Apparatus and method for transmitting information from signage to portable computing device, and system utilizing same

• US 20010054066A1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Streetbeam Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Streetbeam Incorporated
• Inventors: Spitzer, Louis
• Application Number:
  US09/728,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20010054066A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program for delivering data to a computing device by transmitting, from a local server, data to the computing device, where the data is associated with a display located in the vicinity of transmission.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data between a local server and a central server connected to a network, comprising:

storing data onto the central server;

storing an identification string onto the central server;

loading the identification string onto a personal digital assistant device;

loading the data onto the personal digital assistant device;

transmitting the data from the personal digital assistant device to the local server;

transmitting other data from the local server onto the personal digital assistant device; and

transferring the other data from the personal digital assistant device to the central server.

2. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the step of transferring the other data further comprises:

synchronizing the personal digital assistant device to a personal computer connected to the network;

posting the other data to a web application server on the network;

transferring the other data to the central server; and

receiving a status message from the web application server.

3. A method according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

inhibiting the local server from transmitting; and

enabling the local server to transmit after the communications between the local server and the personal digital assistant is complete.

4. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the personal digital assistant device is a Palm device.

5. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the data includes information from a retailer located within the vicinity of the local server.

6. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for transportation pickup locations located within the vicinity of the local server.

7. A method according to

claim 1

, wherein the data includes a game.

8. A method for connecting a browser to a web application server, comprising:

transmitting data to the personal digital assistant device;

receiving and storing the data in the personal digital assistant device;

synchronizing the personal digital assistant device with a personal computer;

registering a user by providing user identification information to the web application server;

launching a browser on the personal computer;

posting information from the personal computer to the web application server, wherein the information comprises;

the data transmitted to the personal digital assistant;

a timestamp, and

a user identifier;

storing the posted information onto a central server; and

displaying on the browser information corresponding to the data.

9. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the information displayed on the browser includes at least one hyperlink.

10. A method according to

claim 9

, further comprising:

recording referral information associated with the data on the central database.

11. A method according to

claim 8

, further comprising:

analyzing the information posted by said posting step; and

determining marketing information.

12. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the data includes information from a retailer located within the vicinity from where the transmitting step occurred.

13. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for transportation pickup locations located within the vicinity from where the transmitting step occurred.

14. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the data includes a game.

15. A method for accessing Internet websites using a personal digital assistant and a personal computer connected to an Internet, comprising:

transmitting data from a local server to the personal digital assistant, wherein the data includes

instructions on how to access a web application server, the instructions being viewable on the personal digital assistant, and

location specific data;

accessing the web application server;

registering a user'"'"'s information on the web application server;

receiving a user identifier on the personal digital assistant after successfully completing said registering step;

downloading and installing a conduit onto a personal computer after completing said registering step if the conduit is not already installed on the personal computer;

triggering the conduit during a synchronization of the personal digital assistant to the personal computer;

checking for the user identifier on the personal digital assistant device;

sending the user identifier to the web application server from the personal digital assistant device if the user identifier is found;

requesting the user'"'"'s information from a central server via the Internet if the user identifier was not found in the checking step;

locating other data on the central server associated with the location specific data;

querying the central server for at least one hyperlink associated with the other data; and

displaying the at least one hyperlink on a browser on the personal computer.

16. A method according to

claim 15

, wherein the other data includes information from a retailer located within a predetermined distance of the local server.

17. A method according to

claim 15

, wherein the other data includes a transportation schedule for at least one transportation pickup location located within the vicinity of the local server.

18. A method according to

claim 15

, wherein the other data includes a game.

19. A method for delivering data to a computing device with a browser, comprising:

viewing an identification number on a display;

inputting the identification number into the computing device;

connecting the computing device to a web application server via the Internet;

transmitting from the computing device to the web application server the identification number; and

receiving at the computing device from the web application server data associated with the display.

20. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the computing device is a wireless application protocol enabled device.

21. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the computing device is a personal computer connected to the Internet.

22. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the computing device is a hand-held computing device.

24. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the data includes information about a retailer located within the vicinity of the display.

25. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for at least one transportation pickup location located within the vicinity of the display.

