Interactive platforms to share information and disseminate messages

Abstract

A method to publish information that can preferably only be retrieved by either a select set of users or all users. The information is published on a map, tied to a physical location. Each piece of information is associated with a viewing radius. Retrieval of the published information is based on those other users' physical location. The number of users that retrieve and collect the information can be limited.

Claims

1. A method of publishing information on a mobile device, comprising: receiving a selected information to be published by a transceiver of the mobile device; receiving a location to be associated with the selected information; associating the selected information with the location; publishing a marker representing the selected information on a map at the location for display on a display of the mobile device; and assigning a viewing radius to the marker and the selected information on the map, wherein the marker and selected information are hidden and can only be retrieved by a user and the mobile device physically located within the viewing radius from the selected location; verifying a current location of the user and the mobile device; and providing the marker and selected information to the user only when the user and the mobile device is within the viewing radius.

2. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, further comprising: setting a number of times the selected information can be retrieved.

3. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, further comprising: specifying a class of users that can retrieve the selected information.

4. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, further comprising: providing a triggered alert based on at least one of a classification of the selected information, a geolocation of the user; a geolocation of the selected information; a quality of the selected information as judged by other users, and a provider of the selected information.

5. The method of publishing information according to claim 4, wherein there is a plurality of selected information and each respective item of selected information is provided in a specified order.

6. The method of publishing information according to claim 5, wherein the specified order is determined by a provider of the selected information.

7. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein the selected information comprises a hyperlink.

8. The method of publishing information according to claim 7, wherein physical traffic patterns of users are determined from the selected information based at least in part on one or more of access to the hyperlink and the selected information provided to the user.

9. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein each of the selected information comprises a unique URL.

10. The method of publishing information according to claim 9, wherein the URL is configured to at least one of disseminate a coupon, disseminate information, disseminate an offer, provide a specific clue to find a next clue in a treasure hunt, and a unique QR or bar code for a specific coupon.

11. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein the selected information is one of public and private.

12. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein the selected information is color coded.

13. The method of publishing information according to claim 12, wherein the color code is designated by a provider of the selected information.

14. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein the selected information is at least one of a video, a photograph, and a message, that can only be provided to other users near a place it was created.

15. The method of publishing information according to claim 1, wherein a respective selected information has an initial value.

16. The method of publishing information according to claim 15, wherein the initial value is increased based on providing on one or more events occurring.

17. The method of publishing information according to claim 9, wherein each unique URL is based at least on map coordinates.

18. The method of publishing information according to claim 17, wherein the map coordinates correspond to related specific content.

19. The method of publishing information according to claim 18, wherein the related specific content is available in a specified order and is incremented in a predefined manner.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a published information (Kilroy) map;

(2) FIG. 2 is a published information (Kilroy) post;

(3) FIG. 3 is a published information (Kilroy) setting screen;

(4) FIG. 4 is a published information (Kilroy) notification screen;

(5) FIG. 5 is a first step to create a published information (Kilroy) post;

(6) FIG. 6 is a second step to create a published information (Kilroy) post;

(7) FIG. 7 is a published information (Kilroy) treasure hunt;

(8) FIG. 8 is a published information (Kilroy) logo pin;

(9) FIG. 9 is a published information (Kilroy) campaign; and

(10) FIG. 10 is a published information (Kilroy) list.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) Initially, to use the application, a user will go to an app store and download the application. Once downloaded, the application is installed and registered. Registration ensures that a post is associated with a specific user. Once registered the app can be launched. Preferably, a user signs in to the app using a username and password, biometric data, or the like. Once the app has been launched and the user has signed in, the user can look for other user's Kilroy posts or paint their own Kilroy's. When a Kilroy is painted, the relevant data regarding the Kilroy such as the user input data as well as the Kilroy location is uploaded to a server. The server is accessible to all users so that the Kilroy and its associated data can be viewed by all registered users, within the parameters of the original poster's selections. Preferably the data communication between the users and the servers are encrypted.

(12) The servers are accessible by mobile devices which, when being used, can find Kilroy's painted at a given location. Additionally, the servers are accessible to other devices which can be used to paint Kilroy's at multiple locations for a campaign, treasure hunt, or the like.

(13) FIG. 1 is a published information (Kilroy) map. The map screen is your home screen. Preferably, the application uses GPS to determine user's location and then displays all viewable Kilroy pins in their respective locations near user. Individual Kilroys are displayed at their respective locations. If more than one Kilroy is at a given location or clustered around a given location, the map is populated with a number pin. Number pins represent clusters of Kilroy pins in a location. A user can zoom in on a map location to see each individual Kilroy. Similarly, as a map is zoomed out, Kilroy clusters are formed and the map is populated with number pins. Each pin can be selected by tapping to view the published information (Kilroy) as shown in FIG. 2. As shown a menu button is present that allows a user to navigate the Application. For Example, the menu allows a user to return to the home screen, view collected Kilroys, see followers, send and receive messages, invite friends, enter a settings screen, view a help menu, check for messages such as another user commenting on one of said user's Kilroys, and the like.

(14) In the settings screen, a user can choose to block their profile so that only friends can view published Kilroy's. Users can also block unwanted users. In one embodiment, the user is alerted when other Kilroys of a selected genre are nearby or Kilroys of a specific rating are nearby. Other setting options include alerting a user when a hosted Kilroy is rated and limiting who can send a notification or comment on a specific Kilroy. In one embodiment of the invention a number of discovered and collected Kilroys is displayed on the homepage. Preferably, proximity is determined by the painter who choosing a radius of the Kilroy during the painting process.

