GB2341744A

GB2341744A - Downloading display data to a portable data carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2341744A
Application number: GB9814617A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gananath Wimalal Ediriwira
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-07-06
Filing date: 1998-07-06
Publication date: 2000-03-22
Also published as: GB9814617D0

Abstract

A portable viewing/listening device with a reading/writing device to read from/write to data-carrying articles, which may be pre-written or written to at terminal (Figure A) having databanks, data-receiving/retrieval systems or connected via radio, cable, telephone, microwave etc. to other databanks or suppliers of data. For example, a re-writeable CD ('compact disk') can be inserted into a terminal which is connected to suppliers of news and other data. On insertion of adequate payment, the keyboard and monitor can be used to select and download any news or other information, movies or other entertainment in visual and sound form onto the CD. The CD is then placed in the portable reader/writer from which the data can be viewed and listened to by means of the portable viewing/listening device, connected to the portable reader/writer by wire or other means.

Description

Equipment to write to and read from data-carrying articles 2341744

Newspapers, like postage stamps, have hardly changed for more than a hundred years. Newspapers remain just sheets of printed paper, which are out of date even before they are printed. The only major innovation has been the introduction of colour. Yet, neither radio nor television has supplanted the newspaper though each of the former has its own particular advantages, but also its own disadvantages - and this says a lot for the value of the newspaper. One of the aims of the proposed invention is to update the newspaper and bring it into line with modem technology and the needs of today, resulting also in a substantial reduction of the destruction of the environment as well as leaving large extents of our planet available for other more valuable purposes.

But the present invention goes beyond replacing the newspaper and can be used, for example, even to replace books, as well as to serve as a versatile device for a number of other purposes.

Statement of Invention

The invention consists of a number of parts, taken individually or two or more parts taken together, and the descriptions and examples (including drawings) are given here non-limitatively and only as examples of some of the possibilities.

According to the present invention there are provided: 1. a. Portable earphones to receive sound; b. A portable video-screen/s or monitor/s to receive visual images, whether of text pictures etc.; 2. A portable datacarrying article such, for example, as a Compact Disk, to which sound and/or vision data can be written and/or read from;.3. A portable reader/writer with facilities and controls to (a) read data from the datacarrying article; (b) process, manipulate, edit etc. such data; and (c) transmit such data to the earphones and/or the videoscreen or monitor; 4. A terminal (a) to which data can be transmitted from other sources by direct wire, telephone wire, radio, television, microwave etc.; and/or have data within its memory or on data-canying articles such, for example, as Compact Disks; (b) which can have facilities and controls to search for and select data; (c) from which data can be down-loaded to data- carrying articles such, for example, as Compact Disks; (d) which can have facilities for receiving money, returning change etc. in respect of payment for the data; 5. Other equipment and techniques to facilitate the above functions; any or all of which can be operated for example, electrically, electro-magnetically, electronically or otherwise.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, nonlimitatively and by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure A shows, in perspective, Figure A shows a viewing/listening head- set device where I is the rear of the video-screen (the screen is on the side which is not visible in the drawing); 2 indicates the ear-pieces of the earphones; 3 shows the head-band of the unit to clamp on the head and keep the unit in place; 4 indicates the projecting support connected to the head-band at one end and to the video-screen at the other end to keep the video-screen or monitor in place in front of the eyes; and 5 indicates an electrical wire connecting the unit to a portable reader/writer, an example of which is shown on figure C.

Figure B shows a data-carrying article similar to a CD.

Figure C shows a portable reader/writer, where I indicates where a datacarrying article similar to a a Compact Disk (CD) is located inside, with the necessary technology to read-from and write-to it Equipment to write to and read from data-carrying articles Page 2 incorporated in the machine; 2 indicates a screen to giVe information; 3 3 indicates control buttons; 4 indicates openings for straps or belt- hooks to facilitate carrying; and 5 indicates an electrical wire connecting the unit to a viewing/listening headset device, an example of which is shown in Figure A.

Figure D shows a terminal unit where data-carrying articles, or the reader/writer itself, can be inserted for down-loading information. I indicates a video-screen/monitor; 2 indicates a coin-slot; 33 indicates a swipe slot for credit cards; 4 indicates a tray for receiving currency notes; 5 indicates a slot for one kind of data-carrying article to be inserted; 6 indicates a slot for a Compact Disk type data-carrying article to be inserted; 7 indicates a place where a reader/writer itself can be placed for receiving data; 8 indicates buttons for pre-determined documents (for example, newspapers, with one button each for particular newspaper titles) can be down-loaded; 9 indicates a computer-style keyboard for more detailed searching for documents etc, giving instructions for editing, down-loading etc.; 10 indicates the whole console or unit.

A viewing/listening device consisting basically of one or more appropriately-sized video-screens or 4monitors' or any other type of screen or material (and referred to below as 'screen/s') on which visual pictures, whether still or moving, and whether or not in 3 -dimensional form, with or without holograms or other visual representations can be positioned in front of each eye. The head-set can, for example but not limitatively, be wom like a pair of spectacles or attached to a head-band. Alternatively, instead of multiple screens, there may be, as in Figure A, a single screen to be seen by both eyes. "I'lie headset can also include speakers for sound (earphones). There are a number of suitable products on the market which can be used or adapted for these uses, including technology used in virtual reality devices.

