Wireless network and PDA system for sporting events

• US 20030172375A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jason B. Ziegler, Norman S. Shaw, Robert S. Roaten
• Original Assignee: Jason B. Ziegler, Norman S. Shaw, Robert S. Roaten
• Inventors: Ziegler, Jason B., Roaten, Robert S., Shaw, Norman S.
• Application Number:
  US10/385,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for providing data to a plurality of people in a captive audience during an event comprises providing a limited range wireless network, renting a plurality of PDA devices to a plurality of people attending the event, loading software into the plurality of PDA devices to permit the PDA devices to receive data from the wireless network, transmitting data to the plurality of rented PDA devices from the wireless network during the event, and collecting the plurality of PDA devices after the event.

Claims

1. A method for providing data to a plurality of people in a captive audience during an event, the method comprising:

providing a limited range wireless network;

renting a plurality of PDA devices to a plurality of people attending the event;

loading software into the plurality of PDA devices to permit the PDA devices to receive data from the wireless network;

transmitting data to the plurality of rented PDA devices from the wireless network during the event; and

collecting the plurality of PDA devices after the event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting each user of a PDA device to update a plurality of user preferences related to the data to be received from the wireless network; and

storing the user-selected preferences in a central database coupled to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting step comprises:

obtaining an identification number from each returned PDA after completion of the event;

issuing a receipt for charges incurred by a user of the PDA during the event; and

charging the user'"'"'s credit card for charges incurred by the user during the event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the renting step comprises:

obtaining credit card information from each user of a PDA;

obtaining a serial number for the PDA;

associating the PDA serial number to the user'"'"'s credit card;

storing the associated information in a central database; and

generating a unique personal identification number for the PDA which is required to activate the PDA.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the user is permitted to charge the associated credit card using the PDA;

disabling a charge option for the PDA if the user is not permitted to charge on the credit card; and

enabling the charge option if the user is permitted to charge on the credit card; and

storing an indication related to the charge option status in the central database.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising steps of:

entering the unique personal identification number in the PDA;

determining whether the personal identification number is valid; and

downloading initial data to the PDA via the wireless network only if the personal identification number is valid.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the PDA has any associated user-selected preferences stored in a central database; and

downloading any user-selected stored preferences from the central database to the PDA via the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating the user-selected preferences by connecting to the central database via a remote computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the updating step comprises:

determining whether the user has a valid password;

updating the user-selected preferences if the password is valid, and

storing the updated user-selected in the central database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the updating step occurs using the PDA at the event.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing a product order using the PDA at the event; and

delivering the ordered product to a selected location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of placing a product order comprises:

determining whether the PDA is authorized to make charges to an associated credit card during the event;

determining the type of product to be ordered;

obtaining a delivery address for the user;

confirming the order and charge to the associated credit card;

transmitting the order to a vendor;

charging the credit card; and

delivering the product to the delivery address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the delivery address is a particular seat location at the event.

14. The method of claims 12, wherein the delivery address is the user'"'"'s home address.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user wants to complete a survey using the PDA;

displaying survey questions on a display of the PDA;

completing the survey using the PDA; and

uploading survey results from the PDA to a central computer via the wireless network.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

checking for the receipt of the survey results from the PDA at the central computer;

applying a credit to a credit card associated with the PDA upon receipt of the survey results; and

prompting the user to resend the survey results if the receipt of the survey results are not received within a predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selling advertisements on the PDA device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the advertisements are located on at least one of a housing of the PDA device, a lanyard coupled to the PDA device, and a display screen of the PDA device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the PDA device includes an initial display screen and a plurality of subsequent display screens, the method further comprising the step of selling advertisements on the initial display screen and on at least one of the plurality of subsequent display screens.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering information from a public address system to the PDA via the wireless network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the public address information is an audio signal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the public address information is a captioned transcript of a public address broadcast.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the public address information originates at a location remote from a facility hosting the event.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which of the rented PDA devices were not received during the collecting step; and

charging an associated credit card for any unreturned PDAs.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a limited range wireless network includes providing a plurality of wireless data access points at various locations within a facility hosting the event, the access points configured to transmit and receive data to and from the PDA devices and to and from adjacent access points.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmitted over the wireless network is received from a plurality of third party content providers via a communication network coupled to the wireless network.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmitted over the wireless network is generated at the event.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading step occurs before the renting step.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading step occurs after the renting step.