26. A method according to

claim 19

, wherein the data includes a game.

23. A method for delivering data to a wireless application protocol enabled device, comprising:

viewing an identification number on a display;

inputting the identification number into the wireless application protocol enabled device;

connecting the wireless application protocol enabled device to a web application server via the Internet;

transmitting from the wireless application protocol enabled device to the web application server the identification number;

receiving at the wireless application protocol enabled device from the web application server data associated with the display;

extracting a subscriber identification of the wireless application protocol enabled device from a wireless application protocol gateway;

mapping the data to a modified data; and

alerting the user of the modified data.

27. An apparatus for communicating data between a local server and a central server connected to a network, comprising:

means for storing data onto the central server;

means for storing an identification string onto the central server;

means for loading the identification string onto a personal digital assistant device;

means for loading the data onto the personal digital assistant device;

means for transmitting the data from the personal digital assistant device to the local server;

means for transmitting other data from the local server onto the personal digital assistant device; and

means for transferring the other data from the personal digital assistant device to the central server.

28. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, wherein the means for transferring the other data further comprises:

means for synchronizing the personal digital assistant device to a personal computer connected to the network;

means for posting the other data to a web application server on the network;

means for transferring the other data to the central server; and

means for receiving a status message from the web application server.

29. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, further comprising:

means for inhibiting the local server from transmitting; and

means for enabling the local server to transmit after the communications between the local server and the personal digital assistant is complete.

30. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, wherein the personal digital assistant device is a Palm device.

31. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, wherein the data includes information from a retailer located within the vicinity of the local server.

32. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for transportation pickup locations located within the vicinity of the local server.

33. An apparatus according to

claim 27

, wherein the data includes a game.

34. An apparatus for connecting a browser to a web application server, comprising:

means for transmitting data to a personal digital assistant device;

means for receiving and storing the data in the personal digital assistant device;

means for synchronizing the personal digital assistant device with a personal computer;

means for registering a user by providing user identification information to the web application server;

means for launching a browser on the personal computer;

means for posting information from the personal computer to the web application server, wherein the information comprises;

the data transmitted to the personal digital assistant;

a timestamp, and

a user identifier;

means for storing the posted information onto a central server; and

means for displaying on the browser information corresponding to the data.

35. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, wherein the information displayed on the browser includes at least one hyperlink.

36. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, further comprising:

means for recording referral information associated with the data on the central database.

37. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, further comprising:

means for analyzing the posted information; and

means for determining marketing information.

38. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, wherein the data includes information from a retailer located within the vicinity of said means for transmitting.

39. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for transportation pickup locations located within the vicinity of said means for transmitting.

40. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, wherein the data includes a game.

41. An apparatus for accessing Internet websites using a personal digital assistant and a personal computer connected to an Internet, comprising:

means for transmitting data from a local server to the personal digital assistant, wherein the data includes

instructions on how to access a web application server, the instructions being viewable on the personal digital assistant, and

location specific data;

means for accessing the web application server;

means for registering a user'"'"'s information on the web application server;

means for receiving a user identifier on the personal digital assistant after the means for registering has successfully completed registering the user'"'"'s information;

means for downloading and installing a conduit onto a personal computer if the conduit is not already installed on the personal computer;

means for triggering the conduit during a synchronization of the personal digital assistant to the personal computer;

means for checking for the user identifier on the personal digital assistant device;

means for sending the user identifier to the web application server from the personal digital assistant device if the user identifier is found;

means for requesting the user'"'"'s information from a central server via the Internet if the user identifier was not found using the means for checking;

means for locating other data on the central server associated with the location specific data;

means for querying the central server for at least one hyperlink associated with the other data; and

means for displaying the at least one hyperlink on a browser on the personal computer.

42. An apparatus according to

claim 41

, wherein the other data includes information from a retailer located within a predetermined distance of the local server.

43. An apparatus according to

claim 41

, wherein the other data includes a transportation schedule for at least one transportation pickup location located within the vicinity of the local server.

44. An apparatus according to

claim 41

, wherein the other data includes a game.

