Content creation, distribution, interaction, and monitoring system

• US 8,799,220 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matt O'Malley
• Original Assignee: Matt O'Malley
• Inventors: O'Malley, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US11/930,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 707/627
• US Class Current: 707/627
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

A system for managing an end-user'"'"'s request for information and entertainment. This information can be retrieved using a kiosk with a computer, using software over the Internet with a hardwired computer-like device, or using software with a wireless handheld device. Applications include any areas including commercial, industrial, and government where groups of people congregate such as trade shows, retail stores, restaurants, offices, manufacturing plants, and governmental buildings. The system provides both audio and text information and entertainment from a plurality of sources. These sources include information and entertainment from the local environment or ‘on-site’ information, and from a remote environment. These locations can also retrieve information from the end-user. This information can be product feedback, customer service opinions, product information requests, or the like.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a user comprising:

generating a tagged content for a remote content and storing the tagged content and the remote content on a remote database;

generating a local content based in part on local relevance at a unique physical location and storing the local content in a local database;

interconnecting said remote and local databases to a server through which the remote database updates the content in the local database and vice versa;

providing access to the server to a transceiver;

providing access to said remote and local content, including a selector on said transceiver for selecting the remote and local content;

creating a second tagged content associated with a unique identifier;

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the display content to the local server; and

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the display content to the remote server;

wherein the transceiver is comprised of a hand held device that has the unique identifier associated with it; and

wherein the tagged content and the second tagged content are comprised of metadata.

2. A method, comprising:

accessing a tagged content created for a remote content, said tagged content and said remote content being stored on a remote database accessed by a remote server;

accessing a local content based in part on local relevance at a unique physical location, said local content being stored on a local database accessed by a local server;

combining the remote content, the tagged content and the local content on a central server;

providing access to the central server to a transceiver;

providing a display content for the transceiver based at least in part upon a content selector and the tagged content;

creating a second tagged content associated with a unique identifier;

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the display content to the local server; and

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the display content to the remote server;

wherein the transceiver is comprised of a hand held device that has the unique identifier associated with it;

wherein the tagged content and the second tagged content are comprised of metadata;

wherein the display content is comprised of a selected content obtained from the remote content and the local content; and

wherein the unique physical location is an establishment and not simply an addressable location for accessing electronic storage media.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the central server is selected from the group consisting of the remote server and the local server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second tagged content includes data related to an actual physical location of the hand held device within the unique physical location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the display content is determined at least in part based upon the second tagged content.

6. The method of claim 2, comprising the further steps of:

updating the local database based upon the remote content; and

updating the remote database based upon the local content.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the display content is generated by a graphical user interface program which provides a user of the transceiver an ability to customize the display content.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising the further steps of:

providing a local party with a local ability to change the local content included in the display content; and

providing a remote party with a remote ability to change the remote content included in the display content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the display content includes information about a stock keeping unit offered for sale at the unique physical location.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising the further step of:

providing access to point of sale information for the stock keeping unit within the unique physical location to the remote server through the central server.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising the further step of updating the local content and the remote content based upon point of sale information.

12. A method, comprising:

generating a remotely-tagged content from a first content and a remote interaction and storing the remotely-tagged content on a first database;

generating a proximity-based tagged content from a second content and a proximity-based interaction and storing the proximity-based tagged content on a second database;

interconnecting the first database and the second database to a server through which the server updates and generates an aggregate content partially based on the remotely-tagged content and the proximity-based tagged content;

providing access to the server to a transceiver;

using the aggregated content to determine the first content and the second content that is accessed by the transceiver through the server

creating a second tagged content associated with a unique identifier;

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the aggregated content to the local server; and

sending the second tagged content and at least a portion of the aggregated content to the remote server;

wherein the transceiver is comprised of a hand held device that has the unique identifier associated with it; and

wherein the tagged content and the second tagged content are comprised of metadata.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first database is a remote database and the second database is a local database.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the proximity-based interaction includes a profile based at least in part upon a user action.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user action is based upon at least one input selected from the group consisting of a user proximity measurement or a user input.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user input comprises a content request.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the content request is at least partially based upon the second content and a unique physical location of the second content.