Directional information delivery system and method

• US 7,555,292 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhou, Tao, Yang, Yudong, Ye, Hang Jun, Xie, Wei Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US11/410,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20060258288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.3, 455/424, 455/425, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information

Abstract

A directional information delivery method and system, wherein a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter is attached on each object for transmitting channel identification that indicates the transferring channel of the information of the exhibited item attached with the wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter to a specified area in wide angle, while each portable client device is provided with a directional electromagnetic wave receiver. When a user points the client device he/she to an object, it can receive the electromagnetic wave from that exhibited item. Then, the client device obtains a channel identification from that electromagnetic wave, and establishes a connection with an information delivery sub-system based on the obtained channel identification to obtain information about that exhibited item from the channel and to render that information. In this way, a user can select simply by pointing at the exhibited item with the client device, thereby accurately obtaining the information about the exhibited item of interest.

Claims

1. A directional information delivery system, comprising:

a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic waves from an object to a specified area in wide angle, the electromagnetic wave carrying thereon a channel identification for identifying a channel for transferring information regarding said object;

an information delivery sub-system for wireless transfer of information regarding at least one object via at least one channel; and

a portable client device, comprising;

a directional electromagnetic wave receiver for receiving electromagnetic wave from a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter in a specified direction and for obtaining a channel identification from the electromagnetic wave; and

information reception means for establishing a connection with the information delivery sub-system based on the channel identification obtained by the directional electromagnetic wave receiver and for obtaining information from the channel indicated by the channel identification.

2. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter means is an all-directional electromagnetic wave transmitter.

3. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter is a wide-angle infrared transmitter, and said directional electromagnetic wave receiver is a directional infrared receiver.

4. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter is a wide-angle visible light transmitter, and said directional electromagnetic wave receiver is a directional visible light receiver.

5. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said channel identification comprises a frequency for identifying a FM channel, said information delivery sub-system comprises a FM radio for transferring information of respective objects via a plurality of respective FM channels, and said information reception means comprises a FM radio receiver.

6. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said channel identification comprises a Uniform Resource Locator for identifying a Web page, said information delivery sub-system comprises a Web server, wherein respective Web pages are utilized to store the information of respective objects, and said information reception means comprises a Web browser.

7. The directional information delivery system according to claim 6, wherein said portable client device further comprises a reception mode selection means for activating a corresponding information reception means based on at least one of a property of said information reception means and user selection.

8. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said portable client device works in a view-and-select manner.

9. The directional information delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said directional electromagnetic wave receiver works in a view-and-select manner.

10. A directional information delivery system, comprising:

a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic waves from an object to a specified area in wide angle, the electromagnetic wave carrying thereon a channel identification for identifying a channel for transferring information regarding said object;

an information delivery sub-system for wireless transfer of information regarding at least one object via at least one channel; and

a portable client device, comprising;

a directional electromagnetic wave receiver for receiving electromagnetic wave from a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter in a specified direction comprising an optical part for allowing electromagnetic wave coming from a specified direction to pass;

an electromagnetic wave detector for receiving the electromagnetic wave passing through the optical part; and

a decoder for decoding the electromagnetic wave signal received by the electromagnetic wave detector to obtain a channel identification carried by the electromagnetic wave signal; and

information reception means for establishing a connection with the information delivery sub-system based on the channel identification obtained by the directional electromagnetic wave receiver and for obtaining information from the channel indicated by the channel identification.

11. A directional information delivery method, comprising the steps of:

transmitting electromagnetic wave from an object to a specified area by a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter, the electromagnetic wave carrying thereon a channel identification for identifying a channel, wherein the channel identification indicates the channel for transferring the information of the object attached with the wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter; and

receiving electromagnetic waves coming from a wide-angle electromagnetic wave transmitter in a specified direction by a portable client device comprising an optical part for allowing electromagnetic wave coming from a specified direction to pass;

an electromagnetic wave detector for receiving the electromagnetic wave passing through the optical part; and

a decoder for decoding the electromagnetic wave signal received by the electromagnetic wave detector to obtain a channel identification from the electromagnetic wave, establishing a connection with an information delivery sub-system based on the channel identification obtained, and obtaining information from the channel indicated by said channel identification.

12. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said transmitting in wide angle is transmitting in all direction.

13. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said electromagnetic wave is infrared.

14. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said electromagnetic wave is visible light.

15. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said channel identification comprises a frequency for identifying an FM channel.

16. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said channel identification comprises a Uniform Resource Locator for identifying a Web page.

17. The directional information delivery method according to claim 16, further comprising a reception mode selecting step for establishing a connection with an information delivery sub-system in a corresponding manner based on at least one of a property of said portable client device and user selection, and obtaining information from the channel indicated by said channel identification and rendering that information.

18. The directional information delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said portable client device works in a view-and-select manner.