Interactive device for memorial information

• US 10,030,406 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northstar Memorial Group
• Original Assignee: Northstar Memorial Group
• Inventors: Montgomery, David, Lintz, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US15/197,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 17/08 Urns columbaria E04H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 13/008 Memorials for cremation ashes E04H13/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for an interactive memorial device to provide a dynamic, interactive, multi-touch display to visitors of a final resting place or memorial of a deceased individual. The interactive memorial device enables the visitors to interact with a combination of dynamic and customizable information relating to the decedent or memorial. An operating system enables an end-user, such as any of the visitors, to interact with the operating system by way of navigation controls. A display screen preferably comprises a transparent multi-touch display configured to enable the visitors to view and interact with information and provides dynamic memorialization content to the visitors while maintaining view of real memorialization objects and personalized mementos in the background. Loudspeakers are configured to play audio soundtracks accompanying memorial-related information. In some embodiments, the interactive memorial device includes a camera suitable for social networking functions, such as online video conferencing and chat.

Claims

1. An interactive memorial device for providing an interactive environment to visitors of a final resting place of a deceased individual, comprising:

a display screen configured to enable the visitors to view and interact with memorial-related information displayed on the display screen;

one or more loudspeakers configured to play audio soundtracks accompanying the memorial-related information; and

a decorative bracket configured to affix the interactive memorial device to a place of burial, wherein the decorative bracket is configured to replace a traditionally-used static, glass panel, thereby providing a dynamic customizable memorial display exhibit at the place of burial for the visitors to physically interact with the final resting place of the deceased individual, wherein the display screen comprises a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panel with a smart multi-touch interface enabling the visitors to tactilely interact with the interactive environment provided by the interactive memorial device, and wherein the display screen is illuminated by way of ambient integrated LED backlighting so as to facilitate viewing of real objects in a background and behind the multi-touch display in lighting conditions including direct sunlight or at night.

2. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the transparent LCD panel is affixed to the place of burial of the deceased individual.

3. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the transparency of the transparent LCD panel ranges up to substantially 85% transparency.

4. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the decedent is managed, or administered by one or more individuals selected from family members of the deceased individual, cemetery staff, cemetery caretakers, and the visitors of the final resting place of the deceased individual.

5. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the visitors locally manages the information stored on a memory of the interactive memorial device by directly interacting with the interactive memorial device at the place of burial.

6. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the interactive memorial device is configured to support two-way communications functionality selected from digital messaging by way of e-mail, social media, remote video conferencing, and a combination thereof.

7. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein a multiplicity of interactive memorial devices can be wired together in a sequence or in a ring including a daisy-chain, and centrally powered and controllable by way of a centrally located multi-touch software.

8. The interactive memorial device of claim 7, wherein the multiplicity of interactive memorial devices are network connected by way of physical, wired connections including a local area network (LAN).

9. The interactive memorial device of claim 7, wherein the multiplicity of interactive memorial devices are connected to a wireless network by way of wireless connections including Wi-Fi.

10. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of interactive memorial devices are in communication with a server configured to host the centrally located multi-touch software, thereby enabling centrally controlling each of the interactive memorial devices.

11. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the interactive memorial device comprises at least an HDMI port and a USB port configured to support direct wired connections independent of other devices.

12. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, wherein the interactive memorial device comprises a multi-tenant, web-based software application accessible by way of the Internet and configured to enable an interactive-memorial device manager or one or more of the visitors of the final resting place of the deceased individual to remotely manage the information stored on a memory of the interactive memorial device.

13. The interactive memorial device of claim 12, wherein the web-based software application is configured to enable virtual visitors to virtually access the content stored on a memory of the interactive memorial device by way of the Internet.

14. The interactive memorial device of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by the interactive memorial device, cause the interactive memorial device to provide the interactive environment to the visitors; and

an operating system comprising instructions that enable the visitors to interact with the operating system by way of one or more navigation controls, wherein at least a portion of the operating system is stored on the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium.

15. An interactive memorial device for providing an interactive environment to visitors of a final resting place of a deceased individual, comprising:

a decorative bracket configured to affix the interactive memorial device to a place of burial of the deceased individual,

wherein the decorative bracket defines a space configured to house one or more real objects associated with the deceased individual;

a display screen configured to enable the visitors to view and interact with memorial-related information displayed on the display screen,

wherein the display screen comprises a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) panel with a smart multi-touch interface enabling the visitors to tactilely interact with the interactive environment provided by the interactive memorial device and view the real object behind the multi-touch display; and

one or more loudspeakers configured to play audio soundtracks accompanying the memorial-related information.

16. The interactive memorial device of claim 15, wherein the transparent LCD panel ranges up to substantially 85% transparency, and

wherein integrated LED backlighting in the decorative bracket facilitates viewing the one or more real objects under lighting conditions including direct sunlight or at night.

17. The interactive memorial device of claim 16, wherein the interactive memorial device includes one or more communication interfaces selected from a wired interface and a wireless interface, and

wherein system software for the interactive memorial device is configured to enable remotely administered updates to the memorial-related information.

18. The interactive memorial device of claim 17, wherein the one or more communication interfaces support two-way communications functionality selected from digital messaging by way of e-mail, social media, remote video conferencing, and a combination thereof.