CN1265757A - Advertise using the Internet - Google Patents

Abstract

An advertising system is connected to at least one network computer located in a desired public location, such as a supermarket, for selectively displaying desired advertising information to the public, the network computer obtaining the desired advertising information at least in part from the Internet.

Description

Advertise using the Internet

The present invention relates to advertising using the Internet and particularly, but not exclusively, to in-store advertising using computer terminals which obtain at least part of the information to be displayed from the Internet.

The use of the Internet in this specification also includes company intranets.

Moreover, the use of "homepage" is not limited to specific HTML pages on the Internet, but also includes any means by which suppliers of goods or services can promote their goods or services to others through the Internet.

Also, use of "network computer" includes any computer that can operate as part of a network.

In-store advertising is now becoming fashionable. This is because taking this approach can act on impulsive buyers when making sales, thereby beating competitors and promoting the increase of the company's product market share. But this way of in-store advertising may increase the product manufacturer or distributor's expenses to a considerable extent. Advertisements are usually placed at or near where the product is displayed, and may be located within each store of the chain. Since market share can be increased significantly by doing a good in-store advertisement, especially when combined with promotions such as buy one get one free or other promotions, manufacturers continue to advertise their products to compete with each other.

The biggest problem for manufacturers is: due to the need to allocate space, human resources to move merchandise to be displayed or allocate shelf space, print supplies and sales guidelines from the chain store headquarters and distribute them to each store, etc. Supermarkets cannot respond quickly enough to move from one commercial activity to another. Thus, considerable delays can occur when in-store promotions are performed. This can lead to a considerable backlog of products being advertised in-store, or there may not be enough stores to advertise that.

In addition, although many product manufacturers and/or distributors have Internet home pages to provide information on their products, the range of products the company operates, the advantages of those products over competitors, special promotions, etc. But this information is only available to enthusiasts who use the Internet and find the home page, then go to the home page, and look for information. Therefore, although such information is useful to the general public, it cannot be popularized to the general buyers.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide methods of advertising using the Internet, particularly but not exclusively to methods of advertising on a network computer located in a store in a public environment, wherein the network computer uses information to promote products and/or Marketing activities and/or conducting promotional activities, the information comes from the Internet.

Another purpose is to combine information from the Internet with other information to better showcase products.

Yet another object is to provide an interactive network computer, possibly with a proximity sensor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an advertising system having: at least one network computer located in a desired public place; the network computer selectively displays various desired information to the public; the network computer obtains at least partly through the Internet desired information.

Preferably, more than one network computer is interconnected to form a network which is connected to the Internet via a network server.

Preferably, each network computer has a proximity sensor so that each network computer only activates when a person is nearby, wherein the proximity sensor is also used to monitor the number of people passing the network server.

Preferably, each network computer includes a screen, which can be a flat screen or a conventional screen. More preferably, the screen is a touch screen so that the customer can interact with the network computer and desired advertising information.

If necessary, some desired advertisement information can be obtained from the web server. Preferably the network is a local area network (LAN), and preferably a wireless LAN

If desired, the network computers can be programmed to turn off at a predetermined time, where the store is closed, and to turn on again at another time, where the predetermined time is when the store is closed, and where the other time is when the store is open. Furthermore, the network computer may display different desired advertisement information at certain times of the day.

In addition, the network computer can be a diskless computer, which downloads all software from the central server except the basic network connection and simple operating system. But a network computer may have a disk or other data storage device for multimedia presentation.

Preferably, the advertising system internally establishes emergency signals for pre-programmed emergencies such as fire, robbery, power outages, or other emergencies, so that central services can selectively provide information to their network computers in the event of a specific The information displayed in the event of an emergency provides assistance to customers in the store. The information preferably includes arrows indicating the nearest exit, or directions to customers of the store.

For a better understanding of the invention, the invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment of an advertising system comprising the main features of the invention. The drawings referenced include:

Figure 1 is a graphical illustration of a network computer.

Figure 2 is a graphical illustration of a network computer interconnected with three different companies via the Internet.

Figure 3 is a graphical illustration of an advertising system for a department store or supermarket.

Referring first to Figure 1, this figure is a diagrammatic representation of a network computer. The network computer preferably includes a display screen, processing box and required cards in a frame. Displays should be of different sizes so that the screens can be mounted in a rack. The display screen can be touch-sensitive to allow customers to perform interactive application operations on desired advertising information. The process cartridge shall have all necessary memory and processing components. Memory preferably at least 32Mb, with or without a motion sensor, a network card. The network computer is preferably used with a motion or proximity sensor so that the network computer operates only when potential viewers/listeners are within an appropriate distance. Optionally, the network computer can be reset to cause message playback to restart when someone is within range of the proximity sensor. The rack is preferably reasonably robust, waterproof and easily cleanable. The power source can be a conventional electrical device and/or a battery system. It can be placed into a shelf, trolley, or better yet a shelving system located in a store or supermarket. It preferably includes a speaker so that multimedia advertising information can be used.

