Multimedia display, multimedia system including the display and associated methods

• US 8,583,491 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T1V, Inc.
• Original Assignee: T1Visions, Inc.
• Inventors: Feldman, Michael R., Morris, James E., Wooten, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US12/222,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/04 Restaurants or shops having arrangements for self-service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like

Abstract

A restaurant system may include multiple booths in at least part of a restaurant and a central computer in communication with each booth. Each booth may include a table having a table display, seating stations arranged around the table, the table being large enough to accommodate dining at each seating station, a wall having a wall display therein, the wall display positioned to be viewable from all seating stations, the wall display configured to display a common image, the table display configured to control the wall display, a booth computer in communication with the table display, the wall display, and the central computer, and an access point configured to allow access to restaurant workers and entry/exit to the booth.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a surface having a continuous touch screen display for use by at least two users simultaneously; and

a computer in communication with the continuous touch screen display,

the computer being configured to reconfigure the continuous touch screen display from an initial configuration into a different configuration, each configuration corresponding to a numerical value, a user being able to input a numerical value in the initial configuration, a numerical value of one corresponding to a single screen and a numerical value of greater than one corresponding to a number of independent sub-screens equal to the numerical value, a user being able to change the numerical value, and, when the numerical value is larger than one, an area of the touch screen display occupied by a sub-screen is determined in accordance with the numerical value such that as the numerical value increases, an area occupied by each individual sub-screen decreases, the computer being configured to allow a user using a first sub-screen to select one of a plurality of media files or run distinct applications within at least one sub-screen of the number of sub-screens through touch inputs within the first sub-screen.

2. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface is part of a table.

3. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sub-screen is configured to display user selected content and another one of the sub-screens controls the at least one sub-screen.

4. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of sub-screens includes at least one control sub-screen configured to control images displayed in at least one viewing sub-screen of remaining sub-screens.

5. The display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the viewing sub-screen expands to fill more than one sub-screen up to an entirety of the continuous touch screen display.

6. The display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the images displayed are at least one of still images and video images supplied by a user.

7. A multimedia system including the display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a table having the continuous touch screen display; and

viewing stations arranged around the table, the table being large enough to accommodate seating at each viewing station.

8. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the viewing stations are seating stations.

9. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 7, wherein each sub-screen being oriented appropriately for each viewing station.

10. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the table is a conventional dining table height and viewing stations are seating stations that allow seats to at least partially fit under the table.

11. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the continuous touch screen display is flush with a top of the table.

12. The display as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a common display positioned to be viewable from all viewing stations, the common display configured to display a common image, wherein the continuous touch screen display is configured to control the common display.

13. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a connector configured to connect a user'"'"'s device to at least one of the common display and the continuous touch screen display.

14. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user'"'"'s device is directly connected only to the continuous touch screen display.

15. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the touch screen display is configured to allow a user to control visual information on the common display, to control audio information adjacent the table, and to view and select from an electronic menu in a venue where the display is located.

16. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 15, wherein items selected from the electronic menu on the continuous touch screen display are displayed on the common display.

17. The multimedia system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the common display visually indicates selected items are ready to be ordered.

18. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein a touch in a particular location of the continuous touch screen rotates a view of at least one sub-screen.

19. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to individually orient each of the sub-screens.

20. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sub-screens together cover a majority of the continuous touch screen.

21. The display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the table provides enough clearance for a seated user to place their knees under the table.

22. The display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a secondary screen, separate from the continuous touch screen, the computer being in communication with the secondary screen.

23. The display as claimed in claim 22, wherein moving a representation of a particular media file on the continuous touch screen display towards the secondary screen, the computer is configured to send the particular media file to the secondary screen and the secondary screen is configured to display the particular media file.

24. The display as claimed in claim 22, wherein a viewing surface of the secondary screen is at an angle to a viewing surface of the continuous touch screen.

25. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-screen is the first sub-screen.

26. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-screen is different than the first sub-screen.

27. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user changes the numerical value through a touch input on the continuous touch screen display.

