Multichannel audio distribution system having portable receivers

• US 6,300,880 B1
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pendragon Wireless LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Sitnik, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/587,191
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 340/825.49, 846/09, 381/80, 381/81, 359/136, 369/24, 369/30, 369/32-34, 370/487, 375/200, 455/2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/161.2, 345/167, 235/375, 235/462, 235/383, 235/472.02, 235/462.46, 348/7, 380/10, 380/20, 465/45, 379/101.01
• US Class Current: 340/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A multichannel switched communication system having a plurality of communication channels, with a plurality of information records stored in a database relating to a plurality of identified objects; a database server system for selectively accessing information records based on a selection criteria; a common input, receiving the selection criteria associated with an identification of a receiver, the selection criteria including object identification information; and a multichannel distribution system capable of simultaneously transmitting a plurality of information records, for transmitting the selectively accessed information record to the identified receiver. A plurality of mobile receivers each receives a desired broadcast on one of a plurality of channels. A bar code scanner associated with a mobile receiver identifies desired information record for retrieval. An infrared or radio frequency communication system may be provided for transmitting control data from the mobile receiver.

Claims

1. A retail store, comprising:

a room in a building, the room containing a plurality of objects each object containing a recording medium, each recording medium storing a first copy of at least one prerecorded music composition, and each object being identified by a unique object identification code;

a plurality of portable terminals, adapted to being carried in the room by respective consumers from object to object, each portable terminal including;

means for automatically identifying by the object'"'"'s identification code an object specified by the consumer who is operating the portable terminal;

means for transmitting the object'"'"'s identification code on a first wireless channel;

means for receiving a selected portion of a second copy of the at least one prerecorded music composition on a second wireless channel; and

means to present the received selected portion to the consumer carrying the portable terminal; and

a central terminal, including;

means for receiving the identification codes from the plurality of portable terminals through the first wireless channel;

means to identify which portable terminal transmits each identification code;

storage means for storing a plurality of selected portions, each selected portion being a selected portion of a second copy one of the prerecorded music compositions;

means for retrieving the selected portion from the storage means;

means for transmitting the selected portion to the identified portable terminal through the second wireless channel.

2. The retail store of the claim 1, wherein each portable terminal of the plurality of portable terminals is adapted to have no useful operation outside of and remote from the building.

3. The retail store of the claim 1, wherein each portable terminal of the plurality of portable terminals further comprises an electronic antitheft responder being adapted to help prevent a customer from removing the terminal from the building.

4. The retail store of the claim 3, wherein the antitheft responder is electrically connected to the means for receiving a selected portion of a second copy of the at least one prerecorded music composition.

5. The retail store of the claim 4, wherein each portable terminal of the plurality of portable terminals further includes a microprocessor operatively coupled to the antitheft responder and to a digital tuner, wherein the digital tuner is a portion of the means for receiving a selected portion of a second copy of the at least one prerecorded music composition.

6. The retail store of the claim 5, wherein each selected portion is selected according to a selection criteria, the selection criteria being dependent upon the personal characteristics of the customer operating a terminal.

7. The retail store of the claim 6, wherein the central terminal further includes means for storing a database of user characteristic information including the personal characteristics and means for accessing user characteristic information.

8. The retail store of the claim 7 in which:

the object'"'"'s identification code is on the surface of the object;

the object'"'"'s identification code is a bar code; and

the automatic reading means is a bar code reader with an LED and photodetector;

the first wireless channel is an infrared channel using the same LED as the bar code reader;

the second wireless channel is a radio frequency broadcast channel;

the second wireless channel for each respective portable terminal is a different respective FDMA or TDMA sub-channel;

the information includes audio information and the presentation means of the portable terminals include headphones;

the displayed goods include audio recordings, and the information related to the goods includes selections of the audio recordings;

the central terminal being capable of transmitting different respective audio information in real time to multiple terminals in the same room;

the customer using a portable terminal is identified and the information transmitted to the portable terminal depends on the customer identification.

9. The retail store of the claim 7, wherein the selected portion depends upon the user characteristic information, and the user characteristic information includes at least one of information relating to a past use of the building by the customer and demographic information about the customer.

10. The retail store of the claim 9, wherein the selected portion is limited to a portion of a song, unless personal characteristics of the user warrant a larger selected portion.

11. The retail store of the claim 10, wherein the portion of a song is the first 45 seconds of the song.

12. The retail store of the claim 11, further comprising an egress alarm adapted to help prevent removal of the terminals through a portal of the building.

13. The retail store of the claim 11, wherein each of the terminals includes a simple receiver and an audio transducer and is disposable.

14. The retail store of the claim 11, wherein each of the terminals is adapted to be given free of charge to a customer.

15. The retail store of the claim 11, wherein each of the terminals is adapted to be loaned to a customer for use by a customer free of charge while the customer remains within the building.