Abstract:
Targeted advertisement delivery to a captive audience, with the content limited to a select group of advertisements, and in a way that advertisers can control where, and to whom the advertisements are shown. Advertisements can be delivered via mobile devices which are locked so that interaction is limited to the advertisements. Usage data can be reported back to a server for analysis and distribution to advertisers. Advertisements can be selectively targeted based on demographic, usage, or other information.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/374,887, filed on Aug. 18, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to the delivery of targeted advertising, and more specifically to a system and method for delivering targeted video advertising to consumers via handheld mobile devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Consumers are increasingly turning to video-on-demand, both on the Internet and via personal digital video recorders (DVR), to view their favorite television shows and movies. More and more consumers are also accessing entertainment and news media on their mobile devices rather than through television. Therefore, traditional advertising methods such as television commercials are becoming less effective. 
         [0004]    Other methods of advertising still remain, such as placing fixed advertisements where there are captive audiences. For example, gas pumps are often equipped with static advertisements and in some cases video screens to provide advertisements to consumers while pumping gas. Taxi cabs are likewise equipped with static and video advertisements. However, while the location of such advertisements is known, it is difficult to determine who exactly will view the advertising. 
         [0005]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0005489 to Losey discloses a media delivery kiosk deployed at establishments to deliver targeted advertisements to people waiting in the establishment. The media delivery kiosks deliver targeted content based on the location, time of day, and other factors such as weather conditions determined based on the location. However, the media delivery kiosks are not locked to limit the user&#39;s interaction to the advertising media and also include games which detract from the focus on the advertisements. Moreover, Losey does not disclose any means for advertisers to control the audience which receives their ads. 
         [0006]    It is therefore desired to provide an improved system and method for delivering targeted advertisements to captive audience with the delivered content limited to a select group of advertisements and in a way that the advertisers can control who sees the advertisements and where. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a system and method to deliver targeted advertising to captive audiences via a plurality of handheld mobile devices distributed in a number of different locations. While the applications for this system and method are vast, one exemplary use is to deliver advertisements to individuals on chartered business jets. 
         [0008]    The mobile devices are loaded with advertising content in the form of high quality video or interactive advertising media. The mobile devices are locked to limit the available content and interaction on the devices to the specified advertising content. The mobile devices are distributed to users according to demographic and/or location preferences specified by the advertisers. In particular, the system includes at least one remote server in communication with a plurality of local servers to which the mobile devices are loaded or synced. Advertising content may therefore be selectively pushed on demand to local servers which satisfy the demographic and/or location preferences. 
         [0009]    In the example of chartered business jets, advertisers may choose the charter companies, charter clients, and particular airports to receive their advertisements. Moreover, some embodiments may allow the advertiser to choose by the particular destinations to which the charter business jets are going. Passengers are given a mobile device upon boarding the jet and can view the content during flight. 
         [0010]    The mobile devices may also be configured to receive input from users. Users may provide feedback regarding the advertising content, provide identifying information to receive additional information about products or services, and/or may order the advertised products or services via the mobile devices. 
         [0011]    The mobile device may also be configured to track usage including, for example, which content is viewed, the date/time, the location(s) (e.g., on which planes, between which cities, etc.), the length of time the content is viewed, and in what order. Usage data may be sent to the remote and/or local server for storage and analysis. For example, the usage data may be analyzed, correlated and reported to advertisers and potential advertisers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system for delivering targeted advertising according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary method for delivering targeted advertising according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system for delivering targeted advertising according to the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the system includes a plurality of mobile devices  10 . The mobile devices  10  include a display  12  and one or more user input mechanisms, such as a touch screen. The mobile devices  10  further include at least one processor or controller (not shown), and one or more software applications executing on the processor or controller. 
         [0016]    In a preferred embodiment, the mobile devices  10  are Apple iPads or similar devices. However, the invention is not limited to any particular device. For example, the mobile devices  10  may include iPhones, iPods, Android devices, smart phones, laptops, fixed screed technology and other later developed device types and models. 
