CA2599615A1 - An integrated short-range wireless advertising system or method for businesses, individuals, and public places - Google Patents
An integrated short-range wireless advertising system or method for businesses, individuals, and public places Download PDFInfo
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Abstract
A system or infrastructure to create and broadcast marketing campaigns, deliver advertising contents, promotions, events and sending notification to mobile devices like cell phones, handhelds, smart phones and laptops within a predetermined proximity of public places by employing short-ranges wireless technologies like Bluetooth®. The capability of the system, or invention can be shared among multiple clients who are businesses, public places and individuals so that they can get the system route their advertising contents to one or multiple spots of any public places in any geographical locations where covered by the said system or method's front ends. The front ends are the wireless short-range devices, instruments, or systems capable of pushing or broadcasting the said advertising contents to the said mobile devices.
Description
AN INTEGRATED SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS ADVERTISING SYSTEM OR METHOD
FOR BUSINESSES, INIDIVIDUALS, AND PUBLIC PLACES
This invention relates to a computerized advertising system and method to create marketing campaigns, deliver advertising contents, and marketing promotions to mobile devices like handhelds and cell phones within a proximity range using short-ranges wireless technologies like Bluetooth .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the invention The present invention relates to a system, method and infrastructure to provide an integrated network including one or multiple short-range wireless instruments or devices capable of pushing or broadcasting contents including digital objects, digital files, audio/video files (media files), marketing ads, promotions, incentives, coupons, photos, applications like Java applications, and text messages to people's mobile devices like cell phones, handhelds, and laptops within a predetermined proximity of a public place or premises; controlled by one or multiple processor(s) or computer(s); accompanied with a certain number of memories, repositories or database.
Discussion of the Background Usually businesses choose traditional methods in introducing their products, like mailing flyers, sending emails, and posting banners on different websites to turn the recipients or visitors to potential customers of their products. Reaching to the right potential customer, at a right place, at a right time and with the most reasonable cost is the biggest challenge of marketing companies, service providers, suppliers, retail stores and in one word all businesses.
In the traditional methods, printed flyers may be thrown away, emails may be deleted, and internet banners may not be considered or even blocked. In addition, street ads could be ignored due to drivers speed. According to this sample, the efficiency of gaining new potential customers using said methods cannot be that satisfactory.
All methods described above have their own issues in terms of time, place, audience, and cost. For example, an email containing a promotion coupon sent out on January lst from a tropical cloths store in Hawaii will not work for the recipient living in Yukon or Alaska. This is an example of a wrong content, wrong person, wrong place, and probably wrong cost to pay for providing and sending the indicated promotion email.
As a contemporary solution, there are a remarkable number of businesses in any sizes started employing wireless technologies in delivering their marketing and advertising contents to their audience's mobile devices, handhelds, and cell phones.
The omnipresent nature of mobiles and cell phones is a strong proof of employing wireless technologies to reach right people on time. Two major methods can be considered to reach people's cell phones or mobile devices to deliver marketing ads, and contents. The first method would be sending contents over national wireless network like Rogers, Bell Canada, Telus, or Fido.
Regardless of the vast coverage of national wide mobile networks, marketing campaign providers may be discouraged in employing these networks due to the following key reasons:
- High expenses in delivering contents to target cell phones including leasing short codes and paying per sent message.
- Employing software engineer to have the short code implemented to be tailored and customized based on the business model, which costs money and time.
- The content recipient may be surprisingly charged by the mobile carrier for the received content.
- The recipient may receive an irrelevant ad at a wrong time, like when he or she is driving between cities in a highway.
- The ad recipient may not want to opt-in the content into his or her cell phone. The ad provider may have already paid to the mobile carrier for that particular content but it was rejected by the audience.
The second method would be equipping all places recognized as public places with short-range wireless devices covering predetermined proximities capable of broadcasting contents. These short-range wireless devices can be named as wireless access servers or for simplicity sake known as access servers. Access servers are devices or electronic instruments or computer programs running on a PC equipped with short-range wireless technologies like Bluetooth that keep sending surveying signals permanently with the capability of initiating short-range wireless connection with a certain number of mobile devices simultaneously within their proximity to push contents to them.
These access server devices usually use short-range technologies like Bluetooth .
FOR BUSINESSES, INIDIVIDUALS, AND PUBLIC PLACES
This invention relates to a computerized advertising system and method to create marketing campaigns, deliver advertising contents, and marketing promotions to mobile devices like handhelds and cell phones within a proximity range using short-ranges wireless technologies like Bluetooth .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the invention The present invention relates to a system, method and infrastructure to provide an integrated network including one or multiple short-range wireless instruments or devices capable of pushing or broadcasting contents including digital objects, digital files, audio/video files (media files), marketing ads, promotions, incentives, coupons, photos, applications like Java applications, and text messages to people's mobile devices like cell phones, handhelds, and laptops within a predetermined proximity of a public place or premises; controlled by one or multiple processor(s) or computer(s); accompanied with a certain number of memories, repositories or database.
Discussion of the Background Usually businesses choose traditional methods in introducing their products, like mailing flyers, sending emails, and posting banners on different websites to turn the recipients or visitors to potential customers of their products. Reaching to the right potential customer, at a right place, at a right time and with the most reasonable cost is the biggest challenge of marketing companies, service providers, suppliers, retail stores and in one word all businesses.
In the traditional methods, printed flyers may be thrown away, emails may be deleted, and internet banners may not be considered or even blocked. In addition, street ads could be ignored due to drivers speed. According to this sample, the efficiency of gaining new potential customers using said methods cannot be that satisfactory.
All methods described above have their own issues in terms of time, place, audience, and cost. For example, an email containing a promotion coupon sent out on January lst from a tropical cloths store in Hawaii will not work for the recipient living in Yukon or Alaska. This is an example of a wrong content, wrong person, wrong place, and probably wrong cost to pay for providing and sending the indicated promotion email.
As a contemporary solution, there are a remarkable number of businesses in any sizes started employing wireless technologies in delivering their marketing and advertising contents to their audience's mobile devices, handhelds, and cell phones.
The omnipresent nature of mobiles and cell phones is a strong proof of employing wireless technologies to reach right people on time. Two major methods can be considered to reach people's cell phones or mobile devices to deliver marketing ads, and contents. The first method would be sending contents over national wireless network like Rogers, Bell Canada, Telus, or Fido.
Regardless of the vast coverage of national wide mobile networks, marketing campaign providers may be discouraged in employing these networks due to the following key reasons:
- High expenses in delivering contents to target cell phones including leasing short codes and paying per sent message.
- Employing software engineer to have the short code implemented to be tailored and customized based on the business model, which costs money and time.
- The content recipient may be surprisingly charged by the mobile carrier for the received content.
- The recipient may receive an irrelevant ad at a wrong time, like when he or she is driving between cities in a highway.
- The ad recipient may not want to opt-in the content into his or her cell phone. The ad provider may have already paid to the mobile carrier for that particular content but it was rejected by the audience.
The second method would be equipping all places recognized as public places with short-range wireless devices covering predetermined proximities capable of broadcasting contents. These short-range wireless devices can be named as wireless access servers or for simplicity sake known as access servers. Access servers are devices or electronic instruments or computer programs running on a PC equipped with short-range wireless technologies like Bluetooth that keep sending surveying signals permanently with the capability of initiating short-range wireless connection with a certain number of mobile devices simultaneously within their proximity to push contents to them.
These access server devices usually use short-range technologies like Bluetooth .
Public places are including but not limited to malls, libraries, theatres, food courts, streets, gas stations, major intersections, plazas, restaurants, retail stores, car dealerships, airports, bus terminal, subway stations, communities, gyms, colleges, universities and schools, public transportation system including buses, trains, trams, commercial aircrafts, cruises, and tourist ships.
The proximity marketing system described in this invention is a right solution to attract right potential customers, target them in right places, at right times and with a reasonable cost. The following example illustrates this fact:
Let's assume that a few proximity access servers of the invention are installed and operating within a shopping mall in different physical places. Their exact spots within the mall are posted on the invention's website or can be viewed and retrieved from a user interfaces so that they can be looked up and chosen by the invention clients that are usually stores, kiosks, and any existing retail stores in the mall. The invention clients can be any retail stores, any businesses, or any individuals who have access to the invention infrastructure through the designated user interface in order to send advertising contents and create marketing campaigns. The clients also have electronic accounts with the invention to be able to login to the system. In this example, the clients are the sampled stores in a mall.
Clients login to the invention website or the designated user interface using their authentication credentials, upload their ads and marketing contents to the invention infrastructure using the dedicated website or user interface, and have the invention send the uploaded contents to shoppers' cell phones and mobile devices permanently or timely basis (scheduled). The clients in the mall already know when the peak time of shoppers crowd in the mall takes place so that they can get the invention push the relevant contents, coupons and ads to people's cell phones during the peak times.
After initiating the wireless connection with cell phones by the access server, the recipient will have the choice of opting-in or rejecting the content pushed to his or her cell phone. Once the cell phones owner opted-in, the ad or content will be downloaded to the cell phone from the access server and it will be displayed on the cell phone.
The connection between the cell phone and the access server is local and independent from the national wireless mobile network as it eliminates the high rate charges explained before. This example illustrated how right audience was picked, at a right time, at a right place with a right and economic price.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides its clients a system, service or infrastructure to create marketing campaigns, prepare ads, or any informative content by one or multiple graphical or non-graphical user interfaces, push the indicated contents, ads or advertisement digital objects including but not limited to text messages, coupons, incentives, promotions, media files like music, video, images, and applications to mobile devices within a short range of the access servers' coverage.
The invention comprises the following key objects, systems, modules and subsets:
- TCP/IP Local Area Network (intranet), internet or GPRS.
- A set of short-range wireless access servers connected to one or multiple central processor(s) or controller module(s) through internet or public place's local area network (LAN) or GPRS
or a combination of all of them.
- Repositories, databases, or memories to retain clients' advertising contents, marketing campaigns, and their schedules and timetables.
- Repositories, databases, or memories to retain invention clients' personal and business profiles, credentials, account, credits, payments and their histories, and the level of access to the system.
- One or multiple accounting modules running on one or multiple computers to handle accounting and billing issues to control granting or denying clients' access to the invention - Repositories, database, or memories to retain access servers list and their addresses associated with the invention infrastructure.
