SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF ACTING ON CONTAINERS

• US 20160018803A1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medea Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medea Inc.
• Inventors: Goldburt, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/14 of tags , labels, cards, coupons, decorations or the like B65D23/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A computing device identifies a plurality of containers that are collocated at a facility via a network. Each container of the plurality of containers comprises an electronic device integrated into the container without interfering with a content of the container, the electronic device comprising a receiver, a display and speakers. The computing device transmits messages comprising activation signals to electronic devices of the plurality of containers that are collocated at the facility. The messages cause the electronic devices of the plurality of containers to activate, display images using the display and output audio via the speakers together as a group.

Claims

1. A system, comprising

a plurality of containers collocated at a facility, each container of the plurality of containers comprising an electronic device integrated into the container without interfering with a content of the container, the electronic device comprising a receiver, a display and speakers;

and

a computing device communicatively connected to electronic devices of the plurality of containers via a network, wherein the computing device is to;

identify that the plurality of containers are collocated at the facility; and

transmit activation signals to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers that are collocated at the facility;

wherein the electronic devices of the plurality of containers are to perform the following operations together as a group responsive to receipt of the activation signals;

activate;

display images using the display; and

output audio via the speakers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device further comprises a GPS receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a public internet, the system further comprising:

a communication hub communicatively connected to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers, wherein the communication hub is located at the facility and connected to the computing device via the public internet, the communication hub to receive the activation signals from the computing device and transmit the activation signals to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said facility is at least one of a storage facility, a restaurant facility or a retail facility.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said display is to display at least one of an electronic text message in a form of a running strip or moving images.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said display is to display at least one of video images or movies, and said speakers are to output at least one of music or speech.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises an illumination module to illuminate contents of the container, and wherein the electronic devices of the plurality of containers are to illuminate contents of the plurality of containers together as a group responsive to receipt of the activation signals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further to transmit the video and the audio to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers via the network.

9. A method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device and via a network, a plurality of containers that are collocated at a facility, each container of the plurality of containers comprising an electronic device integrated into the container without interfering with a content of the container, the electronic device comprising a receiver, a display and speakers; and

transmitting, by the computing device, messages comprising activation signals to electronic devices of the plurality of containers that are collocated at the facility, wherein the messages cause the electronic devices of the plurality of containers to activate, display images using the display and output audio via the speakers together as a group.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said electronic device further comprises a GPS receiver.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the messages to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers comprises:

transmitting the messages to a communication hub located at the facility and communicatively connected to the electronic devices; and

causing the communication hub to transmit the messages to the electronic devices of the plurality of containers.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said facility is at least one of a storage facility, a restaurant facility or a retail facility.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the images comprises at least one of displaying an electronic text message in a form of a running strip or displaying a moving image.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said messages comprise at least one of images, movies, videos, music or speech.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the messages further cause illumination modules of the electronic devices to illuminate contents of the plurality of containers together as a group.