Method and system for providing sign data and sign history

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9911136-B2
Application number	US-201313908042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2013
Priority date	Jun 3, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems include determining that a device is proximate to a sign, providing sign identification information associated with the sign, and providing a sign history. A request for sign data associated with the sign identification information may be received, and sign data may be provided. Determining that a sign is proximate to a device may be based on a signal from the sign and/or the device. Additionally, a location of a device may be received and it may be determined that the device is proximate to a sign based on determining a location of the sign and determining that the difference in the location of the device and the location of the sign is less than a given threshold. A request for sign data associated with the sign may be sent. In response, sign data may be received, stored, and displayed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a mobile device and from a digital sign, a beacon signal;
storing, in a storage of the mobile device, data indicating a particular time at which the beacon signal was received;
in response to receiving the beacon signal, determining, by one or more processors in the mobile device, that the digital sign is located within a threshold distance of a mobile device;
receiving, by the mobile device and from the digital sign, sign identification information that identifies the digital sign;
receiving, by the mobile device, an input indicating that the digital sign has been selected on the mobile device;
in response to receiving the input indicating that the digital sign has been selected on the mobile device, transmitting, by the mobile device and to a server over one or more wireless networks, a request for data corresponding to information that was displayed on the selected digital sign at the particular time at which the beacon signal was received, the request including the sign identification information and data indicating the particular time at which the beacon signal was received; and
displaying, using a sign interface output by a display in the mobile device, the information that was displayed on the selected digital sign at the particular time at which the beacon signal was received upon receiving the data corresponding to the information displayed on the selected digital sign.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the data indicating the particular time at which the beacon signal was received are stored in a sign history in the storage.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the one or more processors in the mobile device, that the digital sign is located within the threshold distance of the mobile device comprises:
determining, using global positioning service data indicating a location of the mobile device, that a difference between the location of the mobile device and a location of the digital sign at the particular time satisfies a differential threshold distance, the differential threshold distance being based on one or more of (i) a number of signs in proximity of the digital sign, and (ii) a type of beacon signal.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data corresponding to the information displayed on the selected digital sign includes receiving data indicative of one or more of: (i) weather conditions in a vicinity of the sign at a time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted, (ii) traffic conditions in a vicinity of the sign at the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted, (iii) one or more devices that have been proximate to the sign for a time period before the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted; and (iv)an action feature, which upon activation, provides sign information to a designated destination.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was received corresponds to a time at which the digital sign is located outside the threshold distance of the mobile device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the input indicating that the digital sign has been selected on the mobile device includes:
receiving a user selection of a particular digital sign from a list of a plurality of digital signs included in a sign history that includes data indicative of digital signs that have been within the threshold distance of the mobile device before the particular time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically receiving a second set of data corresponding to updated information displayed on the selected digital sign at a time after displaying the information displayed on the selected digital sign; and
displaying the second set of data corresponding to updated information displayed on the selected digital sign.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that, upon execution by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a digital sign, a beacon signal;
storing, in a storage of the computer, data indicating a particular time at which the beacon signal was received;
in response to receiving the beacon signal, determining, by one or more processors in the computer, that the digital sign is located within a threshold distance of a mobile device;
receiving, from the digital sign, sign identification information that identifies the digital sign;
receiving an input indicating that the digital sign has been selected on the mobile device;
in response to receiving the input indicating that the digital sign has been selected on the mobile device, transmitting, to a server over one or more wireless networks, a request for data corresponding to information that was displayed on the selected digital sign at the particular time at which the beacon signal was received, the request including the sign identification information and data indicating the particular time at which the beacon signal was received; and
displaying, using a sign interface output by a display in the computer, the information that was displayed on the selected digital sign upon receiving the data corresponding to the information displayed on the selected digital sign.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein:
the data indicating the particular time at which the beacon signal was received are stored in a sign history in the storage.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein determining, by the one or more processors in the computer, that the digital sign is located within the threshold distance of the mobile device comprises:
determining, using global positioning service data indicating a location of the mobile device, that a difference between the location of the mobile device and a location of the digital sign at the particular time satisfies a differential threshold distance, the differential threshold distance being based on one or more of (i) a number of signs in proximity of the digital sign, and (ii) a type of beacon signal.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein receiving the data corresponding to the information displayed on the selected digital sign includes receiving data indicative of one or more of: (i) weather conditions in a vicinity of the sign at a time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted, (ii) traffic conditions in a vicinity of the sign at the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted, (iii) one or more devices that have been proximate to the sign for a time period before the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was transmitted; and (iv) an action feature, which upon activation, provides sign information to a designated destination.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the time at which the request for data corresponding to information displayed on the selected digital sign was received corresponds to a time at which the dig

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Want Roy
• Schilit William Noah

Classifications

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06Q30/0261 Primary

  based on user location · CPC title

• G09F27/00

  Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address · CPC title