- One or multiple processors, computers, or controller modules to route contents to any access servers existing in the invention infrastructure.
- User interfaces that provide invention clients the capability of managing their profiles, creating and updating their advertising campaigns, submitting, deleting and updating their contents, and selecting one or multiple access servers to get them broadcast their contents.
- An integrated payment processing system to collect clients' payments from a dedicated user interface or a terminal.
- An Application Programming Interface (API) to wrap and expose invention functionalities in the format of computer programming libraries.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
A further understanding and appreciation of the invention is obtained when the following accompanying drawings are referenced, explained, and studied:
Figure 1: This drawing is a general picture of whole invention system or network that depicts how the components or modules of the system work together in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2: This drawing is a flowchart of a system that continuously fetches customers' database to retrieve their generated campaigns and contents, upload them to access servers to have them push to people's handsets and mobile devices.
Figure 3: This diagram depicts a designated placeholder, tool, or infrastructure to be installed on the floors of the areas where to be equipped with this invention's access server.
Each access server that is supposed to cover its proximity will be placed inside this structure.
Figure 4: This diagram depicts a designated placeholder, tool, or infrastructure to be installed on the walls or roofs of the areas where to be equipped with this invention's access server. Each access server that is supposed to cover its proximity will be placed inside this structure.
Figure 5: This diagram includes a few samples of advertising contents, coupons, informative contents, and promotions to be sent to mobile devices by this invention.
Figure 6: This diagram depicts a few samples of posters or expressions to encourage a public place's attendees to enable their mobiles and cell phones Bluetooth to receive promotions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENTS
There is shown a system, network, method, mechanism of different processors or computers, memories or databases, access servers, user interfaces and computer programs, application programming interface, that work entirely and closely together to provide an infrastructure to be able to route marketing campaigns, advertising contents and media files to one or multiple access servers in a public place to push contents to people's mobile devices within a predetermined proximity.
Sequential numbers are marking all objects, items, modules, and components of the invention depicted in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5. The identical numbers point to the same object or component.
The public place (107) has been equipped with one or multiple short- range wireless devices known as access servers (101). The public place can be any places that bear the explicit meaning of a public place where people attend there for a specific purpose, like a museum, or a shopping mall. The access servers (101) keep constantly scanning their predetermined proximity range to detect any mobile devices including but not limited to cell phones, PDA's, handhelds and laptops located within their coverage ranges. Once an access server (101) detects a mobile device, it attempts to initiate a short-range wireless link with the detected device. This short-range wireless link or connectivity includes but not limited to infrared, Bluetooth or similar technologies. A mobile device is a device equipped with a monitor, LCD or any devices to display contents with the capability of supporting the short-range wireless connectivity including but not limited to Bluetooth . After establishing the connection between the access server (101) and the nearby mobile devices, they both start communicating to each other using a standard protocol like but not limited to FTP, SFTP, Object Push, Object Exchange (OBEX), etc. over the established short-range wireless link so that the contents will be pushed to the mobile device from the access server that initiated the connection. Upon pushing, the mobile device prompts its owner to opt-in or reject the pushed content. At this moment, the mobile devices owner has the choice of accepting or rejecting the pushed content. After opting-in the content, the content will show up either as a picture, coupon, media file (audio or video), Java application, or text message, etc.
The indicated access servers (101) can keep track of the mobile devices that have already received the pushed contents in terms of not sending the same contents again to those devices within a certain period of time. Access servers can also be configured to block sending contents to a certain types of mobile devices. For e.g. PDA's should not receive the marketing contents at all, etc.
After pushing contents to handhelds or cell phones within the proximity range, the delivery status of those contents are logged or recorded by the access server (101) in its internal or external memory or mass storage device. The delivery status can be a combination of a time stamp including date, hour, minute, second and millisecond precision along with a success, error, or failure flag explaining the delivery status. This data is recorded in a computer-friendly format to be read and parsed, and interpreted by computer programs to extract the required data out of it.
In addition, the access servers (101) are capable of storing the contents and campaigns along with the timetable to schedule pushing the contents or broadcasting them in their built-in non-volatile memory devices, or built-in mass storage device. This introduces portability capability so that an access server (101) can be programmed or initialized through the network (102) by the invention infrastructure, and then taken off, ported, and installed somewhere else like open houses, or inside a public transportations including but not limited to city buses, long distance buses, tourist buses, ships, cruises, trains, subways, trams, and aircrafts in order to provide advertising contents to the riders or people on board.
The connection between the access servers (101) and the rest of the system is provided by a TCP/IP-based Local Area Network (LAN) known as intranet, internet, or GPRS (102). In this case, each access server (101) can be reached and addressed by an IP address, TCP port number, a domain name, or a combination of all of them, if the connectivity is either a LAN or internet. If GPRS
network is chosen to address the access server (101), a unique cell phone number with an active SIM card with internationally enabled roaming service will be enough to reach and address the access server. Having this connection links, one or multiple processors or controller modules (103) can control all activities of the connected access servers (101) via the network (102). The details of these activities will be discussed later on in this patent description.
As mentioned earlier, this invention is supposed to work within a public place to serve businesses, clients, communities and whoever is interested in targeting that public place by having the invention broadcast their contents, profiles, and advertising campaigns. To simplify clients' access to this invention's infrastructure, a user interface (106) has been designated for this purpose. This user interface (106) can be a website with one or multiple web pages or a desktop application with multiple graphical user interfaces, or a non-graphical user interface desktop application with a bunch of menus and options. For the sake of portability and having a seamless global access, the preference would be employing a website as the user interface (106). The address of this website is disclosed to the public preferably first to the businesses in the neighbourhood of the places where access servers are installed so that they can create their own profiles or accounts by signing up on the website. Once clients' account has been created, their information is stored in clients' database (107). Afterwards, clients can create marketing campaigns or advertisements, store them, manage them, and have the selected access servers push them. The website can be accessed either in a LAN
locally or from internet globally. Considering the fact that clients' profiles are stored in the dedicated database or repository (107), it is apparent that the client can modify his or her profile on the database (107) at anytime later on.
A new client's account can be activated and operational after making a certain amount of payment to access the invention infrastructure. A module, system, software, payment terminal, or gateway (110) collects and processes clients' payments to update the corresponding records in clients' database (107) to reflect the amount of payment. This payment can be applicable to purchasing a certain number of credits if the client has chosen pay-per-pushed content model, service subscription model or a combination of both choices. The payment history is also recorded in the database (107) for billing and accounting and access control purposes. This method also comprises a method that a client sponsors one or multiple access servers' costs to broadcast other people's ads and contents.
After granting the required access to the client, the client will be able to submit his or her advertising campaign contents to the repository or `advertising contents database' (104) using the dedicated user interface. The user interface (106) or website gives clients the capability of a full management over their contents in terms of adding, deleting, and updating the contents. Using the interface (106), clients can create marketing campaigns, schedule content delivery, update, and delete them.
In addition, the list of all existing, online, offline, operational and non-operational access servers installed within the public place (107) including their names, IP addresses, TCP port number, or GPRS information is retrieved from the database of short-range access servers (108) to be exposed to the user interface (106). The processor or controller module (103) keeps track of the connectivity or availability of the designated access servers to update their connectivity statuses in the database of short-range access servers (108). Using the exposed list of access server and their connectivity statuses on the user interface, clients can assign their created campaigns to one, multiple, or all of the existing access servers (101) within the public place (107). All campaign information including the contents files, the selected access severs (101) to broadcast the contents and the schedules of campaigns are all stored in database advertising contents database (104). If a content or campaign has been assigned to a temporary-unavailable access server (101), the processor or controller module (103) keeps track of that particular access server (101) to upload client's content or campaign to the device once it becomes available. This approach will be discussed later on, as it is very useful and handy when one or multiple of these access servers (101) must be taken off and installed within public transportation buses, open houses, etc. to get them work independent from the whole invention infrastructure temporarily until the next update.
Accounting module (105) which is a computer program, system or application goes through advertising contents database (104) to fetch clients' existing campaigns.
Depending on client's credit situation maintained in database (107) in terms of availability of sufficient credits or the allotted access time or subscription to utilize the invention, accounting module (105) decides whether or not the client's campaign can be submitted to the selected short-range access server(s) (101) via processor or controller module (103).
Processor or controller module (103) is a system, computer application, or software that takes care of routing the created campaigns to the right access server. Once processor (103) receives campaign information from accounting module (105), it tries to interpret and extract the routing information from it. Since clients are selecting the target access servers while creating advertising campaign, the access servers' addressing information will be associated with the campaign.
Routing information are domain name, IP address and/or the TCP port number of the target short-range access server (101) if the access server (101) is connected to a TCP/IP-based network (intetnet or intranet). If the access server (101) is reached via GPRS, the cell phone number associated with the inserted SIM
card plays the routing information role. After processor or controller (103) fmds the proper route, the contents files are transferred to the memory or mass storage device associated with the access servers (101) right after the access server (101) has authenticated the processor or controller module (103). Transferring these content files is done by either non-standard or standard file transfer protocols if at least one portion of the network (102) is a TCP-based network.
If a link of the network (102) is a GPRS, contents are transferred over the national mobile network using supporting protocols over GPRS.
Once content files and the campaigns are delivered to the target routed access servers (101) by the processor or controller module (103), the access servers (101) go to initialization mode to prepare for broadcasting the new contents. Either the processor (103) can make the access server (101) go to initialization mode or the access server (101) does this initialization procedure automatically.
The client is also able to view his or her running campaigns or the campaign's final or ongoing progress statuses by the user interface (106) as the processor or controller module (103) keeps sending the latest status report of the campaigns to the user interface (106) via the designated network (102) in real-time mode. The processor or controller module (103) has the capability of filtering the real-time status reports so that it gets the user interface (106) display the campaign progress or final status report to the client who created the campaign and owns the contents.
If the invention client ever wants to stop one or multiple of his or her campaigns or prevent broadcasting one or multiple contents, he or she can delete or halt the running campaigns through the user interface (106). In fact, the user interface (106) initiates and submits the stop request to the processor or controller module (103) via the network (102) to have the particular content(s) or campaigns stopped broadcasting. Since the processor (103) has the full knowledge of the routing information of the running campaigns within the access servers (101), it can easily instruct the corresponding access servers (101) to stop the running campaign and discontinue pushing contents to mobile devices. Meanwhile the processor (103) gets the accounting module (105) update the status of the stopped or halted campaigns in advertising contents database (104) to be reflected on user interface (106).
