WO2014066641A2

WO2014066641A2 - Route-linked advertising system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2014066641A2
Application number: PCT/US2013/066620
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ilya REKHTER; Peter Servaas
Original assignee: Doublemap Llc
Priority date: 2012-10-24
Filing date: 2013-10-24
Publication date: 2014-05-01
Also published as: WO2014066641A3

Abstract

A system for displaying information related to a fixed-route transit system collects ads and ad display instructions from advertisers. The advertisers choose one or more zoom levels at which their ads will be displayed, and they specify the stop and/or route on the transit system that the ads will be displayed with. Users of the information system view information related to the fixed-route transit system overlaid on maps, and the ads are shown based on the particular zoom level they are using, one or more stops and/or routes being shown, and/or the one or more routes on which the user is travelling.

Description

ROUTE-LINKED ADVERTISING SYSTEM AND METHOD

Field

The present description relates to advertising linked to transit information systems, and more particularly in some embodiments to a platform that presents users with

advertisements for establishments located near a particular, selected stop on a fixed-route transit system, such as a train or bus system, and the purchase and implementation of advertising relating thereto. Various features of the system provide advertisers with options to place ads at various zoom levels of a map view and provide access to users both in a web interface and a mobile app. Background

Map-related advertising systems currently in use afford advertisers the opportunity to display ads to persons viewing maps of particular locations, but a need exists to increase the relevance of ads to particular viewers of map-based information. Further, advertisers desire to improve the targeting of ads in advertising systems. Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of function components of an advertising collection and delivery system according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a simulated screen shot of an advertisement collection interface according to the embodiment of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a simulated screen shot of a transit map at a first zoom level used in the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a simulated screen shot of a transit map at a second zoom level used in the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a simulated screen shot of a transit map showing a stop detail dialog in the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a simulated screen shot of a transit map showing another stop detail dialog in the embodiment of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a computing device for use in various embodiments of the disclosed system.

Description

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure or invention is thereby intended; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

One embodiment or implementations of the system is being described in connection with the flowchart/block diagram on Fig. 1 with additional details shown in Figs. 2-7. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that alternative embodiments and implementations are within the scope of this teaching.

As shown in "Step 1" in Fig. 1, the advertising platform 100 according to an illustrated embodiment includes a server 110 that initially presents an advertiser with a prompt for login credentials. When those are entered 111, the advertiser pinpoints 113 a location of interest on the map, such as the location of a retail store, along a fixed transit route, such as that of a bus or train. The advertiser enters 115 additional information to be displayed in connection with the advertisement, such as hours of operation, menu

information, coupons, and the like. See Fig. 2 for an example interface for collecting this information. The advertiser in this embodiment has the option to provide coupons through the system, for example, providing a direct channel to communicate with the ridership base— in real time— to market and communicate instant coupons, discounts or other enticing offers and information to a potential customer. This type of announcement can be listed for a definite period, a particular number of times, or indefinitely, according to the options available in the particular implementation and the advertiser's purchase. In addition, in various embodiments, the advertiser is given the option to set the coupon to reappear automatically on particular dates or times (e.g., a "happy hour" promotion that appears every Tuesday between 4 o'clock and 5 o'clock). The advertiser then selects 117 the zoom level (i.e., a level of magnification) of a map at which they would like their advertisement to begin to appear. In various embodiments, the advertiser might choose one fixed level, a maximum level, a range of levels, and/or a minimum level at which they want their ad to appear. The zoom levels may be specified from among a set of discrete levels or with reference to endpoints along a continuum. The advertiser then selects 119 the transit route(s)/stop(s) in connection with which the ads will appear.

One example of an interface implementing this data gathering is illustrated in Fig. 2. Simulated screen 200 includes interactive map 210, location information section 220, advertisement information section 230, and the premium options section 240, though other advertiser user interfaces will occur to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. Interactive map 210 in this embodiment is provided by Google Maps and shows the currently selected location to be tied to a particular advertisement, if any, along with surrounding map details that can be used for precise placement on the map of the one or more locations with which the ad will be associated. For example, an advertiser may click a location on the map to select a particular location to be associated with the ad, which location is then automatically represented by data (e.g., latitude and longitude information) in venue information interface 220. Likewise, changes made directly to the location portion of the venue information interface 220 are automatically reflected in interactive map 210. Additional information about the venue, such as the name, street address, telephone number(s), website, and venue category can be filled automatically into user interface elements labeled and adapted for each respective component.

