Content preference system at retail outlet
AssigneeSteven N. Terranova
InventorSTEVEN N. TERRANOVA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retail establishment providing user access to the Internet or other information providing sources includes software which allows users to indicate preferences of which content providing sources should be accessed, in which order and for how long. In this manner, the user is allowed to preselect content to which he or she will be exposed. The selection may occur at an initial registration time or during the retail transaction. The software is especially adapted for use in a fueling environment. The software includes additional features such as printing and allowing a user to access the content from inside a car.
Claims62
A system adapted to retrieve information and allow access by a user at a retail establishment according to the user's preselected preferences, said system comprising:
- a) a user input/output unit including at least a display and an input device;
- b) an information server communicatively coupled to said user input/output unit and to an information provider including at least two information files;
- c) software for retrieving information from the at least two information providers and showing said information on said display, said software further for receiving user preferences about which of the at least two information providers is to be contacted to retrieve information for display;
- and
- d) wherein said software is adapted to switch automatically between different ones of the at least two information files after a predetermined amount of time, wherein the user programs the predetermined amount of time.
A method of viewing information from preselected content providers, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) passing an alert from a user input/output unit to an information server;
- b) receiving user preferences indicating from which content providers to retrieve information;
- c) receiving user preferences indicating designated display time increments for each content provider;
- d) retrieving the preferred information;
- and
- e) displaying on the user input/output device the preferred information for the designated times.
A method of selecting user preferences for content display during a retail transaction, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) designating at least one preferred content provider;
- b) designating a preferred display time for each of said at least one preferred content providers;
- and
- c) storing in a memory the preferences so designated.
A computer readable medium containing software for entering user content preferences, said software adapted to:
- a) communicate with an information server a request for retrieval of information;
- b) access preselected preferred content provider designations;
- c) retrieve content from preferred content providers based on the preselected preferred content provider designations;
- and
- d) display information retrieved from the preferred content providers on the user input/output unit.
A computer readable medium containing software for creating and storing user preferences for content providers for eventual display in a retail environment, said software adapted to:
- a) receive preferred content provider designations;
- b) receive time limits corresponding to display times for each of the preferred content provider designations;
- and
- c) store the designations and time limits in a memory.
A method of receiving information at a retail establishment, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) logging into to an account host from a terminal at a retail establishment;
- b) executing a set of predetermined preferences at the account host;
- c) retrieving information according to the predetermined preferences;
- and
- d) receiving information sent from the account host on the terminal of the retail establishment.
A system for creating and viewing content preferences for eventual viewing on a retail establishment terminal, said system comprising:
- a) an account host including a memory device associated therewith;
- b) a remote user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein a user may login to a user account stored in the memory device associated with the account host, said login occurring from said remote user operated terminal and for constructing a set of content preferences;
- and
- c) a retail establishment including at least one user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein the user may further login to the user account from said at least one user operated terminal at said retail establishment and view content provided according to said content preferences.
A system for creating and viewing content preferences for eventual viewing on a retail establishment terminal, said system comprising:
- a) an account host including a memory device associated therewith, said account host forming part of a dispersed network;
- b) a remote user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said account host, wherein a user may login to a user account stored in the memory device associated with the account host, said login occurring from said remote user operated terminal and for constructing a set of content preferences;
- and
- c) a retail establishment including at least one user operated terminal communicatively coupled to said dispersed network, wherein the user may further login to said dispersed network from said at least one user operated terminal at said retail establishment and view content provided according to said content preferences.
A method of setting preferences for later reception of content, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) accessing a preference configuration terminal;
- and
- b) setting preferences for access proximate in time to a subsequent transaction at a point of sale terminal.
A point of sale terminal configured to access content according to preferences configured by a customer prior to a transaction wherein said preferences are selected from a group comprising:
- a time limit indicating how long a particular remote content provider is to be accessed;
- an order in which a plurality of particular remote content providers are to be accessed;
- and the acceptability of advertising.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.