This disclosure generally relates to data processing, and in particular it relates to receiving information over a computer or telecommunications network by scanning or otherwise entering codes displayed in the real world or online, such as barcodes, quick response (QR) codes, data representations, and other symbologies.
One and two-dimensional barcodes, and other symbologies, have become ubiquitous throughout the global marketplace, particularly with respect to product or item identification, and expediting merchant transactions involving the same. For example, it has long been common practice to include a barcode or similar symbology on product packaging. The symbology includes encoded information that identifies the product in a manner recognizable by a computer. The symbology may be scanned by a barcode reader, which, in turn, decodes the symbology, thereby identifying a purchased product or the like to the computer or a user.
While one-dimensional (1-D) barcodes rose to prominence since their introduction in the 1970's, two-dimensional (2-D) barcodes have since been developed, which boast the capacity to store greater amounts of information than its predecessors. Such 2-D barcodes are now prevalent, for example, in mail and package delivery, as well as many other industries.
One particular category of 2-D barcodes, referred to collectively in the marketplace as Quick Response (QR) codes, have gained rapid acceptance over the past decade with the proliferation of “smart” cellular telephones and other personal data or communication devices. Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are now used in many diverse areas, such as commercial tracking applications, as well as convenience-oriented applications aimed particularly at smartphone users. QR codes can be used to display text to the user, add contact information to a user's device, open a web page, or compose a text message or electronic mail message. Users can also generate and print their own personalized, data-encoded QR code and post it at various real-world locations or sites on the Internet. QR codes oftentimes are used to store network or telephone communication network addresses, such as a link to a particular uniform resource locator (URL) on the Internet, or other computer network address.
QR codes may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or on just about any object or projection that individuals may come across in the real world. Those having a smartphone equipped with a camera and an appropriate code reader software application can then scan the image of the QR code and receive the information encoded thereby. The linking of data to physical objects in this manner is commonly referred to as a “hardlink” or a “real-world hyperlink.”
In all prior uses of barcodes and like symbologies, there has been one consistent goal, namely to provide a means by which information returned from a scan of the code is consistent each and every time the code is scanned. For example, when a barcode on a product is scanned, the same product information is returned to users scanning that code every time. The Applicants now introduce a distinguishable use of symbologies, such as QR codes, in hardlink applications. The techniques employed for QR Codes as disclosed herein are readily applicable to other types of user inputs to mobile or other computing devices.
The present disclosure enables a method and apparatus for presenting dynamic content in response to successive indications, acknowledgements, inputs or scans of a static, unchanging, hardlink symbol or code that is visually displayed to users or consumers at one or more real-world, physical, geographic locations or online In particular, one aspect of the disclosure includes a method performed by a network-accessible computer server system in communication with wireless devices of users over a wireless communication network, such as a cellular telephone network. The computer server system includes electronic memory for storing a plurality of separate merchant site addresses in computer-readable format. The electronic memory further stores one or more rules for selecting a merchant site address from the plurality of separate merchant site addresses for transmission to a wireless device of a user over the wireless communication network in response to an indication of the hardlink code from the wireless device. Such rules are dependent on data determined from such received indications. For example, when an indication of the hardlink code is received from a wireless device of a user, the system determines data that includes (i) an identification of the hardlink code scanned by the user, and at least one of: (ii) a time of the indication, (iii) the geographic location of the wireless device at the time of the indication, and (iv) a weather condition at the geographic location. Applying this data to the rules, the system selects a merchant site address from the plurality of merchant addresses and transmits the selected merchant site address, or content therefrom, to the wireless device of the user in response to the indication. The user may then enter into a transaction with the merchant in a variety of manners.
