System and method of media content distribution employing portable media content distribution device

• US 20040203663A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Applebaum, Ted H., Boman, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A media content distribution system includes a portable device operable to store media content, wirelessly receive input signals, select a portion of the media content based on the input signals, and communicate the selected portion to a user. The system further includes a signaling mechanism disposed at a location and producing an input signal in a range respective to the location. The input signal is selected to ensure that the selected portion of media content includes information relating to the location when the portable device is disposed within the range.

Claims

1. A portable media content distribution device, comprising:

a data store storing media content, wherein a first portion of the media content contains information about a subject relating to a point of interest and authored with respect to a first audience, and a second portion of the media content contains information about the subject relating to the point of interest and authored with respect to a second audience;

a user profile indicator indicating whether a user is a member of the first audience or the second audience;

a wireless input receptive of an input signal substantially originating at the point of interest; and

an output adapted to communicate a selected portion of media content stored in said data store to the user in response to receipt of the input signals and based on the user profile indicator.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said user profile indicator corresponds to a data object securely stored in said data store, thereby preventing the user from manipulating the user profile indicator during operation of the device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the data object is subject to being rewritten by a device programmer during a program mode of the device, and a mode switching procedure has a security measure allowing the device programmer to manipulate the user profile indicator, and preventing the user from manipulating the user profile indicator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said user profile indicator corresponds to a selection mechanism responsive to manipulation by the user, thereby allowing the user to manipulate the user profile indicator during an operation mode of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the media content and the second portion of the media content contain information about a first subject, a third portion of the media content contains information about a second subject relating to a second point of interest and authored with respect to the first audience, a fourth portion of the media content contains information about the second subject relating to the second point of interest and authored with respect to the second audience, and said output is operable to select between the first subject and the second subject based on the received input signal, and operable to select between the first audience and the second audience based on said user profile indicator.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said output includes a processor having an operation mode and a program mode, wherein the processor is adapted to communicate a selected portion of media content stored in said data store to the user in response to receipt of the input signal and based on the user profile indicator during the operation mode, and the processor is adapted to store received portions of media content in said data store during the program mode.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said wireless input is receptive of a first input signal and a second input signal, said output is adapted to identify multiple portions of media content based on said first input signal and said second input signal, said output is adapted to communicate availability of multiple portions of media content to the user, and said output is adapted to select one of the multiple portions of media content based on a user response.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said signaling mechanism corresponds to a first signaling mechanism disposed at a first location and producing a first input signal in a first range respective to the first location, wherein the first input signal is selected to ensure that a first selected portion of media content includes information relating to the first location when the portable device is disposed within the first range, the system further comprising a second signaling mechanism disposed at a second location and producing a second input signal in a second range respective to the second location, wherein the second input signal is selected to ensure that a second selected portion of media content includes information relating to the second location when the portable device is disposed within the second range.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first range and the second range do not overlap, thereby ensuring that the portable device does not communicate the first selected portion of media content to the user when the portable device is disposed within the second range, and does not communicate the second portion of media content to the user when the portable device is disposed within the first range.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first range and the second range overlap, the portable device is operable to communicate availability of multiple portions of media content to the user when the portable device is simultaneously disposed within the first range and the second range, and to select one of the multiple portions of media content based on a user response.

8. A media content distribution system, comprising:

a portable device operable to store media content, wirelessly receive input signals, select a portion of the media content based on the input signals, and communicate the selected portion to a user;

a wireless signaling mechanism disposed at a location and producing an input signal in a range respective to the location, wherein the input signal is selected to ensure that the selected portion of media content includes information relating to the location when the portable device is disposed within the range.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said portable device is operable to store a first portion of media content relevant to the location at a first time, and operable to store a second portion of media content relevant to the location at a second time, and said signaling mechanism is adapted to produce a first signal at the first time and a second signal at the second time, thereby ensuring that the selected portion of media content includes information relating to the location at a particular point in time when the portable device is disposed within the range.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a programming station responsive to manipulation by a device programmer and operable to communicate media content to said portable device, thereby storing the media content in the portable device for distribution to the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said portable device is operable to store a user profile and select the portion of the media content based on the user profile, and said programming station is operable to communicate a user profile to said portable device, thereby securely storing the user profile in said portable device and preventing the user from manipulating the user profile during operation of the device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein said portable device has a user profile indicator indicating whether a user is a member of the first audience or the second audience, and is operable to select the portion of media content based on the user profile indicator.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein said portable device has a time indicator indicating a current time, and is operable to select the portion of media content based on the time indicator.

