Advertising proximity route selection

Abstract

A request for route information to a destination is received by a route processing module. Available routes to the destination are determined in response to receiving the request. It is determined, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement. At least one available route to the destination is provided upon determining that the available route provides the proximity to the targeted advertisement.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, via a route processing module, a request for route information to a destination;   determining, in response to receiving the request, available routes to the destination;   determining, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement; and   providing the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement comprises:
 determining the at least one targeted advertisement;   determining a location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement; and   determining whether the location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement is proximate to the at least one available route.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , where determining the at least one targeted advertisement comprises:
 determining route requester information;   determining a targeted advertising characteristic associated with a route requester based upon the route requester information;   comparing the targeted advertising characteristic with available advertisements; and   determining a match between the targeted advertising characteristic and at least one of the available advertisements.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , where determining a targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester comprises:
 accessing a profile associated with the route requester; and   identifying the targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester based upon the profile.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement comprises:
 determining a primary route among a plurality of available routes;   calculating a travel time difference associated with each available route that provides proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement relative to the primary route;   determining whether the travel time difference associated with each available route is less than a configured maximum travel time difference; and   where providing the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement comprises providing a route with an associated travel time difference less than the configured maximum travel time difference.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement comprises determining targeted advertising associated with at least one of an activity associated with the destination and a temporal factor associated with a time period during which the request is received. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether a route requester travels at least a portion of the provided at least one available route to the destination that provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement; and   sending a message to an advertising server identifying an advertising impression proximity event associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement proximate to the traveled portion of the provided at least one available route.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether a route requester travels to a location associated with a targeted advertisement proximate to the provided at least one available route; and   sending a message indicating that the route requester traveled to the location to an advertising server that adjusts an advertising incentive associated with future routing via the provided at least one available route.   
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a memory that stores advertising location information; and   a processor programmed to:   receive a request for route information to a destination;   determine, in response to receiving the request, available routes to the destination;   determine, for at least one available route to the destination using the advertising location information, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement; and   provide the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , where, in being programmed to determine, for at least one available route to the destination using the advertising location information, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the processor is programmed to:
 determine the at least one targeted advertisement;   determine a location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement; and   determine whether the location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement is proximate to the at least one available route.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , where, in being programmed to determine the at least one targeted advertisement, the processor is programmed to:
 determine route requester information   determine a targeted advertising characteristic associated with a route requester based upon the route requester information;   compare the targeted advertising characteristic with available advertisements; and   determine a match between the targeted advertising characteristic and at least one of the available advertisements.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , where, in being programmed to determine a targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester, the processor is programmed to:
 access a profile stored in the memory associated with the route requester; and   identify the targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester based upon the profile.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , where, in being programmed to determine, for at least one available route to the destination using the advertising location information, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the processor is programmed to:
 determine a primary route among a plurality of available routes;   calculate a travel time difference associated with each available route that provides proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement relative to the primary route;   determine whether the travel time difference associated with each available route is less than a configured maximum travel time difference; and   where, in being programmed to provide the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement, the processor is programmed to provide a route with an associated travel time difference less than the configured maximum travel time difference.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , where, in being programmed to determine, for at least one available route to the destination using the advertising location information, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the processor is programmed to determine targeted advertising associated with at least one of an activity associated with the destination and a temporal factor associated with a time period during which the request is received. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , where the processor is further programmed to:
 determine whether a route requester travels at least a portion of the provided at least one available route to the destination that provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement; and   send a message to an advertising server identifying an advertising impression proximity event associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement proximate to the traveled portion of the provided at least one available route.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , where the processor is further programmed to:
 determine whether a route requester travels to a location associated with a targeted advertisement proximate to the provided at least one available route; and   send a message indicating that the route requester traveled to the location to an advertising server that adjusts an advertising incentive associated with future routing via the provided at least one available route.   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code, where the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
 receive a request for route information to a destination;   determine, in response to receiving the request, available routes to the destination;   determine, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement; and   provide the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , where, in causing the computer to determine, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:
 determine the at least one targeted advertisement;   determine a location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement; and   determine whether the location associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement is proximate to the at least one available route.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , where, in causing the computer to determine the at least one targeted advertisement, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:
 determine route requester information;   determine a targeted advertising characteristic associated with a route requester based upon the route requester information;   compare the targeted advertising characteristic with available advertisements; and   determine a match between the targeted advertising characteristic and at least one of the available advertisements.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , where, in causing the computer to determine a targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:
 access a profile associated with the route requester; and   identify the targeted advertising characteristic associated with the route requester based upon the profile.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , where, in causing the computer to determine, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to:
 determine a primary route among a plurality of available routes;   calculate a travel time difference associated with each available route that provides proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement relative to the primary route;   determine whether the travel time difference associated with each available route is less than a configured maximum travel time difference; and   where, in causing the computer to provide the at least one available route to the destination upon determining that the at least one available route provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to provide a route with an associated travel time difference less than the configured maximum travel time difference.   
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , where, in causing the computer to determine, for at least one available route to the destination, whether the at least one available route provides proximity to at least one targeted advertisement, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to determine targeted advertising associated with at least one of an activity associated with the destination and a temporal factor associated with a time period during which the request is received. 
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:
 determine whether a route requester travels at least a portion of the provided at least one available route to the destination that provides the proximity to the at least one targeted advertisement; and   send a message to an advertising server identifying an advertising impression proximity event associated with each of the at least one targeted advertisement proximate to the traveled portion of the provided at least one available route.   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:
 determine whether a route requester travels to a location associated with a targeted advertisement proximate to the provided at least one available route; and   send a message indicating that the route requester traveled to the location to an advertising server that adjusts an advertising incentive associated with future routing via the provided at least one available route.