The accounting model (105) considered for this invention works based on a credit-based system, subscription-based system or a combination of both systems. For i.e. the invention client can purchase as many credits as required, bank them into the clients' database (107) and have the accounting module (105) decide when to deduct from those credits. Usually deduction from purchased credits takes place when the contents are pushed successfully to the recipients' cell phones or mobile devices. When a client runs out of credits or the subscription is expired, the clients' advertising campaigns will be stopped until the client purchases new credits or renew his or her subscription. In this case, the accounting module (105) retrieves the client's contact info from clients' database (107) to prepare a notification alert or warning to be sent to the client by email, SMS, or any other electronic notification mechanism where they are applicable.
In addition, the client may be asked to pay a certain amount of money as subscription fee to access the invention infrastructure for a certain period. Upon expiring that certain period, his or her advertising campaigns will be stopped until making the next payment. A
notification will be sent out to the client as described earlier.
Report module (109) is a module, object, system, computer program, or programs that handle analyzing the delivery statuses of contents. Each access server (101) records or logs the delivery status of the pushed contents into a volatile or non-volatile memory device, or mass storage media, so that contents' delivery failure or success can be distinguished by a computer program that can parse and interpret the log contents. The logged information is pulled out by the processor or controller module (103) from the access server (101) via the network (102), or it can be submitted to the processor (103) by the access server (101) via the network (102). The processor or controller module (103) scans all connected access servers (101) periodically and thoroughly to provide the report module (109) any available and most updated log information already pulled out from access servers (101).
After the report module (109) has interpreted the received log information, it builds up a data structure by separating contents delivery statuses and sends the processed data structure to the accounting module (105). Since each content file has a unique identifier that corresponds to the client who submitted this content in the whole invention's infrastructure, the accounting module (105) can calculate the number of times that a particular content file is pushed. Thus, using this mechanism, the accounting module (105) can deduct from the number of available credits from each client's account in database (107) per each successful push and store that updated information back to the client's record in database (107). User interface (106) can also display the history of client's activities either in a text format or statistical charts and data based on the reports existing in clients' database (107) provided by accounting module (105).
Access servers (101) are electronic devices that can have one or multiple Central Processor Unit (CPU), volatile and non-volatile memory devices, and built-in mass storage devices like hard drives, non-built-in mass storage devices accessible by NAS protocol (Network Access Storage), an embedded operating system like but not limited to Linux, or Windows or firmware that controls the entire operation of the access server. This privilege makes the access server (101) operate as an independent programmable device that can retain advertising contents, campaigns and instruction within itself to be ported, and installed somewhere outside the coverage of the network (102) as it can work as an independent proximity marketing tool.
One of the major applications of this capability is equipping public transportation including but not limited to civic buses, shuttle buses, school buses, trams, subways, tourist buses, traveling buses, aircrafts, cruises, ships, boats, and trains with access servers (101) where no network (102) is available. In this case, access servers (101) can either rely on their own standby power supplies like batteries or consume the generated power by the engine of the public transportation to keep pushing contents to the riders or people on the board. Another example application of this feature is employing the access servers in real estate for giving out open houses' information to the visitors of the open house. Still this approach is not in contradictory with the flow diagram depicted in Figure 1, because public transportation model mandates buses, trams, ships, aircrafts, and subways to arrive into an area like a station, terminal, docking port or platform to offload and load passengers. During the stop time, a wireless TCP/IP-based connection is established from the access server (101) to the LAN or internet (102) designated in that spot using a wireless technology like WiFi to report its presence to the processor or controller module (103). Upon detection, the access server (101) by the processor or controller module (103) via the network (102), the processor or controller module (103) starts transferring all pending campaigns and contents to the recently arrived access server (101) which is installed in the public transportation so that the detected access server gets synchronized with the rest of invention infrastructure. Only the campaigns and/or contents that are assumed for that particular access server (101) are transferred.
In addition, since the major population of the world and the major highways have been covered by national mobile networks, the installed access servers (101) in public transportation can be addressed and reached by GPRS. On the other hand, the installed access servers (101) in the moving public transportations are still available to receive new contents and campaigns from the processors (103) over GPRS.
Also, cities are being gradually equipped with wireless internet. Since access servers (101) are able to communicate over TCP/IP channels, they can be reached by metropolitan WiFi internet connections and addresses by their static IP addresses to receive contents and campaigns anytime from the processor (103) even when the bus or subway is moving.
To provide a reasonable B2B (Business-To-Business) model, all capabilities and functionalities of the invention can be wrapped and offered as an Application Programming Interface or API (109) to clients including but not limited to system developers, computer programmers, businesses, and marketing firms who want to implement their own customized applications on the top of the invention.
On the other hand, API (109) users can implement their own computer applications to offer different flavours of proximity advertising to their own clients by employing the invention infrastructure's API. Using this API, businesses can come up with their own user interfaces, applications, solutions, and representation without having to disclose the presence of the operational invention behind of scene to their own clients. This API comprises but not limited to ActiveX
objects, C/C++ libraries, any binary libraries implemented in any computer programming languages, NET
assemblies, web services, XML/SOAP protocols, HTTP and HTTPs commands, and COM objects, Java applications, Java applets, and also "Open Source" projects. Depending on the business model, API users may be asked to pay extra fees or license fees to use API. On the top of that, API
users are treated as regular clients in terms of authentication, purchasing the required credits, charging their accounts, or having accounting module (105) expire their subscription if they have enrolled in subscription model..
Figure 2 depicts a flow diagram that summarizes the procedure of delivering customers' contents and their advertising campaigns to mobile devices and cell phones within a proximity.
As mentioned earlier, the main goal of this invention is to provide businesses and individuals an infrastructure or service to broadcast their advertising campaigns and contents within a predetermined proximity of access servers (101) installed in different places of public places, business places, or even communities (107). On the other hand, the invention offers the possibility of sharing the capabilities of access servers (101) in pushing marketing and advertising contents among the inventions clients or customers. The flexibility of the invention allows us to monopolize one or multiple access servers (101) to particular clients upon their requests. If an access server (101) has been dedicated or monopolized to a client, that access server (101) will not be broadcasting other clients' contents and campaigns. That access server (101) will not be visible and available through the user interface (106) to other clients unless that particular client discontinues this monopoly. Enrolling this service may require the client to pay additional fees using the payment processing system (110). This approach simplifies introducing sponsorship program, as a client may want to sponsor the costs of one or multiple access server.
As mentioned earlier, an access server (101) can work independently without having to stay connected with the rest of the invention infrastructure as the synchronization of independent access server takes place once it is connected to the rest of system via network (102). Considering this fact and remembering that an access server (101) can be dedicated to a client, an access server's (101) contents or marketing campaigns can be customized and uploaded into it so that the access server (101) gets ready to rent out. This approach introduces renting or leasing the access server (101) to the clients or people looking for more reasonable and economical solution. For i.e. a company that is preparing its staff to occupy a booth at a trade show wants its products to be advertised in a proximity range of their booth in the trade show area as long as the show is being held. The company pays a certain amount of money to rent the access server loaded with their ads and promotions, and temporarily to install it in their booth.
Since most of new mobile devices like cell phones are equipped with short-range radios like Bluetooth , we need to attract people's attention when they enter an area where it is equipped with one or multiple access servers (101) described in this invention. To address this issue, posting signs, advertising boards, posters, and installing different objects are considered as some components of this invention.
Any signs, writings, contents, objects, and materials installed and or posted electronically, non-electronically and also visible as beam in any formats and colors, bearing the meaning of that particular public place has been equipped with any type of proximity wireless systems including but not limited to Bluetooth to receive advertisements, contents, notifications, media files, applications, music, games, promotions, coupons, etc. and also recommending people to enable their mobile device to communicate with the proximity wireless content provider or access server are part of this invention.
Two different prototypes, objects, equipments, or systems have been included in this invention to introduce eye-catching methods to inform people in public places about the existence of operational access servers.
Figure 3 depicts a diagram of a prototype suitable to install on the public places floors where it is ordered. Access servers and the communication equipments like antennas are put inside this prototype to cover a predetermined proximity. Commercials, sponsors companies' logos, sponsors' ads, mottos and emblems are posted on the surrounding (402) of prototype.
The material used in this prototype can be either of the following options:
- Transparent plastic or glass used in both cylinders present in the picture.
To have a bright and shiny attraction, different illumination methods, lamps, and lights in different colors can be employed inside the prototype.
- Non-transparent material like plastic, wood, non-heavy metals, and fibreglasses. A required number of pot lights, LED's, lights, or lamps generating any light colors are installed on surrounding 403 and also on surface 401 focusing and targeting surrounding 402 to provide sufficient light to view the material posted on surrounding 402.
Figure 4 depicts a diagram of a prototype suitable to install on the public places roofs or walls where it is ordered. The prototype can be attached to a roof or installed on a wall from its smaller surface (501). Installing the prototype on the wall from the surface (501) needs a 90 degrees clockwise rotation so that the prototype will be installed on the wall from surface 501 firmly.
Access servers and the communication equipments like antennas are put inside this prototype to cover a predetermined proximity. Commercials, sponsors' companies' logos, sponsors' ads, mottos, and emblems are posted on the surface (503) and surroundings (502) of the prototype. Transparent plastic or glass used in both cylinders. To have a bright and shiny attraction different illumination methods, lamps, and lights in different colors can be employed inside the prototype.
Figure 5 depicts a bunch of a few samples of coupons or promotions sent out using the invention described here. Picture labelled as 601 is a coupon pushed out by an access server installed somewhere in a mall to encourage people to visit `PaidLess Shoee' store to get shoes with $15 discount. Picture labelled as 602 is sent out in a trade show to attract more visitors to booth# 2900 to introduce some new sporty cars made by a vehicle company. Picture labelled as 603 is a winning notification that has been sent out by a travel agency to let the recipient know that he or she is a winner of a trip to Mexico. It is completely obvious that this notification has been sent out in a public place as the name of the travel agency appears in it. In addition, the picture labelled, as 604 is a promotion pushed sent out on a bus to encourage the passengers on board to purchase their Montreal ticket from that transportation company. The picture labelled as 605 is a piece of information provided by a real estate agent in an open house to the open house visitors. The picture labelled as 606 is an introductory of a section of a museum where Persian Empire heritage is exhibited.
