Method and system for provisioning electronic field guides

• US 7,162,362 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Kevan, Sherrene Kevan
• Original Assignee: Peter Kevan, Sherrene Kevan
• Inventors: Kevan, Sherrene D., Pletsch, Dave, Kevan, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ DITREN, BELIX M
• Application Number:
  US10/092,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/103, 707/102, 707/500, 707/517, 707/523, 707/522, 707/526, 455/556, 455/566, 701/201, 701/209, 701/211
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The electronic field guide of the invention presents multiple data items to an end user, via the display of a stationary computer, and allows the user to select particular ones of the multiple data items that are available. Multimedia data files corresponding to the selected items are then downloaded onto a portable computing device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). Thus, the user will have access to a subset of the overall data on his portable PDA. This invention may be used, for example, to provide electronic field guides in such applications as bird watching, where the multimedia data files contain the images of birds, audio files containing their songs, and text data. The main data may be stored on a CDrom, be made available over the Internet, or be provided in some other manner.

Claims

1. A system for provisioning electronic field guides comprising:

a portable computing device having;

a visual display;

an end user input interface; and

a memory;

a stationary computer having;

a visual display;

an end user input interface; and

a memory;

means for interconnecting said stationary computer and said portable computing device;

said stationary computer being operable to;

present a map with defined geographic regions;

associate multiple data items with said defined geographic regions, wherein said multiple data items are selected from the group of plants, animals, insects, marine life, rocks, and minerals;

respond to the selection of one or more of said geographic regions by said end user,

by;

presenting said multiple data items available for said one or more geographic regions;

downloading multimedia data files corresponding to said multiple data items associated with said one or more geographic regions, to said portable computing device via said means for interconnecting; and

said portable computing device being operable to;

present a listing of said downloaded multiple data items; and

respond to the selection of one of said downloaded multiple data items by displaying or playing said corresponding multimedia data file on said portable computing device.

2. A method for provisioning electronic field guides comprising the steps of:

presenting a map with defined geographic regions to an end user;

associating multiple data items with said defined geographic regions, wherein said multiple data items are selected from the group consisting of plants, animals, insects, marine life, rocks, and minerals; and

responding to the selection of one or more of said multiple data items associated with one of said defined geographic regions by said user, by;

downloading multimedia data files corresponding to said one or more of said multiple data items, to a portable computing device;

whereby said portable computing device operable to play the multimedia data files on said portable computing device to the end user in the field.

3. The method of claim 2 in which said multimedia content includes images and text, whereby images are viewed on said portable computing device.

4. The method of claim 2 in which said multimedia content includes audio files, whereby sounds are reproduced on said portable computing device.

5. The method of claim 2 in which said stationary computer is a personal computer.

6. The method of claim 2 in which said stationary computer is an information kiosk providing said content in exchange for some form of payment.

7. The method of claim 2 in which said multimedia data files are stored on a CD-rom.

8. The method of claim 2 in which updates to said multimedia data files are accessed over an Internet network.

9. The method of claim 2 in which said multimedia data files are stored remotely from said stationary computer and are accessed over an Internet network.