U.S. patent application number 10/133733 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-24 for system permitting retail stores to place advertisements on roadside electronic billboard displays that tie into point of purchase displays at the stores.
Invention is credited to Hunter, Charles Eric.
Application Number | 20020156858 10/133733 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27404790 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020156858 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hunter, Charles Eric |
October 24, 2002 |
System permitting retail stores to place advertisements on roadside
electronic billboard displays that tie into point of purchase
displays at the stores
Abstract
Commercial advertisers, such as a chain of retail stores,
directly access a network of thousands of large, high resolution
roadside electronic displays and directly send their own
advertisements electronically to the network to be displayed at
locations and times selected by the advertisers, while tying the
advertising content into the content of point of purchase displays
in the advertiser's store(s).
Inventors: |
Hunter, Charles Eric;
(Hilton Head Island, SC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow,
Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
1300 I Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20005-3315
US
|
Family ID: |
27404790 |
Appl. No.: |
10/133733 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10133733 |
Apr 29, 2002 |
|
|
|
09416333 |
Oct 12, 1999 |
|
|
|
09416333 |
Oct 12, 1999 |
|
|
|
09315111 |
May 18, 1999 |
|
|
|
09315111 |
May 18, 1999 |
|
|
|
09301102 |
Apr 28, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/207 ;
348/E7.063; 348/E7.071; 705/1.1; G9B/33.025 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/47202 20130101;
H04N 21/2543 20130101; H04N 21/812 20130101; H04N 7/165 20130101;
H04N 21/26258 20130101; H04N 21/8153 20130101; H04N 21/41415
20130101; G11B 33/10 20130101; G06Q 30/0641 20130101; H04N 7/17318
20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G09F 27/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/207 ;
705/1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
1. A system permitting a commercial advertiser with retail stores
to place video or still-image advertisements at selected times and
locations on a network of multiple electronic roadside displays,
and to tie the roadside advertisements into point of purchase
displays at the advertiser's retail stores, said system comprising:
a network including a plurality of roadside electronic displays;
means permitting a commercial advertiser with retail stores to
place video or still-image advertisements at selected times on
selected ones of the network's roadside electronic displays; and
point of purchase displays at selected ones of the commercial
advertiser's retail stores displaying content that ties into the
content of the video or still-image advertisements run on the
roadside electronic displays.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means permitting a commercial
advertiser to place advertisements includes a central processing
station that permits a commercial advertiser to transmit its
advertising content to the station from which it is routed for
display at the customer-selected roadside electronic displays.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the point of purchase displays at
selected ones of the commercial advertiser's retail stores are
electronic point of purchase displays, said network of electronic
displays includes the point of purchase displays and the content of
the point of purchase displays is transmitted by the advertiser
through said central processing station.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of purchase displays at
selected ones of the commercial advertiser's retail stores are
electronic point of purchase displays.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein said electronic point of purchase
displays comprise electronic ink displays.
6. The system of claim 4 wherein the electronic point of purchase
displays are part of a network of point of purchase displays in
multiple stores, said network being independent of said roadside
electronic display network and controlled by the commercial
advertiser.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the roadside advertisements
display information concerning special value or promotional items
for sale at the advertiser's retail stores and the point of
purchase displays repeat the special value or promotional sale
information.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the roadside advertisements
include information concerning the locations of area stores of the
commercial advertiser.
9. A method permitting a commercial advertiser with retail stores
to place video or still-image advertisements at selected times and
locations on a network of multiple electronic roadside displays,
and to tie the roadside advertisements into point of purchase
displays at the advertiser's retail stores, said method comprising:
permitting a commercial advertiser with retail stores to place
video or still-image advertisements at selected times on selected
roadside electronic displays; and providing point of purchase
displays at selected ones of the commercial advertiser's retail
stores displaying content that ties into the content of the video
or still-image advertisements run on the roadside electronic
displays.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No.
