System for Providing Multimedia Content to Customers and Method Thereof

• US 20080172455A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pixads LLC
• Original Assignee: Pixads LLC
• Inventors: Calamari, Alan P., Masucci, Jeffrey A., Masucci, Agnes
• Application Number:
  US12/018,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and a method for providing multimedia content to customers at a vendor location. A control server and a plurality of patron devices are provided at the vendor location. The control server receives the multimedia content from at least one multimedia content source. Each patron device of the plurality of patron devices communicates with the control server over a communication network for receiving the multimedia content from the control server. The each patron device displays the multimedia content received from the control server for providing the multimedia content to a customer. The each patron device is configured to receive customer input and communicate multimedia content information to the control server based on the customer input. The control server may provide the multimedia content to the each patron device based on the multimedia content information received from the each patron device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating multimedia content to customers at a vendor location, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of mobile handheld patron devices, each of said patron devices being capable of displaying the multimedia content to a customer at the vendor location and each of said patron devices comprising at least one vibration motor; and

energizing at least one vibration motor of at least one of said patron devices to provide a time-varying vibration energy level.

2. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

providing a control server, the control server capable of receiving the multimedia content from at least one multimedia content source, wherein each of said plurality of patron devices is configured to communicate with the control server over a communication network for receiving the multimedia content from the control server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving customer input from said at least one of said patron devices and communicating multimedia content information based on the customer input to the control server from said at least one of said patron devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing the multimedia content from the control server said at least one of said patron devices based on the multimedia content information received from said at least one of said patron devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a global positioning system (GPS) in said at least one of said patron devices to locate said at least one of said patron devices when it drifts out of a coverage area of a wireless access point of the communication network.

6. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

configuring one of said plurality of patron devices as a master patron device for managing the other ones of said plurality of patron devices.

7. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising providing at least one charging dock;

and coupling said least one of said patron devices to said charging dock for charging a battery within said at least one of said patron devices.

8. The method of claim 1, said method comprising energizing a plurality of said vibration motors to provide said time-varying vibration energy level.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises an advertisement for goods or services.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises information concerning a special event at said vendor location.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises a menu of goods or services available at said vendor location.

12. A method for communicating multimedia content to customers at a vendor location, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of mobile handheld patron devices, each of said patron devices being capable of displaying the multimedia content to a customer at the vendor location and each of said patron devices comprising at least one vibration motor;

providing a control server, the control server capable of receiving the multimedia content from at least one multimedia content source, wherein each of said plurality of patron devices is configured to communicate with the control server over a communication network for receiving the multimedia content from the control server;

energizing at least one vibration motor of at least one of said patron devices to provide a time-varying vibration energy level;

providing at least one charging dock; and

coupling said least one of said patron devices to said charging dock for charging a battery within said at least one of said patron devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving customer input from said at least one of said patron devices and communicating multimedia content information based on the customer input to the control server from said at least one of said patron devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the multimedia content from the control server said at least one of said patron devices based on the multimedia content information received from said at least one of said patron devices.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a global positioning system (GPS) in said at least one of said patron devices to locate said at least one of said patron devices when it drifts out of a coverage area of a wireless access point of the communication network.

16. A method according to claim 12, said method further comprising:

configuring one of said plurality of patron devices as a master patron device for managing the other ones of said plurality of patron devices.

17. The method of claim 12, said method comprising energizing a plurality of said vibration motors to provide said time-varying vibration energy level.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein said multimedia content comprises an advertisement for goods or services.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein said multimedia content comprises information concerning a special event at said vendor location.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein said multimedia content comprises a menu of goods or services available at said vendor location.