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

24. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 23 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

25. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 15 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

26. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 25 wherein said step of prefetching comprises:

producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritized information segments of said selected data item.

27. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for automatically determining a user profile for each of plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) means for determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) means for determining an identity of each of said information recipients;

(d) means for determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients utilizing said user profiles; and

(e) means for delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile.

28. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 27 wherein said means for delivering information includes:

means for pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

29. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 28 wherein said means for delivering information further includes:

means for providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.

30. A method of customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically determining a user profile for each of said plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) determining an identity of each of said information;

(d) determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients; and

(e) delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile.

31. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 30 wherein said step of delivering information includes:

pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

32. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 31 wherein said step of delivering information further includes:

providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.

33. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for profiling each of a plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) means for determining a presence of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) means for determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information and retrieving associated profiles; and

(d) means for modifying said information as a function of a plurality of profiles of said potential information recipients.

34. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 33 wherein said means for determining a presence comprises:

means for establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

35. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 34 wherein said means for determining a presence further comprises:

means for retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal devices.

36. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 35 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to said location identifier, for associating said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

37. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 36 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said use identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

38. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 37 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said user profiles of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

39. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 38 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

40. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 33 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said information in said vicinity of said information server, for generating a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

41. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 40 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said user identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said potential information recipient.

42. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 33 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

43. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 42 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

44. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 34 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

45. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 44 wherein said means for prefetching comprises:

means for producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

means for providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritizing information segments of said selected data item.

46. A method for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) profiling each of a plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) determining a presence of a plurality of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information and retrieving associated profiles; and

(d) modifying said information as a function of a plurality of profiles of said potential information recipients.

47. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 46 wherein said step of determining a presence comprises:

establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

48. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 47 wherein said step of determining a presence further comprises:

retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal devices in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal device.

49. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 48 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

associating, in response to said location identifier, said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

50. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 49 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

51. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 50 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said user profile of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

52. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 51 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

53. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 46 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

generating, in response to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said vicinity of said information server, a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

54. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 53 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier, said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristic of said potential information recipient.

55. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 46 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

56. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 55 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

57. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 47 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

58. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 57 wherein said step of prefetching comprises:

producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritized information segments of said selected data item.

59. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for automatically determining a user profile for each of plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) means for determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) means for determining an identity of each of said information recipients;

(d) means for determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients utilizing said user profiles; and

(e) means for delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile.

60. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 59 wherein said means for delivering information includes:

means for pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

61. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 60 wherein said means for delivering information further includes:

means for providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.

62. A method of customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining automatically a user profile for each of said plurality of potential information recipients;

(b) determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(c) determining an identity of each of said information;

(d) determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients; and

(e) delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile.

63. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 62 wherein said step of delivering information includes:

pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

64. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 63 wherein said step of delivering information further includes:

providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.

65. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for determining a presence of a plurality of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(b) means for determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information;

(c) means for modifying said information as a function of said determined identity and associated user profiles of said plurality of potential information recipients;

(d) means for displaying said information on a display system which is commonly available to said plurality of potential information recipients.

66. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 65 wherein said means for determining a presence comprises:

means for establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

67. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 66 wherein said means for determining a presence further comprises:

means for retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal devices.

68. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 67 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to said location identifier, for associating said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

69. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 68 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said use identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

70. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 69 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said user profiles of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

71. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 70 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

72. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 65 wherein said means for determining an identity comprises:

means, responsive to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said information in said vicinity of said information server, for generating a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

73. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 72 wherein said means for determining an identity further comprises:

means, responsive to said user identifier, for associating said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said potential information recipient.

74. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 65 wherein said means for modifying said information comprises:

means, responsive to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, for identifying an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

75. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 74 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

76. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 66 wherein said means for modifying said information further comprises:

means for prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

77. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 76 wherein said means for prefetching comprises:

means for producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

means for providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritizing information segments of said selected data item.

78. A method for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a presence of a plurality of potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server;

(b) determining an identity of said potential information recipients of said information;

(c) modifying said information as a function of said determined identity and associated user profiles of said potential information recipients; and

(d) displaying said information on a display system which is commonly available to said plurality of potential information recipients.

79. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 78 wherein said step of determining a presence comprises:

establishing a wireless communication connection to a user terminal device in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server.

80. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 79 wherein said step of determining a presence further comprises:

retrieving a location identifier from said user terminal devices in the possession of said potential information recipients of said information in said vicinity of said information server, wherein said location identifier is unique to said user terminal device.

81. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 80 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

associating, in response to said location identifier, said location identifier with a user identifier that uniquely identifies said user.

82. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 81 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristics of said user.

83. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 82 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said user profile of said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

84. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 83 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

85. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 78 wherein said step of determining an identity comprises:

generating, in response to determining a presence of a potential information recipient of said information in said vicinity of said information server, a user identifier that uniquely identifies said potential information recipient.

86. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 85 wherein said step of determining an identity further comprises:

associating, in response to said user identifier, said user identifier with a user profile that identifies predetermined characteristic of said potential information recipient.

87. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 78 wherein said step of modifying said information comprises:

identifying, in response to said determined identity of said potential information recipients, an appropriate set of information to be displayed to said potential information recipients.

88. The method of customizing the delivery of information of claim 87 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

transmitting said identified appropriate set of information to said potential information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server.

89. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 79 wherein said step of modifying said information further comprises:

prefetching said information to said information server from at least one data source where said information is stored.

90. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 89 wherein said step of prefetching comprises:

producing a prioritized plurality of information segments from each of a plurality of data items which are available from said at least one data source; and

providing data to said user terminal device, identifying a selected data item by a first of said prioritized information segments of said selected data item.

91. A system for customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising:

(a) means for determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(b) means for determining an identity of each of said information recipients;

(c) means for determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients utilizing said user profiles; and

(d) means for delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile; and

(e) means for displaying said information on a display system which is commonly available to said plurality of potential information recipients.

92. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 91 wherein said means for delivering information includes:

means for pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

93. The system for customizing the delivery of information of claim 92 wherein said means for delivering information further includes:

means for providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.

94. A method of customizing the delivery of information by an information server to a plurality of information recipients, wherein said information server transmits said information to information recipients who are located within a predetermined vicinity of said information server, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a population of said information recipients in said vicinity of said information server;

(b) determining an identity of each of said information;

(c) determining a composite user profile for said population of information recipients;

(d) delivering information that is a function of said composite user profile; and

(e) displaying said information on a display system which is commonly available to said plurality of potential information recipients.

95. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 94 wherein said step of delivering information includes:

pricing delivery of said information based on bids received from information purveyors.

96. The method for customizing the delivery of information of claim 95 wherein said step of delivering information further includes:

providing said composite user profile to said information purveyors.