09/315,111, filed May 18, 1999, which is a continuation in part of
Ser. No. 09/301,102, filed Apr. 28, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to the display of video or still image
content on electronic displays. More particularly, the invention
relates to a network of thousands of large, high resolution
roadside electronic billboard displays, and an associated system
that permits retail stores to place advertisements on the displays
while tying the advertisement content into the content of point of
purchase displays at their stores.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Consumer product advertising takes many forms, such as
television commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements,
mailings, point-of-sale displays, outdoor billboards, etc. Using
current advertising media, advertisers engage in a constant
struggle to efficiently use their budgets to most effectively reach
their geographic and demographic targets.
[0004] Focusing on the outdoor advertising component of advertising
by consumer product companies, it is well known that outdoor
billboards have traditionally taken the form of single-message
displays formed of printed sheets or painted surfaces containing
the advertising content adhered to a flat backing. This
time-honored outdoor advertising technique has remained essentially
unchanged throughout the twentieth century. The high cost of
printing, transporting and mounting a message on a conventional
billboard has dictated that the same message remain in place for a
considerable period of time. Thus, a conventional billboard cannot
be readily changed to reflect current events within the geographic
area of the billboard. Additionally, the content on a conventional
billboard tends to become essentially "invisible" as a part of the
landscape after its content has been in place for a relatively
short period of time, especially to commuters and others who
regularly pass the billboard. Beyond the above problems with cost,
single-message content, lack of content changeover capability, and
the like, conventional outdoor billboards have come under
increasing criticism because in their large numbers, and often
tattered condition, they clutter highways with a distasteful form
of visual "pollution". A reduction in the number of billboards and
improvement of the appearance and profitability of those that
remain, if accomplished while increasing the overall advertising
impact afforded by outdoor advertising, would please virtually
everyone.
[0005] The use of electronic billboards has been suggested, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,741. However, there is no
electronic billboard network in operation whereby commercial
advertisers may directly place ads onto selected billboards at
selected times through direct access to a master network. Such a
network, properly designed and operated, promises to overcome the
numerous disadvantages currently associated with the outdoor
advertising industry, while also meeting the above needs of
consumer products advertisers.
[0006] Turning now to point of purchase advertising, it is well
known that various retail stores such as department stores, fast
food restaurants, building supply stores, and the like, utilize
point of purchase displays to inform customers of product
specifications and pricing and to promote periodic special value or
"sale" items. These point of purchase displays usually take the
form of inexpensive paper product displays that are mounted
adjacent to products being promoted, or displays located in a
general store location (such as the entrance) to communicate more
general information to consumers. Other forms of point of purchase
displays may be used, such as electronic displays, for example,
displays utilizing "electronic ink" technology. Current product
advertising techniques do not effectively tie point of purchase
displays to other forms of advertising, particularly to outdoor
advertising.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention, in one broad aspect, is a system that
permits a commercial advertiser with retail store(s) to place video
or still-image advertisements at selected times on a network of
multiple roadside electronic displays, and to tie the roadside
advertisements into point of purchase displays at the advertiser's
retail stores.
[0008] Commercial advertisers, such as retail store chains and the
advertising agents that represent them, directly access a network
of multiple, large, high resolution electronic displays located in
high traffic areas and directly send their own advertisements
electronically to the network to be displayed at locations and
times selected by the advertisers. In preferred embodiments, this
implementation of the invention includes a central information
processing center that permits customers to review a schedule of
times and electronic display locations that are available for
placement of advertisements, and also permits customers to purchase
available times at selected electronic display locations for
placement of their advertising content. The customer then transmits
his video or still image advertising content to the processing
center where the content is reviewed for appropriateness and then
transmitted to the customer-selected electronic display(s). The
electronic displays preferably are large (e.g., 23.times.331/2 ft.)
flat LED displays that are driven by their own video or image
servers. In conjunction with the placement of advertisements on the
roadside electronic displays (billboards), the advertiser also
provides point of purchase displays at each retail store with
content that ties into the roadside advertisements. For example,
both the roadside advertisement and the point of purchase displays
may focus on specific special value or "sale" items, with the point
of purchase displays repeating the sale information and directing
customers to the store location(s) where the sale items may be
found. The point of purchase displays may be electronic displays,
most preferably displays employing electronic ink technology.
