Display case

• US 9,870,025 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emotive Digital, LP
• Original Assignee: Emotive Digital, LP
• Inventors: Cho, Matthew, Yu, David Hyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUBEDI, DEEPROSE D
• Application Number:
  US15/234,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20180011511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A display case includes a transparent LCD panel for viewing display case contents therethrough.

Claims

1. A display case system for viewing a product through a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, the display case comprising:

a housing arranged around a product display space;

the screen outside a housing opening to provide a view into the product display space;

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) arrays within the product display space for backlighting the screen;

a power supply responsive to control signals for selectively distributing electric power to one or more of the arrays;

a local controller for electrically exchanging signals with the power supply and a sensor;

the sensor for triggering operation of the screen when a patron whose direction of motion brings them closer to the display case is recognized by the sensor;

a multimedia patron immersion function;

tasks implementing the function include patron assessment, scene creation, scene delivery, and a response to patron feedback;

patron assessment via voice recognition;

scene creation that results in video and audio content that is personalized based on patron assessment;

delivery of the personalized scene directed to a space occupied by the patron; and

,

patron reaction to the personalized scene followed by a display case system multimedia message responding to the patron and directed to a space occupied by the patron.

2. The display case system of claim 1 wherein:

patron assessment includes an assessment of patron gender, age, and ethnicity assessments;

scene creation utilizes content derived from video camera images of the patron;

scene delivery includes video presented in a first plane via the LCD screen and video presented in a second plane different from the first that intersects the first plane;

scene delivery includes audio presented via a sound field focused on the patron;

patron feedback is via patron hand gestures received by the video camera and interpreted by the local controller; and

,

delivery of a response to the feedback includes physical manipulation of a product within the display case.

3. The display case system of claim 2 wherein:

patron assessment further includes an assessment of patron reaction, mood, and head tracking via one or more patron images.

4. The display case system of claim 2 wherein:

the video presented in the second plane is video projected on the floor adjacent to the patron.

5. The display case of claim 2 wherein a manipulator is configured to manipulate a product dispenser in the display case and to dispense a product dispenser product for use by the patron.

6. A display case system including a housing and a transparent window immovable with respect to the housing for viewing a product therethrough, the display case comprising:

a window LCD screen formed from a transparent LCD cell mounted to and covered by a carrier glass;

a viewable surface of the LCD screen opposite a window front-most glass with nothing therebetween;

the product opposite the LCD screen with nothing therebetween;

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) arrays within a product display space for backlighting the LCD screen;

a power supply responsive to control signals for selectively distributing electric power to the arrays;

a local controller for electrically exchanging signals with the power supply and a sensor;

the sensor for sensing the presence of a patron for triggering operation of the screen;

wherein multiple sensed patron positions determine whether the patron is approaching the display case and screen operation requires that the patron be approaching the display case;

a multimedia facility for immersing a patron in a multimedia presentation when the display case system recognizes the patron is positioned in an interaction zone; and

,

the multimedia facility for delivering a scene including video presented in a first plane via the LCD screen and projected video presented in a second plane different from the first that intersects the first plane.

7. The display case system of claim 6 wherein the projected video is video projected on a floor on which the patron stands.

8. The display case system of claim 7 wherein scene delivery includes audio presented via an audio transducer that preferentially directs sound to ensonify a field immediately around the patron.

9. The display case system of claim 7 wherein a premises video camera captures video of the patron that is made a part of scene content.