Interactive Media Display

• US 20110234514A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveLight Incorporated (Electrograph Investment Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ActiveLight Incorporated (Electrograph Investment Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gothard, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens

Abstract

An interactive media display system comprising at least one digital display panel, at least one touch screen display panel and at least one processor for operating and controlling the display panels. The system preferably includes a media dispensing system which enables the interactive media display to create and/or dispense media related products.

Claims

1. An interactive media display comprising:

(a) at least one digital display panel,

(b) at least one touch screen display panel,

(c) at least one processor for controlling and operating the display panels and having or having associated therewith a memory for storing digital content to be presented on the at least one digital display panel as well as the data or content and operative functions of the touch screen display, and

(d) a housing in which or to which the at least one digital display and at least one touch screen display are seated or mounted and in which or near which the processor is located.

2. The interactive media display of claim 1 wherein there are at least two processors, one associated with the operation of the at least one digital display and one associated with the operation of the at least one touch screen display.

3. The interactive media display of claim 2 having a single processor associated with the digital display and a single processor associated with each touch screen display, the display having at least two touch screen displays.

4. The interactive media display of claim 1 wherein the housing is a wall wherein the display panels are embedded in or mounted to the wall and the processor is on a support on the opposite side of the wall.

5. The interactive media display of claim 1 wherein the housing is a kiosk or kiosk-type structure with the display panels embedded in or mounted to the exterior of the housing and the processor or processors are contained within the housing.

6. The interactive media display of claim 5 wherein the housing is portable.

7. The interactive media display of claim 1 further comprising one or more external communication means.

8. The interactive media display of claim 7 wherein the external communication means is a modem, UART, or wireless card.

9. The interactive media display of claim 1 further comprising a printing device associated with the processor for the touch screen display.

10. The interactive media display of claim 1 further comprising an input device selected from a card reader, an optical scanner, a bar code scanner and an RFID reader.

11. The interactive media display of claim 1 further comprising a media dispensing system wherein the media dispensing system comprises:

(a) a supply of prerecorded, prewritten, or preprinted products to be dispensed by the display and a transport system for moving said products from the supply to an accessible dispenser opening to be retrieved;

(b) (i) a user media interface whereby a user can connect or insert a media article or personal electronic device to which content is to be written to the user interface and (ii) a media writer which is capable of writing the content to the user supplied media;

(c) (i) a supply of blank media accessible to a user and (ii) a media writer capable of accepting the blank media and of writing the content to the blank media; and

(d) (i) a supply of blank media, (ii) a transport mechanism by which the blank media is moved from the supply to a media writer, (iii) a media writer capable of accepting the bland media and writing the content to that blank media, and (iv) a transport means for removing the written media to an accessible opening to allow the retrieval of the media.

12. The interactive media display of claim 1 wherein the processor is preprogrammed to communicate with a remote source and to be responsive to the remote source, whereby the remote source can automatically download content to the processor, its associated storage or memory, or both and update content already present on the processor or associated storage.

13. The interactive media display of claim 1 wherein the processor of the touch screen display is preprogrammed to enable communication with a remote processor to enable the completion of one or more transactions.

14. The interactive media display of claim 13 wherein the remote processor is capable of conducting a commercial transaction and the processor for the touch screen display is capable of either dispensing the product that is the subject of the transaction or of providing a receipt or confirmation of the transaction.

15. The interactive media display of claim 1 comprising multiple processors wherein each processor is, directly or indirectly, connected to the other whereby the content on the digital display is related to the transactions enabled by the touch screen displays.

16. A method of conducting commercial transactions wherein the method employs

(A) an interactive media display comprising:

(a) at least one digital display panel,

(b) at least one touch screen display panel,

(c) at least one processor for controlling and operating the display panels and having or having associated therewith a memory for storing digital content to be presented on the at least one digital display panel as well as the data or content and operative functions of the touch screen display, and

(d) a housing in which or to which the at least one digital display and at least one touch screen display are seated or mounted and in which or near which the processor is located,

(B) a first remote source which controls the content and display of the digital display, and

(C) a second remote source, which may be the first remote source, through which a commercial transaction is conducted,

wherein the method comprises

(i) displaying content regarding a product or service on the at least one digital display panel which content is originated from the initial remote source (B),

(ii) enabling a commercial transaction on the touch screen display regarding the subject mater of the content displayed on the digital display, which transaction is completed through the second remote source (C), and

(iii) dispensing the product or a receipt or confirmation regarding the product or service pertaining to the commercial transaction conducted through the touch screen display.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the subject of the commercial transaction is digital content which is dispensed by the interactive media display.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the interactive digital display is capable of writing digital content to a storage media or personal electronic device and the commercial transaction includes the writing of the digital content to the storage media or personal electronic device.

19. An interactive media display comprising:

(a) at least one digital display panel,

(b) at least one touch screen display panel,

(c) at least one processor for controlling and operating the display panels and having or having associated therewith a memory for storing digital content to be presented on the at least one digital display panel as well as the data or content and operative functions of the touch screen display,

(d) a housing in which or to which the at least one digital display and at least one touch screen display are seated or mounted and in which or near which the processor is located, and

(e) a media dispensing system comprising;

(a) a supply of prerecorded, prewritten, or preprinted products to be dispensed by the display and a transport system for moving said products from the supply to an accessible dispenser opening to be retrieved;

(b) (i) a user media interface whereby a user can connect or insert a media article or personal electronic device to which content is to be written to the user interface and (ii) a media writer which is capable of writing the content to the user supplied media;

(c) (i) a supply of blank media accessible to a user and (ii) a media writer capable of accepting the blank media and of writing the content to the blank media;

or

(d) (i) a supply of blank media, (ii) a transport mechanism by which the blank media is moved from the supply to a media writer, (iii) a media writer capable of accepting the bland media and writing the content to that blank media, (iv) a transport ns for removing the written media to an accessible opening to allow the retrieval of the media.

20. The interactive media display of claim 19 wherein the media dispensing system comprises (i) a supply of blank media, (ii) a transport mechanism by which the blank media is moved from the supply to a media writer, (iii) a media writer capable of accepting the bland media and writing the content to that blank media, and (iv) a transport means for removing the written media to an accessible opening to allow the retrieval of the media.