Further aspects of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated upon review of the detailed description of its various embodiments, described below, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring now to
Turning now to
As depicted in
The wireless device 20 is operable to communicate bi-directionally with a computer server system 22 over any of a variety of communications networks. Such communications networks may include a cellular telephone network, a cellular data network and a wireless computer network of the type operated by VERIZON and AT&T. The communication network may provide access to any variety of hard-wired or wireless computer networks now known or heretofore developed, including, without limitation, local area networks, wide area networks, fiber optic networks, satellite communication networks, as well as the World Wide Web.
The computer server system 22 may be one or a group of distributed or centralized network computer servers. Such servers, like any common personal computer, include well-known processors, electronic memory, network communication hardware, user interfaces, input/ouput devices, operating system software, and application software suitable for accomplishing the functions described herein. A suitable computer server system 22 may be one or more enterprise network servers of the type commonly manufactured by CISCO, DELL and IBM. The computer server system 22 may be configured to perform the functionalities described herein through suitable programming in C++, JAVASCRIPT or the like, and may include databases and database management software, for example, of the type distributed by ORACLE. The computer server system 22, in conjunction with the hardware and software described above, may be programmed to act as an intelligent proxy with a decision engine that includes one or more rules, generated by a distributor of QR codes or the like, which determine the content to deliver to the wireless device 20 in response to an indication of a code received therefrom. Such rules will be described in more detail later below. The computer server system 22 may operate a website on the Internet for interfacing with wireless devices 20. Based on established and updated rules, the computer server system 22 will deliver content to the wireless device 20, as described further below.
With reference to
In an alternate embodiment, the input of the code could be a photograph or image of an offer, product, storefront, or any other image taken by the camera of the wireless device 20 from which one or more image features may be recognized by the system 22 using known image recognition technology. Examples of such technology include software and services provided by LOOK THAT UP (LTU) TECHNOLOGIES, SNAP TELL or GOOGLE GOGGLES. A rule may be established in the computer server system 22 that when a given feature is identified in an image submitted by the user, particular content is to be delivered in response.
In response to a scan or any other indication of a code received by the computer server system 22, the computer server system 22 may return any of a variety of content. This includes a merchant web site address or web page, a coupon from a merchant, audio/video content, photographs, business contact information, confirmation of sweepstakes entry or the like. Such content is to be delivered according to the established rules. In various embodiments, the content to be delivered in response to the code received from a user may be determined as follows. All code inputs may be initially directed from wireless devices 20 to the computer server system 22. Based on the code, content, or other information, and in accordance with the programmed rules, the computer server system 22 may query to an internal database using one or more parameters associated with or parsed from the received code. The parameters are passed and the database results or content may be delivered to the wireless device 20. The content may, in certain instances, be a redirection to a merchant web site or the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the foregoing that dynamic redirection of user's browsers to desired web site location can be accomplished in this manner without placing cookies or other tracking implementations on each user's wireless device 20, as was customarily done in the prior art.
Turning now to
Next, the unique code is visually displayed in the real world to users at one or more geographical locations (step 44). Such locations may include any area or object on which advertising may normally appear, such as billboards, newspapers, magazines, signs, posters, display screens, product packaging or any other usable location. The geographic location or locations at which the code is displayed may be noted and stored in the electronic memory of the computer server system 22.
The operator of the computer system server 22 that distributes the codes may then establish rules for the content to be delivered in response to a scan or other indication of the code from a wireless device (step 46). The rules then may be updated, periodically, occasionally and/or as needed (step 48).
The rules that are central to the operation of the present disclosure may be based on data variables that are collected from, or in response to, an indication of a scan or entry of a hardlink code that is displayed to users in the real world. Certain variables, which are one focus of this disclosure, are those that also readily influence purchasing decisions made by consumers. Some of the most universal variables that globally affect purchasing decisions are: (i) time of day or date, (ii) a location of the consumer, and (iii) prevailing weather conditions at the geographical location of the consumer. Accordingly, it is a goal of the present disclosure to leverage the content that is delivered to a consumer in response to scan or entry of a code based on at least these three variables.
