Multimedia computer equipment for automatic transmission of multimedia entertainment programs

• US 6,154,689 A
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integral Media S.A.
• Original Assignee: Integral Media S.A.
• Inventors: Piot, Francis, Gaudard, Nicolas, Pereira, Eddy
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/101,127
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/1, 701/211, 701/213, 340/993, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

This invention relates to multimedia computer equipment for automatic transmission of multimedia entertainment programmes, for example travel information for trips in motor vehicles. The equipment (1) comprises a fixed computer terminal installed, for example, in a travel agency (11), an on-board computer terminal (50) installed in the motor vehicle (51), facilities for transmission (100) of parameters relating to a trip, facilities for storage (150) of the multimedia programmes for transmission and facilities for locating (200) the vehicle using the global positioning system known as GPS receivers (201) incorporated in the vehicle. The locating facilities (200) are set up to communicate with the on-board computer terminal (50) in such a way as to transmit appropriate multimedia programmes contained in the storage facilities (150) as a function of the parameters of the trip, the vehicle'"'"'s geographical location and/or the hour and/or date. Applications: All applications in which specific multimedia programmes can usefully be transmitted as a function of a given situation: for example, travel, sports, leisure activities, visits to industrial or public installations.

Claims

1. An information technology equipment (1) of a multimedia type for the automatic distribution of multimedia animated sequences depending on at least one of a geographical position, a defined time and a specified date carried on-board a vehicle (51), for the distribution of tourist multimedia animated sequences in the framework of an excursion on-board the vehicle, the equipment including at least one on-board IT station (50) installed in the vehicle, the on-board IT station (50) incorporating at least one resource for storing the multimedia animated sequences (150), at least one unit for management of the multimedia animated sequences (64), at least one distribution unit (55) for said multimedia animated sequences, at least one resource for automatic location (200) of the vehicle (51), these resources incorporating a GPS type receiver (201) on-board the vehicle (51) equipped continuously to supply geographical data concerning a position of the vehicle and at least one time detection resource incorporating a clock equipped to supply time data in a continuous fashion, and such geographical data and time data being formatted for communication with the management unit (64) so as to distribute the appropriate multimedia animated sequences depending on the geographical position of the vehicle (51) and the time and the date, the animated sequences distribution unit (55) being linked to at least one television screen (56) and at least one loudspeaker (57) installed in the said vehicle (51), wherein the on-board station (50) incorporates resources to store journey parameters (101) distinct from the resources for storage of the multimedia animated sequences and which contains information on the programmed journey itinerary and on interests and types of passengers anticipated, these storage units for the journey parameters are prepared in a static IT station, and the on-board station also incorporating a journey parameter management unit (61) which communicates with the multimedia-animated sequences management unit (64) so as to send the animated sequences to the unit distributing the sequences (55) depending, in additions on the journey parameters.

2. The equipment as in claim 1, wherein the on-board station incorporates a memory (60) in which the database, the animated sequences and journey parameters are loaded from the corresponding storage devices (150, 101).

3. The equipment as in claim 1, wherein the equipment incorporates a static IT station (10) incorporating at least resources for storing the multimedia animated sequences (150), at least one unit for selection of the multimedia animated sequences (16) and at least one parametering unit (18) for the journey and incorporating transmission resources (100) to send the data to the on-board IT station (50).

4. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the static (10) and on-board (50) IT stations include a computer (12, 52) of the multimedia type equipped with an optical reader (14, 54) and storage resources for the multimedia animated sequences (150) includes at least one CD ROM (151) containing at least one multimedia data base corresponding to the animated sequences to be distributed.

5. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the unit for selection of the multimedia animated sequences (16) is equipped to select the animated sequences to be distributed from the storage resources for the multimedia animated sequences (150) depending on the journey itinerary selected and one of the audience and a specific topic.

6. The equipment as in claim 5, wherein the parametering unit (18) of the journey is equipped to define the journey parameters, the parameters incorporating at least one itinerary linked to the multimedia animated sequences selected from the selection unit (16) and the item data.

7. The equipment as in claim 6, wherein the static IT station (10) incorporates a customized message creation unit (20), and the fact that the customized messages are linked to a parametering unit (18) and are transmitted to the on-board IT station (50) using the said transmission resources (100) and the on-board IT station (50) incorporates a customized passages management unit (65).

8. The equipment as in claim 7, wherein the customized messages management unit (65) is equipped to send the customized messages to the animated sequence distribution unit depending on at least one of the geographical and time data and depending on the journey parameters.

9. The equipment as in claim 7, wherein the static IT station (10) includes libraries (17, 19, 23) equipped to store respectively, itineraries created by the animated sequences selection unit (16), journeys created by the parametering unit (18) and the customized messages created by the message creation unit (20).

10. The equipment as in claim 7, wherein the animated sequences management unit (64) and the customized messages management unit (65) are equipped to find at least one of the animated sequences and the messages to be distributed depending on an order of priority defined by the journey parameters.

11. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the static IT station (10) includes at least one journey test unit (24) equipped to display the selected journey parameters and the corresponding animated sequences.

12. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the transmission resources (100) incorporate a diskette ((101) and that the fixed (10) and on-board (50) IT stations incorporate a disk drive (13, 53).

13. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the transmission resources (100) incorporate a radio transmitter and that the on-board IT station (50) incorporates a radio receiver.

14. The equipment as in claim 3, wherein the transmission resources (100) incorporate a telephone modem and in that the on-board IT station (50) incorporates an equivalent modem.

15. The equipment as in claim 1, wherein the animated sequences management unit (64) is equipped to send waiting animated sequences, if the geographical data supplied by the GPS type receiver (201) does not change during a pre-defined period specified in the journey parameters.