Interactive window display

• US 7,978,184 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Morrison, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Application Number:
  US12/102,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345173-179, 178/18.01, 178 1803- 1811
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system for providing an enhanced and interactive window shopping and retail information exchange with shoppers, includes acoustic sensing in connection with one or more storefront windows of a retail store, and a corresponding transparent display located within the store and visible through the storefront window, the interior of the store being visible through the transparent display. Display of information on the transparent display, and in optional combination with audio information external to the store, prompts shoppers to tap the storefront window at locations which correspond to the locations of information displayed on the transparent display. The system and method is programmed to respond to taps on the window according to the locations of the taps with incentives to enter the store and/or to redeem awards or coupons in the store.

Claims

1. An interactive retail storefront display system comprising an acoustic tap tracking system in combination with a storefront window of a retail store, the acoustic tap tracking system configured to locate the position of a tap, knock or contact with the storefront window, a plurality of contact sensors or pickups attached to the storefront window whereby when tap contact is made with the glass of the storefront window acoustic energy propagates through the glass and is sensed by the sensors of the acoustic tap tracking system which is configured to determine a location of the tap contact on the storefront window by calculation of time for acoustic energy propagation through the glass to the closest relative contact sensor and by the differential time-of-arrival of acoustic energy at multiple contact sensor locations on the storefront window, the acoustic tap tracking system further comprising a microcontroller programmed to continuously sample acoustic signals from each contact sensor into a rotating buffer which is scanned for peak values in an absolute-value waveform produced by the transducers, to produce parameters which are sent to a digital signal processor programmed to estimate the tap contact location on the storefront window glass in Cartiesian coordinates, and every coordinate on the display corresponds to a coordinate on the storefront window;

a display located in the retail store on an interior side of the storefront window and spaced from and generally parallel with the storefront window, the display comprising a holograph in the form of a transparent refractive panel upon which images can be projected by a projector from a side of the display opposite to the storefront window and at an oblique angle and whereby images are displayed clearly toward and visible through the storefront window, the images being projected from the projector which is located at an oblique angle from and outside of boundaries of the display and the storefront window so that the display does not obstruct a view of the interior of the retail store through the storefront window.

2. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 further comprising audio means for providing audio information to a window shopper located in front of the storefront window both before and after tap contact with the storefront window, the audio information corresponding to images projected on to the display.

3. The interactive retail store front display system of claim 1 wherein the displayed images are comprised of a plurality of individual holographic optical elements irradiated alongside one another onto a holographic film which is part of the display, and wherein each holographic optical element has a unique angle of projection and a, unique angle sensitivity, the unique angles of projection and unique angles of sensitivity allowing ambient light to pass through the display without significant reflection or refraction through the display and without materially affecting the optical quality of the projection.

4. The, interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 wherein when the projector is off, the screen appears transparent and the, interior of the retail, store on a Side of the display opposite to a viewer is visible.

5. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 wherein the display is at least partially transparent through areas in which information is displayed on the display.

6. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 wherein when the projector is turned on, the screen appears transparent and the interior of the retail store on a side of the display opposite to a viewer is visible.

7. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 configured such that each coordinate on the display corresponds on the storefront window irrespective of relative spacing or alignment of the display with the storefront window.

8. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 wherein, each location on the display corresponds to a unique location on the storefront window by the acoustic tap tracking system.

9. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 3 wherein the peak values detected by the sensors include peak height, width, and mean arrival time.

10. The interactive retail storefront display system of claim 1 wherein the digital signal processor is programmed to process timing values for each peak value of a detected tap or contact by a second-order polynomial obtained from a linear least-squares fit to a set of calibration points to produce an estimate of the tap or contact location on the storefront window.

11. An interactive window shopping system configured for use with a retail store having a generally planar storefront window located in wall of the store, the storefront window having an exterior side and an interior side, an interior of the store being visible through the storefront window, the interactive window shopping system comprising:

a display located in the interior of the store and spaced from and generally parallel with the storefront window, the display comprising a holograph in the form of a transparent refractive panel upon which images can be projected from aside of the display opposite to the storefront window and at an oblique angle and whereby images are displayed clearly toward and visible through the storefront window,the images being projected from a projector which is located in the interior of the store and at an oblique angle from and outside of the boundaries of the display and the storefront window so that the display does not obstruct a view of the interior of the retail store through the storefront window;

an acoustic tap tracking system operatively connected to the storefront window and configured to locate the position of a tap, knock or contact with the storefront window and further comprising a plurality of contact sensor or pickups attached to the storefront window;

whereby when tap contact is made with the storefront window acoustic energy propagates through the storefront window and is sensed by the sensors of the acoustic tap tracking system which is configured to determine a location of the tap contact on the storefront window by calculation of time for acoustic energy propagation through the storefront window to the closest relative sensor and by the differential time-of-arrival of acoustic energy at multiple sensor locations on the storefront window, the acoustic tap tracking system further comprising a microcontroller programmed to continuously sample acoustic signals from each sensor into a rotating buffer which is scanned for peak values in an absolute-value waveform produced by the transducers, the peak values including peak height, width, and mean arrival time to produce parameters which are sent to a digital signal processor programmed to process timing values for each peak by a second-order polynomial obtained from a linear least-squares fit to a set of calibration points to produce an estimate of the tap contact location on the storefront window glass in Cartiesian coordinates, and every coordinate on the display corresponds to a coordinate on the storefront window;

audio means configured to send prompt signals proximate to the exterior of the store and proximate to the storefront window, the audio prompt signals prompting a shopper to tap or contact the storefront window;

first images displayed on the display which are visible through the store front window, the first images including images which prompt a shopper to tap or contact the storefront window, the first images further including multiple images at multiple locations on the display which correspond with multiple locations on the storefront window, the second images displayed on the display in the response to a sensed location of a shopper'"'"'s tap on the storefront window during display of first images.

12. The interactive window shopping system of claim 11 wherein the audio configured to send audio response signals in response to a shopper'"'"'s tap or contact with the storefront window, and wherein the audio response signal pertains to a sensed location of the shoppers tap or contact with the storefront window.