FR2899355A1 - Information message transmitting method for e.g. trade show, involves receiving validation request when visitor enters in trade area, and activating visitor account in response to request for permitting visitor to receive message - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves receiving an inscription message from a mobile telephone of a visitor before the visitor enters in a trade area, where the message has an identifier e.g. telephone number, of the visitor and an identifier of the area. The identifiers are stored in a database of an inscription module. A validation request having a validation code corresponding to the identifier of the visitor is received on the module when the visitor enters in the area. A visitor account is activated in response to the request for permitting the visitor to receive the information message on the telephone. An independent claim is also included for a system for transmitting an information message to a visitor.

Description

The present process relates to on-site and on-demand information

  visitors to trade fairs, fairs and other events. It constitutes a service provided to the visitor and a complementary means of communication for the exhibitors and organizers of the said events. The service supports the mobile phone of the visitor and is based on the sending by the exhibitors and organizers by mobile messaging (mainly SMS - Short Message Service) of information to the visitor. 10

  The current means of communication available to exhibitors in the context of events are essentially of two kinds: - Online: communication via internet, mini-website showcase on the organizer's website ... 15 - Offline: presse , advertising on site, affixing the logo on the bags of the event, signage on the ground ...

  Therefore, in the current state of the art, there is no way for exhibitors and event organizers to communicate with the visitor from the moment he / she is at the place of the event, which the service proposes. to realize thus coming to usefully supplement the range of the means of communication put at the disposal of the exhibitors and organizers of events.

  For this purpose, the invention relates to the transmission of an information message to the visitor of an event, but also more generally to any place or catchment area, the information being relative to a product or service available at the place or catchment area in which the said visitor is. Said method comprises the steps of: - Before the arrival of the visitor to said place, receiving on a platform a registration message from a mobile phone of said visitor, said registration message 30 comprising a visitor identifier and an identifier of the place; Storing in a database of a registration module, in association with said platform, the identifier of the visitor and the identifier of the place; When said visitor arrives at said location, receive on said registration module a validation request containing a validation code corresponding to said visitor identifier; 35 - In response to said validation request, activate a visitor account allowing said visitor to receive on his mobile phone said information message.

  Advantageously, the visitor's identifier corresponds to the telephone number of said mobile phone. Advantageously, in the validation step, said validation request is issued by a validation terminal disposed in said location. Advantageously, in the validation step, said validation request is sent by said mobile phone.

  Advantageously, the step of storing in a database of a registration module of the visitor identifier and the location identifier comprises a substep of transmitting to the mobile phone a confirmation message of registration containing said validation code. Advantageously, said validation code is the telephone number of the mobile phone.

  Advantageously, said information message is entered on a management interface, transmitted to said platform by an internal connection ', and then transmitted from said platform to said mobile phone. Advantageously, said place is the place of an event such as a fair, a fair, a shopping center, a sign or any other catchment area.

  Advantageously, a mechanism for counting visits, acts and amounts of visitor purchases can be introduced, in which the incrementation is effected by successive validations.

  The subject of the invention is also a system for transmitting an information message intended for a visitor, the information relating to a product or service available in a place or catchment area in which said visitor is located, said system comprising: A platform capable of receiving, before the arrival of the visitor to said location, a registration message from a mobile phone of said visitor, said registration message comprising a visitor identifier and an identifier of the Instead, an enrollment module, in association with said platform, comprising a database capable of storing the visitor's identifier and the location identifier. Validation means for transmitting to said enrollment module when said visitor arrives at said location, a validation request containing a validation code corresponding to said visitor's identifier, said registration module being able to, in response to said validation task, activate a visitor account allowing said visitor to receive 30 on his mobile phone said information message.

  The method will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more clearly apparent in the following detailed explanatory description, embodiment or type of industrial application of the method. given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

  The appended FIG. 1 presents a simplified functional view of the method and its various technical components: an SMS platform 1. of receiving and sending messages, a database of the registrants, one or more validation terminals. 3. and an internet management interface 4. -3- Figures 2, 3 and 4 attached examples of screen views at different stages of the process, respectively: Figure 2 shows the screen of the mobile phone l user in the registration phase. Figure 3 shows the screens of the user's mobile phone and the validation terminal at the validation phase. Figure 4 shows the screen of the user's mobile phone with examples of communications.

