Determination of parameters for use of an outdoor display unit

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to determining parameters of use for an outdoor display unit, such as a mobile display unit, including for example a geographic area for use, a time/day of use, and/or information to be displayed by the outdoor display unit. Parameters of use may be determined based on use characteristics, including results, associated with information displayed by an outdoor display unit in a first geographic area having characteristics determined to be similar to those of a second geographic area. For example, the geographic areas may share one or more similar spatio-temporal aspects with one another. Based on these spatio-temporal aspects, a day/time when characteristics of the second geographic area are similar to those of the first geographic area may be identified. Information displayed at the second area may be determined based on the use characteristics, and the determined information may be displayed at the identified day/time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 identifying use characteristics of at least one mobile display unit displaying information in a first geographic area, wherein the first geographic area has a first set of characteristics associated therewith, the first set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   identifying at least a second geographic area to display information on a mobile display unit, wherein the second geographic area has a second set of characteristics associated therewith, the second set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   determining, based on the identified use characteristics of the mobile display unit in the first geographic area, information to be displayed by a mobile display unit in the second geographic area;   determining an estimated time when spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the second geographic area are similar to spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the first geographic area; and   displaying the determined information on a mobile display unit in the second geographic area at the determined estimated time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second geographic area is identified in response to determining that the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area has at least a predetermined degree of similarity with the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile display unit in the first geographic area is mounted to a vehicle and the mobile display unit in the second geographic area is mounted to a vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined information is the same as or substantially similar to the information displayed by the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined information is different from the information displayed by the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identified use characteristics of the mobile display unit in the first geographic area include a determination that a number of individuals exposed to the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area take one or more predetermined actions in response to the information displayed by the mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area has at least a predetermined degree of similarity with the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area and the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area includes one or more of demographic data, socio-economic data, data associated with time of day, data associated with a day of the week, and weather related information. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least a portion of the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area with the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising identifying at least a portion of the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area with the mobile display unit in the second geographic area. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing instructions which, in response to being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:   identifying use characteristics of at least one mobile display unit displaying information in a first geographic area, wherein the first geographic area has a first set of characteristics associated therewith, the first set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   identifying at least a second geographic area to display information on a mobile display unit, wherein the second geographic area has a second set of characteristics associated therewith, the second set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   determining, based on the identified use characteristics of the mobile display unit in the first geographic area, information to be displayed by a mobile display unit in the second geographic area;   determining an estimated time when spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the second geographic area are similar to spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the first geographic area; and   displaying the determined information on a mobile display unit in the second geographic area at the determined estimated time.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the determined information is the same as or substantially similar to the information displayed by the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 identifying at least a portion of the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area with the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area; and   identifying at least a portion of the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area with the mobile display unit in the second geographic area.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the identified use characteristics of the mobile display unit in the first geographic area include a determination of effectiveness of the information displayed by the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area for achieving a desired response from a number of individuals exposed to the at least one mobile display unit in the first geographic area. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the characteristics of the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area has at least a predetermined degree of similarity with at least one similar characteristic of the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area. 
     
     
         16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing instructions which, in response to being executed by one or more processors, cause a system to perform operations comprising:
 identifying use characteristics of at least one mobile display unit displaying information in a first geographic area, wherein the first geographic area has a first set of characteristics associated therewith, the first set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   identifying at least a second geographic area to display information on a mobile display unit, wherein the second geographic area has a second set of characteristics associated therewith, the second set of characteristics including one or more spatio-temporal characteristics;   determining, based on the identified use characteristics of the mobile display unit in the first geographic area, information to be displayed by a mobile display unit in the second geographic area;   determining an estimated time when spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the second geographic area are similar to spatio-temporal characteristics associated with the first geographic area; and   displaying the determined information on a mobile display unit in the second geographic area at the determined estimated time.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise providing the determined information to the mobile display unit in the second geographic area. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise providing the determined information to a content provider associated with the mobile display unit in the second geographic area. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise identifying at least a portion of the first set of characteristics associated with the first geographic area and at least a portion of the second set of characteristics associated with the second geographic area.