28. A method of providing an interactive multimedia system, the method comprising:

arranging viewing stations around a table having a continuous touch screen display;

positioning a common display to be viewable from all seating stations, the common display configured to display a common image, the continuous touch screen display configured to serve as an input device for the common display;

connecting a computer to the continuous touch screen display for use by at least two users, the computer being configured to reconfigure the continuous touch screen display from an initial configuration into a different configuration, each configuration corresponding to a numerical value, a user being able to input a numerical value in the initial configuration, a numerical value of one corresponding to a single screen and a numerical value of greater than one corresponding to a number of independent sub-screens equal to the numerical value, a user being able to change the numerical value, and, when the numerical value is larger than one, an area of the touch screen display occupied by a sub-screen is determined in accordance with the numerical value such that as the numerical value increases, an area occupied by each individual sub-screen decreases, the computer being configured to allow a user using a first sub-screen to select one of a plurality of media files or run distinct applications within at least one sub-screen of the number of sub-screens through touch inputs within the first sub-screen.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein connecting the computer includes hard wiring the computer to the continuous touch screen display.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the user changes the numerical value through a touch input on the continuous touch screen display.

31. A system, comprising:

multiple multimedia units in at least part of a venue; and

a central computer in communication with each multimedia unit, each multimedia unit including

a table having a continuous touch screen display for use by at least to users;

viewing stations arranged around the table, and,

a computer in communication with the continuous touch screen display, the computer being configured to reconfigure the continuous touch screen display from an initial configuration into a different configuration, each configuration corresponding to a numerical value, a user being able to input a numerical value in the initial configuration, a numerical value of one corresponding to a single screen and a numerical value of greater than one corresponding to a number of independent sub-screens equal to the numerical value, a user being able to change the numerical value, and, when the numerical value is larger than one, an area of the touch screen display occupied by a sub-screen is determined in accordance with the numerical value such that as the numerical value increases, an area occupied by each individual sub-screen decreases, the computer being configured to allow a user using a first sub-screen to select one of a plurality of media files or run distinct applications within at least one sub-screen of the number of sub-screens through touch inputs within the first sub-screen.

32. The system as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

a common display positioned to be viewable from all viewing stations of at least one multimedia unit, the common display configured to display a common image, wherein the continuous touch screen display is configured to control the common display.

33. The system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the computer is a table computer.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the table computer is hard wired to at least one of the common display and continuous touch screen display.

35. The system as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a connector configured to connect a user'"'"'s device to the table computer.

36. The system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the continuous touch screen display is configured to allow a user to switch at least one of a source of video displayed on the common display and a source of audio.

37. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the continuous touch screen display is flush with a top of the table.

38. The system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the continuous touch screen display is configured to allow a user to control visual information on the common display, to control audio information adjacent the table, and to view and select from an electronic menu in a venue where the system is located.

39. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein items selected from the electronic menu on the continuous touch screen display are displayed on the common display.

40. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein the items are items that can be ordered and the common display visually indicates selected items are ready to be ordered.

41. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the user changes the numerical value through a touch input on the continuous touch screen display.

42. A display, comprising:

a surface having a continuous touch screen display for use by at least two users, the touch screen display having a number of independent sub-screens, at least two sub-screens to be used by each of the at least two users, respectively; and

a computer in communication with the continuous touch screen display,

the computer being configured to reconfigure the continuous touch screen display from an initial configuration into a different configuration, each configuration corresponding to a numerical value, a user being able to input a numerical value in the initial configuration, a numerical value of one corresponding to a single screen and a numerical value of greater than one corresponding to a number of independent sub-screens equal to the numerical value, a user being able to change the numerical value, and, when the numerical value is larger than one, an area of the touch screen display occupied by a sub-screen is determined in accordance with the numerical value such that as the numerical value increases, an area occupied by each individual sub-screen decreases, the computer being configured to allow a user using a first sub-screen to select one of a plurality of media files or run distinct applications within at least one sub-screen of the number of sub-screens through touch inputs within the first sub-screen.

43. The display as claimed in claim 42, further comprising a secondary screen, separate from the continuous touch screen, the computer being in communication with the secondary screen.

44. The display as claimed in claim 43, wherein moving a representation of a particular media file on the continuous touch screen display towards the secondary screen, the computer is configured to send the particular media file to the secondary screen and the secondary screen is configured to display the particular media file.

45. The display as claimed in claim 43, wherein a viewing surface of the secondary screen is at an angle to a viewing surface of the continuous touch screen.

46. The display as claimed in claim 42, wherein the computer is configured to independently reconfigure an orientation of each sub-screen in accordance with a user input.

47. The display as claimed in claim 42, wherein the user input is a single touch in the at least one sub-screen.

48. The display as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one sub-screen is the first sub-screen.

49. The display as claimed in claim 42, wherein the at least one sub-screen is different than the first sub-screen.