Interactive media terminal

• US 20020124271A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Civia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Civia, Inc.
• Inventors: Becker, William, Boyer, Richard, Turner, Douglas, Dahlander, Helene, Sherwood, Timothy J., Laferte, Darryl, Herrmann, R. Scott, Grieve, Robson B., Dixon, Jim L., OʼRourke, Tom C.
• Application Number:
  US10/066,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

An interactive public media display terminal capable of presenting different presentations to the viewing public simultaneously is presented. The media terminal includes a large vertically orientated display that can be partitioned to display varied content to attract different factions of a viewing audience. The content can be configured to attract viewers based on the distance they are away from the terminal. To accomplish this, the display can be coupled among a computer and a communication device configured to exchange data with a network such as the Internet. The display can also include a touch sensitive screen and other input devices that allow a user to physically interact with the terminal based on the content being presented. Furthermore, the terminal can be configured to gather data regarding the audience that views the content that is displayed.

Claims

1. An interactive media information terminal for the display and collection of information, comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing includes a frame, a top portion and a bottom portion;

a rectangular display device coupled to the frame, wherein the rectangular display device is orientated in a portrait orientation with respect to the housing;

a processor coupled to the display device, the processor capable of executing computer readable instructions generating two or more distinct views on the display device, the distinct views displaying information capable of being interpreted over a time period unique to each distinct view, and wherein at least one distinct view is a public view for providing public information, while another, simultaneous distinct view is a personal view for personal interactivity with a user;

a protective shield;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

an network connection port coupled to the processor and capable of network communications; and

a data storage device.

2. The device of claim [c1], further comprising a wireless transceiver.

3. The device of claim [c1], wherein the housing is configured to be fixedly located in a public location for simultaneously displaying at least the public and personal views.

4. The device of claim [c1], further comprising:

at least two audio speakers;

a microphone;

a camera;

a computer monitoring card configured to monitor the processor for software or hardware malfunctions wherein upon detection of software or hardware malfunctions the computer card reboots the processor; and

a live video card configured to accept real time Television and video content.

5. The device of claim [c1], wherein the frame possesses non-conductive characteristics.

6. The device of claim [c1], wherein the frame is constructed from nonconductive material.

7. The device of claim [c1], wherein at least one of the distinct views includes meteorological information.

8. The device of claim [c1], wherein at least one of the distinct views includes local area information.

9. The device of claim [c1], wherein the display includes at least four distinct views.

10. The device of claim [c1], wherein at least one of the distinct views is interactive .

11. The device of claim [c1], wherein at least one of the distinct views includes information related to the geographic location of the device.

12. The device of claim [c1], wherein a first of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived over a first time period, and a second of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived over a second time period, the first time period being less than the second time period, the first distinct view positioned above the second distinct view.

13. The device of claim [c1], wherein a first of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived from a first distance, and a second of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived from a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, the first distinct view positioned above the second distinct view.

14. The device of claim [c1], wherein the user interface includes an infrared field projected over the display device such that penetrations of the infrared field are correlated with information displayed on the display device.

15. The device of claim [c1], wherein the user interface includes a microphone coupled to the processor capable of receiving spoken input.

16. The device of claim [c1], wherein the user interface includes a microphone coupled to the processor capable of receiving ambient audio level input.

17. The device of claim [c1], further comprising a global positioning satellite receiver.

18. The device of claim [c1], further comprising a bio-metric reader coupled to the processor, wherein the bio-metric reader is capable of reading information used to identify the user.

19. The device of claim [c1], wherein the housing is modular.

20. The device of claim [c1], wherein the processor is configured to receive user input from the user interface, and in response thereto, retrieve from the data storage device and display in at least one of the two or more distinct views user requested content.

21. The device of claim [c1], wherein the network connection port includes a device capable of connecting to the Internet.

22. The device of claim [c1], further comprising an alternative power supply, the alternative power supply being capable providing adequate power to allow the processor to shut down normally upon failure of primary power to the processor.

23. The device of claim [c1], wherein the processor is retained within the housing.

24. The device of claim [c1], wherein the processor is configured to receive from the communications port, and store in the data storage device, digitally encoded static and video content received from a server, and to instruct the display device to independently display the static and video content in the two or more distinct views.

25. The device of claim [c1], further comprising an output device, wherein the output device includes a printer.

26. The device of claim [c1], further comprising an audio system coupled to the processor.

27. An interactive media information terminal, comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing includes a frame;

a processor retained in the housing capable of executing computer readable instructions generating two or more distinct views, the distinct views providing information capable of being understood at a distance differing for each distinct view;

a rectangular display device capable of displaying the two or more distinct views coupled to the processor, wherein the rectangular display device is mounted to the frame, and wherein a first of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived from a first distance, and a second of the two or more distinct views includes information that can be perceived from a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance, the first distinct view positioned above the second distinct view;

a user input device;

a memory device coupled to the processor capable of storing electronic content and computer readable instructions; and

an network connection port coupled to the processor and capable of network communications.

