Oregon Patent of the Month – December 2022
Billups, Inc. has set their sights on simplifying out-of-home (OOH) advertising, connecting it with smart technology and smarter initiatives. In order to meet this mission, the company develops innovative technology which supports smarter media placement and increases advertising reach.
Recently, Billups was granted a patent for their mobile signal-based building footprints which helps in selecting ad placements based on the audience type and available communication systems. Given the rapid rise in smart technology, nearly every average person carries a smartphone, watch or laptop. These devices include WiFi, cell signal, Bluetooth, NFC communication systems, and GPS capabilities. Billups’ patent takes advantage of this readily accessible technology to estimate the footprint of a target building, such as a concert hall. Tracking the motion of smartphones can highlight the used routes rather than anticipated routes. This provides insight into the timing and volume of passersby as well as which point along or within the building would allow an ad to be most seen.
Often, humans forge their own paths. While a building may be built with certain entrances, a real-life layout might make the side entrance more accessible than the front. For instance, if the side entrance is closer to the parking lot, most people will use this rather than the main entrance. The signal processing system builds and maintains spatial processing models of the building footprint based on the device movement.
Based on this in-depth model and footprint, ad placement can be improved. This translates into improved ROI, sales lift, and online conversion.
Billups is the largest, independent, privately-held OOH technology and managed services company in the United States. The company is focused on transforming the out-of-home experience through data science and technology, empowering brands to develop smarter and more accountable OOH campaigns.
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