Electronic point of purchase displays may be incorporated into the
same network as the roadside electronic displays or they may be
operated by a private network controlled by the commercial
advertiser who owns the retail stores.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Some of the features of the invention having been stated,
other features will appear as the description proceeds, when taken
in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principal components
of a system constructed in accordance with the present invention
for advertising purposes.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a view of one of the electronic displays of the
network of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3A is a view of a roadside electronic display of the
network that is displaying special value items that are being
offered at a retailer's area stores, as well as a map and street
address information useful to locate the stores.
[0013] FIG. 3B shows the entrance to one of the area stores of the
retailer who placed the roadside advertisement shown in FIG. 3A,
and also shows a point of purchase display next to the entrance.
The content of the point of purchase display ties into the content
of the roadside advertisement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] While the present invention will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
aspects of the preferred manner of practicing the present invention
are shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description
which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may
modify the invention herein described while still achieving the
favorable results of this invention. Accordingly, the description
which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching
disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts,
and not as limiting upon the present invention.
[0015] Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there
is shown a block diagram of a system 20 for direct placement of
commercial advertisements, public service announcements and other
content on electronic displays. System 20 includes a network
comprising a plurality of electronic displays 30 that are located
in high traffic areas in various geographic locations. The displays
may be located in areas of high vehicular traffic, and also at
indoor and outdoor locations of high pedestrian traffic, as well as
in movie theaters, restaurants, sports arenas, casinos or other
suitable locations. Thousands of displays, up to 10,000 or more
displays worldwide, may be networked according to the present
invention. In preferred embodiments, each display is a large (for
example, 23 feet by 331/2 feet), high resolution, full color
display that provides brilliant light emission from a flat panel
screen.
[0016] A customer of system 20, for example an in-house or agency
representative of a consumer products company, may access a central
information processing station of the system via the Internet
through a Customer Interface Web Server 40. The customer interface
web server has a commerce engine and permits the customer to obtain
and enter security code and billing code information into a Network
Security Router/Access module 50. Alternatively, high usage
customers of the system may utilize a customer interface comprising
a high speed dedicated connection to module 50. Following access,
the customer reviews options concerning his order by reviewing
available advertising time/locations through a Review Schedule and
Purchase Time module 60 that permits the customer to see what time
is available on any display throughout the world and thereafter
schedule and purchase the desired advertising time slot. Next, the
customer transmits the advertising content on-line through the
Internet, a direct phone line or a high speed connection (for
example, ISDN, or other suitable high speed information transfer
line) for receipt by the system's Video & Still Image Review
and Input module 70. In parallel, the system operator may provide
public service announcements and other content to module 70. All
content, whether still image or video, is formatted in NTSC, PAL,
SECAM, YUV, YC, VGA or other suitable formats. In a preferred
embodiment, the format is VGA, while all other formats, including
but not limited to NTSC, PAL and SECAM, can be run through the
video converter 110.
[0017] The video & still image review and input module 70
permits a system security employee to conduct a content review to
assure that all content meets the security and appropriateness
standards established by the system, prior to the content being
read to the server 100 associated with each display 30 where the
content being transmitted to the server 100 will be displayed.
Preferably, the servers are located at their respective displays
and each has a backup. An example of a suitable server is the IBM
RISC 6000 server.
