Location-relevant real-time multimedia delivery and control and editing systems and methods

• US 20070208749A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BarZ Adventures, LP
• Original Assignee: BarZ Adventures, LP
• Inventors: Little, Carrie, Little, Lee, Price, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

A system for providing a tour of a venue includes a central computer for creating the tour, at least one venue server computer, communicatively connected to the central computer remotely at the venue, for storing the tour, and at least one portable device, communicatively connected to the venue server computer at the venue, for obtaining the tour from the venue server computer. The at least one portable device includes a GPS receiver or other geographic location identifier. Particular “point of interest”-specific content of the tour is output by the portable device whenever the device is located at the geographical location of the coordinates for the point of interest. The specific content of the tour so output by the portable device includes multimedia, including, for example, text, graphics, audio, video, and others. The portable device is carried by a tourist or other user and provides interactive multimedia to guide during the tour. Tours are created and edited at the central computer, and then communicated to the venue server computer. The venue server computer is located at or near the venue of the tour, and thereat writes the relevant tour or tours to the portable device. The venue server computer includes security, control and payment systems for access to use the portable device. The portable device logs usage information for the device, and this information is communicated back to the venue server computer and on to the central computer.

Claims

9. A method of tour guiding, comprising the steps of:

creating a tour at a first location, for a venue at a remote location;

communicating the tour to a venue system at the venue at the remote location from the first location;

providing a portable tour guide device for delivering multimedia output of the tour;

connecting the portable tour guide device to the venue system at the remote location of the venue system;

writing the tour to the portable tour guide device at the remote location where connected to the venue system;

disconnecting the portable tour guide device from the venue system;

moving the portable tour guide device within the venue as disconnected from the venue system; and

outputting multimedia of the tour by the portable tour guide device.

1. A system for providing a tour of a venue, comprising:

central computer for creating the tour;

venue server computer, communicatively connected to the central computer remotely at the venue, for storing the tour; and

portable device, communicatively connected to the venue server computer at the venue, for obtaining the tour from the venue server computer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

relational database for correlating geographic locations to point of interest content;

wherein the central computer comprises;

processor;

editor, connected to the processor, for programming and editing the tour to include multimedia content; and

controller, connected to the processor, for delivering the tour to the venue server computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the portable device comprises a log of usage data for the portable device;

and

wherein the central computer further comprises;

reporter, connected to the processor, for obtaining and storing the log from the portable device.

4. The system of claim 1, further wherein the venue server computer comprises:

venue server processor;

central computer synchronizer, connected to the venue server processor, for communicatively synchronizing the tour then-maintained at the venue server computer with the tour then-maintained at the central computer; and

guide device synchronizer, connected to the venue server processor, for communicatively synchronizing the tour then-maintained at the venue server computer with the tour then maintained at the guide device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the portable device comprises a log of usage data for the portable device;

and

wherein the venue server computer further comprises;

guide device controller, connected to the venue server processor, for checking-in and checking-out the guide device from the venue server computer and for reading the then-maintained log information for the client device to the venue server computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises:

portable device processor;

a log of usage data for the portable device, communicatively connected to the portable device processor;

the tour, communicatively connected to the portable device processor;

user interface, communicatively connected to the portable device processor, for outputting content of the tour and for receiving input to direct the tour;

geographic location identifier, communicatively connected to the portable device processor, for automatically controlling the tour in response to applicable geographic location of the portable device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the geographic location identifier comprises a GPS receiver;

and

wherein the portable device further comprises;

tour content engine, communicatively connected to the portable device processor, for retrieving a geographic location of the portable device from the geographic location identifier; and

customer user interfacer, communicatively connected to the portable device processor and the tour content engine, for ascertaining the geographic location retrieved by the tour content engine and correlating and controlling output of the tour in response to the geographic location so ascertained.

8. A system as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of creating comprises the steps of:

identifying a geographical coordinate of a point of interest within the venue of the tour;

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to certain of the tour;

detecting a location of the portable tour guide device within the venue, corresponding to the geographical coordinate; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of detecting.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

editing the tour at the first location, to obtain an edited tour;

second connecting the portable tour guide device to the venue system at the remote location of the venue system;

overwriting the tour of the portable tour guide device by the edited tour, at the remote location where connected to the venue system;

second disconnecting the portable tour guide device from the venue system;

second moving the portable tour guide device within the venue as disconnected from the venue system; and

second outputting multimedia of the edited tour by the portable tour guide device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of editing comprises the steps of:

second identifying the geographical coordinate of the point of interest within the venue of the edited tour;

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to certain edits of the tour;

second detecting the location of the portable tour guide device within the venue, corresponding to the geographical coordinate; and

outputting the certain of the edited tour by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of second detecting.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

logging a use information of the portable tour guide device, by the portable tour guide device during the step of moving;

reading the use information from the step of logging after the step of second connecting; and

communicating the use information from the step of reading by the venue system at the remote location to the first location.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

including an advertisement in the tour in the step of creating;

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to the advertisement of the tour; and

outputting the advertisement by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of detecting.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device, wherein the interactive user interface enables input to select certain of the tour;

selecting the certain of the tour via the interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device in response to the step of selecting.

13-1. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

reporting at least certain of the use information at the first location.