In another embodiment, the earphones could be wom separately while for the vision there could be a separate screen, for example as found in palm- top computers or electronic organisers, of an appropriate size could, for example, be held by hand, hung from the neck etc. This unit could also, if desired, incorporate the reader/writer referred to below, and also incorporate the switches and controls for the device. Or these switches and controls or some of them could for example be on a separate device connected by a wire like a computer 'mouse', or operated without wires like for example on lines similar to television remote controls. Or these devices could be designed with some or any combination of these and other features.

A data-carrying article which can be written to and/or read from and which is capable of holding 'still' and/or moving vision (or video) images and/or sound. These can be read-only or re-writeable varieties. As an example, a data-carrying article can, as in Figure B, consist of a Compact Disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD) etc.. Newer innovations or inventions for data-carrying can also be used or adapted for this purpose.

A portable reader/writer, as in Figure C, to read-from/write-to the datacarrying articles or devices or other products referred to in 2. above and transmit for example but not limitatively by radio or by wire, to the viewing/listening headset (or to the earphones and screen separately) referred to in I above. There are a number of suitable products on the market which can be used or adapted for this use including, for example, technology and shape used in portable CD players. The reader/writer may also have facilities which may include computer-type hardware and software facilities to enable the user to, for instance, sort select, edit, 'freeze-frame', have slow-motion, fastmotion, re-wind, fast-forward, zoom, etc. either or both the audio and visual content so that the best use can be made of the invention. Facilities can also include copying, editing, filing etc.

Alternatively, the reader/writer can have, instead of or in addition to the technology to read-from/write-to data-carrying articles or devices or other products referred to in 2 above, memory-chips or other datacarrying readable and/or re-writeable products already installed into the reader/writer so that it can itself be Equipment to write to and read from data-carrying articles Page 35 kS directly plugged into or slotted into or otherwise connected or associated with the terminal for direct down-loading of data from the terminal, described below. The reader/writer (with or without the screen) can, for example, be worn for example on a belt, chain etc. from the shoulder, waist etc. for convenience.

A terminal, as in Figure D, with appropriate equipment, at which customers can get their data-carrying 0 articles written to by selecting any products including newspapers, books, magazines, articles, news t> reports, films, movies, reference or other data, computer programs, movies, audio etc. to be down-loaded from, for example, newspaper companies, television companies, television news companies, movie companies, book-shops, publishers, libraries etc. The terminal can he directly connected by telephone or other wire or by radio/television/microwave transmissions, cable etc. to the newspaper companies, news organisations, television companies, movie companies, book-shops, publishers, libraries etc. The terminal may also have its own integral memory banks as well as Compact Disks and other forms of separate prerecorded data-carrying articles from which data can be loaded into the terminal's memory for downloading onto a customer's data- carrying articles or a reader/writer having its own memory chips. There could be provision at this terminal for devices to enable payment to be made for the service/s and item/s provided. (A data-carrying article or device or other product, for use as above, may also be purchased pre- recorded from the shop or outlet).

Terminals can be situated in shops such as news-agents, supermarkets, book-shops, libraries etc., in shopping malls, or even in other public places, including telephone call-boxes. The tem-iinal can have buttons, dials, keyboards, computer 'mouse' technology etc. for selecting and ordering the products; and coin-slots, slots for currency notes and/or slots for credit cards and other forms of cards to be swiped through, or have other devices for making the payment. The terminals could have videoscreens ('monitors') with appropriate software and hardware and controls to enable the customer to scan or view the product prior to purchase. There are a number of suitable products and technology on the market which can be used or adapted by themselves or in conjunction with others for use as terminals.

Claims

A portable reader/writer with facilities and controls to (a) read sound and/or vision (whether still or moving) data from (and write sound and/or vision data to) a portable data-carrying article such, for example, as a Compact Disk; (b) process, manipulate, edit etc. such data; and (c) transmit such data to a portable listeningiviewing device or devices designed to receive and reproduce sound and visual (whether still or moving) images.
2. A terminal/s (a) to which data can be transmitted from other sources by direct wire, telephone wire, radio, television, microwave etc.; and/or have data retained within its memory or on data-carrying articles such, for example, as Compact Disks; (b) which can have facilities and controls to search for, select and manipulate data; (c) from which data can be down-loaded to data-carrying articles such, for example, as Compact Disks; (d) which can have facilities for receiving money, returning change etc. in respect of payment for the data-,
3. A portable reader/writer, a listening/viewing device, data-carrying articles and a terminal/s and any other equipment and techniques as described herein and in the statement of invention with reference to Figures A, B, C and D in the accompanying drawings.
4. A portable reader/writer, a listening/viewing device, data-carrying articles and a terminalls and any other equipment and techniques to facilitate the above functions; any or all of whose functions can be operated, for example, electrically, electro-magnetically, electronically or otherwise.
5. An article comprising one or more of the aspects or parts as claimed in Claims I and 2.
6. An article comprising one or more variations of the aspects or parts as claimed in Claims 1 and 2.