         [0017]    The mobile devices  10  further include or interface with a communication mechanism to receive advertising data to the mobile device  10 . The communication mechanism may be, for example, a wired communication port (e.g., USB, FireWire), docking station, or a wireless communication mechanism (e.g., Wi-Fi or cellular transceiver, etc.). In some embodiments, the communication mechanism includes a memory card port  14  for receiving a memory card  20  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0018]    The mobile devices  10  receive advertising data  60 / 61  from a local server  30 , and/or from a remote server  40  accessible via the Internet  50 . In some embodiments, the advertising data  60 / 61  may also be loaded onto the mobile devices  10  using a memory card  20  (e.g., SD card, CF card, etc.). In a preferred embodiment, the advertising data is stored at the remote server  40  (e.g., in the database  42 ) and selectively delivered to one or more of the local servers  30  based on audience data  32  received from each local server  30  and advertiser preferences. 
         [0019]    The advertising data  60 / 61  includes one or more advertisements or promotional content items, such as video advertisements or other visual advertising content including as photographs and/ or interactive advertising media. In a preferred embodiment, the advertising data  60 / 61  is three to five high quality video advertisements which are sent to and stored on the mobile device  10 . The mobile devices  10  are preferably locked to limit the available content and interaction on the devices  10  to the specified advertising content. However, the users can select which of the video advertisements to view and in what order by means of the input mechanism (e.g., touch screen). The advertising data  60 / 61  may further include other content accessible by the users such as text articles, e.g., relating to the advertised products or services. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the mobile devices  10  may also transmit user input data  62 / 63  to the local server  30  and/or the remote server  40  using the communication mechanism. For example, users of the mobile devices  10  may provide feedback regarding advertisements viewed on the mobile device  10 . Users may further input identifying information to request additional information about a product or service viewed on the mobile device  10  or, in some embodiments, may purchase the product or service via the mobile device  10 . 
         [0021]    The mobile devices  10  may also transmit usage data  62 / 63  to the local server  30  and/or the remote server  40 . Each mobile device  10  may be configured to track usage including, for example, which content is viewed, the date/time, the location(s) (e.g., on which planes, between which cities, etc.), the length of time the content is viewed, and in what order. In some embodiments, the mobile devices  10  include a usage tracking application executing thereon. The usage data  62 / 63  is sent to the remote and/or local server (e.g., in real time and/or after a flight) for storage and analysis. For example, the usage data may be analyzed, correlated, and reported from the local or remote servers to advertisers and potential advertisers. In some embodiments, the system may dynamically change content or present new content based on the usage data  62 / 63 . 
         [0022]    According to the present invention, the mobile devices  10  may be distributed to a seat and/or captive audience, such as to passengers on a charter flight or attendees at a various events such as an auction. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the remote server receives advertisements from any number of different potential advertisers along with the advertisers&#39; preferences as to the desired audiences for the advertisements (steps  301 - 303 ). In particular, advertisers may purchase rights for their advertisements to be provided to individuals. A particular advertiser, upon signing up with the system, may select (e.g., via a web interface) one or more groups of users to which their advertisement will be shown. Advertisers may also select locations or regions of the country or world in which their advertisement will be shown. 
         [0023]    The advertisements are sent to the remote server  40  and distributed to a network of local servers  30  and/or directly to mobile devices  10  according the advertisers preferences (step  305 - 307 ). For example, a charter jet company may use the system according the present invention and offer the mobile devices  10  to passengers upon boarding a charter flight. The mobile devices  10  are preloaded with advertising content according to the demographic and/or interests of the clientele. In some embodiments, more detailed selections may be made by the advertiser such as particular flight destinations, demographic of the passengers, etc. This and other information about the audience (e.g., audience data  32 ) may be collected at the local server  30  and sent to the remote server  40  for use in advertiser selections. 
         [0024]    The mobile devices are locked to limit the use of the mobile devices  10  to viewing and interacting with the advertising content, and then distributed to the users (steps  309 - 311 ). In some embodiments, the system optionally receives user input and/or usage data via the mobile devices during or after use when the mobile devices  10  are collected (step  313 ). 
         [0025]    Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.