[0018] The means for transmitting content information to the
display locations may take a number of forms, with it being
understood that any form, or combination thereof, may be utilized
at various locations within the network. As shown in FIG. 1, the
means include:
[0019] a. High speed cable
[0020] b. Satellite
[0021] c. Dedicated phone
[0022] d. High speed line (e.g., ISDN, ADSL)
[0023] e. Cellular, PCS or other data transmission at available
frequencies
[0024] f. Internet
[0025] g. Radio/radio pulse transmission
[0026] h. High speed optical fiber
[0027] i. Physical delivery of digitally stored information
medium.
[0028] A video converter/scaler function and a video controller
function provided by module 110 may be utilized in connection with
those servers 100 and associated displays 30 that require them,
according to data transmission and required reformatting practices
well known in the art.
[0029] Verification that advertisements do, in fact, run at the
intended time at the intended displays may be provided by an
information storage module (not shown) linked to each display.
Another form of verification may be achieved by a Digital Camera
and Traffic Count Recorder 120 that continuously records the
content appearing at its respective display 30 and digitally
transmits video verification information to a Verification Archives
module 150. Recorder 120 also provides traffic count information
(for example, 225 vehicles passed the display while an
advertisement ran) to verification archives module 150.
[0030] Information from verification archives module 150 is
utilized by a demographic analysis module 160 and a market analysis
module 170 to generate information for reports to be sent to
customers after their advertisements run. To this end, analysis
data from modules 160 and 170 is transmitted to a Billing and
Report Generation module 190 where reports are assembled showing,
for example, the time of the advertisement, the content of the
advertisement, the traffic count and residence/median income
information about those who saw the advertisement. A
representative, simplified report for an advertisement running on a
single display is as follows:
1 Customer: ABC Cola Co. Ad Content: Ocean Scene with graphics
(content code 1111) Location: Atlanta, Georgia, Interstate 75 N,
milepost 125 (site code XXXX) Time: 7:30 AM, June 30, 2000 Vehicle
Count: 225 Viewer Count: 340 Viewer Demographics: 50% Resident Cobb
County, GA Median household income: $60,000/yr. 30% Resident DeKalb
County, GA Median household income: $52,000/yr. 20% Median
household income $55,000/yr. Advertising Cost: $X
[0031] For an advertisement that may have run at multiple displays,
for example 100 displays, a representative report may appear as
follows:
2 Customer: ABC Cola Co. Ad Content: Mountain Scene with graphics
(content code 2222) Locations: 100 sites (site codes YYY . . . ZZZ)
Time: 8:30 AM, July 10, 2000 Total Vehicle Count: 21,500 Total
Viewer Count: 37,200 Viewer Demographics: Median household income,
$49,500 Advertising Cost $Y
[0032] Module 190 also produces bills that may be transmitted by
phone lines for a debit payment such as a direct bank draft, or
other suitable payment mode.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a pictorial view of one
preferred form for the electronic displays 30. In this embodiment,
display 30 takes the form of a 23 feet by 331/2 feet seamless flat
screen display including multiple flat panel display modules. The
panels utilize advanced semiconductor technology to provide high
resolution, full color images utilizing light emitting diodes
(LED's) with very high optical power (1.5-10 milliwatts or greater)
that are aligned in an integrated array with each pixel having a
red, green and blue LED. It will be appreciated that multiple LED's
of a given color may be used at pixels to produce the desired light
output; for example, three 1.5 milliwatt blue LED's may be used to
produce a 4.5 milliwatt blue light output. Each red, green and blue
emitter is accessed with 24 bit resolution, providing 16.7 million
colors for every pixel. An overall display of 23 feet by 331/2
feet, so constructed, has a high spatial resolution defined by
approximately 172,000 pixels at an optical power that is easily
viewable in bright sunlight. Suitable display modules for displays
30 are manufactured by Lighthouse Technologies of Hong Kong, China,
under Model No. LV50 that utilize, for blue and green, InGaN LED's
fabricated on single crystalline Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (sapphire)
substrates with a suitable buffer layer such as AlN and, for red,
superbright AlInGaP LED's fabricated on a suitable substrate such
as GaP. These panels have a useful life in excess of 50,000 hours,
for example, an expected life under the usage contemplated for
network 20 of 150,000 hours and more. In preferred embodiments, the
panels are cooled from the back of the displays, preferably via a
refrigerant-based air conditioning system (not shown) such as a
forced air system or a thermal convection or conduction system. Non
refrigerant-based options may be used in locations where they
produce satisfactory cooling. The displays preferably have a very
wide viewing angle, for example, 160.degree..
