Wireless multimedia display device

• US 20040012620A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IPOC Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: IPOC Technologies AG
• Inventors: Buhler, Rene, Huber, Rudolf
• Application Number:
  US10/431,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

The underlying invention generally relates to the field of mobile computing, wireless communication, and interactive multimedia applications in mobile communication networks with high-speed access. Particularly, it refers to a customized multimedia information channel system presenting advertisement information (124a) and, if desired, other multimedia streams on a mobile communication and computing device (100) equipped with a Liquid Crystal Display (102) designed to meet modern business-to-business (B2B) requirements. In this connection, interactive operation is guaranteed by a digital wireless data and control link (108) between said mobile computing device (100) and a product (122) to be advertised.

In contrast to conventional solutions, said mobile computing device (100) comprises a User Control Board (101) with an Application Programming Interface (105c) providing an intercommunication between a software routine (105b), said User Control Board (101), the display (102) of said device (100), and an additional hard-disk drive (111) for storing content data (124a) to be rendered on the display (102) of said device (100). Thereby, said User Control Board (101) is capable of communicating with a specific file server (118) over a bi-directional air interface (108) and a Wireless Local Area Network (120) by transmitting user requests (123) and receiving content information (124a), receiving control information (124b) from a remote control device (116), and transmitting status information (124c) to the remote control device (116). Furthermore, said device (100) is capable of receiving identification information (126) about the product (122) from a tag device (114) attached to said product (122).

Claims

1. A multimedia display device, comprising

a screen for displaying content information,

a control means for controlling the screen,

means for enabling a user to input information, and

a bi-directional air interface for wirelessly transmitting data from/to the control means, wherein the control means is adapted

to receive both content information and remote control information over the air interface, the remote control information designating setting parameter for the display of content information on the screen,

to locally store content information received over the air interface in a permanent storage device in the multimedia display device for later display on the screen, and

to transmit both information representing the current status of the multimedia display device as well as user input information over the air interface.

5. A multimedia display device according to anyone of claims 1 or 2, furthermore comprising

a main processor for controlling hardware elements of the multimedia display device, and

a co-processor for controlling the bi-directional air interface and the multimedia display device depending on setting parameters designated by remote control information received.

6. A multimedia display device according to anyone of claims 1 or 2, wherein the bi-directional air interface is an IR interface.

2. A multimedia display device, comprising

a screen and speaker means for displaying and rendering visible and/or audible content information and remote control information, respectively,

a control means for controlling the screen and said speaker means,

a bi-directional air interface for wirelessly transmitting data from/to the control means, and

a local storage means for the later display of content information received over the air interface, and

detecting means for wirelessly detecting the presence of a tag device in the neighborhood of the multimedia display device, wherein the control means dynamically control the display of the content information depending on the detection of a tag device.

3. A multimedia display device according to claim 2, wherein the detecting means is an RF receiver with a tag antenna and the detected tag device is a transponder comprising a wireless smart card.

4. A multimedia display device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the content information displayed depends on identification data of a detected tag device.

7. Display terminal for advertisement information, comprising

a local storage device for said advertisement information,

a database associating identification data of wireless smart cards with predefined advertisement information,

an RF receiver for detecting the presence of a wireless smart card in the neighborhood of the display terminal, and

a controller for dynamically displaying the locally stored advertisement information associated with the identification data of the wireless smart card detected.

8. A method for the display of visual information on a display device, the method comprising the following steps:

downloading content information to be displayed to a storage device of the display device over an air interface,

wirelessly detecting the presence of a tag device in the neighborhood of the display device, and

dynamically controlling parameters for the display of content information according to the result of the detection step.

9. A method according to claim 8, furthermore comprising the step of dynamically controlling content information displayed depending on identification data of the detected tag device.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein different content information is stored in the display device and the content information displayed is selected according to the identification data received from the tag device.

11. A method according to claim 8, associating specified content information to be displayed with identification data of a tag device, and

downloading new content information in case the content information associated with a detected tag device is not available in the storage device of the display device.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the content information is downloaded from a server by means of a Wireless Local Area Network.

16. A computer software program product, implementing a method according to claim 8 when running on a computing device.

13. A method for the display of advertisement information, comprising the following steps:

attaching a wireless smart card bearing an identification data to an item with which advertisement information is to be associated,

detecting the presence of the wireless smart card in the neighborhood of an information display terminal, the information display terminal comprising a local storage device for advertisement information to be displayed, and

dynamically adapting the content information displayed at the information display terminal to new advertisement information associated by the identification data of the wireless smart card detected.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the display terminal is fixed and the item with the attached smart card is carried to the display terminal.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the display terminal is a mobile terminal to be carried to the fixed item with the attached smart card.

17. A portable tag device attachable to an item in a close environment of a handheld multimedia display device, comprising

a wireless smart card bearing an identification information about said item, and

an antenna for transmitting modulated RF signals over the air interface,

which serves as a passive transponder for wirelessly transmitting modulated RF signals representing said identification information to the multimedia display device and/or display terminal over the air interface.

18. A method for operating a tag device according to claim 17, comprising the steps of

loading identification information about said item from a local storage device on the wireless smart card, and

continuously transmitting modulated RF signals representing said identification information to the multimedia display device and/or display terminal over the air interface when activated.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the RF signal representing said identification information is directly transmitted from the tag device to the multimedia display device and/or display terminal over the air interface.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the RF signal representing said identification information is transmitted from the tag device to the multimedia display device and/or display terminal over the air interface with the aid of a Wireless Local Area Network.

21. Wireless RF receiver mounted on the user control board of the multimedia display device and/or display terminal for detecting the presence of a tag device in the neighborhood of said RF receiver.