Advertisement information section 230 provides facilities for upload of advertisement graphics and the date and time(s) at which the ad is to be shown. Premium placement information section 240 includes interface elements that enable an advertiser to select various other options for display alongside particular routes and/or stops in the fixed-route transit system. Again, different organization and/or selections of elements will be used in different embodiments as will occur to those skilled in the art.

One view of a transit map in one embodiment of the present system is shown in Fig. 3. Map 301 includes an overview of transit routes 311 in the displayed area. Landmarks 313 assist the viewer in orienting herself and determining which stops 315 along routes 311 are of interest. In this exemplary interface, route selection section 321 enables the user to select zero or more routes for display, and map 301 is automatically updated to reflect the selections. Map scrolling widget 303 and zoom widget 305 enable additional navigation as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, no ads are shown at this zoom level, though in other implementations, this detail may differ. (See point 121 in Fig. 1.) When zoom widget 305 or other interface tool is used to zoom in on the map

(increasing magnification), a corresponding, but further magnified map 401 is displayed, as shown in Fig. 4. At this zoom level, advertisements 411, 413 begin to be displayed according to the selections that had been made by advertisers. (See point 123 in Fig. 1.) In the present embodiment, as the user zooms in further, additional advertisements are shown. (See point 125 in Fig. 1.) Advertisements populated at a lower level of magnification continue to be displayed as the user zooms in further. If a user zooms back out, decreasing magnification, the advertisements associated only with the higher level of magnification (being left behind) disappear. The user controls the zoom level; therefore, in this embodiment, the number of advertisements displayed depends in part on actions of the user. In this embodiment, when a user clicks on or otherwise selects (see item 131 in Fig. 1) a particular stop 315 on a transit route 311 in any map shown in the interface, a balloon or other interface component 511 is displayed (see item 133 in Fig. 1), as shown in map 501 in Fig. 5. The balloon 511 shows the name 513 of the stop and the routes 311 that stop in that location (in route portion 515). One of the routes 311 may be highlighted in route portion 515 (such as by darkening, underlining, changing color or other interface technique, as will occur to those skilled in the art), and the remainder of the information in balloon 511 is updated to reflect that associated with the selected route. In some embodiments, portion 517 of balloon 511 displays the arrival time and/or amount of time to arrival for the next one or more transit vehicles on a selected route for that stop. In other embodiments, arrival times are shown, with information related to the selected route being highlighted in a fashion similar to the highlighting in interface section 515 for vehicles on multiple routes. Interface portion 519 shows the content (in the illustrated embodiment, logos) for the advertisers who have purchased advertising related to that particular stop (and, in some embodiments, route), and those advertisers are shown and/or highlighted on the map 501 see item 135 in Fig. 1). If the user clicks or otherwise selects a different route in interface section 515, balloon

511 is modified to become balloon 611 as shown in Fig. 6 (see item 137 in Fig. 1). Map 601 is updated to highlight the portion of the newly selected route that appears in the map, and route display section 613 and arrival information section 615 are also updated with data corresponding to the newly selected route. In embodiments wherein advertisements are targeted as a function of route as well as stop, interface section 617 is updated with advertisement information for the newly selected route (see item 139 in Fig. 1).

In other variations on this system, advertisers bid on advertising slots, and placement of ads at various levels on the various maps in connection with particular locations or stops are prioritized and/or distributed by the system as a function of the bids. These variations can be implemented in several different ways as will occur to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

In some embodiments of the system described herein, the computing resources that are applied generally take the form of a mobile, laptop, desktop, or server-type computer, as mentioned above and as will occur to those skilled in the art. The "computer" 700 as this example will generically be referred to with reference to Fig. 7, includes a processor 720 in communication with a memory 730, input interface(s) 740, output interface(s) 750, and network interface 760. Power, ground, clock, and other signals and circuitry (not shown) are used as appropriate as will be understood and easily implemented by those skilled in the art.

The network interface 760 connects the computer 700 to a data network 770 for communication of data between the computer 700 and other devices attached to the network 770. Input interface(s) 740 manage communication between the processor 720 and one or more touch screens, sensors, push-buttons, UARTs, IR and/or RF receivers or transceivers, decoders, or other devices, as well as traditional keyboard and mouse devices. Output interface(s) 750 provide a video signal to a display 780, and may provide signals to one or more additional output devices such as LEDs, LCDs, or audio output devices, local multimedia devices, local notification devices, or a combination of these and other output devices and techniques as will occur to those skilled in the art.