45. An apparatus for delivering data to a computing device with a browser, comprising:

means for viewing an identification number on a display;

means for inputting the identification number into the computing device;

means for connecting the computing device to a web application server via the Internet;

means for transmitting from the computing device to the web application server the identification number; and

means for receiving at the computing device from the web application server data associated with the display.

46. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the computing device is a wireless application protocol enabled device.

47. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the computing device is a personal computer connected to the Internet.

48. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the computing device is a hand-held computing device.

50. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the data includes information about a retailer located within the vicinity of the display.

51. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the data includes a transportation schedule for at least one transportation pickup location located within the vicinity of the display.

52. An apparatus according to

claim 45

, wherein the data includes a game.

49. An apparatus for delivering data to a wireless application protocol enabled device, comprising:

means for viewing an identification number on a display;

means for inputting the identification number into the wireless application protocol enabled device;

means for connecting the wireless application protocol enabled device to a web application server via the Internet;

means for transmitting from the wireless application protocol enabled device to the web application server the identification number;

means for receiving at the wireless application protocol enabled device from the web application server data associated with the display;

means for extracting a subscriber identification of the wireless application protocol enabled device from a wireless application protocol gateway;

means for mapping the data to a modified data; and

means for alerting the user of the modified data.

53. A computer program, for communicating data between a local server and a central server connected to a network, operable to:

store data onto the central server;

store an identification string onto the central server;

load the identification string onto a personal digital assistant device;

load the data onto the personal digital assistant device;

transmit the data from the personal digital assistant device to the local server;

transmit other data from the local server onto the personal digital assistant device; and

transfer the other data from the personal digital assistant device to the central server.

54. A computer program, according to

claim 53

, wherein the transfer step is further operable to:

synchronize the personal digital assistant device to a personal computer connected to the network;

post the other data to a web application server on the network;

transfer the other data to the central server; and

receive a status message from the web application server.

55. A computer program, according to

claim 53

, further operable to:

inhibit the local server from transmitting; and

enable the local server to transmit after the communications between the local server and the personal digital assistant is complete.

56. A computer program for connecting a browser to a web application server, operable to:

transmit data to a personal digital assistant device;

receive and store the data in the personal digital assistant device;

synchronize the personal digital assistant device with a personal computer;

register a user by providing user identification information to the web application server;

launch a browser on the personal computer;

post information from the personal computer to the web application server, wherein the information comprises;

the data transmitted to the personal digital assistant;

a timestamp, and

a user identifier;

store the posted information onto a central server; and

display on the browser information corresponding to the data.

57. A computer program, for accessing Internet websites using a personal digital assistant and a personal computer connected to an Internet, operable to:

transmit data from a local server to the personal digital assistant, wherein the data includes

instructions on how to access a web application server, the instructions being viewable on the personal digital assistant, and

location specific data;

access the web application server;

register a user'"'"'s information on the web application server;

receive a user identifier on the personal digital assistant after successfully completing said register step;

download and installing a conduit onto a personal computer after completing said register step if the conduit is not already installed on the personal computer;

trigger the conduit during a synchronization of the personal digital assistant to the personal computer;

check for the user identifier on the personal digital assistant device;

send the user identifier to the web application server from the personal digital assistant device if the user identifier is found;

request the user'"'"'s information from a central server via the Internet if the user identifier was not found in the check step;

locate other data on the central server associated with the location specific data;

query the central server for at least one hyperlink associated with the other data; and

display the at least one hyperlink on a browser on the personal computer.

58. A computer program, for delivering data to a computing device with a browser, operable to:

view an identification number on a display;

input the identification number into the computing device;

connect the computing device to a web application server via the Internet;

transmit from the computing device to the web application server the identification number; and

receive at the computing device from the web application server data associated with the display.

59. A computer program, for delivering data to a wireless application protocol enabled device with a browser, operable to:

view an identification number on a display;

input the identification number into the wireless application protocol enabled device;

connect the wireless application protocol enabled device to a web application server via the Internet;

transmit from the wireless application protocol enabled device to the web application server the identification number;

receive at the wireless application protocol enabled device from the web application server data associated with the display;

extract a subscriber identification of the wireless application protocol enabled device from a wireless application protocol gateway;

map the data to a modified data; and

alert the user of the modified data.