The network computers may be part of a local area network which may be connected by electrical circuits or preferably by use of radio frequencies. It is preferably a diskless computer that downloads all software from a central server except for a basic network connection and a simple operating system. It can have a disk drive, such as a hard disk or other storage device, so that optional information can be downloaded to the network computer. It has the appropriate computer chassis required, and has a built-in modem to establish a direct connection to the Internet when a central server is not required. It can also interact with a video camera to include images of stores, specific products or customers as part of the desired advertising message.

Referring now to Figure 2, which is a depiction of a basic advertising system. The figure shows a network computer according to FIG. 1, which is connected to the Internet. Three different companies are also connected to the Internet. Each of these businesses will have a home page. The home page contains information about the company, its product business scope, marketing and advertising strategies, specific product promotions, etc., as well as information about the company's various products. All of this information is available on the Internet. As mentioned above, the network computer is connected to the Internet through a built-in or separate modem and executes directly to the relevant home page of the relevant company. And access information related to the specific product in the ad from that home page. This information is then stored in the network computer's memory and displayed on a screen so that nearby customers can see product information and hear audio messages. Preferably, the network computer is placed on a store shelf at or near where the product of interest is displayed. Thus, if a company offered a special promotion and, for example, provided information on a specific style of instant coffee, the network computer would be located on a shelf in the supermarket where instant coffee was sold. Customers of the supermarket will then be able to see and hear information related to the instant coffee and special promotions related to the instant coffee. This information can be easily and quickly changed to enable a quick turnaround of the product in the supermarket.

If desired, special information can be downloaded from the Internet, so that the information is not just a static individual screen display, but also a short film or other image played in a moving sequence played at the required speed to provide information about the relevant product. mini movie. This information can be downloaded from a home page on the Internet, or added to the network computer using stand-alone programming from any suitable storage device, including floppy disk, CD-ROM or other means.

Of course, when three companies are involved, each of which has some products, the network computer can promote company 1's products for a certain period of time, then turn to company 2, promote its products for a period of time, and then promote company 3's products . Mixed transformation demos of products from one company or different products from different companies can be arranged according to programming and store (or company of interest) needs.

Referring now to FIG. 3, this figure shows a system typically applied to large stores such as supermarkets, department stores and the like. In this diagram, there are network computers each connected to a network server. The network computer is connected to the Internet and handles all downloads to the network computer through a server. Since servers are typically more powerful machines, this allows information to be included on the server and included in the information downloaded to the web server. In this way, specific suppliers and their product information can be combined with that of a supermarket chain, for example, in joint promotions. This can be done through the control of an internet terminal at the company headquarters or at the headquarters of a supermarket chain, so that when information is downloaded, the server can extract the relevant information from one, add it to the other, and send it to network computer. Further, the network computer can receive information as input to the server so that when there is a special promotion from a particular store (such as a store that has just opened), it can be programmed into the server and sent to a different network computer.

The connection from the server to the network computer is preferably through a local area network, which can be connected by cable, or by wireless frequency. Thus each network computer will need a network card to communicate with the server. However, having a server in the store will have many advantages, such as speed and flexibility. This would require each network computer to have some identifying code, either a name or a number, so that it can be uniquely identified by the server. In this way the information provided by the server to the network computer will be specific to that particular network computer.

By using a local area network, retailers can quickly and relatively cheaply create their own advertisements or promotions, which can then be displayed in-store by changing the programming of the server. And this information can also be transmitted to domestic or international headquarters via the Internet. In this way, new advertising and promotions will be established on a regional or local basis without requiring the large logical planning required by current methods. The current method requires printing, staff walking, etc. Furthermore, through the use of properly functioning servers, information on the Internet can be downloaded to the server and sent to network computers at a very high speed. A server must be aware of all network computers connected to it and can remotely control some aspects of each network computer's functionality. This includes being able to vary the desired advertising message displayed by a particular network computer, or the time and extent of display of that message. This makes it easy to remotely change network computers, thereby reducing system costs.

In addition, the server itself can become a home page or appropriate site on the Internet, thereby, the information content displayed by different network computers can be personalized. For large chain stores, multiple servers can form a wide area network by themselves, allowing multiple stores in a geographical area to be controlled from a central headquarters office. Within a store, network computers can be connected to a printer via a server or directly. If there are a large number of networked computers in a particular store, there could for example be one printer to serve multiple aisles, a single aisle or the entire store; or there could be a central printing room from which people would obtain relevant printouts . These printouts can be information about various products, store information, new information on various promotions, upcoming special programs, special events at the store, or a combination of these, or other related things.