The processor 720 in some embodiments is a microcontroller or general purpose microprocessor that reads its program from the memory 730. The processor 720 may be comprised of one or more components configured as a single unit. Alternatively, when of a multi-component form, the processor may have one or more components located remotely relative to the others. One or more components of the processor may be of the electronic variety including digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or both. In some embodiments, the processor is of a conventional, integrated circuit microprocessor arrangement, such as one or more CORE i3, i5, or i7 processors from INTEL Corporation of 2200 Mission College Boulevard, Santa Clara, Calif. 95052, USA, or OPTERON or PHENOM processors from Advanced Micro Devices, One AMD Place, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94088, USA. In alternative embodiments, one or more reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors, application- specific integrated circuits (ASICs), general-purpose microprocessors, programmable logic arrays, or other devices may be used alone or in combinations as will occur to those skilled in the art.

Likewise, the memory 730 in various embodiments includes one or more types such as solid-state electronic memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory, just to name a few. By way of non-limiting example, the memory 730 can include solid-state electronic Random Access Memory (RAM), Sequentially Accessible Memory (SAM) (such as the First-In, First- Out (FIFO) variety or the Last- In First-Out (LIFO) variety), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), or Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM); an optical disc memory (such as a recordable, rewritable, or read-only DVD or CD-ROM); a magnetically encoded hard drive, floppy disk, tape, or cartridge medium; or a plurality and/or combination of these memory types. Also, the memory in various embodiments is volatile, nonvolatile, or a hybrid combination of volatile and nonvolatile varieties.

Computer programs implementing the methods described herein will commonly be distributed either on a physical distribution medium such as CD-ROM, or via a network distribution medium such as an internet protocol or token ring network, using other media, or through some combination of such distribution media. From there, they will often be copied to a hard disk, non- volatile memory, or a similar intermediate storage medium. When the programs are to be run, they are loaded either from their distribution medium or their intermediate storage medium into the execution memory of the computer, configuring the computer to act in accordance with the method described herein. All of these operations are well known to those skilled in the art of computer systems.

The term "computer-readable medium" encompasses distribution media, intermediate storage media, execution memory of a computer, and any other medium or device capable of storing a computer program implementing a method for later reading by a computer. All publications, prior applications, and other documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each had been individually incorporated by reference and fully set forth. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system of displaying advertisements, comprising a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing programming instructions executable by the processor to:

display a first map and a second map, each

related to one or more stops a fixed-route transit system, and

at a different zoom level; and

display different advertisements on the first map and the second map, each displayed advertisement being selected as a function of

the zoom level of the particular map, and

one or more stops to which the particular map relates.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the zoom level of the first map and the zoom level of the second map are selected from a plurality of discrete zoom levels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the zoom level of the first map and the zoom level of the second map are selected from a continuum of zoom levels.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the displayed advertisements is selected as a function of a particular stop among a plurality of stops in the fixed-route transit system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the displayed advertisements is selected as a function of a particular route among a plurality of routes in the fixed-route transit system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the first map includes information regarding a projected arrival time of a transit vehicle at one of the one or more stops to which the first map relates.

7. A system of collecting advertisements, comprising a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing programming instructions executable by the processor to:

receive data from an advertiser, comprising

an ad to be rendered in connection with a particular location; and one or more map zoom levels at which the ad is to be displayed; and render the advertisement to a user consistently with the received data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more map zoom levels are selected from a plurality of discrete zoom levels.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more map zoom levels are selected from a continuum of zoom levels.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the displayed advertisements is selected as a function of a particular stop among a plurality of stops in the fixed-route transit system.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the displayed advertisements is selected as a function of a particular route among a plurality of routes in the fixed-route transit system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the displaying of the first map includes information regarding a projected arrival time of a transit vehicle at one of the one or more stops to which the first map relates.

13. A method of displaying advertisements related to a fixed-route transit system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a first map having a first zoom level with a first set of zero or more ads and showing a first set of one or more stops in a fixed-route transit system, and

displaying a second map having a second zoom level with a second set of one or more ads and showing a second set of one or more stops in the fixed-route transit system,

wherein the first set of ads and the second set of ads are different and composed as a function of: the zoom level of the particular map, and

the set of stops shown on the particular map.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of ads and the second set of ads are also composed as a function of:

one or more routes in the fixed-route transit system on which the set of stops shown on the particular map lie.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein

the first zoom level shows a larger area than the second zoom level, and

the first set of ads comprises at least one ad that is not in the second set of ads.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the first map includes rendering information regarding a projected arrival time of a transit vehicle at a stop in the first set of one or more stops.