[0034] While the Lighthouse Technologies displays utilize the InGaN
on sapphire and AlInGaP on GaP LED's described above (and in
certain cases InGaN on SiC), other materials may be used for the
LED's as follows:
[0035] 1. (Blue/green) InGaN on SiC, preferably with a suitable
buffer layer such as AlN
[0036] 2. (Blue/green) InGaN on GaN
[0037] 3. (Blue/green) InGaN on AlN, preferably with a suitable
buffer layer such as AlN.
[0038] 4. (Blue/green) AlN or AlN-containing compound on AlN,
sapphire or SiC.
[0039] It will be appreciated that the InGaN on sapphire and the
other solid state LED's described above have substrates with high
optical transmissivity and produce very high optical power. This is
important for a number of reasons, including giving the electronic
display designers the ability to create very wide viewing angles up
to approximately 160.degree., and the resultant increase in
visibility of the displays to viewers in oncoming traffic.
[0040] In addition to the particular solid state LED's mentioned
above, the discrete sources of blue, green and red light at each
pixel may take other forms such as composite devices including an
ultraviolet LED that is utilized to excite a phosphor that, in
turn, produces light of a selected spectrum. The ultraviolet LED
may be formed from a GaN or GaN-containing compound on sapphire
with or without suitable buffer layer, or a GaN or GaN-containing
compound on SiC, preferably with a suitable buffer layer, or an AlN
or AlN-containing compound on AlN, sapphire, SiC or GaN, with or
without a suitable buffer layer. In one embodiment, ultraviolet
LED's are incorporated into three different composite devices, each
with a different phosphor for producing blue, green and red,
respectively. In another embodiment, a phosphor is selected to
produce white light and a desired color is produced by passing the
white light through a band pass filter. According to this
white-light embodiment, filters of blue, green and red may be used
to create discrete composite devices that produce blue, green and
red light at each pixel. The use of white light with appropriate
band pass filters has the advantage of producing a colored light
with an excellent wave length distribution that will not change
appreciably over time, a desirable property for color balancing. On
the other hand, the use of three different phosphors to directly
produce blue, green and red without a filter has the advantage of
higher efficiency because light is not filtered out. Both
approaches have the advantage of excellent persistence which, as
known in the art, is a desirable feature that is especially
important in video applications, particularly digital movie theater
applications that are discussed in detail below.
[0041] It will be appreciated that energy sources other than
ultraviolet LED's may be used to excite the phosphors of the
composite devices discussed immediately above.
[0042] In the case of low ambient light applications, such as
digital movie theaters, lower power LED's may be used. Furthermore,
higher power LED's may be used to provide a light source for an LCD
shutter-type screen as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,062,
incorporated herein by reference.
[0043] The provision of one or more high resolution, highly aligned
digital cameras at each display site, for example the camera or
cameras utilized in digital camera and traffic counter 120, or
other specifically dedicated cameras, provides a means permitting
in situ diagnostics and calibration of the displays. As known in
the art, certain digital cameras have a resolution of over
7,000,000 pixels--as compared to approximately 172,000 pixels on
the above-described 23.times.331/2 ft. display. Thus, by directing
a digital camera at a display, or directing multiple digital
cameras at different discrete portions of a display, a
correspondence may be attained where a portion of each digital
camera's image corresponds to a single pixel in the display.
