How Devices Automatically Tag and Monetize Real-World Events
A system for capturing data about a specific moment or location—like a song playing or a vehicle passing—to automatically trigger online searches and sponsor payments.
Original patent title: “Identifying events”
A system for capturing data about a specific moment or location—like a song playing or a vehicle passing—to automatically trigger online searches and sponsor payments. Granted to Individual in 2013 with 88 claims and 4 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for a device to capture an 'event stamp'—a collection of data points like GPS coordinates, time, and radio station identifiers—when a user activates a button. Once this data is sent to a server, the system automatically searches a database to identify the specific event, such as a song currently playing on the radio or a business location. Crucially, the system then triggers a financial transaction, requesting that a sponsor associated with that event be credited with monetary compensation. For example, a user could press a button on a keychain while listening to a song, and the system would identify the track, find the radio station, and log a marketing credit for that station.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover general-purpose GPS tracking that lacks an 'event stamp' function triggered by a specific user action.
- Does not cover systems that identify events without a server-side database lookup.
- Does not cover manual event logging that does not include automated financial crediting of a sponsor.
- Does not cover audio recognition that occurs entirely locally on the device without network communication.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in binding the 'event stamp'—a bundle of heterogeneous data like GPS and radio IDs—directly to a financial settlement mechanism, effectively turning a user's physical context into a billable advertising event.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Shazam-style music identification linked to affiliate revenue
Smart keychains for logging radio advertisements
Location-based marketing triggers for transit systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent touches on the intersection of physical world interaction and digital advertising. It provides a framework for 'offline-to-online' attribution, where physical actions are tracked to prove the effectiveness of broadcast media or location-based advertising. It represents an early attempt to bridge the gap between traditional radio or physical transit and digital performance marketing.
Filed
July 6, 2010
Granted
January 15, 2013
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The technology aligns with the broader ecosystem of ad-tech and attribution companies. While the patent is held by an individual, the concepts are foundational to companies like Apple (with integrated Shazam) and various location-based analytics firms that track user engagement with physical media.
Market impact
This patent predates the ubiquity of integrated 'tap-to-identify' features in mobile operating systems. It reflects a period where developers were experimenting with dedicated hardware (like keychains) to bridge the gap between analog broadcasts and digital tracking, eventually being superseded by smartphone-integrated software.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for a device to capture an 'event stamp'—a collection of data points like GPS coordinates, time, and radio station identifiers—when a user activates a button. Once this data is sent to a server, the system automatically searches a database to identify the specific event, such as a song currently playing on the radio or a business location. Crucially, the system then triggers a financial transaction, requesting that a sponsor associated with that event be credited with monetary compensation. For example, a user could press a button on a keychain while listening to a song, and the system would identify the track, find the radio station, and log a marketing credit for that station.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in binding the 'event stamp'—a bundle of heterogeneous data like GPS and radio IDs—directly to a financial settlement mechanism, effectively turning a user's physical context into a billable advertising event.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover general-purpose GPS tracking that lacks an 'event stamp' function triggered by a specific user action.
- Does not cover systems that identify events without a server-side database lookup.
- Does not cover manual event logging that does not include automated financial crediting of a sponsor.
- Does not cover audio recognition that occurs entirely locally on the device without network communication.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
14/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$67K – $215K
Midpoint $134K · 4.1 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
88 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Reimer, J. (2013). How Devices Automatically Tag and Monetize Real-World Events (U.S. Patent No. 8,356,005). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8356005/facebook-photo-tagging
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Devices Automatically Tag and Monetize Real-World Events cover?
A system for capturing data about a specific moment or location—like a song playing or a vehicle passing—to automatically trigger online searches and sponsor payments.
Who owns patent US 8356005?
Individual owns this patent, granted in 2013.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on January 15, 2033, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8356005 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent touches on the intersection of physical world interaction and digital advertising. It provides a framework for 'offline-to-online' attribution, where physical actions are tracked to prove the effectiveness of broadcast media or location-based advertising. It represents an early attempt to bridge the gap between traditional radio or physical transit and digital performance marketing.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover general-purpose GPS tracking that lacks an 'event stamp' function triggered by a specific user action.
Same assignee
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