For example, certain merchants may be interested in advertising using the code only during times of the day that the merchant is open for business. Thus, a rule may be established that if a particular code is scanned by a user during the business hours of a merchant, then that merchant's content will be delivered in response to a scan or entry of that particular code. It is contemplated that certain hours or dates will be more preferential to certain merchants, and fees charged to merchants for delivering content at such preferred times may be adjusted accordingly. The ability to deliver different content based on the time of day or date ranges in response to separate scans or entries of the same static hardlink code has not heretofore been described.
In an additional example, a single hardlink code may be distributed to and displayed in multiple locations. If the hardlink code is scanned by a user at a certain location, then the computer server system 22 may determine the location of the user (based on the GPS of the wireless device 20 or the known location of the hardlink code) and deliver content designated for that location based on the rules.
In a further example, certain merchants may notice increased demand during a particular weather condition. Clothiers, for one, may notice that consumers purchase more coats when it is raining Accordingly, a rule may be established that if it is raining at the geographic location of the user, then certain content is to be delivered in response to a scan or other entry of the visually displayed code. The computer server system 22 may access weather information for the geographic location of the user by accessing or querying any number of weather sites on the Internet, such as WEATHER.COM, or may maintain its own database of prevailing or predicted, local or regional weather conditions for this purpose.
One or more such rules may be applied separately or in succession, and may have a hierarchical priority or the like to resolve any conflicts that may arise between the established rules. The rules may be updated and adjusted from time to time based on consumer and vendor activity and preferences.
In addition to rules based on a time, location and weather as described above, a wide variety of other variables may also be established. For example, content delivery may be based on the number of times that a hardlink code is scanned by one or more users. In such cases, the content delivery may be restricted to a certain number of deliveries, based on how many deliveries have been paid for by a particular merchant or other criteria.
Content delivery may also be based on any information known about the user. For example, a user may register her wireless device 20 with the computer server system 22 by providing personal identification information (name, address, telephone number), demographic information, and the like. The user may be assigned a unique user identifier by the computer server system 22 in response to such registration. Alternatively or additionally, users need not register with the computer server system at all to be recognized thereby. Instead, a cookie or other identifier may be placed on the wireless device 20 when it interacts with the computer server system 22. Thus, user interactions with the computer server system 22 can be tracked anonymously, without any personal identification of the consumer or user, by use of such cookie or identifier.
Rules may be based on additional variables, such as a number of times users have received certain content. There may be a rule that overrides all previous established rules, such as delivering emergency notifications. The computer server system 22 may also provide end of range warning to indicate when certain rules are about to expire or reach their established, maximum threshold of delivery.
Turning now to
A second user may scan the same code at the same location and receive the same or separate content as a prior user, dependent upon how the rules apply to the users' scans. In addition, the same code may be presented at multiple locations, and users at the various locations may receive the same or separate content in response to scans of the code, also as dependent upon the rules.
As evident from the foregoing, when any user scans a hardlink code using the wireless device 20 with appropriate decoding software or the like, the hardlink code is decoded and the wireless device is initially directed to a network address of the computer server system 22 by the decoded information. When the wireless device 20 communicates an indication of the scan of the hardlink code to the computer server system 22, the system 22 then determines certain variables from the indication, such as one or more of: (i) an identification of the hardlink code that was scanned or otherwise entered by the user; (ii) a time that the scan was performed, transmitted or received; (iii) a geographic location at which the user performed the scan, which may be determined from position/GPS information received from the wireless device, from stored information regarding the location of the hardlink code that was scanned, or a variety of other manners; and (iv) a weather condition at the geographic location, which may be determined by querying a weather site or the like using the geographic location information. Other variables may likewise be determined from the indication by the computer server system 22. Based the determined variables, and one or more programmed rules for selecting content based on the rules, the computer server system 22, immediately selects and delivers content required by the rules to the wireless device 20 in response to the indication of the scan, in such a manner that the user may not even be aware of the initial contact with the computer server system 22. The content may be a redirection to a merchant website or the like. After content delivery, the user may interact with the delivered content as desired on the wireless device 20. Different users may thus receive different content though they scan the exact same hardlink code using their wireless devices 20 in the real world. Finally, users may enter a code in any of a variety of manners other than scanning. To accommodate those users not having cameras in their portable communication devices, for example, a hardlink code may alternatively or additionally be provided with an SMS address to which a code may be sent, or a URL to be entered into a web browser of the user's device.