As mentioned earlier, the whole infrastructure of the invention can be utilized and employed as a local-accessible or global-accessible advertising system. The whole infrastructure explained in this patent can be built up, implemented, tested, offered, installed and sold to customers as an integrated wireless proximity advertising solution. Customers as show organizer, mall owners, museums, and similar businesses can purchase this integrated system, install it in their business location to get it send marketing ads and promotions.
The proximity marketing system described in this invention is a right solution to attract right potential customers, target them in right places, at right times and with a reasonable cost. The following example illustrates this fact:
Let's assume that a few proximity access servers of the invention are installed and operating within a shopping mall in different physical places. Their exact spots within the mall are posted on the invention's website or can be viewed and retrieved from a user interfaces so that they can be looked up and chosen by the invention clients that are usually stores, kiosks, and any existing retail stores in the mall. The invention clients can be any retail stores, any businesses, or any individuals who have access to the invention infrastructure through the designated user interface in order to send advertising contents and create marketing campaigns. The clients also have electronic accounts with the invention to be able to login to the system. In this example, the clients are the sampled stores in a mall.
Clients login to the invention website or the designated user interface using their authentication credentials, upload their ads and marketing contents to the invention infrastructure using the dedicated website or user interface, and have the invention send the uploaded contents to shoppers' cell phones and mobile devices permanently or timely basis (scheduled). The clients in the mall already know when the peak time of shoppers crowd in the mall takes place so that they can get the invention push the relevant contents, coupons and ads to people's cell phones during the peak times.
After initiating the wireless connection with cell phones by the access server, the recipient will have the choice of opting-in or rejecting the content pushed to his or her cell phone. Once the cell phones owner opted-in, the ad or content will be downloaded to the cell phone from the access server and it will be displayed on the cell phone.
The connection between the cell phone and the access server is local and independent from the national wireless mobile network as it eliminates the high rate charges explained before. This example illustrated how right audience was picked, at a right time, at a right place with a right and economic price.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides its clients a system, service or infrastructure to create marketing campaigns, prepare ads, or any informative content by one or multiple graphical or non-graphical user interfaces, push the indicated contents, ads or advertisement digital objects including but not limited to text messages, coupons, incentives, promotions, media files like music, video, images, and applications to mobile devices within a short range of the access servers' coverage.
The invention comprises the following key objects, systems, modules and subsets:
- TCP/IP Local Area Network (intranet), internet or GPRS.
- A set of short-range wireless access servers connected to one or multiple central processor(s) or controller module(s) through internet or public place's local area network (LAN) or GPRS
or a combination of all of them.
- Repositories, databases, or memories to retain clients' advertising contents, marketing campaigns, and their schedules and timetables.
- Repositories, databases, or memories to retain invention clients' personal and business profiles, credentials, account, credits, payments and their histories, and the level of access to the system.
- One or multiple accounting modules running on one or multiple computers to handle accounting and billing issues to control granting or denying clients' access to the invention - Repositories, database, or memories to retain access servers list and their addresses associated with the invention infrastructure.
- One or multiple processors, computers, or controller modules to route contents to any access servers existing in the invention infrastructure.
- User interfaces that provide invention clients the capability of managing their profiles, creating and updating their advertising campaigns, submitting, deleting and updating their contents, and selecting one or multiple access servers to get them broadcast their contents.
- An integrated payment processing system to collect clients' payments from a dedicated user interface or a terminal.
- An Application Programming Interface (API) to wrap and expose invention functionalities in the format of computer programming libraries.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
A further understanding and appreciation of the invention is obtained when the following accompanying drawings are referenced, explained, and studied:
Figure 1: This drawing is a general picture of whole invention system or network that depicts how the components or modules of the system work together in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2: This drawing is a flowchart of a system that continuously fetches customers' database to retrieve their generated campaigns and contents, upload them to access servers to have them push to people's handsets and mobile devices.
Figure 3: This diagram depicts a designated placeholder, tool, or infrastructure to be installed on the floors of the areas where to be equipped with this invention's access server.
Each access server that is supposed to cover its proximity will be placed inside this structure.
Figure 4: This diagram depicts a designated placeholder, tool, or infrastructure to be installed on the walls or roofs of the areas where to be equipped with this invention's access server. Each access server that is supposed to cover its proximity will be placed inside this structure.
Figure 5: This diagram includes a few samples of advertising contents, coupons, informative contents, and promotions to be sent to mobile devices by this invention.
Figure 6: This diagram depicts a few samples of posters or expressions to encourage a public place's attendees to enable their mobiles and cell phones Bluetooth to receive promotions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENTS
There is shown a system, network, method, mechanism of different processors or computers, memories or databases, access servers, user interfaces and computer programs, application programming interface, that work entirely and closely together to provide an infrastructure to be able to route marketing campaigns, advertising contents and media files to one or multiple access servers in a public place to push contents to people's mobile devices within a predetermined proximity.
Sequential numbers are marking all objects, items, modules, and components of the invention depicted in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5. The identical numbers point to the same object or component.
The public place (107) has been equipped with one or multiple short- range wireless devices known as access servers (101). The public place can be any places that bear the explicit meaning of a public place where people attend there for a specific purpose, like a museum, or a shopping mall. The access servers (101) keep constantly scanning their predetermined proximity range to detect any mobile devices including but not limited to cell phones, PDA's, handhelds and laptops located within their coverage ranges. Once an access server (101) detects a mobile device, it attempts to initiate a short-range wireless link with the detected device. This short-range wireless link or connectivity includes but not limited to infrared, Bluetooth or similar technologies. A mobile device is a device equipped with a monitor, LCD or any devices to display contents with the capability of supporting the short-range wireless connectivity including but not limited to Bluetooth . After establishing the connection between the access server (101) and the nearby mobile devices, they both start communicating to each other using a standard protocol like but not limited to FTP, SFTP, Object Push, Object Exchange (OBEX), etc. over the established short-range wireless link so that the contents will be pushed to the mobile device from the access server that initiated the connection. Upon pushing, the mobile device prompts its owner to opt-in or reject the pushed content. At this moment, the mobile devices owner has the choice of accepting or rejecting the pushed content. After opting-in the content, the content will show up either as a picture, coupon, media file (audio or video), Java application, or text message, etc.
The indicated access servers (101) can keep track of the mobile devices that have already received the pushed contents in terms of not sending the same contents again to those devices within a certain period of time. Access servers can also be configured to block sending contents to a certain types of mobile devices. For e.g. PDA's should not receive the marketing contents at all, etc.
After pushing contents to handhelds or cell phones within the proximity range, the delivery status of those contents are logged or recorded by the access server (101) in its internal or external memory or mass storage device. The delivery status can be a combination of a time stamp including date, hour, minute, second and millisecond precision along with a success, error, or failure flag explaining the delivery status. This data is recorded in a computer-friendly format to be read and parsed, and interpreted by computer programs to extract the required data out of it.
In addition, the access servers (101) are capable of storing the contents and campaigns along with the timetable to schedule pushing the contents or broadcasting them in their built-in non-volatile memory devices, or built-in mass storage device. This introduces portability capability so that an access server (101) can be programmed or initialized through the network (102) by the invention infrastructure, and then taken off, ported, and installed somewhere else like open houses, or inside a public transportations including but not limited to city buses, long distance buses, tourist buses, ships, cruises, trains, subways, trams, and aircrafts in order to provide advertising contents to the riders or people on board.
The connection between the access servers (101) and the rest of the system is provided by a TCP/IP-based Local Area Network (LAN) known as intranet, internet, or GPRS (102). In this case, each access server (101) can be reached and addressed by an IP address, TCP port number, a domain name, or a combination of all of them, if the connectivity is either a LAN or internet. If GPRS
network is chosen to address the access server (101), a unique cell phone number with an active SIM card with internationally enabled roaming service will be enough to reach and address the access server. Having this connection links, one or multiple processors or controller modules (103) can control all activities of the connected access servers (101) via the network (102). The details of these activities will be discussed later on in this patent description.
As mentioned earlier, this invention is supposed to work within a public place to serve businesses, clients, communities and whoever is interested in targeting that public place by having the invention broadcast their contents, profiles, and advertising campaigns. To simplify clients' access to this invention's infrastructure, a user interface (106) has been designated for this purpose. This user interface (106) can be a website with one or multiple web pages or a desktop application with multiple graphical user interfaces, or a non-graphical user interface desktop application with a bunch of menus and options. For the sake of portability and having a seamless global access, the preference would be employing a website as the user interface (106). The address of this website is disclosed to the public preferably first to the businesses in the neighbourhood of the places where access servers are installed so that they can create their own profiles or accounts by signing up on the website. Once clients' account has been created, their information is stored in clients' database (107). Afterwards, clients can create marketing campaigns or advertisements, store them, manage them, and have the selected access servers push them. The website can be accessed either in a LAN
locally or from internet globally. Considering the fact that clients' profiles are stored in the dedicated database or repository (107), it is apparent that the client can modify his or her profile on the database (107) at anytime later on.
A new client's account can be activated and operational after making a certain amount of payment to access the invention infrastructure. A module, system, software, payment terminal, or gateway (110) collects and processes clients' payments to update the corresponding records in clients' database (107) to reflect the amount of payment. This payment can be applicable to purchasing a certain number of credits if the client has chosen pay-per-pushed content model, service subscription model or a combination of both choices. The payment history is also recorded in the database (107) for billing and accounting and access control purposes. This method also comprises a method that a client sponsors one or multiple access servers' costs to broadcast other people's ads and contents.
After granting the required access to the client, the client will be able to submit his or her advertising campaign contents to the repository or `advertising contents database' (104) using the dedicated user interface. The user interface (106) or website gives clients the capability of a full management over their contents in terms of adding, deleting, and updating the contents. Using the interface (106), clients can create marketing campaigns, schedule content delivery, update, and delete them.
