Floor display system with interactive features

• US 20040001002A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collin Peel
• Original Assignee: Intellimats LLC (Intellimat, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Duston, Dwight P., Kokonaski, William, Thibodeau, Joseph A., Walker, J. Thomas, Blum, Bradley J., Whalen, Barry H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,982,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 23/22 Devices or implements resting on the floor for removing mud, dirt, or dust from footwear built-in gratings, e.g. foot-scrapers, E04F19/10
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 23/266 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19617 Surveillance camera constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/20 with colour-mixing effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/228 Ground signs, i.e. display signs fixed on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a floor display system with interactive features. The floor display system may be arranged in a public place, and be configured to display electronically modifiable arbitrary content, such as advertising or other informational content. The floor display system may be configured to detect an indication of the presence or activity of a person in the vicinity, and upon detecting the indication, perform a corresponding action in response, such as generating a predetermined display or audio output.

Claims

1. A floor display system, comprising:

a floor covering; and

an electronic display device associated with the floor covering;

wherein the electronic display device is configurable to display electronically modifiable arbitrary content.

2. The floor display system of claim 1, further comprising an audio device configurable to output electronically modifiable arbitrary audio content.

3. The floor display system of claim 1, further comprising a detection mechanism configured to detect an indication associated with a presence or activity of a person, and to cause the floor display system to perform a corresponding action in response.

4. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a sound-sensing device.

5. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a motion-detection device.

6. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the action is generating a predetermined display.

7. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the action is generating a predetermined audio output.

8. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a contact-less input device configured to receive identity information from an identity device.

9. The floor display system of claim 8, wherein the floor display system is configured to generate a customized display relating to a specific person corresponding to the identity information.

10. The floor display system of claim 8, wherein the contact-less input device is configured to receive information from a trip ticket corresponding to at least one item within a commercial establishment.

11. The floor display system of claim 10, wherein the floor display system is configured to display a location of the at least one item within the commercial establishment.

12. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a mobile-phone-detection device.

13. The floor display system of claim 3, wherein the detection mechanism comprises a security device for detecting items within a commercial establishment to be protected from theft.

14. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the floor covering and electronic display device are configured to be repeatedly traversed by foot and wheeled traffic.

15. The floor display system of claim 14, wherein the floor covering includes at least one inclined surface to facilitate traversal of the floor covering by the foot and wheeled traffic.

16. The floor display system of claim 14, wherein the floor covering includes inclined surfaces around its entire perimeter, to facilitate traversal of the floor covering by the foot and wheeled traffic.

17. The floor display system of claim 14, wherein the floor covering is formed as a two-part structure joinable along edges thereof to form a composite structure having inclined surfaces around its entire perimeter, to facilitate traversal of the composite structure by the foot and wheeled traffic.

18. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the electronic display device forms a dynamic portion of a display that is combined with a static portion of the display.

19. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the floor display system is included in a network.

20. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the electronic display device includes at least one of light-emitting diodes, organic light-emitting diodes, an electroluminescent display, a plasma display, a field emission display, a ferroelectric display, a fiber optic display, and a holographic display.

21. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the floor display system is powered by mechanical energy derived from traffic traversing the floor covering.

22. The floor display system of claim 19, wherein the floor display system is wirelessly coupled to the network.

23. The floor display system of claim 22, wherein the wireless coupling uses an ultra-wide-band mode of transmission.

24. The floor display of claim 1, wherein the electronic display device is capable of displaying at least alphanumeric data and graphic images, either separately or in combination, and either static or moving, or both static and moving.

25. The floor display of claim 4, wherein the sound-sensing device includes an omni-directional microphone.

26. The floor display of claim 4, wherein the sound-sensing device includes a directional microphone.

27. The floor display of claim 5, wherein the motion-detection device uses active motion detection.

28. The floor display of claim 5, wherein the motion-detection device uses passive motion detection.

29. The floor display of claim 27, wherein the active motion detection includes using a device that radiates energy in combination with a device that detects the radiated energy.

30. The floor display system of claim 28, wherein the passive motion detection includes detecting infrared energy.

31. The floor display system of claim 8, wherein the identity device is a smart card.

32. The floor display system of claim 1, wherein the floor display system is coupled to an identification system including a reading device configured to obtain identity information from an identity device by physical application of the identity device to the reading device, and wherein the floor display system is configured to generate a customized display relating to a specific person corresponding to the identity information.

33. The floor display system of claim 32, wherein the identity device is a smart card.

34. The floor display system of claim 12, wherein the mobile-phone-detection device includes a near-field RF detector.

35. The floor display system of claim 13, wherein the security device comprises an antenna configured to detect an item tagged with a recognition device.

36. The floor display system of claim 1, further comprising a data input/output device configured to receive specific user input and generate a corresponding output.

37. The floor display system of claim 36, wherein the data input/output device includes a speech recognition device.

38. The floor display system of claim 36, wherein the data input/output device includes a keyboard.

39. The floor display system of claim 36, wherein the data input/output device includes a printer.

40. The floor display system of claim 36, wherein the corresponding output is a location of an item entered by a user.

41. The floor display system of claim 36, wherein the corresponding output is a coupon for an item entered by a user.

42. A floor display system, comprising:

a floor covering; and

an image projection device configured to project electronically modifiable arbitrary image content onto the floor covering from a distance.

43. The floor display system of claim 42, wherein the image projection device is movably attached to a guidance member to enable positioning of the image projection device in a desired location relative to the floor covering.

44. The floor display system of claim 42, wherein the image projection device is configured to be automatically aligned with the floor covering.

45. The floor display system of claim 42, wherein the floor covering has a white or silvered surface.

46. The floor display system of claim 42, wherein the image projection device is located in a recess in a floor, and the floor covering is arranged over the recess.

47. The floor display system of claim 46, wherein the floor covering comprises a transmissive medium.