(15) FIG. 2 is a published information (Kilroy) post. Users can tap on any pin to view details of the Kilroy. Details include, but are not limited to, title of the post, date and time it was created (painted), who painted it, how many followers they have, average star rating and number of times rated, and comments from people that have viewed it. In a preferred embodiment, the one thing user cannot view is the actual post. The actual post can only be viewed if the user goes within close proximity of where it was painted.

(16) FIG. 3 is a published information (Kilroy) setting screen. Users can adjust the Settings to tell the Application to alert them when certain events occur. Alerts can be based on any combination of Kilroy colors, which correspond to mood settings, average rating, whether or not a Kilroy was painted by someone they follow, or the like. Alerts allow a user to turn on the app each morning and then go about their day. If there is something interesting to see, the Application will alert them. For example, a user can limit alerts to Kilroys categorized as In Love or Yummy with an average rating of at least 3 stars.

(17) FIG. 4 is a published information (Kilroy) notification screen. As shown, like other Applications, notifications are presented in accordance with a user's settings. As discussed above, notifications can be all inclusive or modified according to a user's preference.

(18) FIG. 5 is a first step to create (paint) a published information (Kilroy) post. First, a photo is snapped or video is recorded. Then a color or mood is selected. Using Invisible makes the post anonymous and leaves no visible pin on other user's maps. Users have to literally find these Kilroys by being near them.

(19) FIG. 6 is a second step to create a published information (Kilroy) post. The Kilroy can be titled. In one embodiment, the user can add a URL to the description. The user can also choose the findable radius. Users can also limit the number of views of a given Kilroy from 1 to infinite.

(20) FIG. 7 is a published information (Kilroy) treasure hunt. The user, using a dashboard interface or content management system (CMS), can create an overall campaign to find Kilroys. In one embodiment, only administrators can access the dashboard function. Thus, treasure hunts and the like can be pushed to users without a user having to be present at a given location to paint a Kilroy. In one embodiment, the campaign is a treasure hunt, leading from one clue (Kilroy) to another. As shown, the user enters at least a description, color, status, and visibility option for each clue. An image can be associated with each Kilroy to be painted on the map. Because Kilroy's can be visible or invisible, some Kilroy's can only be found if a user is near the specific invisible Kilroy. In one embodiment, the Kilroy would contain a message leading users or searchers to the next Kilroy that is the clue in the treasure hunt. At the end of the treasure hunt, the last Kilroy can be a coupon or QR code for a prize. The final Kilroy can have a finite number of views so that only a predetermined number of coupons or prizes will be given.

(21) FIG. 8 is a published information (Kilroy) logo pin. As shown in FIG. 8, private tags allow a user to use a logo instead of a colored pin. Using the treasure hunt example of FIG. 7, McDonald's can use their logo for a pin for all visible pins. Additionally, the invisible pins can be logos which are only seen when the user finding the pain is within a specified radius.

(22) FIG. 9 is a published information (Kilroy) campaign for each part of a promotion. The content management system is used to remotely paint promotional Kilroy's at various locations. For example, Kilroy's are painted at McDonald's locations in a specific region. A URL for the contest website is added to each Kilroy. Each Kilroy will have a specific URL so that it is known where the user picked up a Kilroy. In a preferred embodiment, each Kilroy will appear only when a prior display/find trigger Kilroy is found. In this manner, the Kilroy's appear sequentially so that they can only be found in a specified order.

(23) FIG. 10 is a published information (Kilroy) list. After painting all the campaign Kilroys remotely using the CMS, the administrator can select all of the Kilroys and use the Add Kilroy Extension feature to add /Kilroy # (for instance www.treasurehunt.com/1432) to the URL listed in each Kilroy description. This unique URL allows each found Kilroy to direct the user to a unique sub-page within the campaign website. Each sub-page could then be a unique QR code with a coupon for a different product, thereby allowing them to determine which coupons are found by exact location.

(24) In one embodiment, users are rewarded for painting and/or finding Kilroys. By using Invisible paint. Kilroys can include virtual gifts including Kash, coupons, cryptocurrency, or the like. In one embodiment, painting Kilroys accrues Kash or other reward. In one embodiment, Kash can be converted to currency or other real-world rewards.

(25) According to one aspect of the invention, the more users that play, participate, or use the application, the bigger a cash prize can become. This feature is called a PowerKash Hunt. During a PowerKash Hunt a prize amount that is hidden under a winning Kilroy increases based on a specific trigger. The increase can be a linear dollar value increase or an exponential increase, or the like. In one embodiment, a coupon value increases with each trigger event. The trigger can be each time a specific trigger Kilroy is found by another user. For example, the trigger Kilroy can be a starting line for a quest, the first Kilroy in a series, a specific Kilroy in the series, or the like. Due to the growth potential of the final prize, whether it is a cash prize, coupon value, point award, or the like, users are incentivized to recruit their network of friends and followers to search and find the specific trigger Kilroy. It should be noted that one or more trigger Kilroys may be present in a hunt or quest. In one embodiment, Kilroy searches or PowerKash Hunt can be used by a business to drive customer foot traffic. For example, a business could pay to have a trigger Kilroy located in their physical establishments or, if they have multiple establishments, multiple trigger Kilroys, each providing a same or different increase factor.

(26) It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art; for example, the entire cantilever strap could be provided with a shock absorbing pad disposed upon its lower surface. Accordingly, the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention.