WO2002009296A2

WO2002009296A2 - Information transmission, capture and retrieval system

Info

Publication number: WO2002009296A2
Application number: PCT/GB2001/003306
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Stephen Knight; Philip Anthony Sant
Original assignee: Danogue Plc
Priority date: 2000-07-21
Filing date: 2001-07-23
Publication date: 2002-01-31
Also published as: GB0018037D0; WO2002009296A3; AU2002224588A1

Abstract

An information transmission system is provided for facilitating the transfer of information associated with a display. A discrete information transmitting device is located on or near an information display for the wireless transmission of information relating to the information display to a portable information receiving device carried by or with a person. A portable receiving device is used by the person to obtain further information relating to the display information using the received information. The further information can be obtained directly by the portable information receiving device by a network connection, e.g. over the Internet, or the received information can be uploaded to a computer to allow the retrieval of the further information by the computer over a network e.g. the Internet.

Description

INFORMATION TRANSMISSION. CAPTURE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

The present invention relates to an information transfer system. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to novel methods and apparatus for facilitating the transfer of information associated with a display such as an advertisement hoarding, magazine advertisement, price tag, or in a TV picture for example, to computer terminals or mobile devices, which can be connected to a communications network such as the Internet.

Traditionally, companies promote their products and services in public places and through a variety of media. This is accomplished through advertising sites, as large format posters, in shop window displays, on public transport vehicles and on taxis. Likewise, there are a variety of print media available, including magazines and newspapers. Such advertisements typically display images of the product, promote the company and brand names and provide a contact address or telephone number in order to obtain more detailed information relating to said products and services.

With the advent of the Internet and growth in e-commerce in the past few years, increasing numbers of companies have launched websites to promote their range of products and services on the Internet. Consequently, traditional advertisements have recently included web page addresses to encourage consumes to visit the companies' websites directly from a computer terminal in order to receive more detailed information about the companies' products and services.

It is also difficult for consumers to discriminate and pick out the contact information from the usually strong graphic images of the advertisement or, optionally or additionally, a large body of text.

In particular, a company's new product may be featured on a specific web page that is contained at a certain location buried within the company's website. The address for this specific page can be quite long and difficult to remember precisely without being written down or recorded in some way at the time that the advertisement is seen. People are often in too much of a hurry, or the advertisement is only seen momentarily, to write down information such as a long web pages address or telephone number.

Another problem faced by companies is how to effectively and accurately measure the effectiveness of their advertisements, as well as collect demographic data on consumers who express or show interest in their advertisements. Conventionally, such information is collected by questionnaire which is time-consuming for both the company and the person answering the questionnaire.

WO-A-0016205 discloses one approach to this problem for television programs. In this approach a TV signal is mixed with an audio signal carrying a code i.e. a product identifier for the information carried by the TV signal. A television used to receive the TV signal and view the information outputs the mixed audio signal to a computer. The computer extracts the code from the audio signal and uses it to access further information. This system suffers from the disadvantage that a code must be mixed into the video thus adding extraneous audio noise. Also, the code must then be extracted from the audio output from the television. This either requires a physical connection, or an acoustic enviromnent conducive to the reception of the audio from the television by the computer.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discrete information transmitting device located on or near an advertising display or other information display, that is capable by wireless communication means to transmit information relating to said advertising display to a portable information receiving apparatus. Said transmitted information comprises, by way of example, a virtual business card for the advertising company, the web page address for the product or service being advertised, a contact telephone number, the day's date and time and for a unique reference number to identify the specific advertisement or display adjacent to which said data transmitting apparatus is located or to which it corresponds. In a further aspect of the present invention, a portable information receiving apparatus, such as a mobile telephone, a palmtop computer (such as those manufactured by Hewlett-Packard, Palm or Psion) or similar device is configured to receive said transmitted information by wireless communication means and either electronically store said transmitted information locally such that it can later be referenced or uploaded to a desktop machine. Alternatively, or additionally, if the device itself is Internet enabled, the user is be able to use the transmitted information to connect to the relevant web page for the advertisement.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a further apparatus that is able to retrieve said stored information from said portable information receiving apparatus and to transfer said stored information to a computer terminal by communication means. Such further apparatus may comprise a docking station for the portable information receiving apparatus. The consume is then able to use an Internet browser programme on said computer terminal to load said stored information and visit the advertised web page without actually having to remember the specific web page address. The web page address is transmitted from the advertisement, captured by a portable electronic device, retrieved electronically and utilized by apparatus with Internet browser capability to access said web page without he consumer having to remember the specific web page address.

In an embodiment of the invention, the information transmitting device may be a simple transponder which uses RF power received from an interrogating portable information receiving apparatus to provide and transmit the information.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of gathering demographic information on the information displayed by a display which is being viewed by people. The transmitter is provided at each of a plurality of locations. The transmitter transmits a unique identifier. Unique identifiers are received at portable receivers which are carried by or with one or more people when the receivers are in the proximity of a respective transmitter. This indicates that a person carrying or with the receiver is the vicinity of the display and thus viewing the displayed information. The received unique identifiers are then transmitted to a data processor for the processing of the unique identifier using stored information identifying the location of the transmitter to determine data on the viewing of the displayed information by people.

Thus, in accordance with this aspect of the present invention, important information on the location of displayed information which is receiving the most viewings can be obtained by an organisation. For example, an advertiser can obtain information on which advertisement hoarding is being viewed heavily. This information can be used for strategic advertising planning e.g. for determining the most locations to place adverts.

The unique identifiers that are received by the portable receivers can either be directly transmitted by the portable receivers e.g. a mobile communications device such as a mobile phone, or the received unique identifiers at a portable receiver can be uploaded to a computer e.g. by placing the portable receiver in a docking station whereby the computer either performs the operation of a data processor, or transmits the received identifiers to a remote data processor.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an advertising display adjacent to which is a discrete information transmitting device in wireless communication with a portable information receiving apparatus;

Figure 2 shows a portable information receiving apparatus located in a docking station for downloading stored information to a computer terminal;

Figure 3 shows a portable information receiving apparatus transmitting stored information to an information receiving device that is in communication with a computer terminal; Figure 4 shows a portable information receiving apparatus in wireless communication with a discrete information transmitting device that is in close proximity to an advertising display;

Figure 5 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a discrete information transmitting device;

Figure 6 shows apparatus with Internet browsing capability in communication with computer servers via the Internet.

Figure 1 illustrates a discrete information transmitting device 3 in close proximity to an advertising display 1. The information transmitting device 3 is able to store certain information relating to said advertising display 1 such as a web page, the unique ID for the advert itself and/or for the display 1 or device 3, and the address and telephone number that a consumer can use to obtain further detailed information relating to the product or service 2 being advertised.

In a first embodiment of the invention, information is broadcast and the information transmitting device 3 is shown transmitting certain information by wireless communication means 4 to a portable information receiving apparatus 6. By way of example, such wireless communication 4 can be either infrared, Blue Tooth or similar short-range electromagnetic communication means. Such portable information receiving apparatus 6 can either be a mobile telephone, a palm-top computer, electronic person organiser, or similar portable device capable to receiving information by wireless communication means 4 and electronically storing said information.

The portable information receiving apparatus 6 may be capable of utilizing the received information without the need for additional apparatus. For example, a mobile telephone can utilize the received telephone number, enabling the interested consumer to obtain more detailed infoπnation relating to the product or service 2 being advertised without having to enter the telephone number manually. By way of further example, a mobile telephone with Internet browser capability, such as a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled telephone, can utilize the web page address and access further information from a computer server 29 via the Internet 28. Similarly, palm-top computers containing Internet browser software and mobile Internet connectivity can utilize the transmitted web page address to access further detailed product and services information from a computer server 29 via the Internet 28.

Figure 2 illustrates a portable information receiving apparatus 6 located within a docking station 8. The docking station 8 is able to communicate with a computer terminal 11 either by hard- wired or wireless connection 20. For the purpose of the present teaching "computer terminal" refers to any apparatus with connectivity 30 to the Internet 28 (either hard- wired or wireless) such as desktop, laptop or palmtop personal computers, televisions, or similar audio-visual systems. The portable information receiving apparatus 6 has output terminals 7 that connect with corresponding connectors 9 on the docking station 8 for the purpose of downloading the stored information within the portable information receiving apparatus 6 to the computer terminal 11. When the portable information receiving apparatus 6 is inserted into the docking station 8, the computer terminal 11 is able to download the stored information with the portable information receiving apparatus 6.

Referring now to Figure 6, Internet browser software contained within the computer terminal 11 can access the web page address information retrieved from the portable information receiving apparatus 6 and connect via the Internet 28 to the computer server 29b indicated by said web page address. Detailed information 15 relating to the products or services 2 that are of interest to the consumer can then be downloaded to the computer terminal 11.

Embodiments of the present invention therefore enable consumers, in an easy and straightforward way, to electronically gather and store information relating to advertised products and services that are of interest to them during their busy day, and further may provide automatic storing of such information. At such time that is convenient, said information can be retrieved electronically and utilised to access more detailed information relating to those products and services via the Internet. Embodiments of the present invention therefore aim to enable a user-friendly method of accessing further and more detailed information relating to products and services via the Internet based on brief information received from advertisements encountered in people's everyday lives.

The discrete information transmitting device 3 can store and transmit additional information to a portable information receiving apparatus 6 including time and data infoπnation and a unique code to identify exactly what advertising display 1 the information was originally obtained from. This additional information can be communicated to a computer server 29 via the Internet 28 when the consumer accesses the specified web page address to obtain further information relating to the products or services being advertised. This additional time, data and code information can be used by the company, whose products or services are being advertised, to compile extremely important and valuable demographic information relating to consumer's preferences, habits, and lifestyles. Using this easy and straightforward method of electronic recording and utilising web page addresses to obtain further detailed information on products and services, a company can very rapidly build up an extensive database of information based on consumers who have an interest in that company's products or services.

For security, or other, reasons, the information transmitted 4 by the discrete information transmitting device 3 can be encrypted such that the information cannot be read and utilised by the portable information receiving apparatus 6 unless said apparatus is able to decode the information. Such decoding of received information could be performed, for example, by a software algorithm contained within the portable information receiving apparatus 6.

Figure 3 illustrated a portable information receiving apparatus 6 in communication with an information receiving device 13 via wireless communication means 12. The information receiving device 13 is able to communicate to a computer terminal 11 by either hard- wires or wireless connection 10. Instead of requiring location within a docking station 8, the portable information receiving apparatus 6 is itself able to communicate stored information therein to a computer terminal 11 by wireless communication means 12. Such wireless communication means includes, but is not limited to, infra-red, Blue Tooth or other short-range electromagnetic communication means.

Figure 4 shows a portable information receiving apparatus 6 in wireless communication with a discrete information transmitting device 3 located in close proximity to an advertising display 1. In this embodiment of the present invention, the portable information receiving apparatus 6 is able to transmit a sort "start signal" 31 towards the discrete information transmitting device 3. On receiving this start signal 31, the discrete transmitting device 3 then transmits certain information relating to the products and services 2 being advertised on said advertising display 1 to said portable information receiving apparatus 6 as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the information transmitting device does not need to be transmitting continuously and thereby saves power.

Figure 5 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a discrete information transmitting device 3. A Direct Current power supply 16 provides electrical power to a control circuit 17. For stand-alone or remote applications, the power supply can be either a replaceable long-life battery (for example the flat battery technology manufactured by Polaroid) or a rechargeable cell (for example nickel-metal-hydride battery technology) powered by a small solar panel. For battery-powered devices, a battery voltage sensor 18 monitors the battery voltage and sends a low-battery signal 19 to the control circuit 17 when the voltage drops below a certain level.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the information transmitting device 3 does not require an on-board power supply. In such an embodiment, the information transmitting device obtains its power from the wireless signal transmitted to it, and uses this power to transmit information back to the portable information receiving apparatus 6. For example, a radio frequency signal from the portable information receiving apparatus 6 may be rectified to provide DC power and used to initiate transmission of information from the information transmitting device 3 using the DC power. Such an embodiment is particularly advantageous when the advertising display medium is small or has low volume, such as a page in a magazine or newspaper, for example. A timer 20 generates a signal 21 that represents the current time and data and sends signal 21 to the control circuit 17. A memory device 22, such as Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read-Only Memory (ROM) provides the control circuit 17 with a signal 23 that contains information relating to the products or services 2 being advertised on the advertising display 1. Such information can include, but is not limited to, a web page address, telephone number and a unique code to identify the specific advertising display 1 adjacent to which the discrete information transmitting device 3 is located. Said memory device 22 can be either a fixed rewritable component (RAM) or an interchangeable pre-programmed read-only component (ROM) such as a small memory card.

For a fixed display, such as an advertising hoarding, each time the advertising display 1 is changed, the information stored in the memory device 22 needs to be updated to represent the different products or services 2 being advertised. If the memory device 22 is a ROM-type device then this can be updated by replacing it with a similar preprogrammed memory card. If the memory device 22 is a RAM-type device then this can be erased and rewritten with new information. Said new information can be received from a portable information transmitting device in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 4. In this manner, new information is received by wireless communication means 24 via a receiving sensor 25 including an antenna or IR sensor and wireless receiver circuitry and said information is stored in a memory device 22 for future reference. Where the display is updated regularly, for example where the displays can be updated over a network, the device 3 can be comiected over a network to a remote central updating processor to receive updated information over the network when the information displayed by the display 1 is changed. Alternatively to providing a communications network for the updating of the information in the memory device 22, the updated information can be provided to the memory device 22 using any conventional data carrier medium such as a storage medium (e.g. a smart card, magnetic medium or optical medium such as a CD-ROM) or a transient medium such as an optical (e.g. infra-red) radio frequency, electromagnetic, or microwave signal.

The control circuit 27 can transmit certain infoπnation by wireless communication means 26 via a transmitting component 27. Such information can be transmitted inteπnittently after a pre-set time interval, for example every five seconds, or after receiving a short "start signal" 32 via receiving sensor 25 from a portable information receiving apparatus 6 such as that shown in Figure 4.

In the event that the low battery sensor 18 sends a low-battery signal 19 to the control circuit 17, the transmitted information 26 can include a "low-battery" warning. In an embodiment of the present invention when the consumer accesses the advertised web page to obtain further product information via the Internet 28, the computer server 29b can then record the low-battery warning information and use the unique identifier code of the advertising display 1 to identify the exact location of the discrete information transmitting device 3 that requires a replacement battery. The time and data information can be used by the computer server 29b to ignore subsequently received low-battery warning information which relates to the same discrete information transmitting device 3 to allow time for the old battery to be replaced.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

For example, although embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of advertising, other displays may be used. Product information need not be all that can be accessed, but technical support services for computer systems, for example. Embodiments of the invention may be applied to merely disseminating information, such as public safety or health information promoted by poster displays. The information transmitted to the portable information receiving apparatus may be displayed on a video screen, for example, a television. In such an embodiment, a URL for an associated website may be embedded in the graphics.

The scope of the present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed therein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof iπespective of whether or not it relates to particularised aspects of the invention or mitigates any or all of the problems addressed by the present invention. The applicant hereby gives notice that new aspects of the invention may be formulated to such features during the prosecution of this application or of any such further application derived therefrom.

Insofar as embodiments of the invention described above are implementable, at least in part, using a software-controlled programmable processing device such as a Digital Signal Processor, microprocessor, other processing devices, data processing apparatus or computer system, it will be appreciated that a computer program for configuring a programmable device, apparatus or system to implement the foregoing described methods is envisaged as an aspect of the present invention. The computer program may be embodied as source code and undergo compilation for implementation on a processing device, apparatus or system, or may be embodied as object code. The skilled person would readily understand that the term computer in its most general sense encompasses programmable devices such as referred to above, and data processing apparatus and computer systems.

Suitably, the computer program is stored on a carrier medium in machine or device readable form, for example in solid-state memory or magnetic memory such as disc or tape and the processing device utilises the program or a part thereof to configure it for operation. The computer program may be supplied from a remote source embodied in a communications medium such as an electronic signal, radio frequency earner wave or optical carrier wave. Such caπier media are also envisaged as aspects of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A discrete information transmitting device located on or near an infoπnation display and comprising transmitting means for the wireless transmission of infoπnation relating to the information display to a portable infoπnation receiving device.

2. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 1 , including storing means for storing the infoπnation relating to the information display.

3. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the transmitted infoπnation includes at least one of a web page address, contact details, date, time, and a unique reference number identifying the information displayed and/or the information display.

4. A discrete infoπnation transmitting device according to any preceding claim, including receiving means for receiving a signal from the portable information receiving device, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to transmit the information relating to the information display in response to the received signal.

5. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 4, including means for extracting power from the received signal, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to use the extracted power for transmitting the information.

6. A discrete infoπnation transmitting device according to any preceding claim, including a battery for supplying power to the transmitting means, and detecting means for detecting when the battery power is low, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to transmit a low battery warning when the detecting means detects that the battery power is low.

7. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 2, including updating means for updating the stored infoπnation.

8. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 7, wherein the updating means comprises a reading means for reading a carrier medium carrying the updated information.

9. A discrete information transmitting device according to claim 7, wherein the updating means comprises a network connection means for connection to a communications network.

10. An infoπnation display arrangement comprising an infoπnation display for displaying information, and a discrete infoπnation transmitting device located on or near the information display and according to any preceding claim.

11. An information exchange system comprising a discrete information transmitting device located on or near an information display and according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and a portable information receiving device for receiving the transmitted information

12. An information exchange system according to claim 11 , wherein the portable information receiving device includes storing means for storing the received information, and means for uploading the stored infoπnation to a networked computer for use by the networked computer to access additional information via the Internet.

13. An information exchange system according to claim 11 , wherein the portable information receiving device includes communication means to allow the use of received information for the retrieval of additional infoπnation related to the displayed information.

14. An information exchange system according to claim 11 , wherein the communication means comprises a network connection means for connection to the Internet to retrieve the additional infoπnation as web pages.

15. An information exchange system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the portable information receiving device includes display means for displaying at least a part of the received information.

16. A method of gathering data on the viewing of displayed information by people, the method comprising: providing a transmitter at each of a plurality of locations, the transmitter transmitting a unique identifier; receiving the unique identifiers at portable receivers when the receivers are in the proximity of a respective transmitter, each receiver being carried by or with a person or group of people; and transmitting the received unique identifiers to a data processor for the processing of the unique identifier using stored information identifying the location of the transmitter to determine data on the viewing of displayed information by people.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter comprises the discrete information transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

18. A method of transmitting information related to an information display to allow a user to receive additional information related to the information displayed by the information display, the method comprising: locating a discrete information transmitting device on or near an information display; and transmitting information relating to the information display to a portable information receiving device by wireless transmission.

19. A method according to claim 18, including storing the information relating to the information display in the discrete information transmitting device.

20. A method according to claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the transmitted information includes at least one of a web page address, contact details, date, time, and a unique reference number identifying the information displayed and/or the information display.

21. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, including receiving a signal from the portable infoπnation receiving device at the discrete information transmitting device, and transmitting the infoπnation relating to the information display in response to the received signal.

22. A method according to claim 21, including extracting power from the received signal, and using the extracted power for transmitting the information.

23. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the discrete information transmitting device includes a battery for supplying power to the transmitting means, and when the battery power is low a low battery warning is included in the transmitted infoπnation.

24. A method according to claim 19, including updating the stored information.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the updating step comprises reading a carrier medium carrying the updated information.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the updating step comprises connecting to a communications network.

27. An information retrieval system for use with the information exchange system according to claim 12, the system comprising a networked computer having means for receiving the stored information from the portable information receiving device, and means for accessing and displaying the additional information using the Internet.