In the event of an emergency, any one network computer, or the central server, can put all other network computers into emergency mode. In this mode, all network computers can flash or display appropriate messages to inform customers in the store what is happening and what needs to be done. If the emergency is a fire, the message could for example be the word "get out", with an appropriate arrow pointing to the nearest exit, and advice on what to do, eg keep your body low to avoid smoke. In the event of a robbery, the message can be that an armed robbery is in progress and all customers should stay put and keep their bodies low and calm. Other messages may be related information for eg power outages, floods or other unexpected events.

Additionally, it is possible to interact with a network computer so that it can provide the necessary store location information. For example, if a web computer located in the instant coffee section is offering information about a certain brand of coffee, a customer can retrieve the information from the web computer and find a pre-prepared coffee shop that includes coffee made by the specific company that sells that brand of coffee. drinks. For example, coffee with milk may be located elsewhere in the store, and customers can go directly to that area. In the case of unground coffee beans, the information may further be a diagram, providing for example the grinding accessory such as an expresso machine, plunger, coffee filter or extractor.

Each network computer can be suitably programmed to shut down when there are no customers and remain in standby mode, waiting for a customer or group of customers to approach the network computer. This protects the screen and also reduces power consumption. Proximity sensors can be used to implement the above functionality, or to monitor the number of people walking past a network computer within a certain period of time. This allows the corresponding costs to be determined. The cost of using specific network computers in high traffic areas is higher than in low traffic areas. This can also be used to determine the utilization efficiency of messages. Advertisers can determine that the proportion of passers-by who purchase the advertised product is relatively high by placing their message in a particular area with high traffic.

The nature of the message being advertised can vary according to the traffic in an area, if it is busy the message can be kept short and the customer can be directed to an interactive screen for further information. During periods of low traffic, messages can be longer, more informative, and customers have more time to get the message.

Additionally, network computers can be programmed so that the nature of the information displayed can change at different times of the day. Alternatively, programming may be performed to hold the message for a predetermined period of time and change to another message after that time has elapsed.

Although the present invention has been described according to the preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations to the present application and the design of the operating structure or details of the system will be understood within the scope of the appended claims. changes are feasible.

It shall be understood that the invention disclosed and defined may extend to alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned in the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various optional aspects of the invention.

It should be understood that the term "comprising" and its grammatical variants used herein are equivalent to the term "comprising", and are not used to exclude the existence of other components or features.

Claims (17)

1. ad system, have: at least one is positioned at the network computer of desirable public place, this network computer optionally shows various desirable advertising messages to the public, and wherein desired information is obtained from the Internet by described network computer at least in part.

2. system according to claim 1 wherein interconnects to form a network by surpassing a network computer, and this network is connected with the Internet by a webserver, and this webserver is unique connection of leading to the Internet.

3. system according to claim 2, wherein this webserver is downloaded desirable advertising message from least one gray web website.

4. according to each described system of claim 1-3, wherein each network computer has a proximity transducer so that each network computer just activates when having the people nearby.

5. system according to claim 4, wherein proximity transducer also is used to monitor the number by the webserver.

6. according to each described system of claim 2-5, wherein each network computer comprises a screen, this screen can be a flat screen or a common screen, this screen is a touch-screen, makes client to carry out interactive operation with network computer and desirable advertising message.

7. according to each described system of claim 2-6, the desirable advertising message that wherein is used for a certain concrete network computer is sent to this concrete network computer from the webserver.

8. according to each described system of claim 2-7, wherein this network is a LAN (Local Area Network).

9. system according to claim 8, wherein this network is a WLAN (wireless local area network).

10. according to each described system of claim 2-9, wherein network computer is programmed, to close and to open once more in the other time at a preset time.

11. according to each described system of claim 2-10, wherein network computer shows different desirable advertising messages at one day different time.

12. according to each described system of claim 2-11, wherein network computer is a diskless computer, except basic network connection and shirtsleeve operation system, it is from all software of central downloaded.

13. according to each described system of claim 2-11, wherein network computer have the dish or other data storage device to carry out multimedia show.

14. according to each described system of claim 1-13, wherein for example urgent signal has been set up in fire, robbery, outage or other emergency to ad system for the emergency circumstance of programming in advance in inside, thereby make central server optionally provide information to their network computer, the shown client of information in the shop offers help when specific emergency condition occurring.

15. system according to claim 14, wherein information comprises the arrow of the nearest outlet of indication, or for the client's in shop indication.

16. system according to claim 10, wherein preset time is the shop lockup.

17. according to claim 10 or 11 described systems, the wherein other time is opening the door the time of shop.

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