In addition, the list of all existing, online, offline, operational and non-operational access servers installed within the public place (107) including their names, IP addresses, TCP port number, or GPRS information is retrieved from the database of short-range access servers (108) to be exposed to the user interface (106). The processor or controller module (103) keeps track of the connectivity or availability of the designated access servers to update their connectivity statuses in the database of short-range access servers (108). Using the exposed list of access server and their connectivity statuses on the user interface, clients can assign their created campaigns to one, multiple, or all of the existing access servers (101) within the public place (107). All campaign information including the contents files, the selected access severs (101) to broadcast the contents and the schedules of campaigns are all stored in database advertising contents database (104). If a content or campaign has been assigned to a temporary-unavailable access server (101), the processor or controller module (103) keeps track of that particular access server (101) to upload client's content or campaign to the device once it becomes available. This approach will be discussed later on, as it is very useful and handy when one or multiple of these access servers (101) must be taken off and installed within public transportation buses, open houses, etc. to get them work independent from the whole invention infrastructure temporarily until the next update.
Accounting module (105) which is a computer program, system or application goes through advertising contents database (104) to fetch clients' existing campaigns.
Depending on client's credit situation maintained in database (107) in terms of availability of sufficient credits or the allotted access time or subscription to utilize the invention, accounting module (105) decides whether or not the client's campaign can be submitted to the selected short-range access server(s) (101) via processor or controller module (103).
Processor or controller module (103) is a system, computer application, or software that takes care of routing the created campaigns to the right access server. Once processor (103) receives campaign information from accounting module (105), it tries to interpret and extract the routing information from it. Since clients are selecting the target access servers while creating advertising campaign, the access servers' addressing information will be associated with the campaign.
Routing information are domain name, IP address and/or the TCP port number of the target short-range access server (101) if the access server (101) is connected to a TCP/IP-based network (intetnet or intranet). If the access server (101) is reached via GPRS, the cell phone number associated with the inserted SIM
card plays the routing information role. After processor or controller (103) fmds the proper route, the contents files are transferred to the memory or mass storage device associated with the access servers (101) right after the access server (101) has authenticated the processor or controller module (103). Transferring these content files is done by either non-standard or standard file transfer protocols if at least one portion of the network (102) is a TCP-based network.
If a link of the network (102) is a GPRS, contents are transferred over the national mobile network using supporting protocols over GPRS.
Once content files and the campaigns are delivered to the target routed access servers (101) by the processor or controller module (103), the access servers (101) go to initialization mode to prepare for broadcasting the new contents. Either the processor (103) can make the access server (101) go to initialization mode or the access server (101) does this initialization procedure automatically.
The client is also able to view his or her running campaigns or the campaign's final or ongoing progress statuses by the user interface (106) as the processor or controller module (103) keeps sending the latest status report of the campaigns to the user interface (106) via the designated network (102) in real-time mode. The processor or controller module (103) has the capability of filtering the real-time status reports so that it gets the user interface (106) display the campaign progress or final status report to the client who created the campaign and owns the contents.
If the invention client ever wants to stop one or multiple of his or her campaigns or prevent broadcasting one or multiple contents, he or she can delete or halt the running campaigns through the user interface (106). In fact, the user interface (106) initiates and submits the stop request to the processor or controller module (103) via the network (102) to have the particular content(s) or campaigns stopped broadcasting. Since the processor (103) has the full knowledge of the routing information of the running campaigns within the access servers (101), it can easily instruct the corresponding access servers (101) to stop the running campaign and discontinue pushing contents to mobile devices. Meanwhile the processor (103) gets the accounting module (105) update the status of the stopped or halted campaigns in advertising contents database (104) to be reflected on user interface (106).
The accounting model (105) considered for this invention works based on a credit-based system, subscription-based system or a combination of both systems. For i.e. the invention client can purchase as many credits as required, bank them into the clients' database (107) and have the accounting module (105) decide when to deduct from those credits. Usually deduction from purchased credits takes place when the contents are pushed successfully to the recipients' cell phones or mobile devices. When a client runs out of credits or the subscription is expired, the clients' advertising campaigns will be stopped until the client purchases new credits or renew his or her subscription. In this case, the accounting module (105) retrieves the client's contact info from clients' database (107) to prepare a notification alert or warning to be sent to the client by email, SMS, or any other electronic notification mechanism where they are applicable.
In addition, the client may be asked to pay a certain amount of money as subscription fee to access the invention infrastructure for a certain period. Upon expiring that certain period, his or her advertising campaigns will be stopped until making the next payment. A
notification will be sent out to the client as described earlier.
Report module (109) is a module, object, system, computer program, or programs that handle analyzing the delivery statuses of contents. Each access server (101) records or logs the delivery status of the pushed contents into a volatile or non-volatile memory device, or mass storage media, so that contents' delivery failure or success can be distinguished by a computer program that can parse and interpret the log contents. The logged information is pulled out by the processor or controller module (103) from the access server (101) via the network (102), or it can be submitted to the processor (103) by the access server (101) via the network (102). The processor or controller module (103) scans all connected access servers (101) periodically and thoroughly to provide the report module (109) any available and most updated log information already pulled out from access servers (101).
After the report module (109) has interpreted the received log information, it builds up a data structure by separating contents delivery statuses and sends the processed data structure to the accounting module (105). Since each content file has a unique identifier that corresponds to the client who submitted this content in the whole invention's infrastructure, the accounting module (105) can calculate the number of times that a particular content file is pushed. Thus, using this mechanism, the accounting module (105) can deduct from the number of available credits from each client's account in database (107) per each successful push and store that updated information back to the client's record in database (107). User interface (106) can also display the history of client's activities either in a text format or statistical charts and data based on the reports existing in clients' database (107) provided by accounting module (105).
Access servers (101) are electronic devices that can have one or multiple Central Processor Unit (CPU), volatile and non-volatile memory devices, and built-in mass storage devices like hard drives, non-built-in mass storage devices accessible by NAS protocol (Network Access Storage), an embedded operating system like but not limited to Linux, or Windows or firmware that controls the entire operation of the access server. This privilege makes the access server (101) operate as an independent programmable device that can retain advertising contents, campaigns and instruction within itself to be ported, and installed somewhere outside the coverage of the network (102) as it can work as an independent proximity marketing tool.
One of the major applications of this capability is equipping public transportation including but not limited to civic buses, shuttle buses, school buses, trams, subways, tourist buses, traveling buses, aircrafts, cruises, ships, boats, and trains with access servers (101) where no network (102) is available. In this case, access servers (101) can either rely on their own standby power supplies like batteries or consume the generated power by the engine of the public transportation to keep pushing contents to the riders or people on the board. Another example application of this feature is employing the access servers in real estate for giving out open houses' information to the visitors of the open house. Still this approach is not in contradictory with the flow diagram depicted in Figure 1, because public transportation model mandates buses, trams, ships, aircrafts, and subways to arrive into an area like a station, terminal, docking port or platform to offload and load passengers. During the stop time, a wireless TCP/IP-based connection is established from the access server (101) to the LAN or internet (102) designated in that spot using a wireless technology like WiFi to report its presence to the processor or controller module (103). Upon detection, the access server (101) by the processor or controller module (103) via the network (102), the processor or controller module (103) starts transferring all pending campaigns and contents to the recently arrived access server (101) which is installed in the public transportation so that the detected access server gets synchronized with the rest of invention infrastructure. Only the campaigns and/or contents that are assumed for that particular access server (101) are transferred.
In addition, since the major population of the world and the major highways have been covered by national mobile networks, the installed access servers (101) in public transportation can be addressed and reached by GPRS. On the other hand, the installed access servers (101) in the moving public transportations are still available to receive new contents and campaigns from the processors (103) over GPRS.
Also, cities are being gradually equipped with wireless internet. Since access servers (101) are able to communicate over TCP/IP channels, they can be reached by metropolitan WiFi internet connections and addresses by their static IP addresses to receive contents and campaigns anytime from the processor (103) even when the bus or subway is moving.
To provide a reasonable B2B (Business-To-Business) model, all capabilities and functionalities of the invention can be wrapped and offered as an Application Programming Interface or API (109) to clients including but not limited to system developers, computer programmers, businesses, and marketing firms who want to implement their own customized applications on the top of the invention.
On the other hand, API (109) users can implement their own computer applications to offer different flavours of proximity advertising to their own clients by employing the invention infrastructure's API. Using this API, businesses can come up with their own user interfaces, applications, solutions, and representation without having to disclose the presence of the operational invention behind of scene to their own clients. This API comprises but not limited to ActiveX
objects, C/C++ libraries, any binary libraries implemented in any computer programming languages, NET
assemblies, web services, XML/SOAP protocols, HTTP and HTTPs commands, and COM objects, Java applications, Java applets, and also "Open Source" projects. Depending on the business model, API users may be asked to pay extra fees or license fees to use API. On the top of that, API
users are treated as regular clients in terms of authentication, purchasing the required credits, charging their accounts, or having accounting module (105) expire their subscription if they have enrolled in subscription model..
Figure 2 depicts a flow diagram that summarizes the procedure of delivering customers' contents and their advertising campaigns to mobile devices and cell phones within a proximity.
As mentioned earlier, the main goal of this invention is to provide businesses and individuals an infrastructure or service to broadcast their advertising campaigns and contents within a predetermined proximity of access servers (101) installed in different places of public places, business places, or even communities (107). On the other hand, the invention offers the possibility of sharing the capabilities of access servers (101) in pushing marketing and advertising contents among the inventions clients or customers. The flexibility of the invention allows us to monopolize one or multiple access servers (101) to particular clients upon their requests. If an access server (101) has been dedicated or monopolized to a client, that access server (101) will not be broadcasting other clients' contents and campaigns. That access server (101) will not be visible and available through the user interface (106) to other clients unless that particular client discontinues this monopoly. Enrolling this service may require the client to pay additional fees using the payment processing system (110). This approach simplifies introducing sponsorship program, as a client may want to sponsor the costs of one or multiple access server.
As mentioned earlier, an access server (101) can work independently without having to stay connected with the rest of the invention infrastructure as the synchronization of independent access server takes place once it is connected to the rest of system via network (102). Considering this fact and remembering that an access server (101) can be dedicated to a client, an access server's (101) contents or marketing campaigns can be customized and uploaded into it so that the access server (101) gets ready to rent out. This approach introduces renting or leasing the access server (101) to the clients or people looking for more reasonable and economical solution. For i.e. a company that is preparing its staff to occupy a booth at a trade show wants its products to be advertised in a proximity range of their booth in the trade show area as long as the show is being held. The company pays a certain amount of money to rent the access server loaded with their ads and promotions, and temporarily to install it in their booth.