Referring now to
In the case where multiple merchants create conflicting conditions for delivery, the merchants may competitively bid for priority with respect to those variables. Alternatively, priority to certain variables or combination of variables may be presented on a first come, first served basis.
In addition to decisions made on content delivery, the computer server system 22 may maximize revenue for the system by presenting the highest-bid offers to users before lower bids from merchants. In addition, the system 22 will also attempt to maximize merchant interest in the system. For example, a merchant with a low bid may still have his offers delivered at low-revenue times by the system 22. Similarly, the system 22 may determine lower-revenue time slots, and make lower-rate offers to merchants for such time slots.
Turning now to
In
Based on the foregoing, it is readily apparent that any number of rules and combination of rules may be applied to determine content to be delivered in response to a scan of a hardlink code by a consumer or individual. The rules may be based on variables associated with a scan of a hardlink code and/or based on payment terms or bids from merchants for content delivery under predetermined conditions. In certain embodiments, the rules may be based on the price paid by merchants for presenting their content to users in response to scans, the proximity of a user scanning a code to a particular merchant, or preferences of the users as established by submitted preference information and/or monitoring of the user's scanning patterns that may optionally be performed in a variety of known manners.
The methods and systems described in the foregoing enable a new manner of leveraging advertising space or the like. Instead of a single physical display being dedicated to one advertising campaign or message, it can be dedicated to a wide variety of campaigns simultaneously. Users scanning a given hardlink code will be dynamically served content that are based on rules associated with the code and variables associated with the scan of the hardlink code by various users. Accordingly, certain novel methods of determining content delivery based on scans of hardlink codes have been presented herein. Such methods and systems do not preclude all uses of QR codes or other codes for marketing or messaging purposes, including those that heretofore existed. However, such methods and systems are readily distinguishable in that, in the prior art, the use of QR codes and the like are generally intended to serve the same information each and every time a code is scanned by various user devices, wherein in the present disclosure, different content may be dynamically delivered to different users, or the same user at different times, based on any number of variables and rules established for the hardlink code, all without ever having to replace or update the display of the hardlink code in the real-world after it has been positioned.
Various possible uses of the methods and systems described herein will now be described. In a first example, a single merchant may wish to provide multiple sale offers to consumers at a specific retail location. There may be, for example, ten different hardlink codes located throughout the store, each of which having separate offers designated by the rules established for those codes. When a user scans a particular one of the codes located in the toy department, the user may receive one of many available offers: on a summer day, the user may receive a digital coupon or offer for 10% off of rollerblades and bicycling accessories in the toy department.
In a second example, a store puts a permanent QR code in their entranceway, offering users the ability to scan it on every visit for the daily special. One day the store only has 100 of a particular offer available. The store sets their volume range so that after 100 scans, the system is programmed to change the offer.
In a third example, a shopping mall or other like location with multiple retail storefronts may have a single hardlink code displayed in locations around the mall. Merchants within the mall can pay to have their content delivered from scans at certain locations within the mall or at particular times/dates. On a slightly larger scope, offers may be displayed for example on public transportation or other public locations throughout a city, county, state or even country-wide. Merchants within the given region can pay or bid to have their content delivered under various conditions from one or more of the city-wide hardlink codes.
On a busy city street, a company places a QR code with the caption ‘Local deals on this street’. All merchants on the street are given a login to an interface with the computer server system 22. Using the interface, merchants can log in, modify their offers in real-time, adjust their current bid for impressions, select specific time or days, and set weather conditions.
