Method and apparatus for information exchange

• US 7,979,430 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viridistor LLC
• Original Assignee: Viridistor LLC
• Inventors: Mullin, Terence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum; Luke S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bromell; Alexandria Y
• Application Number:
  US11/525,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 707/621, 707/733, 707/824, 707/944, 707/6, 707/7, 707/9, 707/999.006, 707/999.007, 707/999.009
• US Class Current: 707/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4413 Plug-and-play [PnP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related

Abstract

A method and apparatus includes a portable electronic memory storage device and a plurality of exhibitor computers, each having at least one specifically identified electronic uploadable file and a port adapted to selectively interface with the portable device. When a portable device engages a port, electronic content corresponding to the port is uploaded from the computer to the portable device. In another embodiment, data from the portable device, such as demographic data, is also downloaded to the exhibitor computer.

Claims

1. A method of controlled electronic delivery of specialized content at an event, comprising:

defining a user group comprising a plurality of content providers and a plurality of content receivers, each of the content providers having a booth at the event, the plurality of content receivers comprising a first group and a second group;

providing a plurality of first portable electronic storage devices, each having a first profile stored thereon;

distributing one of the first portable electronic storage devices to each member of the first group of the content receivers;

providing a plurality of second portable electronic storage devices, each having a second profile stored thereon to each member of the second group of the content receivers;

providing an administrator system;

a content provider submitting proposed electronic files to the administrator system;

the administrator system evaluating whether each proposed electronic file satisfies a format criteria, and the administrator system configuring each proposed electronic file that satisfies the format criteria with a code, wherein a proposed electronic file becomes a designated electronic file upon being configured with a code;

wherein the administrator system determines the profiles for the portable electronic storage devices and the codes for the designated electronic files;

wherein each content receiver provides information to the administrator system prior to receiving a portable electronic storage device, and wherein the administrator system determines whether the content receiver will receive a portable electronic storage device with the first or the second profile based upon information provided to the administrator system by the content receiver;

providing a computer to each of the content providers, at least one of the computers having a first designated electronic file and a second designated electronic file stored thereon prior to being provided to the associated content provider, the computer being electronically connected to an interface port;

the computer being placed in the associated content provider'"'"'s booth;

wherein one of the content receivers may selectively engage their portable electronic storage device with the interface port when the content receiver is at the content provider'"'"'s booth;

the computer electronically monitoring the interface port to determine when one of the portable electronic storage devices is engaged with the port;

when a portable electronic storage device is determined to be engaged with the port, reading the portable electronic storage device to detect whether it has the first profile or the second profile stored thereon;

without further input from the content provider or the content receiver, the computer selecting the first designated electronic file if the first profile is detected on the portable electronic storage device engaged with the port;

without further input from the content provider or the content receiver, the computer selecting the second designated electronic file if the second profile is detected on the portable electronic storage device engaged with the port; and

without further input from the content provider or the content receiver, the computer uploading the selected designated electronic file to the portable electronic storage device engaged with the port.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic storage devices each additionally comprise an authorization file, and additionally comprising the computer automatically reading the authorization file of the portable electronic storage device that is engaged with the port and automatically determining based upon a protocol stored within the computer whether the portable electronic storage device is authorized for content delivery, and uploading the selected designated electronic file only if it is determined that the portable electronic storage device is authorized for content delivery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a computer having a first designated electronic file and a second designated electronic file stored thereon comprises providing an administrator system independent from the content provider, the content provider submitting first and second submitted electronic files to the administrator system, the administrator system evaluating the first and second submitted files to determine whether the submitted files conform to a format stored in the administrator system, the administrator system assigning a code to each of the submitted files that are determined to conform to the format, wherein submitted electronic files become designated electronic files when assigned a code, and additionally comprising the administrator system loading the designated electronic files onto the computer.

4. The method of claim 3, additionally comprising the computer reading the authorization code of the selected designated electronic file prior to uploading the file to a portable electronic storage device so as to determine whether the selected designated electronic file is authorized for content delivery, and uploading the selected designated electronic file to a portable electronic storage device only if it is determined that the designated electronic file is authorized for content delivery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the administrator system loads the first and second designated electronic files onto the computer prior to distributing the computer to the content provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the administrator system determines the file names associated with the first and second designated electronic files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a computer having a first designated electronic file and a second designated electronic file stored thereon comprises providing an administrator system, the content provider submitting first and second submitted electronic files to the administrator system, the administrator system evaluating the first and second submitted files to determine whether the submitted files conform to a criteria stored in the administrator system, and if the first and second submitted files conform to the criteria, the administrator system loading the first and second submitted files onto the computer, wherein submitted electronic files become designated electronic files when loaded by the administrator system onto the computer.