Tour site image capture and marketing system and associated methods

• US 8,463,654 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freeze Frame, LLC
• Original Assignee: Clifford R. David
• Inventors: David, Clifford R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US12/772,275
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention in one aspect is directed to a system and method for capturing a digital image, and preferably a collection of digital images, of a customer in a defined location, such as a museum, a garden, a zoo, a religious institution, a theme park, or any such site known in the art. The system and method provide a customer with a customized pictorial souvenir of a visit to the site. The souvenir can include other elements, such as “stock” images, alone or having had an image of the customer digitally inserted thereinto, and informational material. Embodiments are also provided that employ devices such as “smart,” interactive devices and read only or read/write devices.

Claims

1. A method of providing a customized pictorial souvenir to a customer visiting a site, comprising:

receiving, at a computer processor, customer signals from a customer activation device, which customer signals are generated in response to deliberate actions by the customer other than mere movement of the customer to specified areas at the site;

said customer signals being indicative of requests by the customer to have images taken of specified locations at the site;

taking the requested images using automated cameras that are coupled with said computer processor and are activated thereby in response to said customer signals;

wherein at least some of the requested images include images showing the customer at some of said locations;

creating an electronic folder for the customer using said computer processor;

storing said images in the customer'"'"'s electronic folder;

electronically forming, through use of said computer processor, a customized souvenir for the customer;

wherein said forming comprises including in the souvenir only those from the customer'"'"'s folder that the customer has selected for inclusion in the souvenir through selection information that the customer has provided to the computer processor; and

delivering said pictorial souvenir to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further including sending images from the customer folder to the customer'"'"'s activation device over a network thereby enabling the customer to visualize the sent images and revise as desired in real time.

3. The method of claim 1, further including sending at least some of said images to the customer activation device for viewing by the customer, and re-taking one or more of said images with said automated cameras in response to customer signals sent to the computer processor to request said re-taking, and including the re-taken images in the customer folder.

4. The method of claim 1, further including presenting an audio and/or visual tour information to the customer through the customer activation device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending to the customer activation device information regarding a count down until an image is taken at one of said locations in response to customer signals requesting the taking of the image.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said deliveries corn irises creatin the customer that contains the pictorial souvenir in electronic form and is accessible over the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising including providing a database of stock images and inserting customer-selected stock images into said folder.

8. The method of claim 1, further including inserting into said pictorial souvenir images of objects that the customer selects, which images of objects do not include the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, in which said pictorial souvenir is enhanced with textual material.

10. The method of claim 1, further including inserting in said pictorial souvenir advertising material targeted to the customer from data gleaned on the customer demographics and customer preferences as determined by said computer processor from material selected by the customer.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the customer is identified through biometric data automatically taken of the customer at one or more of said locations at the site.

12. A system providing a customized pictorial souvenir to a customer visiting a site, comprising:

a customer activation device and a computer processor configured to receive customer signals from the customer activation device, which customer signals are generated in response to deliberate actions by the customer other than mere movement of the customer to specified areas at the site;

said customer signals being indicative of requests by the customer to have images taken of specified locations at the site;

automated cameras coupled with the computer processor and configured to take the requested images in response to said customer signals;

wherein at least some of the requested images include images showing the customer at some of said locations;

said computer processor being further configured to create an electronic folder for the customer and to store said images in the customer'"'"'s electronic folder;

said computer processor being further configured to form a customized souvenir for the customer by including in the souvenir only those images from the customer'"'"'s folder that the customer has selected for inclusion in the souvenir through selection information that the customer has provided to the computer processor; and

said computer processor being further configured to cause said pictorial souvenir to be delivered to the customer.

13. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to send images from the customer folder to the customer'"'"'s activation device over a network, thereby enabling the customer to visualize the sent images and revise as desired in real time.

14. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to send at least some of said images to the customer activation device for viewing by the customer, and to respond to customer signals requesting re-taking one or more of said images with said automated cameras to cause the cameras to re-take images as requested and to include the re-taken images in the customer folder.

15. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to present an audio and/or visual tour information to the customer through the customer activation device.

16. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to send to the customer activation device information regarding a count down until an image is taken at one of said locations in respond to customer signals requesting the taking of the image.

17. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to create a website for the customer that contains the pictorial souvenir in electronic form and is accessible over the Internet.

18. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to provide a database of stock images and to insert customer-selected stock images into said folder.

19. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to insert into said pictorial souvenir images of objects that the customer selects, which images of objects do not include the customer.

20. The system of claim 12 in which said computer processor is further configured to enhance said pictorial souvenir with textual material.

21. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to insert in said pictorial souvenir advertising material targeted to the customer from data gleaned on the customer demographics and customer preferences as determined from material selected by the customer.

22. The system of claim 12, in which said computer processor is further configured to identify the customer through biometric data automatically taken of the customer at one or more of said locations at the site.