As a final example, a merchant has an ongoing promotion revolving around their QR code. Shoppers can scan the hardlink codes presented in the merchant's store to receive offers or other promotions. However each day one shopper will win a cash prize based on a randomly selected scan that occurs between, for example, 4 PM and 6 PM, when traffic to the store tend to be typically slow. Upon noticing the promotion, shoppers are attracted into the store at that time to scan the hardlink code. The computer server system 22 may place a session variable, cookie, or other data tracking mechanism on the wireless device 20 of each shopper so that each has only one opportunity to win. As customers scan the code within the store, one shopper is chosen as an instant winner, randomly or based on designated variables. Where shoppers are registered with the merchant, instant win scans could become delayed win scans. For example, the merchant could have a promotion where shoppers are encouraged to scan a hardlink code from 4-6 PM. Since the shoppers are registered, the merchant may notify the winner via SMS to the user's cellphone, or in another suitable manner.
In embodiments where an identity of a user submitting a code to the computer server system 22 is known, various additional embodiments are possible. For example, it may be possible for an administrator to activate QR Codes in the field once they are placed at a location in the real world. Once a QR Code is placed, the administrator can scan the code at a first instance. The computer server system 22 may recognize that this is an initial scan of the code. The computer server system 22 may further identify the user as an administrator based on parameters passed with the scan, such as an identification of the administrator's user device (i.e. by machine address code (MAC) or cellphone number). The administrator can also access and update parameters, data and rules associated with the activated codes. Upon recognition of the administrator, the computer server system 22 may then activate the code so that content will be delivered to subsequent scanning users. The computer server system 22 may also determine the physical location of the QR Code from position or GPS data transmitted from the administrator's device.
In certain additional embodiments, where the identity of a user (such as demographic data, contact information, biographical data, and/or marketing preferences) are known or established (such as by submission of such data by web interface to the computer server system 22), the scanning activities of known users may be tracked and maintained in a database, and tracked users may receive customized content or other additional privileges or exclusive offers in response to scans of hardlink QR Codes. In certain circumstances where a user can be uniquely identified (by MAC address or the like), but the actual identity of the user is unknown or not provided, the activities of the user may instead be “anonymously” tracked, but in a manner that is otherwise similar to that for users with known identities. Scanning patterns may be tracked, directly or anonymously, and content delivery may be based on prior scanning activities of known users. In such manner dynamic content delivery can include a degree of intelligence by including rules that prevent delivery of certain content to a tracked user, even though such content would otherwise be called for by the established general rules. For example, where the user has previously received such content in response to an earlier scan, or has otherwise indicated preferences such that a particular content should not be delivered, the rules may over-ridden to select the next available content for delivery to that user.
The principles and functionality described in the foregoing with respect to hardlink codes can now be expanded to other useful media types and applications, either for separate use or in conjunction with hardlink codes. In particular, the inventors have now implemented systems that allow for single marketing piece, which may be provided in any of a variety of forms, and which may be viewed by millions of people, to provide a custom-tailored journey for each individual consumer who views the piece. Such systems and processes as now introduced, and sometimes referred to herein as “DYNAMIC INTELLIGENT PROFILING” (DIP), allow any party to customize each consumer's experience in terms of content or page destinations that are provided to consumers in response to consumer interaction with a touchpoint. For example, such dynamically served content or web page destination may be based on the aforementioned real-world conditions affecting the consumer at the moment, such as time, date, location and weather, as well as the consumers' past participation or exposure. DIP may be used with any mobile or computer network-based website, as well as any number touchpoints such as from packaging or other forms of media. The foregoing features of DIP are described in detail in commonly-owned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/104,755, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
DIP's scenarios are designed to change the consumer experience, creating the most simple path to monetization. In the simple scenario builder provided by the DIP platform and displayed to administrators via a user interface (UI), brands can treat mobile consumers differently based on their local weather, past participation, local inventory, day, time and date and other conditions as herein described. The real-time REACTIVE ANALYTICS engine makes all of a brands traditional marketing smarter. REACTIVE ANALYTICS works with URLs provided via e-mail, links on search engines or requests provided to search engines (e.g., GOOGLE, YAHOO), profiles on social media sites (i.e., TWITTER or FACEBOOK), hardlink codes or other indicia placed on product packaging (which may be scanned or imaged by customer devices), print ads or URLs placed in print media such as magazines or newspapers, any audio, visual, or audiovisual media (e.g., television, radio, YOUTUBE), print collateral such as direct mailings or marketing brochures, mobile advertisements on mobile websites (such as are presented to browsers of mobile communication devices), storefronts, billboards, and the like. In this manner, and according to the teachings of the present disclosure, traditional print and digital campaigns can come together to reward consumers and campaign administrators in real-time. The DIP platform preferably provides an extremely easy to use interface that allows those with no technical background to create complex scenarios, which control the destination of a user based on any number of variables.
