System and method for group advertisement optimization

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for providing product and service advertisements through networks for communication via video displays or loud speakers at public locations. More particularly, the system of the invention provides advertisements that are optimized in accordance with characterizations of people that happen to be at the public location at a given time.

#2. Discussion of the Prior Art

#Further features, aspects and advantages of the apparatus and methods of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

#FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a distributed group optimized advertisement system 100 of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a local server provided in the system of FIG. 1;

#With reference to FIG. 1, there is illustrated the group advertisement system 100 for providing an advertisement at a public location that has been optimized for a particular user or group of users according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the system 100 is implemented at public locations that are equipped with various types of media communication devices including, but not limited to: electronic billboard displays 101, television and monitors or digital display devices 102, or loud speaker systems 108, large screen displays 105, projection and movie screens 106, or virtually any display media where advertisements can be sent electronically via a network 99. The public locations include virtually any location where people congregate or perform activities including, but not limited to: food/shopping markets, department stores, shopping centers and malls 103, public transportation terminals, e.g., train station 109, concert halls and stadiums 104 providing concerts and sporting events, movie theaters 107, etc.

#Additionally, included in the system 100 are devices used for identifying persons and their activities such as current purchasing of goods, prices, etc. Devices performing this identification function include sales service devices such as a cash register 111, a shopping card or credit card reader 112, e.g., such as may be provided in a shopping or department store 103 checkout, a bar-code card reader, a ticket sales or automatic vendor machines 113, which may be installed in movie theaters 107 to enable payment for movie tickets via credit cards, for example. Other devices implemented for identifying characteristics of persons includes video-camera devices 114 that may be provided in public locations such as the transportation terminal 109, movie theater 107, the shopping center 103, and the stadium 104. Sales ticket machines may also be implemented at the public transportation terminal, stadium, etc. A detailed description on how video camera system, ticket sale machines, bar-code and credit card readers may be implemented to identify persons is described in the above-mentioned patent application YO998-374, herein incorporated by reference.

#Additionally, at each public location 103, 104, 107 and 109, there is provided a local server device(s) 117 which may be connected to and support operation of the following clients: cash registers 111, bar-code and/or credit card readers 112, video cameras 114, and public display monitors 102 and audio loud speaker systems 108. For example, the local server 117 at the movie theater 107 may be connected to the ticket sales machine 113 and a movie projection system (not shown) that displays advertisement content on the movie screen 106. The local server 117 at the stadium 104 is shown in FIG. 1 as connected to video-camera system 114 and public display monitor 102. Each server 117 may include a database 118 comprising information about the patrons and customers who often attend/visit or shop at these locations. As will be explained in greater detail herein, the local server device 117 collects and forwards data to a group advertisement server 120 via a network 99 which processes the collected information and generates group optimized advertisements that are downloaded to the servers 117 for public display. It is understood that the network 99 includes the Internet.