Since most of new mobile devices like cell phones are equipped with short-range radios like Bluetooth , we need to attract people's attention when they enter an area where it is equipped with one or multiple access servers (101) described in this invention. To address this issue, posting signs, advertising boards, posters, and installing different objects are considered as some components of this invention.
Any signs, writings, contents, objects, and materials installed and or posted electronically, non-electronically and also visible as beam in any formats and colors, bearing the meaning of that particular public place has been equipped with any type of proximity wireless systems including but not limited to Bluetooth to receive advertisements, contents, notifications, media files, applications, music, games, promotions, coupons, etc. and also recommending people to enable their mobile device to communicate with the proximity wireless content provider or access server are part of this invention.
Two different prototypes, objects, equipments, or systems have been included in this invention to introduce eye-catching methods to inform people in public places about the existence of operational access servers.
Figure 3 depicts a diagram of a prototype suitable to install on the public places floors where it is ordered. Access servers and the communication equipments like antennas are put inside this prototype to cover a predetermined proximity. Commercials, sponsors companies' logos, sponsors' ads, mottos and emblems are posted on the surrounding (402) of prototype.
The material used in this prototype can be either of the following options:
- Transparent plastic or glass used in both cylinders present in the picture.
To have a bright and shiny attraction, different illumination methods, lamps, and lights in different colors can be employed inside the prototype.
- Non-transparent material like plastic, wood, non-heavy metals, and fibreglasses. A required number of pot lights, LED's, lights, or lamps generating any light colors are installed on surrounding 403 and also on surface 401 focusing and targeting surrounding 402 to provide sufficient light to view the material posted on surrounding 402.
Figure 4 depicts a diagram of a prototype suitable to install on the public places roofs or walls where it is ordered. The prototype can be attached to a roof or installed on a wall from its smaller surface (501). Installing the prototype on the wall from the surface (501) needs a 90 degrees clockwise rotation so that the prototype will be installed on the wall from surface 501 firmly.
Access servers and the communication equipments like antennas are put inside this prototype to cover a predetermined proximity. Commercials, sponsors' companies' logos, sponsors' ads, mottos, and emblems are posted on the surface (503) and surroundings (502) of the prototype. Transparent plastic or glass used in both cylinders. To have a bright and shiny attraction different illumination methods, lamps, and lights in different colors can be employed inside the prototype.
Figure 5 depicts a bunch of a few samples of coupons or promotions sent out using the invention described here. Picture labelled as 601 is a coupon pushed out by an access server installed somewhere in a mall to encourage people to visit `PaidLess Shoee' store to get shoes with $15 discount. Picture labelled as 602 is sent out in a trade show to attract more visitors to booth# 2900 to introduce some new sporty cars made by a vehicle company. Picture labelled as 603 is a winning notification that has been sent out by a travel agency to let the recipient know that he or she is a winner of a trip to Mexico. It is completely obvious that this notification has been sent out in a public place as the name of the travel agency appears in it. In addition, the picture labelled, as 604 is a promotion pushed sent out on a bus to encourage the passengers on board to purchase their Montreal ticket from that transportation company. The picture labelled as 605 is a piece of information provided by a real estate agent in an open house to the open house visitors. The picture labelled as 606 is an introductory of a section of a museum where Persian Empire heritage is exhibited.
As mentioned earlier, the whole infrastructure of the invention can be utilized and employed as a local-accessible or global-accessible advertising system. The whole infrastructure explained in this patent can be built up, implemented, tested, offered, installed and sold to customers as an integrated wireless proximity advertising solution. Customers as show organizer, mall owners, museums, and similar businesses can purchase this integrated system, install it in their business location to get it send marketing ads and promotions.
Claims (83)
1 THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method comprising:
establishing a connection between the access server and the nearby mobile devices in a public place where an access server is installed; and delivering contents, or promotions provided by the invention client to said mobile device via said connection link.
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method comprising:
establishing a connection between the access server and the nearby mobile devices in a public place where an access server is installed; and delivering contents, or promotions provided by the invention client to said mobile device via said connection link.
2. The method of Claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a connection link comprises:
establishing a short-range wireless communication link automatically with the said mobile device when the mobile device is within the predetermined proximity.
establishing a short-range wireless communication link automatically with the said mobile device when the mobile device is within the predetermined proximity.
3. The method of Claim 2, wherein said step of establishing a short-range communication link automatically comprises:
constantly transmitting a survey signal to said predetermined proximity in the public place;
and receiving a proximity signal sent from said mobile device in response to said surveying signal when said mobile device enters said predetermined proximity.
constantly transmitting a survey signal to said predetermined proximity in the public place;
and receiving a proximity signal sent from said mobile device in response to said surveying signal when said mobile device enters said predetermined proximity.
4. The method of Claim 2, wherein said step of establishing the communication link automatically further comprises:
keeping the communication link established and live with said mobile device as long as the mobile device remains in the predetermined proximity.
keeping the communication link established and live with said mobile device as long as the mobile device remains in the predetermined proximity.
5. The method of Claim 1, wherein said step of delivering a content or promotion provided by the invention client comprises:
retrieving said content or said promotion stored by said client in a database or repository from said database or repository via the local area network or wide area network; and send it to said mobile device over said communication links described in Claims 2,3, and 4 by employing standard file transfer protocols.
retrieving said content or said promotion stored by said client in a database or repository from said database or repository via the local area network or wide area network; and send it to said mobile device over said communication links described in Claims 2,3, and 4 by employing standard file transfer protocols.
6. The method of Claim 1, wherein said step of short-range wireless communication link is a Bluetooth® communication network.
7. The method of Claim 1, wherein said step of short-range wireless communication link is initiated or established by an access server.
8. The method of Claim 7, wherein said step of access server is a device that sends contents with no discriminations to any said handhelds, and mobile devices within the predetermined proximity over the said link in Claim 6.
9. A method comprising:
sharing said wireless proximity advertising system among businesses and individuals in public places comprises:
a. Subscription-based accounting systems.
b. Credit-based accounting system.
c. One or multiple repositories to maintain clients' information.
d. One or multiple repositories or mass storage devices to maintain clients' advertising contents, promotions; marketing campaigns and media files.
e. One or multiple repositories to maintain the routing information and physical locations of said access servers.
f. One or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers.
g. One or multiple reporting modules.
h. One or multiple accounting and billing modules.
i. One or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system.
j. One or multiple payment processing systems or modules.
k. One or multiple Application Programming Interfaces to have clients implement their computer application to interact with said wireless proximity advertising system.
l. Communication links or communication networks using said TCP/IP-based local network or wide area network or GPRS or a combination of all of them.
sharing said wireless proximity advertising system among businesses and individuals in public places comprises:
a. Subscription-based accounting systems.
b. Credit-based accounting system.
c. One or multiple repositories to maintain clients' information.
d. One or multiple repositories or mass storage devices to maintain clients' advertising contents, promotions; marketing campaigns and media files.
e. One or multiple repositories to maintain the routing information and physical locations of said access servers.
f. One or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers.
g. One or multiple reporting modules.
h. One or multiple accounting and billing modules.
i. One or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system.
j. One or multiple payment processing systems or modules.
k. One or multiple Application Programming Interfaces to have clients implement their computer application to interact with said wireless proximity advertising system.
l. Communication links or communication networks using said TCP/IP-based local network or wide area network or GPRS or a combination of all of them.
10. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of sharing said wireless proximity advertising system among businesses and individuals in public places comprises:
introducing a mechanism or method to the invention clients to have them select one or multiple said access servers in said advertising system in Claim 9 to get the selected access servers send contents, media files, notifications and promotions using method in Claim 1;
and each access server will broadcast different clients' contents, media files, notifications and promotions.
introducing a mechanism or method to the invention clients to have them select one or multiple said access servers in said advertising system in Claim 9 to get the selected access servers send contents, media files, notifications and promotions using method in Claim 1;
and each access server will broadcast different clients' contents, media files, notifications and promotions.
11. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of sharing said wireless proximity advertising system among business and individuals in public places further comprises:
introducing a sponsorship method to pay fees to said public places to install said access servers in certain places of said public places and to compensate said paid fees by charging invention clients whose marketing contents are to be advertised in said public place as described in Claim 1.
introducing a sponsorship method to pay fees to said public places to install said access servers in certain places of said public places and to compensate said paid fees by charging invention clients whose marketing contents are to be advertised in said public place as described in Claim 1.
12. The method of Claim 9, wherein step of said public places comprises:
any area that bears the explicit and clean meaning of a public place and known as public places by law, legislation and constitution where a group of people are present there for at least one but not limited to one specific purpose like shopping or visiting a museum.
any area that bears the explicit and clean meaning of a public place and known as public places by law, legislation and constitution where a group of people are present there for at least one but not limited to one specific purpose like shopping or visiting a museum.
13. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of public places further comprises:
places where anyone has a right to come without being excluded because of economic or social conditions.
places where anyone has a right to come without being excluded because of economic or social conditions.
14. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of subscription-based accounting systems comprises:
permitting clients to access to said invention system to advertise or send out or push their contents and promotions for a limited or non-limited period of time with or without making any payments.
permitting clients to access to said invention system to advertise or send out or push their contents and promotions for a limited or non-limited period of time with or without making any payments.
15. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of credit-based accounting system comprises:
permitting clients to access to said advertising system to advertise their contents and promotions by purchasing a limited or non-limited number of credits; wherein one or more than one said purchased credits will be deducted from client's account upon successful delivering said content using the method of Claim 1.
permitting clients to access to said advertising system to advertise their contents and promotions by purchasing a limited or non-limited number of credits; wherein one or more than one said purchased credits will be deducted from client's account upon successful delivering said content using the method of Claim 1.
16. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple repositories to maintain clients' information comprises:
method, database, file or repository to store clients' personal and business information including their full name, their company full address, their residential full addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, cell phone numbers, payment history, said subscription period in Claim 14, said purchased and remaining credit information in Claim 15.
method, database, file or repository to store clients' personal and business information including their full name, their company full address, their residential full addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, cell phone numbers, payment history, said subscription period in Claim 14, said purchased and remaining credit information in Claim 15.
17. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple repositories to maintain clients' advertising contents, promotions; campaigns and media files comprises:
method, database, file or repository to store said clients' advertising contents files, campaigns and promotions files along with the list of access servers chosen to broadcast those contents.
method, database, file or repository to store said clients' advertising contents files, campaigns and promotions files along with the list of access servers chosen to broadcast those contents.
18. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple repositories to maintain the routing information and physical locations of said access servers comprises:
method, database, file or repository to store the physical locations where said access servers are installed, their availability status through said network in Claim 9, and said access servers' routing information.
method, database, file or repository to store the physical locations where said access servers are installed, their availability status through said network in Claim 9, and said access servers' routing information.
19. The method of Claim 18, wherein said step of physical information comprises:
the explicit mailing address, direction and geographical location of said public place in Claim 12 and the geographical map of said public place.
the explicit mailing address, direction and geographical location of said public place in Claim 12 and the geographical map of said public place.
20. The method of Claim 18, wherein said step of physical information further comprises:
the exact spots or locations displayed in public places' floor plans or pictures or diagrams to point to the places where said access servers are installed in said public place in Claim 12.
the exact spots or locations displayed in public places' floor plans or pictures or diagrams to point to the places where said access servers are installed in said public place in Claim 12.
21. The method of Claim 18, wherein said step of routing information comprises:
the IP address or domain name and/or the TCP/IP port number of said access servers if said access servers are addressed from local area network or wide area network or internet over TCP/IP protocol.
the IP address or domain name and/or the TCP/IP port number of said access servers if said access servers are addressed from local area network or wide area network or internet over TCP/IP protocol.
22. The method of Claim 18, wherein said step of routing information further comprises:
the cell phone number of the access server if said access server is addressed from GPRS or GSM network.
the cell phone number of the access server if said access server is addressed from GPRS or GSM network.
23. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers comprises:
a method, computer program or system to collect said chosen access servers information along with said advertising contents and promotions associated with said chosen access servers from said database in Claim 17 via one or multiple accounting modules.
a method, computer program or system to collect said chosen access servers information along with said advertising contents and promotions associated with said chosen access servers from said database in Claim 17 via one or multiple accounting modules.
24. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers further comprises:
a method, computer program or system to retrieve routing information in Claim 21 and Claim 22 from said routing information database in Claim 18 for said selected access servers in Claim 23.
a method, computer program or system to retrieve routing information in Claim 21 and Claim 22 from said routing information database in Claim 18 for said selected access servers in Claim 23.
25. The method of Claim 9, wherein step of said one or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers further comprises:
a method, computer program or system to establish a communication link with said chosen access servers in Claim 23 and Claim 24 over said network in Claim 9 to transfer, copy, send, or upload said contents in Claim 23 to said chosen access servers' memories or associated mass storage devices in Claim 24.
a method, computer program or system to establish a communication link with said chosen access servers in Claim 23 and Claim 24 over said network in Claim 9 to transfer, copy, send, or upload said contents in Claim 23 to said chosen access servers' memories or associated mass storage devices in Claim 24.
26. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple processors or controller modules to perform routing and controlling said access servers further comprises:
a method, computer program or system to retrieve the delivery status of each said advertising content or promotion from said access servers in Claim 7.
a method, computer program or system to retrieve the delivery status of each said advertising content or promotion from said access servers in Claim 7.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of delivery status comprises:
a method, flag or indicator to distinguish failure, success, or error status in delivering said advertising content in Claim 1 to hand held or mobile devices.
a method, flag or indicator to distinguish failure, success, or error status in delivering said advertising content in Claim 1 to hand held or mobile devices.
28. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of one or multiple reporting modules comprises:
module, computer program or system to collect, and analyze said delivery status in claim 26, separate each said status per each said advertising content; and count said separated statuses per each said advertising contents.
module, computer program or system to collect, and analyze said delivery status in claim 26, separate each said status per each said advertising content; and count said separated statuses per each said advertising contents.
29. The method of Claim 28, wherein said step of advertising content comprises:
a method to get said access servers in Claim 7 recognize advertising content by a unique identifier like assigning a unique name to said content.
a method to get said access servers in Claim 7 recognize advertising content by a unique identifier like assigning a unique name to said content.
30. The method of Claim 29, wherein said step of unique identifier comprises:
a method or mechanism to recognize the advertising content file, or promotion as a unique and non-repetitive item to be able to correlate each advertising content file with the client who submitted said file to invention and finally stored in said access server in Claim 7.
a method or mechanism to recognize the advertising content file, or promotion as a unique and non-repetitive item to be able to correlate each advertising content file with the client who submitted said file to invention and finally stored in said access server in Claim 7.
31. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of one or multiple accounting and billing modules comprises:
module, system or computer program to bill clients and charge their said credits in Claim 15 based on said status reports in Claim 28.
module, system or computer program to bill clients and charge their said credits in Claim 15 based on said status reports in Claim 28.
32. The method of Claim 31, wherein said step of bill clients and charge their said credits comprises:
module, system or computer program for updating said clients' database in Claim 17 in terms of deducting from said clients' available credits upon the number of said success statuses in Claim 27.
module, system or computer program for updating said clients' database in Claim 17 in terms of deducting from said clients' available credits upon the number of said success statuses in Claim 27.
33. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of one or multiple accounting and billing modules further comprises:
module, system or computer program for controlling clients' subscription period to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 stop sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose subscription has been expired.
module, system or computer program for controlling clients' subscription period to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 stop sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose subscription has been expired.
34. The method of Claim 28, wherein said step of one or multiple accounting and billing modules further comprises:
module, system or computer program for monitoring clients' remaining credits to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 stop sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose credits are completely run out.
module, system or computer program for monitoring clients' remaining credits to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 stop sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose credits are completely run out.
35. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of processors or controller modules is capable of instructing said access servers in Claim 7 to discontinue advertising particular contents, or promotions retained in said access servers memory or mass storage device.
36. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of processors or controller modules is capable of permanent scanning and querying said network in Claim 9 to detect and find the available said access servers in Claim 7 within said network; and keeping said short-range access servers database in Claim 18 up-to-dated in terms of said access servers availability status.
37. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of processors or controller modules is capable of displaying clients ongoing campaigns and advertising contents in one or multiple graphical or non-graphical web-based or non-web-based user interfaces through said network in Claim 9.
38. The method of Claim 9, where in said step of one or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system comprises:
a system, computer program, website, web pages, PC desktop application to provide clients the capability of creating new accounts, logging into their created accounts, update their profiles, create advertising campaigns, select one or multiple said access servers in particular spots of particular public places to have said selected access servers start sending said created campaigns, contents and promotions.
a system, computer program, website, web pages, PC desktop application to provide clients the capability of creating new accounts, logging into their created accounts, update their profiles, create advertising campaigns, select one or multiple said access servers in particular spots of particular public places to have said selected access servers start sending said created campaigns, contents and promotions.
39. The method of Claim 9, where in said step of one or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system further comprises:
a method, system, computer program or solution to terminate or stop any campaigns or said advertising contents in Claim 38.
a method, system, computer program or solution to terminate or stop any campaigns or said advertising contents in Claim 38.
40. The method of Claim 9, where in said step of one or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system further comprises:
a method or solution or computer program to purchase advertisement credits, extend subscriptions and paying the related applicable fees.
a method or solution or computer program to purchase advertisement credits, extend subscriptions and paying the related applicable fees.
41. The method of Claim 9, where in said step of one or multiple user interfaces to provide clients' interaction with said wireless proximity advertising system further comprises:
method, computer program or system to view the advertisement activities of said access servers as described in Claim 37 in graphical or textual format; and to view the account activity and credit usage history, and remaining credits in graphical or textual format or such as statistical methods like charts and pies.
method, computer program or system to view the advertisement activities of said access servers as described in Claim 37 in graphical or textual format; and to view the account activity and credit usage history, and remaining credits in graphical or textual format or such as statistical methods like charts and pies.
42. The method of Claim 9, wherein step of one or multiple payment processing systems or modules comprises:
a system, module or computer program to charge clients' credit cards, debit cards online by methods like Paypal® or financial institutions' merchant accounts or using debit card and credit card charging terminals and gateways; and depositing the purchased credits in clients account; or extend subscription period or both.
a system, module or computer program to charge clients' credit cards, debit cards online by methods like Paypal® or financial institutions' merchant accounts or using debit card and credit card charging terminals and gateways; and depositing the purchased credits in clients account; or extend subscription period or both.
43. The method of Claim 9, where said step of one or multiple Application Programming Interfaces to wrap and expose invention functionalities in the format of computer programming libraries comprises:
a system, computer program, software library, framework or platform to provide system developers, businesses, and computer programmers the capability of utilizing the invention features from their own computer or web applications by writing their own comouter programs, applications or software.
a system, computer program, software library, framework or platform to provide system developers, businesses, and computer programmers the capability of utilizing the invention features from their own computer or web applications by writing their own comouter programs, applications or software.
44. The method of Claim 9, where said step of one or multiple Application Programming Interfaces to wrap and expose invention functionalities in the format of computer programming libraries further comprises:
a system, library, wrapper to be a software interface written and provided in any computer programming languages and technologies existing in the market.
a system, library, wrapper to be a software interface written and provided in any computer programming languages and technologies existing in the market.
45. The method of Claim 9, where said step of one or multiple Application Programming Interfaces to wrap and expose invention functionalities in the format of computer programming libraries further comprises:
ActiveX objects, Visual Basic, C/C++ static and dynamic libraries, any binary libraries, Microsoft® .NET assemblies written in version 1.1 and higher, web services, XML/SOAP
protocols, HTTP and HTTPs requests (POST and GET), and COM objects, Java applications, Java applets, and also "Open Source" projects provided in any computer programming languages existing in marketing whose source code is available to the public, gurus and communities.
ActiveX objects, Visual Basic, C/C++ static and dynamic libraries, any binary libraries, Microsoft® .NET assemblies written in version 1.1 and higher, web services, XML/SOAP
protocols, HTTP and HTTPs requests (POST and GET), and COM objects, Java applications, Java applets, and also "Open Source" projects provided in any computer programming languages existing in marketing whose source code is available to the public, gurus and communities.
46. The method of Claim 9, wherein said step of communication links comprises:
said TCP/IP-based local network (LAN) or TCP/IP-based wide area network (WAN) or internet or GPRS or a combination of all of them.
said TCP/IP-based local network (LAN) or TCP/IP-based wide area network (WAN) or internet or GPRS or a combination of all of them.
47. A method to install said access server in Claim 7 in public transportation to cover inside of said public transportation in Claim 13 to send advertising contents to the people on-board.