Suitable means for aligning the digital camera with the display is
used, for example, optical means such as laser alignment marks. At
selected times set aside for diagnostics and calibration, such as a
five minute period each night, the entire display may be run red,
then green, then blue, followed by white, all at multiple power
levels. In order to reduce interference, the LED's may be switched
on individually for a short period, for example one millisecond
each. In the most basic diagnostic operation carried out when the
display is run red/green/blue, the camera(s), mounted at a selected
distance from the display such as sixty feet away, are capable of
detecting nonfunctioning or excessively degraded LED's for
replacement.
[0044] Beyond replacing defective LED's, each night the system may
automatically re-calibrate all LED's in the display. To this end,
the display is run red/green/blue at several iterative power levels
(e.g., 20%/40%/60%/80%/100%) and the optical power output of each
LED is sensed for each power level, with the goal being to
calibrate the system so that each red, green or blue LED has the
same optical power output at each power level as do the other LED's
of the same color. Calibration preferably is achieved by diode
recalibration scaler software (e.g., look up table) that may be
associated with a scaler (not shown) that acts independently in
conjunction with the video converter/scaler at 110 (FIG. 1). The
diode recalibration scaler receives information from the diagnostic
equipment indicating the optical power output of each LED at the
various power levels and, through an associated automatic
calibration LED look-up table, accounts for daily variance in LED
output (degradation or increase) by adjusting the power curve by
which the LED will be driven the next day. This periodic (e.g.
daily) in situ recalibration has the benefit of greatly reducing on
site maintenance since LED's that have degraded can be run harder
to compensate for the degradation, eliminating the need for
frequent replacement.
[0045] As an alternative to using digital cameras for the
diagnostic and calibration function, in other embodiments miniature
photodector chips, with or without band pass filters, may be
located in close proximity to each LED in the display for measuring
LED light output during diagnostic/calibration operations.
[0046] As another alternative, a programmable chip may be located
at each pixel so that each individual chip may be reprogrammed as
necessary during each calibration sequence to raise or lower the
effective light output of the LED's contained in the pixel.
[0047] As an alternative to performing daily in situ calibration by
looking at every pixel in sequence and adjusting the scaling value
for each pixel, a statistical modeling approach may be utilized.
According to this approach, selected LED's or groups of LED's may
be run in iterative power cycles in order to optimize the overall
screen color through statistical analysis to provide a new scaling
value for each LED or group of LED's.
[0048] When the diagnostic operation operates with an all white
display, the three LED's at each pixel may be evaluated
individually and collectively to assure that the pixel is
contributing the proper spectrum and amount of white light. Through
a diagnostic/calibration software package that interrelates output
and peak wave length response for each red/green/blue LED at a
pixel to the desired white light response, an iterative calibration
may be undertaken at each pixel to adjust the values contained in
the diode recalibration scaler software or to reprogram
programmable logic chips that determine the drive current for each
LED located in a specific pixel.
[0049] It will be appreciated that split screen images may be
displayed at the displays 30. In the simplest application, a still
image advertisement may be one half corporate logo and one half
scenery. Beyond this simple application, split screen capability
may be used to present a portion of the image as a corporate logo,
or the like, and the remainder either real time (or near real time)
video or still frame. For example, a previously qualified customer
with acceptable internal content review procedures may have direct
access to a display or displays for the purpose of displaying a
real time (or near real time) sports event, news event, or the
like, in conjunction with the customer's corporate logo. This
display may be achieved by utilizing high speed servers 100 or by
bypassing the servers altogether. High speed still image or video
transfer may be facilitated by compression techniques such as JPEG
and MPEG II, known in the art.
