Hot spot use in advertising

• US 8,701,051 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GoldSpot Media, Inc. (Japan) (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dharmaji, Srinivasa
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIAU, SHEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/078,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 715/864, 705/14.64
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

The delivery of targeted advertisements (ads) to wireless mobile handheld display devices (MHDDs) with client specific advertisement and dynamic content for response and feedback is becoming important in advertising. As the return for ads on MHDDs becomes higher, there is a push to show larger and more interactive ads on devices that have small displays. This has created a need to maximize the area available for ad viewing. The need for larger viewing area reduces the area available for call-to-action response enabling switches or inserts on the screen for customer interaction. To overcome this deficiency and provide the necessary end-to-end response capability, hot-spots on the ad image are provided as call-to-action response regions without limitation on the ad viewing area. The use of such hot-spots provides users of MHDDs a preferred interaction mechanism for responding to the advertisement, while maintaining a large ad viewing area.

Claims

1. A method of displaying targeted advertisements (ad) on a mobile hand held display device (MHDD), comprising:

a processor downloading a targeted ad comprising dynamic and static content into an MHDD and storing said ad in an MHDD storage medium;

wherein said ad is directed to a target group of users of MHDDs; and

wherein said ad comprises a plurality of transparent hot-spots;

in a separate step, said processor also downloading a plurality of call-to-action enablers into said MHDD and storing said call-to-action enablers in said MHDD storage medium;

said processor checking said call-to-action enablers against one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD and choosing one or more preferred call-to-action enablers from among said downloaded call-to-action enablers for use with said downloaded ad based upon said one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD;

said processor making said ad interactive by associating at least one of said chosen call-to-action enablers with appropriate hot-spots from among said plurality of hot-spots;

said processor rendering and displaying said ad on the MHDD during an ad spot;

said processor providing said MHDD user with a choice of a preferred response mode to said ad from among said set of call-to-action enablers when said user selects at least one hot-spot from said plurality of hot-spots in said ad; and

said processor enabling said user to respond to said ad by selecting a hot spot and thereby invoking a call-to-action enabler associated with said hot-spot;

wherein said ad is displayed in a maximum available display area said MHDD display while maintaining user interactivity with said ad via said hot spots.

2. The method of claim 1, said call-to-action enablers, upon user selection of a hot spot, invoking actions comprising any of Click-to-Call, Click-to-Browse, Click-to-Jump page, Click-to-Video, Click-to-Ad Unit, Click-to-Message, Click-to-Mail, Click-to-Bookmark, Click-to-Share, and Click-to-Download.

3. An apparatus for displaying targeted advertisements (ad) on a mobile hand held display device (MHDD), comprising:

a processor configured for downloading a targeted ad comprising dynamic and static content into an MHDD and storing said ad in an MHDD storage medium;

wherein said ad is directed to a target group of users of MHDDs; and

wherein said ad comprises a plurality of transparent hot-spots;

said processor configured for, in a separate step, also downloading a plurality of call-to-action enablers into said MHDD and storing said call-to-action enablers in said MHDD storage medium;

said processor configured for checking said call-to-action enablers against one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD and choosing one or more preferred call-to-action enablers from among said downloaded call-to-action enablers for use with said downloaded ad based upon said one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD;

said processor configured for making said ad interactive by associating at least one of said chosen call-to-action enablers with appropriate hot-spots from among said plurality of hot-spots;

said processor configured for rendering and displaying said ad on the MHDD during an ad spot;

said processor configured for providing said MHDD user with a choice of a preferred response mode to said ad from among said set of call-to-action enablers when said user selects at least one hot-spot from said plurality of hot-spots in said ad; and

said processor configured for enabling said user to respond to said ad by selecting a hot spot and thereby invoking a call-to-action enabler associated with said hot-spot;

wherein said ad is displayed in a maximum available display area said MHDD display while maintaining user interactivity with said ad via said hot spots.

4. A non-transitory storage medium containing program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement a method of displaying targeted advertisements (ad) on a mobile hand held display device (MHDD), comprising:

a processor downloading a targeted ad comprising dynamic and static content into an MHDD and storing said ad in an MHDD storage medium;

wherein said ad is directed to a target group of users of MHDDs; and

wherein said ad comprises a plurality of transparent hot-spots;

said processor, in a separate step, also downloading a plurality of call-to-action enablers into said MHDD and storing said call-to-action enablers in said MHDD storage medium;

said processor checking said call-to-action enablers against one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD and choosing one or more preferred call-to-action enablers from among said downloaded call-to-action enablers for use with said downloaded ad based upon said one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD;

said processor making said ad interactive by associating at least one of said chosen call-to-action enablers with appropriate hot-spots from among said plurality of hot-spots;

said processor rendering and displaying said ad on the MHDD during an ad spot;

said processor providing said MHDD user with a choice of a preferred response mode to said ad from among said set of call-to-action enablers when said user selects at least one hot-spot from said plurality of hot-spots in said ad; and

said processor enabling said user to respond to said ad by selecting a hot spot and thereby invoking a call-to-action enabler associated with said hot-spot;

wherein said ad is displayed in a maximum available display area said MHDD display while maintaining user interactivity with said ad via said hot spots.

5. A method of displaying targeted advertisements (ad) on a mobile hand held display device (MHDD), comprising:

a processor downloading a targeted ad comprising dynamic and static content into an MHDD and storing said ad in an MHDD storage medium;

wherein said ad is directed to a target group of users of MHDDs; and

wherein said ad comprises a plurality of transparent hot-spots;

in a separate step, said processor also downloading a plurality of call-to-action enablers into said MHDD and storing said call-to-action enablers in said MHDD storage medium;

said processor checking said call-to-action enablers against one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD and choosing one or more preferred call-to-action enablers from among said downloaded call-to-action enablers for use with said downloaded ad based upon said one or more preferred modes of activity of a target user of said MHDD;

said processor making said ad interactive by associating at least one of said chosen call-to-action enablers with appropriate hot-spots from among said plurality of hot-spots; and

said processor rendering and displaying said ad on the MHDD during an ad spot.