48. The method of Claim 47, wherein said step of public transportation comprises:
city public transportation system buses, tourist buses, long-distance buses, taxis, subways, city trains, trams, long-distance trains, commercial airplanes.
city public transportation system buses, tourist buses, long-distance buses, taxis, subways, city trains, trams, long-distance trains, commercial airplanes.
49. The method of Claim 47, wherein said step of access servers in Claim 17 installed in said public transportation in Claim 48 operates as independent access servers without having to be connected to said network in Claim 9 to deliver advertising contents and promotions.
50. The method of Claim 47, wherein said step of access servers in Claim 17 installed in said public transportation in Claim 48 are connected to the whole invention infrastructure by said network in Claim 9 by employing metropolitan WiFi signals or GPRS or a combination of both.
51. A method, system, phrase, or expression to inform the people present in said public places in Claim 12 regarding equipping said public place with wireless proximity advertising system in order to attract said people's attention to ask or encourage them to turn on their handheld's, cell phone's, or mobile device's short-range radio capability like Bluetooth® to establish said link in Claim 2 to receive advertisements and promotions from installed said access servers in said public place.
52. The method of Claim 51, wherein said step of method, phrase or expression is written not only in the national official languages but also in any languages spoken on the earth.
53. The method of Claim 51, wherein said step of method, phrase or expression is seen as advertising posters, beams, illumination, printed, posted on billboards non electronically, or electronically including on plasma TV's, monitors or LED-made billboards.
54. A method, system, photo, picture, drawing, painting, icon, diagram, chart, and sign that serve as said method explained in Claim 51, Claim 52, and Claim 53.
55. A method, physical materials, infrastructure, or equipment similar to Figure 3 and Figure 4 of this invention drawing in order to express said expressions, phrases or methods described in Claim 51, Claim 52, Claim 53, and Claim 54.
56. Installing said method or infrastructure in Claim 55 in different spots or predetermined spots of said public places in Claim 12.
57. A method to provide booth renters of trade shows said access servers in Claim 7 to get more visitors attracted to their booths.
58. A method of selling or offering the infrastructure to customers as an integrated wireless proximity advertising solution as a local and isolated system or global accessible system.
59. The method of Claim 58, wherein said step of local and isolated system comprises:
the said communication network or communication link in Claim 9 is a local area network;
said user interfaces in Claim 9, said Application Programming Interface in Claim 43 and said payment system in Claim 42 accessible from either local area network or wide area network or both.
the said communication network or communication link in Claim 9 is a local area network;
said user interfaces in Claim 9, said Application Programming Interface in Claim 43 and said payment system in Claim 42 accessible from either local area network or wide area network or both.
60. The method of Claim 58, wherein said step of local and isolated system further comprises:
said access servers cannot be addressed or routed from internet or the wide area network.
said access servers cannot be addressed or routed from internet or the wide area network.
61. A method of installing, launching, and making the whole structure of the invention operational as a global or nation-wide service or system.
62. The method of Claim 61, wherein said step of global or nation-wide service or comprises:
the entire said communication link in Claim 9 is a wide area network or internet or GPRS, said access servers in Claim 7 are installed in different geographical, social, economical, and commercial places.
the entire said communication link in Claim 9 is a wide area network or internet or GPRS, said access servers in Claim 7 are installed in different geographical, social, economical, and commercial places.
63. The method of Claim 61, wherein said step of global or nation-wide service or system further comprises:
said user interfaces in Claim 9, said Application Programming Interface in Claim 43 and said payment system in Claim 42 are accessible from wide area network or internet.
said user interfaces in Claim 9, said Application Programming Interface in Claim 43 and said payment system in Claim 42 are accessible from wide area network or internet.
64. The method of Claim 61, wherein said step of global or nation-wide service or system further comprises:
said access servers can be addressed or routed from internet or the wide area network
said access servers can be addressed or routed from internet or the wide area network
65. A method to stop sharing one or multiple said access servers in Claim 7 in order to dedicate each of them fully to a client individually.
66. The method of Claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a wireless communication link comprises:
receiving a user initiated wireless signal from said handheld or mobile when the said handheld or mobile device is within said predetermined proximity of said public place where said access server is installed.
receiving a user initiated wireless signal from said handheld or mobile when the said handheld or mobile device is within said predetermined proximity of said public place where said access server is installed.
67. A method to send notification to the client when said clients' account is run of out of credit or said subscription has been expired.
68. A method of Claim 67, wherein said step of notification is sending email, sending text message or SMS, or conducting automated telephone message.
69. A method of Claim 58, wherein said step of global accessible system is the whole infrastructure's functionalities and capabilities available from internet and said access servers can be addressed and routed from internet.
70. A method to monopolize one or multiple access servers to a client to get the monopolized access servers broadcast that client's contents and marketing campaigns only.
71. A method of Claim 70, wherein said step of monopolize one or multiple access servers comprises:
a method to exclude the availability of said access servers from other invention clients so that said other clients will not be able to employ the excluded access servers to broadcast their contents and ads.
a method to exclude the availability of said access servers from other invention clients so that said other clients will not be able to employ the excluded access servers to broadcast their contents and ads.
72. The method of Claim 9, wherein step of said public places further comprises:
private spaces with the appearance of being public spaces are known as public place like private malls.
private spaces with the appearance of being public spaces are known as public place like private malls.
73. The method of Claim 15, wherein said step of said credit comprises:
a method, scale or mechanism to measure the number of times that a client can push said contents in Claim 1 to mobile devices successfully.
a method, scale or mechanism to measure the number of times that a client can push said contents in Claim 1 to mobile devices successfully.
74. A method to rent or lease an access server to get it push contents as described in Claim 1.
75. The method of Claim 74, where in said step of rent or lease comprises:
paying a certain amount of money by client to have the access server work dependently or independently from the invention infrastructure to broadcast client's promotions and ads for a certain period of time in a place specified by the renter or lessee.
paying a certain amount of money by client to have the access server work dependently or independently from the invention infrastructure to broadcast client's promotions and ads for a certain period of time in a place specified by the renter or lessee.
76. The method of Claim 74, where in said step of rent or lease further comprises:
after expiring a certain period of time the rented or leased access server has to be returned to the invention provider.
after expiring a certain period of time the rented or leased access server has to be returned to the invention provider.
77. The method of Claim 18, where in said step of an access server availability status comprises:
a method, or system to check whether an access server can be communicated from said network in Claim 9.
a method, or system to check whether an access server can be communicated from said network in Claim 9.
78. The method of Claim 18, where in said step of an access server availability status further comprises:
a method, or system to check whether an access server is able to push contents and promotions to mobile devices.
a method, or system to check whether an access server is able to push contents and promotions to mobile devices.
79. The method of Claim 77, wherein said step of communicated comprises:
the ability to transfer contents and promotions to the memory or mass storage device associated with said access server or from said memory or mass storage device associated with said access server through said network in Claim 9.
the ability to transfer contents and promotions to the memory or mass storage device associated with said access server or from said memory or mass storage device associated with said access server through said network in Claim 9.
80. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of one or multiple accounting and billing modules further comprises:
a method, system or computer program to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 resume sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose subscription has been renewed.
a method, system or computer program to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 resume sending advertising contents or promotions of the client whose subscription has been renewed.
81. The method of Claim 23, wherein said step of one or multiple accounting and billing modules further comprises:
a method, system or computer program to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 resume sending advertising contents or promotions of the client who has added and banked new credits to his or her account.
a method, system or computer program to instruct said processor or controller module in Claim 23 to have said access servers in Claim 7 resume sending advertising contents or promotions of the client who has added and banked new credits to his or her account.
82. The method of Claim 47, wherein said step of public transportation further comprises:
a method or system that people can share and use vehicles, airplanes, trains, subways, trams, taxis, buses, minibuses, ferries, ships, boats and cruises by paying or not paying fair without any social discrimination.
a method or system that people can share and use vehicles, airplanes, trains, subways, trams, taxis, buses, minibuses, ferries, ships, boats and cruises by paying or not paying fair without any social discrimination.
83. The method of Claim 5, wherein said step of employing standard file transfer protocols comprises:
using protocols including FTP, SFTP, SSH or OBEX (Object Exchange) to transfer said contents and promotions over said established communication links described in Claim 1, Claim 2 and Claim 3.
using protocols including FTP, SFTP, SSH or OBEX (Object Exchange) to transfer said contents and promotions over said established communication links described in Claim 1, Claim 2 and Claim 3.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2599615 CA2599615A1 (en) | 2007-10-01 | 2007-10-01 | An integrated short-range wireless advertising system or method for businesses, individuals, and public places |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2599615 CA2599615A1 (en) | 2007-10-01 | 2007-10-01 | An integrated short-range wireless advertising system or method for businesses, individuals, and public places |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2599615A1 true CA2599615A1 (en) | 2009-04-01 |
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ID=40514971
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2599615 Abandoned CA2599615A1 (en) | 2007-10-01 | 2007-10-01 | An integrated short-range wireless advertising system or method for businesses, individuals, and public places |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2599615A1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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| WO2015039242A1 (en) * | 2013-09-18 | 2015-03-26 | Digital Underground Media Inc. | Public transport advertising using passenger demographic information |
| US9384515B2 (en) | 2014-05-07 | 2016-07-05 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Shared vehicle management |
| ES2600142A1 (en) * | 2015-08-06 | 2017-02-07 | Miguel Ángel MARTÍN CRESPO | System of automatic generation of contents via wireless and procedure of operation of the same (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
| CN111311202A (en) * | 2013-05-20 | 2020-06-19 | 思杰系统有限公司 | Proximity and context aware mobile workspaces in enterprise systems |
-
2007
- 2007-10-01 CA CA 2599615 patent/CA2599615A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN111311202A (en) * | 2013-05-20 | 2020-06-19 | 思杰系统有限公司 | Proximity and context aware mobile workspaces in enterprise systems |
| WO2015039242A1 (en) * | 2013-09-18 | 2015-03-26 | Digital Underground Media Inc. | Public transport advertising using passenger demographic information |
| US9384515B2 (en) | 2014-05-07 | 2016-07-05 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Shared vehicle management |
| ES2600142A1 (en) * | 2015-08-06 | 2017-02-07 | Miguel Ángel MARTÍN CRESPO | System of automatic generation of contents via wireless and procedure of operation of the same (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
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