  10 The service respects the constraints related to the environment of the event: it is a communication tool without noise pollution at the venue of the event and not aggressive vis-à-vis other exhibitors.

  15 The use of the mobile phone number and the constitution of databases give rise to regulatory obligations, respected by the service, and in particular: - CNIL: Act of 6 January 1978, relating to data processing, files and Freedoms which imposes, inter alia, a right of unsubscription of the service. - LCEN: Law of June 21, 2004 for Confidence in the Digital Economy. This is the anti-spam legislation that requires its express and prior consent (opt-in) to be able to send messages to a user. Cellular phone calls (SMS) are considered electronic communications (e-mails).

  The method involves the visitor of the event that uses the service, the user, on the one hand, the exhibitors and event organizers who communicate information to the visitor registered to the service, the advertisers, on the other hand go. A service provider ensures the establishment of the service.

  30 The service is based on a simple cinematic by which the visitor of an event:

  - Sign up for the service by sending from his mobile phone an SMS with a key word symbolizing the event and his mobile phone number to an SMS platform upstream of the event or on site. This SMS platform allows the receipt of SMS 35 registration from visitors, sent to a short call number, and sending SMS to registered. This registration is materialized by an entry in the registrant database that is linked to the SMS platform. The registration is confirmed to the visitor by sending from the SMS platform a confirmation SMS, including a unique automatically generated validation token (for example an alphanumeric code with x digits), to be presented to the cashier or cashier. 'Home. -4- Activates the service on arrival at the event site by presenting its validation token to the cashier or reception staff. The validation of the registration is effected by the entry of the validation token on a validation terminal by said personnel. This validation terminal is a mobile phone for use restricted to the service. A JAVA technology application that has been pre-loaded on the terminal allows mobile internet communication (GPRS technology) with the database. Staff entering the unique validation code of the visitor sends a request to the database and thus verifies that this unique validation token corresponds to an entry in the registrant database. If this is the case, the database sends a confirmation message to the validation terminal. If this is not the case, an invitation message to the re-registration of the visitor is sent to the validation terminal.

  The service is therefore linked to the presence of the visitor at the event venue. From the validation, the visitor receives messages on his mobile phone from the exhibitors and organizers of the event. These messages are created and set up before or during the event on an internet management interface that allows the text of the message to be sent and its sending parameters (quantity, time) to be entered. The management interface is operated either by the exhibitors or organizers who access it through an identifier (username and password), or by the provider providing the establishment of the service.

  The deactivation of the service intervenes automatically at the end of the visit, that is to say in practice at the end of the day. The use of the service implies the implementation of the following technical elements, as illustrated by the attached figure 1:

  An SMS platform 1 for receiving and sending SMS messages. This SMS platform allows the reception of SMS registration from the visitors, sent to a short call number, and the on-demand and real-time sending of SMS to registered users. A database 2 linked to the SMS platform, allowing the dynamic management of the subscribers file (registrations, generation of validation tokens, validations, management of the sending of 35 messages).

  One or more validation terminals 3. These validation terminals are mobile telephones for use restricted to the service. A JAVA technology application that has been pre-loaded on the terminal allows mobile communication (40 GPRS technology) to communicate with the database at the validation stage, verifying that the validation token -5-presented corresponds to a entry into the base.

  An internet management interface 4 allowing the creation and configuration of messages to be sent to registrants, before or during the event. The internet management interface is operated either by exhibitors or organizers who access it through an identifier (username and password), or by the provider providing the establishment of the service.

  Figure 2 attached shows the mobile phone screens of the user at the registration phase 10:

Sending registration message 5.

  Receipt of a confirmation message 6 with a single validation token, in this case a five-digit alphanumeric code, to be presented to the cashier or receptionist.

  The appended FIG. 3 shows the mobile phone screens of the user and the validation terminal of the cashier or reception staff at the validation phase:

  Presentation of the confirmation message by the visitor registered to the service 7.

  Entry on validation terminal 8 by cashier or reception staff of the validation token and sending the request to the database. Answer 9, in this case positive, of the database.

  The appended FIG. 4 shows the mobile phone screens of the user receiving examples of information and communications from the exhibitors and organizers of the event.

  According to particular modes of realization: As regards the information and communications sent to the visitor, external announcers can be envisaged, in margin or complement of the exhibitors and organizers of events. With regard to registration, the sending of the SMS by the visitor can be carried out on a level of SMS communication not surcharged or surcharged, according to the scale in force.

