In-vehicle promotions system

• US 7,426,480 B2
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Eric N., Granger, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NGA B
• Application Number:
  US09/373,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,322 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/14, 705/27, 340/691.6, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 455/414, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/213
• US Class Current: 705/14.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

An in-vehicle promotions system and a method for distributing promotions information. A system is installed in a vehicle able to display promotions information from stores or other businesses subscribing to the system. When the vehicle is driven within a certain proximity of the store, the promotions information, which may include coupons, is automatically displayed. The system may also include a printer for printing the promotions or other information either on demand or automatically. The position of the vehicle may be monitored with a GPS or Loran receiver and the promotions information displayed when the system finds the position of the vehicle to be within a defined range of a store with which the promotions information is associated. The store may also transmit the coupon information which is received by the in-vehicle system when the vehicle comes within a defined transmitting range of the store.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle promotions system installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a position receiver configured to provide automatically detected position data for said vehicle thereby monitoring a position of said vehicle in relation to a commercial entity;

a controller connected to said receiver;

a wireless communications device connected to said controller and configured to transmit identity information identifying a person associated with said vehicle and to receive promotional information targeted for said person based on a purchase history of said person; and

an interior display configured to be installed in an interior of said vehicle and connected to said controller,

wherein said controller automatically outputs said promotional information to said interior display based on said position data indicating that said vehicle is in a predetermined position in relation to said commercial entity.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising a printer connected to said controller.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver comprises one of a GPS receiver and a Loran receiver.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communications device comprises one of a radio modem, a cellular modem and paging transceiver.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

a memory connected to said controller having a lookup table linking a position of said vehicle with a storage location of promotions information.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, comprising:

means for updating said memory.

7. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein:

said memory comprises a promotions information storage area.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said display comprises touch command areas for controlling display and printing of promotions information displayed on said display.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone with promotions information; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said zone based upon said vehicle entering said zone.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone proximate to a store with promotions information associated with said store.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, comprising:

said controller displaying said promotions information associated with said zone only after said vehicle enters said zone.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking promotions information with a business entity; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said business entity based upon a user request for information related to said business entity.

13. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing information linking a zone with promotions information; and

said controller retrieving said promotions information associated with said zone based upon a user request for information related to said business entity.

14. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein

said promotions information including coupon information.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein said display includes means for activating printing of a coupon information using said printer.

16. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises means for logging activity related to display of said promotions information.

17. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a store system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device, said store system comprising:

a second wireless communications device;

a store controller connected to said second wireless communications device; and

said store controller providing automatic promotional benefits to said vehicle.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein said controller is further adapted to communicate to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

19. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a host system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device, said host system comprising:

a second controller;

a second wireless communications device connected to said second controller; and

a promotions information storage device connected to said second controller.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein:

said receiver is adapted to output a position of said vehicle to said controller;

said controller comprises means for retrieving promotions information from said host system based upon said position.

21. A system as recited in claim 19, comprising:

a memory connected to said controller storing information linking position and a storage location of corresponding promotions information;

said controller comprises means for automatically retrieving from said host system updated information linking said position and said location of corresponding promotions information.

22. A system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a store controller in communication with said second controller and wherein said store controller provides automatic promotional benefits to said vehicle.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein said controller further communicates to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

24. A system as recited in claim 1, comprising:

means for storing at least one of position data corresponding to a position of a store with which promotions data is associated and identification data identifying said store;

said display including means for displaying said data based upon at least one said position data and said identification data.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, comprising:

means for retrieving said promotions data based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

26. An in-vehicle promotions system installed in a vehicle, comprising:

an RF transmitter configured to transmit identity information identifying a person associated with said vehicle;

an RF receiver configured to receive transmitted promotions information targeted for said person based on a purchase history of said person;

a controller connected to said receiver;

a device configured to monitor a position of said vehicle in relation to a commercial entity; and

an interior display configured to be installed in an interior of said vehicle and connected to said controller wherein said controller causes said promotions information to be automatically displayed on said interior display based on an automatically detected position of said vehicle which indicates that the vehicle is in a predetermined position with respect to the commercial entity.

27. A system as recited in claim 26, comprising a printer connected to said controller.

28. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein:

said display comprises touch command areas for controlling display and printing of said promotions information displayed on said display.

29. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein:

said display displays said promotions information including coupon information.

30. A system as recited in claim 29, wherein said display includes means for activating printing of said coupon information using said printer.

31. A system as recited in claim 26, further comprising a host system which comprises:

a second controller;

an RF transmitter for transmitting said promotions information to said RF receiver; and

a promotions information storage device connected to said second controller.

32. A system as recited in claim 31, comprising:

means for updating said storage device.

33. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein:

said RF transmitter is located in a store;

said RF transmitter has a transmitting range proximate to said store.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, comprising:

said RF receiver receiving said promotions information upon said vehicle position being within said range.

35. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein:

said promotions information is displayed in response to information provided by a user request.

36. A system as recited in claim 26, further comprising;

a wireless communications device installed in said vehicle and connected to said controller;

a store system wirelessly linked with said wireless communications device.

37. A system as recited in claim 36, wherein said store system comprises:

a second wireless controller; and

a store controller which provides automatic promotional benefits to said vehicle.

38. A system as recited in claim 37, wherein said controller further communicates to said store controller an indication of promotion displayed on said display.

39. A method of displaying promotions information to a vehicle occupant, comprising:

transmitting identifying information identifying a person associated with said vehicle;

storing data corresponding to promotions information targeted for said person based on a purchase history of said person in said vehicle;

monitoring a position of said vehicle in relation to a store with which the promotions information is associated; and

automatically displaying said data on an interior display after it is automatically detected by said monitoring step that said vehicle comes within a defined proximity to the store with which said promotions information is associated.

40. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

updating said data.

41. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

storing data linking a position of said vehicle with said promotions information;

monitoring said position of said vehicle; and

displaying said data corresponding to said promotions information using said data linking said position and said promotions information after said position of said vehicle is within said defined proximity to said store.

42. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

printing said data in said vehicle.

43. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

said data including coupon information.

44. A method as recited in claim 39, further comprising printing said coupon information in said vehicle.

45. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

defining a zone proximate to said store;

determining a position of said vehicle;

comparing said position with said zone; and

determining whether to display said data based upon said comparison.

46. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

monitoring a position of said vehicle using one of a GPS system and a Loran system.

47. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

transmitting said data from store, and

receiving said data in said vehicle.

48. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

providing to said person an automatic promotional benefit corresponding to said data.

49. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

transmitting said data from a host system; and

receiving said data in said vehicle.

50. A method as recited in claim 49, comprising:

using said data stored in said vehicle for a predetermined period of time; and

updating said data with updated data transmitted from said host.

51. A method as recited in claim 50, comprising:

automatically updating said data with said updated data.

52. A method as recited in claim 39, comprising:

storing at least one of position data relating to a position of said store and identification data identifying said store;

displaying said data corresponding to said promotions information based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

53. A method as recited in claim 52, comprising:

retrieving said data corresponding to said promotions information based upon at least one of said position data and said identification data.

54. A method of distributing promotions information, comprising:

forming a database of promotions information of at least one store;

communicating to said store identifying information identifying a person associated with said vehicles;

wirelessly distributing data corresponding to promotions information, targeted for said person based on a purchase history of said person, to a vehicle;

monitoring a position of said vehicle in relation to a store; and

automatically displaying on an interior display said data to occupants of said vehicle after it is automatically detected by said monitoring step that said vehicle comes within a defined range of said store.

55. A method as recited in claim 54, comprising:

displaying said data only after said vehicle comes within a defined range of said store.

56. A method as recited in claim 54, comprising:

printing said data corresponding to said promotions information.

57. A method as recited in claim 56, wherein said data comprises coupon data.

58. An in-vehicle promotions system installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a position receiver configured to monitor a position of said vehicle in relation to a commercial entity having a predetermined proximity zone assigned thereto;

a wireless communications device configured to receive promotional information from said commercial entity; and

a controller coupled to said position receiver and said wireless communications device and configured to process said promotional information for display when said controller determines that said vehicle is within the predetermined proximity zone assigned to said commercial entity; and

an interior display configured to be installed in an interior of said vehicle and connected to said controller, said interior display configured to display said promotional information.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein:

said position receiver comprises a first receiver dedicated to monitoring a position of said vehicle, and

said wireless communications device comprises a second receiver dedicated to receiving said promotional information from the commercial entity.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said first receiver comprises at least one of a GPS or a LORAN receiver.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein said second receiver comprises an RF receiver.

62. The system of claim 59, further comprising a memory storing a lookup table of data identifying the commercial entity in association with data defining said predetermined proximity zone, wherein said controller is configured to:

monitor said first receiver to determine a position of said vehicle, and

compare said position of said vehicle to said lookup table to determine that said vehicle is within the predetermined proximity zone assigned to said commercial entity.

63. The system of claim 58, wherein said position receiver and said wireless communications device comprise a single receiver configured to receive said promotions through a wireless signal from said commercial entity, said wireless signal having a limited transmission range corresponding to said predetermined proximity zone assigned to said commercial entity.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein said single receiver comprises an RE receiver.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein said controller determines that said vehicle is within the predetermined proximity zone assigned to said commercial entity by monitoring said single receiver to determine if said wireless signal having a limited range has been received by said single receiver.

66. The system of claim 58, wherein

said predetermined proximity zone assigned to a commercial entity comprises a zone corresponding to a parking lot of the commercial entity, and

said controller is configured to process said promotional information for display when said controller determines that said vehicle is within the parking lot.