System for Providing Multimedia Content to Customers and Method Thereof

• US 20080250464A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• 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:
  US12/018,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

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 system for providing multimedia content to customers at a vendor location, the system comprising:

a plurality of mobile handheld patron devices, each patron device of the plurality of patron devices being capable of displaying the multimedia content to a customer at the vendor location;

at least one charging dock for receiving each of said plurality of patron devices and supplying power for charging a battery within each of said plurality of patron devices; and

a plurality of status indicators, each of said status indicators comprising a light source associated with and powered by a different associated one of said plurality of patron devices, for indicating an availability status of said associated one of said plurality of patron devices.

2. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising:

a 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, and wherein said control server is configured to control each of said status indicators to indicate said availability status of said associated ones of said plurality of patron devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said availability status of each of said associated ones of said plurality of patron devices is determined in response to a status of communication between said control sever and said each of said associated ones of said plurality of patron devices.

4. The system of claim 1, said control server is configured to send a request to a remote server for a replacement one of said plurality of patron devices in response to said availability status.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said status indicators are disposed on said associated ones of said plurality of patron devices.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said status indicators are disposed on said charging dock.

7. A system for providing multimedia content to customers at a vendor location, the system comprising:

a control server, the control server capable of receiving the multimedia content from at least one multimedia content source; and

a plurality of mobile handheld patron devices,

each patron device of the plurality of patron devices being configured to communicate with the control server over a communication network for receiving the multimedia content from the control server, and being capable of displaying the multimedia content received from the control server for providing the multimedia content to a customer at the vendor location,

at least one of said plurality of patron devices comprising an associated battery and being configured to monitor current draw from said battery and communicate data representative of said current draw to said control server,

said control server being configured to receive said data representative of said current draw and provide notification that said battery has a charge below a predetermined threshold.