  - As regards the single validation token, it is in the current state of development of an alphanumeric code. This code may be replaced by a barcode sent on the registrant's mobile phone or by any other unique identifier.

  As regards the validation, the telephone number can be entered on the validation terminal by the cashier or host staff, in the same way as the single validation token.

  In terms of validation, registrants can auto-activate the service by sending an SMS with the keyword symbolizing the event, their phone number and an activation keyword type ON. As regards the validation, the validation terminal operated by the cashier or reception staff may be replaced by a validation terminal operated by the visitor himself. It must have an internet connection with the database.

  With regard to the sending of messages, they are in the current state of the art and costs of the SMS (Short Message Service) type, that is to say text. These messages may take the form of logos, ringtones, Multimedia Message Service (MMS) and other types of messages, as the technique evolves and the costs of using the different formats. With respect to the database, service registrants can be segmented by type: professionals and individuals, segmentation by interest, other segmentations. These segmentations are operated upon registration, by the establishment of several keywords, one for each type of registrants. Regarding the deactivation of the service, registrants can auto-disable the service by sending an SMS with the keyword symbolizing the event, their phone number and a deactivation keyword type OFF. According to another type of industrial application, similar to that described above, the present method can be applied to the environment of a commercial center or other more or less defined catchment area. This environment is indeed semi-captive to the extent of its catchment area, and it is conceivable to communicate on the same medium with the population of people attending the shopping center or the catchment area and being registered for service.

  In this type of industrial application, advertisers are now the brands present in the shopping center. the manager of the center and, possibly, signs belonging to the same catchment area but outside the shopping center, or finally signs outside the catchment area of the center but doing communication or promotion operations within the shopping center or of the catchment area.

  In this type of industrial application, a mechanism for counting deeds and / or purchase amounts can be introduced. The incrementation of the account of the user is done by multiple validations, that is to say by presentation of the code or telephone number with each purchase. Cashier or host staff can also enter the amount and nature of the purchase on their validation media.

  In this type of industrial application, messages are sent to the list of subscribers by the program manager and according to a distribution schedule defined by him. This calendar is not limited to one day.

  All the particular modes and modes of realization of the main industrial application are applicable to the environment of a shopping center or catchment area. Although the method has been described in connection with particular embodiments, it is quite obvious that it is by no means limited and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these are part of the process.

30 35 40

Claims (10)

  1. A method of transmitting an information message to a visitor, the information relating to a product or service available in a place or catchment area in which said visitor is, said method comprising the steps of to: a) before the arrival of the visitor on said place, receiving on a platform (1) a registration message from a mobile phone of said visitor, said registration message comprising a visitor identifier and an identifier of the place ; b) storing in a database of a registration module (2), in association with said platform, the visitor's identifier and the location identifier; c) when said visitor arrives at said location, receive on said registration module a validation request containing a validation code corresponding to said visitor identifier; d) in response to said validation request, activate a visitor account allowing said visitor to receive on said mobile phone said information message.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the identifier of the visitor corresponds to the telephone number of said mobile phone.   3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in step c), said validation request is issued by a validation terminal (3) disposed in said location.   4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in step c), said validation request is issued by said mobile phone.   5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that step b) comprises a substep of transmitting to the mobile phone a confirmation message of registration containing said validation code.   6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said validation code is the telephone number of the mobile phone.   7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said information message is entered on a management interface (4), transmitted to said platform by an internal connection 'and transmitted from said platform to said mobile phone.   8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said place is the place of an event such as a fair, a fair, a shopping center or any other catchment area.   9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a mechanism for counting the acts and purchase amounts of the visitor can be introduced, wherein the incrementation is effected by successive validations.   10. System for transmitting an information message to a visitor, the information relating to a product or service available in a place or catchment area in which said visitor is, said system comprising: a flat -form able to receive, before the arrival of the visitor on said place, a registration message from a mobile phone of said visitor, said registration message comprising a visitor identifier and a location identifier, a module of registration, in association with said platform, comprising a database capable of storing the visitor's identifier and the location identifier, validation means for transmitting to said registration module, when said visitor arrives on said instead, a validation request containing a validation code corresponding to said visitor's identifier, said registration module being able to, in response to said validation request, activate a comp the visitor allowing said visitor to receive on said mobile phone said information message.