In accordance with the foregoing, a computing device may receive a hardlink code in response to a search request entered by a user into a search engine, such as GOOGLE. In various such embodiments, the hardlink code may comprise one or more hyperlinks, such as are typically presented with a plurality of search results in response to a web-based search request. Using the computing device, the user may select one or more hyperlinks and be re-directed to a merchant website in the manners previously described. In additional embodiments, the hardlink code may be a hyperlink presented in a message, such as an electronic mail message or a cellular text message, or on a web page presented by a web browser on a display of the computing device. In various embodiments, the hyperlink code comprises a hyperlink presented on the device. In various embodiments, one or more of the hyperlinks that are so presented may be selected based on the geographic location of the user, the time at the geographic location of the user and the weather condition at the geographic location of the user. It is further contemplated that search results comprising the hyperlinks as presented on the computing device may be selected in part based on the search request entered by the user as well as the geographic location of the user, the time at the geographic location of the user and the weather condition at the geographic location of the user. In such embodiments, the ranking of search results may be altered based on the geographic location of the user, the time at the geographic location of the user and the weather condition at the geographic location of the user. For example, given a set of search results A, B and C, a standard search request may result in the search results being presented in the ranked order A, B, and then C according to their relevance to the search request. In the embodiments described immediately above, the ranking of the search results may be altered, for example, to be presented as A, C and then B, based on a higher relevance given to C over B given the relevance of the geographic location of the user, the time at the geographic location of the user and the weather condition at the geographic location of the user.
Although the best methodologies have been particularly described in the foregoing disclosure, it is to be understood that such descriptions have been provided for purposes of illustration only, and that other variations both in form and in detail can be made thereupon by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, which is defined first and foremost by the appended claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/799,446 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY PRESENTING CONTENT IN RESPONSE TO SUCCESSIVE SCANS OF A STATIC CODE” filed in the name of Lim et al. on Mar. 13, 2013, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,183,315 on Nov. 10, 2015, which in turn claims priority as a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/040,208 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY PRESENTING CONTENT IN RESPONSE TO SUCCESSIVE SCANS OF A STATIC CODE” filed in the name of Lim et al. on Mar. 3, 2011, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,884 on Apr. 9, 2013, the entirety of each of which are herein incorporated by reference. This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/104,755 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING CONTENT IN RESPONSE TO USER INPUTS USING DYNAMIC INTELLIGENT PROFILING” as filed in the name of Lim et al. on Dec. 12, 2013, which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/799,446 and its parent applications as above, and further claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/736,140 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC INTELLIGENT PROFILING” filed in the name of Lim et al. on Dec. 12, 2012, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61736140 | Dec 2012 | US |
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Parent | 13040208 | Mar 2011 | US |
Child | 13799446 | US |
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Parent | 13799446 | Mar 2013 | US |
Child | 14936643 | US | |
Parent | 14104755 | Dec 2013 | US |
Child | 13040208 | US |