17. A method of operation for a portable media content distribution device, comprising:

receiving an input signal substantially originating at a point of interest;

selecting a portion of media content stored in memory based on the input signal and based on a user profile indicating whether a user belongs to a first audience or a second audience, wherein the portion of media content contains information relating to the point of interest; and

communicating the portion of the media content to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising receiving and storing the media content.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

receiving and storing a first portion of the media content containing information about a subject relating to the point of interest and authored with respect to a first audience; and

receiving and storing a second portion of the media content containing information about the subject relating to the point of interest and authored with respect to a second audience.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising differentiating between the first portion of media content and the second portion of media content based on the user profile.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising:

receiving and storing a first portion of the media content containing information about a first subject relating to a first point of interest; and

receiving and storing a first portion of the media content containing information about a second subject relating to a second point of interest.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising differentiating between the first portion of media content and the second portion of media content based on the input signal.

23. The method of claim 17, comprising receiving and storing the user profile.

24. The method of claim 18, comprising:

determining a current time; and

selecting the portion of the media content based on the current time.

25. A media content distribution method, comprising:

storing media content in portable devices operable to select portions of the media content based on wirelessly received input signals, and to communicate the selected portions to users;

distributing the portable devices to users; and

disposing a signaling mechanism at a location, wherein the signaling mechanism is operable to wirelessly produce an input signal in a range respective to the location, and the input signal is selected to ensure that the selected portions of media content include information relating to the location when the portable devices are disposed within the range.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said disposing a signaling mechanism at a location corresponds to disposing a first signaling mechanism at a first location, wherein the first signaling mechanism is operable to produce a first input signal in a first range respective to the first location, and the first input signal is selected to ensure that the selected portions of media content include information relating to the first location when the portable devices are disposed within the first range, the system further comprising disposing a second signaling mechanism at a second location, wherein the second signaling mechanism is operable to produce a second input signal in a second range respective to the second location, and the second input signal is selected to ensure that the selected portions of media content include information relating to the second location when the portable devices are disposed within the second range.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising selecting the first range and the second range to ensure that the first range and the second range do not overlap, thereby ensuring that the portable devices do not communicate information relating to the first location to the user when the portable devices are disposed within the second range, and do not communicate information relating to the second location to the user when the portable devices are disposed within the first range.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

communicating availability of multiple portions of media content relating to the first location and the second location to users when the portable devices are simultaneously disposed within the first range and the second range;

receiving user responses; and

selecting from among the multiple portions of media content based on the user responses.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said storing media content in portable devices includes storing a first portion of media content relevant to the location at a first time, and storing a second portion of media content relevant to the location at a second time, and wherein said disposing the signaling mechanism at the location includes adapting the signaling mechanism to produce a first signal at the first time and a second signal at the second time, thereby ensuring that the selected portions of media content includes information relating to the location at a particular point in time when the portable devices are disposed within the range.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

securely storing user profiles in the portable devices, thereby preventing users from manipulating the user profiles during operation of the portable devices; and

selecting the portions of the media content based on the user profiles.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing selection mechanisms to the portable devices;

using said selection mechanisms to provide user profiles indicating whether users are members of a first audience or a second audience, thereby rendering the user profiles responsive to user manipulation; and

selecting the portions of media content based on the user profiles.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing time keeping mechanisms operable to report a current time to the portable devices; and

selecting the portions of media content based on the current time.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein said distributing the portable devices to users includes renting the portable devices to users at an entry point to an attraction.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein said distributing the portable devices to users includes:

distributing the portable devices free of charge at a second location;

informing the users of the location; and

educating the users in purpose and use of the portable devices.