[0050] While advertising scheduling and purchasing may take place
as described above where customers directly purchase time from
available slots according to a fixed fee schedule, it will be
appreciated that alternative modes may be used. For example, an
auction system such as introduced by eBay Corporation may be used
where all previously purchased slots and all unsold slots are
auctioned through a bid process (a "total" auction). Additionally,
a limited auction may be utilized where time may be purchased and
booked for a set price, but all time not purchased at the set price
becomes available through auction at a fixed time before the run
time, for example, one month before run time. As another
alternative for a portion of the available time slots, a high usage
customer may establish a monthly advertising budget with the system
operator that authorizes the operator to select the time slots for
display of the customer's advertisements at "best available rate"
pricing, taking advantage of last minute availability of time slots
and other time slot placement techniques that enable the operator
to more completely utilize the network. This or similar time slot
placement practices when used for a portion of the available time
slots may be implemented by a software package that takes into
account the needs of both the customer and the system operator.
[0051] It will be appreciated that advertising content information
may be transmitted to the electronic display locations by
physically delivering a suitable information storage device such as
CD ROM, zip drive, DVD ROM or DVD RAM. This approach may be
utilized to transmit information to displays at any desired
location, for example, to remote locations, to movie theaters,
etc.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is shown another
implementation of the invention wherein electronic displays 30 in
the form of electronic billboards adjacent roadways are used in
conjunction with point of purchase displays 30POP that are located
in retail stores. According to this implementation of the
invention, an advertiser, such as a chain of retail stores, may
place advertisements on selected roadside displays 30 in particular
geographic location(s) to inform consumers of special value or
promotional items at the advertiser's place(s) of business. In the
example illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the advertiser, "Home
Building Depot", places advertisements through system 20 at
selected times and on a selected number of roadway-adjacent
electronic displays 30 (only one shown) informing consumers that
certain items are on sale at the company's area stores. In this
case, 2.times.4's are $5.00, grass seed in fifty-pound bags is
$30.00, a Toro riding lawn mower is $800.00, etc. The advertisement
at roadway-adjacent displays 30 may also give the location(s) of
the company's local stores by street address, by map location, or
both. In conjunction with this highway-adjacent billboard
advertising, the advertiser, Home Building Depot, utilizes point of
purchase displays at the area stores to tie into the billboard
advertisement, for example, by repeating the special sale items and
prices and directing the customers to the store aisles where the
particular products may be found. In preferred embodiments, the
point of purchase displays 30POP take the form of electronic
displays, for example electronic ink displays produced under the
IMMEDIA brand by E-Ink Corporation of Cambridge, Mass., USA. The
electronic ink displays will hold text for an extended period of
time without consuming power and the message can be changed
virtually instantly to a new message. In certain embodiments, the
format and content of displays 30POP (whether electronic or
otherwise) may be controlled by each store without direct input
from the other stores or the company's headquarters, other than to
assure that the point of purchase displays 30POP are coordinated
with the company's roadway advertisements implemented through
system 20. In more preferred embodiments, the format and content of
displays 30POP are controlled by the same person(s) who places the
roadside billboard advertisements through system 20. Preferably,
this coordination of content between the roadway-adjacent displays
30 and the point of purchase displays 30POP is achieved by
utilizing electronic displays 30POP whose format and content is
controlled through a network from a personal computer. This control
may be achieved through system 20, in which case displays 30POP are
part of the network of electronic displays (FIG. 1), with data
transmission being carried out as described above. In this regard,
because of the small amount of information needed for communicating
a simple message for certain types of electronic point of purchase
displays 30POP, a satellite paging communications system may be
used to transmit data to displays 30POP. Alternatively, each
retailer that uses system 20 for its roadside sign advertising may
connect its displays 30POP through the Internet, a private intranet
or other suitable means.
[0053] While the present invention has been described with
reference to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that
modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit
and scope of the invention. For example, the roadside or other
electronic displays 30 may take any suitable form that provides the
resolution, brightness and other image properties necessary for a
particular application, such as the use of the above-mentioned
electronic ink displays. This and other modifications are deemed to
be within the scope of the invention.
[0054] That Which is claimed
* * * * *