28. The device of claim [c27], wherein the display device is capable of simultaneous display of private content and public content.

29. The device of claim [c27], wherein the user input device includes a touch pad.

30. The device of claim [c27], wherein the user input device includes an infrared field projected over the display device such that penetrations of the infrared field are correlated with information displayed on the display device

31. The device of claim [c27], wherein the frame possesses non-conductive characteristics.

32. The device of claim [c27], wherein the frame is constructed from nonconductive material.

33. The device of claim [c27], further comprising:

at least two audio speakers;

a microphone;

a camera;

a computer monitoring card configured to monitor the processor for software or hardware malfunctions wherein upon detection of software or hardware malfunctions the computer card reboots the processor; and

a live video card configured to accept real time Television and video content.

34. The device of claim [c27], further comprising a bullet resistant shield.

35. The device of claim [c27], further comprising a vandal resistant shield.

36. The device of claim [c27], wherein the user input device is a microphone coupled to the processor capable of receiving spoken commands.

37. The device of claim [c27], further comprising a global positioning satellite receiver.

38. The device of claim [c27], further comprising a bio-metric reader, wherein the bio-metric reader is configured to read biologically identifiable characteristics.

39. The device of claim [c27], further comprising a wireless transceiver.

40. The interactive media information terminal of claim [c27], wherein the processor is configured to receive user input from the user input device, and in response thereto, retrieve from the data storage device and display in at least one of the two or more distinct views user requested content.

41. The interactive media information terminal of claim [c27], further comprising:

an audio system coupled to the processor, the audio system capable of transmitting and receiving audio signals; and

an output device, wherein the output device includes a printer.

42. The interactive media information terminal of claim [c27], wherein the display device is mounted to the in a portrait orientation with respect to the housing.

43. The interactive media information terminal of claim [c27], wherein the display device is mounted to the in a landscape orientation with respect to the housing.

44. A system for displaying information in a public space, the system comprising:

a housing and frame configured to stand at least 2 meters high, and having a bottom portion for resting on a floor and a top portion;

a rectangular display device oriented in a portrait mode and positioned near the top portion of the housing and frame, wherein at least a lower portion of the display device is responsive to a user interface;

a computer coupled to the display device;

a memory device coupled to the computer and configured to store content, including video data;

at least one output device; and

a communications port coupled to the computer and configured receive content from a server and provide data logs to the server.

45. The system of claim [c44], wherein the computer is retained in the housing.

46. The system of claim [c44], wherein the computer is remote to the housing.

47. The system of claim [c44], wherein the output device includes an audio system.

48. The system of claim [c44], wherein the output device includes a printer.

49. The system of claim [c44], wherein the user interface includes an infrared field projected over the display device such that penetrations of the infrared field are correlated by the computer with information displayed on the display device.

50. The system of claim [c44], further comprising a wireless transceiver.

51. The system of claim [c44], wherein the computer is configured to receive from the communications port, and store in the memory device, digitally encoded static and video content received from the server, and to instruct the display device to independently display at least a first, a second and a third portion of the static and video content.

52. The system of claim [c51], wherein the first portion of the content capable of being perceived from a first distance, the second portion of the content is capable of being perceived from a second distance, and the third portion of the content is capable of being perceived from a third distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance and the second distance being greater than the third distance.

53. The system of claim [c52], wherein the first portion is displayed on the display device above the second portion, and the second portion is displayed on the display device above the third portion.

54. The system of claim [c51], wherein

the first portion of content is displayed at an uppermost rectangular portion of the display device for view by people approximately 10 meters from the display device,

the second portion of content is displayed at a middle rectangular portion of the display device for view by people approximately 3 meters from the display device, and

the third portion of content is displayed at a lowermost rectangular portion of the display device for view by a person approximately 1 meter from the display device, and

wherein the computer is configured to receive user input from the user interface, and in response thereto, retrieve from the memory device and display in the third portion user requested content.

55. A system for displaying information in a public space, the system comprising:

a housing and frame configured to stand at least approximately 2 meters high, and having a bottom portion and a top portion;

a rectangular display device oriented in a portrait mode and positioned near the top portion of the housing and mounted to a non-conductive frame;

a computer retained by the housing and coupled to the display device;

a user input device coupled to the computer;

a memory device coupled to the computer and configured to store content, including video data; and

a communications port coupled to the computer and configured receive content from a server and provide data to the server.

56. The system of claim [c55], wherein the computer is configured to receive from the communications port, and store in the memory device, digitally encoded static and video content received from the server, and to instruct the display device to independently display two or more portions of content, and wherein the computer is configured to receive user input from the user input device, and in response thereto, retrieve from the memory device and display in one of the two or more portions user requested content.

57. The system of claim [c55], further comprising at least one output device coupled to the computer.