System and method of facilitating the dissemination of information by means of active advertisements in portable information transceivers

Abstract

A system and method to provide a user with a requisite receiving device, such as cell phone, with the ability to record contact information, from an interactive advertisement for storage and later use, or, at the user's option, to obtain the information at his or her convenience even at the location of the advertisement. The invention can work accurately in any environment, including those regions where there might be heavy traffic or congestion, and a plurality of interaction signs or posters can readily interface with the recipient's device. However, an important feature of the present invention is that the user can choose to only accept that contact information that is of interest to him or her, and does not have to automatically record and/or interact with any transmitter just because it is in the sphere of influence of the receiving device.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A system of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising a target, said target further comprising:
 (a) an information display having an icon that is visible to a plurality of interested users;   (b) a memory assembly for storing a URL for a web-site related to the display;   (c) a transmitter assembly adapted to transmit the URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information; and   (d) an identifier that indicates to each one of the plurality of users that the target comprises the memory assembly and transmitter,   whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use a respective hand-held transceiver to receive the URL transmitted by the target and selectively activate the URL through a browser independent of the target.   
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said information display is an electronic display having a URL embedded therein, said system further comprising an air mouse capable of scanning said URL into a memory of said air mouse and wherein said air mouse is capable of transmitting said URL so as to place the URL into the browser of a user's home computer. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 32 , wherein said icon appears on a television commercial and the URL is utilized for an instant purchase to be billed according to information stored in said hand-held transceiver. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said transmitter is an active transmitter, and whereby said URL is available to said plurality of interested users. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said transmitter is a passive transmitter, whereby said respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates said transmitter. 
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said hand-held transceiver is a cellular phone, personal data assistant, or laptop computer adapted to enable auto-dial of at least one phone number embedded with said URL transmitted by said target. 
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said filtering code is embedded within said target as an image and wherein said filtering code is capable of being read by said hand-held transceiver and converted by optical character recognition to a computer recognizable alphanumeric. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by a respective interested user only when said respective interested user initiates communication with said transmitter, whereby said URL is selectively received. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said code is representative of said specific target. 
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein said filtering code is derived by a line of site transmission between said target and an air mouse reading a selected icon resident on said target. 
     
     
         41 . A system of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising:
 (a) a target comprising:
 (i) a display that is visible to a plurality of interested users; 
 (ii) a memory assembly for storing a URL of a website related to the display; 
 (iii) a transmitter assembly adapted to transmit the URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information; 
 (iv) an identifier that indicates to said plurality of users that said target comprises said memory assembly and said transmitter assembly; and 
   (b) a hand-held transceiver;   whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use said hand-held transceiver to receive said URL transmitted by said target.   
     
     
         42 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said display is an article of clothing and said article of clothing has said transmitter embedded therein to transmit said URL. 
     
     
         43 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said transmitter assembly comprises a radio frequency transmitter or an infrared transmitter. 
     
     
         44 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said transmitter is an active radio frequency tag, whereby said URL is available to the plurality of interested users. 
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said transmitter is a passive radio frequency tag, whereby said respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates said transmitter. 
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said filtering code is derived by a line of site transmission between said target and an air mouse reading a selected icon resident on said target. 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said filtering code is embedded within said target as an image and wherein said filtering code is capable of being read by said hand-held transceiver and converted by optical character recognition to a computer recognizable alphanumeric. 
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by said respective interested user only when said respective interested user initiates communication with said transmitter, whereby said URL is selectively received. 
     
     
         49 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said code is representative of said specific target. 
     
     
         50 . The system according to  claim 41 , wherein said URL may be received, previewed, stored, activated, or transferred by a respective user using a respective hand-held transceiver. 
     
     
         51 . A method of facilitating the dissemination of information comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a target wherein said target comprises:
 (i) a display that is visible to a plurality of interested users; 
 (ii) a memory assembly adapted to receive and store a URL related to the display; 
 (iii) a transmitter adapted to transmit said URL with a filtering code adapted to be used in a respective hand-held transceiver to avoid receiving interference or incorrect information; 
 (iv) an identifier that indicates to each one of said plurality of users that said target comprises said memory assembly and identifier; 
   (b) receiving and storing said URL in said memory assembly; and   (c) transmitting said URL   whereby a respective interested user upon seeing the display and graphic identifier may use a respective hand-held transceiver to receive the URL transmitted by said target.   
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said display is one of a plurality of store displays, and a website hub controls the rotation of URLs to said plurality of store displays by time of day or by store depending on respective locations and time zones. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said URL information is on a timer system. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said transmitter is an active transmitter, and whereby said URL is available to each of said plurality of interested users. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said transmitter is a passive transmitter, whereby the respective hand-held transceiver is adapted to provide energy that activates said transmitter. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said hand-held transceiver is a cellular phone, personal data assistant, or laptop computer. 
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said filtering code is embedded within said target as an image and wherein said filtering code is capable of being read by said hand-held transceiver and converted by optical character recognition to a computer recognizable alphanumeric. 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said URL is received by a respective hand-held transceiver operated by the respective interested user only when said respective interested user initiates communication with said transmitter, whereby said URL is selectively received; and, further comprising the step of data mining of users who initiate communication with said transmitter. 
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein said filtering code is derived by a line of site transmission between said target and an air mouse reading a selected icon resident on said target. 
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein the identity of a specific target to be read by, and/or interfaced with, said hand-held transceiver is registered by said user entering a code into said hand-held transceiver, and wherein said code is representative of said specific target.