Methods and apparatus for inputting messages, including advertisements, to a vehicle
AssigneeIntellectual Property Development Associates of Connecticut, Inc.
InventorHarry F. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for inputting messages and other infotion, such as advertisements, to a vehicle while the vehicle is coupled to a local station, such as a recharging station or a refueling station. The messages can be selected in accordance with information received from the vehicle, including information that selectively identifies one, some, or all of: (a) a characteristic of an occupant of the vehicle (e.g., name, account number, address, etc.); (b) a characteristic of the vehicle (e.g., make, model, year, class, registration number, marker number, odometer reading, owner, etc.); (c) a destination of the vehicle (entered through a data entry console and optionally stored within a vehicle memory); and (d) any other characteristic of interest.
Claims23
A method for communicating with an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source;
- transferring information from the vehicle into the dispensing means;
- receiving the transferred information;
- and
- selecting, in cooperation with the received information, at least one message to be input into the vehicle from the dispensing means.
A system for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle, comprising:
- means for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle;
- means for coupling the vehicle to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source;
- a memory located within the vehicle;
- means for transferring indicia from the memory to the dispensing means;
- means for receiving the transferred indicia;
- and
- means for selecting, in cooperation with the received indicia, at least one message to be provided in human perceptible form to an occupant of the vehicle.
A system for inputting a message to a vehicle, comprising:
- means for outputting a message to a vehicle;
- means for coupling the vehicle to the means for outputting;
- means for transferring indicia from a memory within the vehicle to the outputting means;
- means for receiving the transferred indicia;
- and
- means for selecting, in cooperation with the received indicia, at least one message to be input into the vehicle through the means for outputting, wherein the means for selecting includes means for choosing the at least one message from a plurality of messages in accordance with a received indicia that selectively identifies at least one of a characteristic of an occupant of the vehicle, a characteristic of the vehicle, and a destination of the vehicle.
A system for providing a message to a vehicle, comprising:
- a local station that includes means for bidirectionally coupling to a vehicle for transferring information including messages between said local station and a vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station;
- message storage means for storing a plurality of messages;
- and
- message selection means having an input coupled to said local station for receiving information that is transferred from a vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station, said message selection means being further coupled to said message storage means for choosing at least one message from said plurality of messages in accordance with received information that selectively identifies at least one of a characteristic of an occupant of a vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station, a characteristic of a vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station, and a destination of a vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station, said message selection means further including an output coupled to said local station for outputting the selected message thereto for inputting to the vehicle that is bidirectionally coupled to said local station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.