Using wireless networks to enhance narrowcasting in public spaces

Digital signage networks are a newly emerging form of public space electronic media technology that offer significant advantages over traditional signage and enables a narrowcasting model. Due in part to the decreasing price of gas plasma, and other display technologies, digital signage networks are now rapidly growing in popularity and prevalence. Augmenting digital signage with wireless LAN technology enhances the narrowcasting model by enabling consumers to interact with the narrowcaster to obtain additional information from particular narrowcasters, e.g., advertisers, of interest. When explicitly permitted by the consumer, this enables the narrowcaster to obtain more information about the consumer. We describe the cost reduction and increased effectiveness of advertising that is displayed and managed using digital signage networks as opposed to traditional signage. We present an enhanced narrowcasting model created by augmenting the network with wireless LAN technology. We describe several scenarios where a system based on the model enables novel interaction between the narrowcaster and consumer. These features provide new support for mobile commerce. We then propose an architecture that implements the enhanced narrowcasting model that we have implemented in our system prototype.