WO2005085986A2

WO2005085986A2 - System for querying an electronic device intended for displaying information

Info

Publication number: WO2005085986A2
Application number: PCT/EP2005/001777
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessio Abbateianni
Original assignee: All Technology S.R.L.
Priority date: 2004-02-27
Filing date: 2005-02-21
Publication date: 2005-09-15
Also published as: WO2005085986A3; ITMI20040351A1

Abstract

A system (1) for querying an electronic device (2) intended for information display has a separation element (7) that is adapted to physically separate a first environment (8), in which a querying user operates, from a second environment (10), in which the electronic device (2) is entirely located; the query occurs in the form of a touching and/or skimming action that affects at least one first surface area (12) of the separation element (7).

Description

SYSTEM FOR QUERYING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE INTENDED FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION Technical Field The present invention relates to a system for querying an electronic device intended for displaying information, in which the query can be performed by means of a touching and/or skimming operation on the part of the querying user, and preferably lies in the technological field of data business communication or more generally of electronic communication or informatic advertisement. Background Art Querying systems are known in which a user queries an electronic data bank by means of a direct physical interaction with the electronic device to which such data bank is connected. Merely by way of example, operations at automatic teller machines of banks allow, by means of a querying system based on touchscreen technology, to obtain information of various kinds related for example to the status of one's own current account or of mortgages or of financial transactions or services that are requested and/or offered. Where instead, for safety reasons, there is a screen for providing physical separation between the user and the electronic device, typically a glass pane, querying by touching and/or skimming is impossible. For example, monitors that repeatedly display, from behind the window of a bank, pages that contain the progress of the financial day, with oscillations in rates of exchange and stocks, cannot be queried directly by the user, who must wait for the page that contains the required information to reappear. Disclosure of the Invention The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a system for querying an electronic device intended for displaying information, in which the query can be performed by touching and/or skimming on the part of the querying user, which allows to eliminate the observed technical drawbacks of the background art.. Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a system for querying an electronic device intended for displaying information in which the query can be performed by touching and/or skimming on the part of the querying user and in which the electronic device is rendered secure against damage or tampering by the querying user. Another object of the invention is to provide a system for querying an electronic device intended for information display in which the query can be performed by touching and/or skimming on the part of the querying user and in which the querying user is physically separated from the electronic device. Another object of the invention is to provide a system for querying an electronic device intended for information display in which the query can be performed by touching and/or skimming on the part of the querying user and in which querying is simple and quick and provides a prompt response of the device. Another object of the invention is to provide a system for querying an electronic device intended for information display in which the query can be performed by touching and/or skimming on the part of the querying user and in which the electronic device is rendered interactive with the querying user without modifying at all any existing infrastructures for separation between the device and the querying user. This aim and these and other objects according to the present invention are achieved by a system for querying an electronic device intended for information display, characterized in that it has a separation element that is adapted to physically separate a first environment, in which a querying user operates, from a second environment, in which said electronic device is entirely located, said electronic device being provided with at least one electronic file that contains said information, a display for said information, sensing means adapted to generate at least one control signal when they detect the touching or skimming of at least one first area of the surface of said separation element that is directed toward said first environment, and a control unit, which is connected to said sensing means, to said file and to said display and is adapted to process said at least one control signal so as to control the display of the request associated with said control signal. Further characteristics of the present invention are further defined in the appended claims. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the system for querying an electronic device intended for information display according to the invention, illustrated by way of non- limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of the system for querying an electronic device intended for information display according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 is a front view, taken from the user's side, of the system of Figure 1.

Ways to carrying out the Invention A system for querying an electronic device intended for information display, generally designated by the reference number 1, is described with reference to the figures. The system 1 comprises an electronic device 2, which has a control unit 3 that is connected directly or indirectly to an electronic file or archive 4, to a display 5 and to sensing means 6. The system 1 further has a separation element 7, which is adapted to physically separate a first environment 8, in which a querying user 9 operates, from a second environment 10, inside which the electronic device 2 is arranged entirely. The query is provided in the form of a touching and/or skimming action, on the part of the user 9, affecting at least one first surface area 12 of the separation element 7. In particular, the sensing means 6 are adapted to detect the touching and/or skimming of said at least one first surface area 12 of the separation element 7 and to send to the control unit 3 a control signal that the control unit 3 processes in order to control the display of the request associated with the control signal. Preferably, the control unit 3 comprises an electronic board. Moreover, preferably, the control unit 3 is connected to a personal computer 13, which in turn is connected to the display and to the archive or file 4. The flow and the direction of flow of information among the components 3, 4, 5, 6 and 13 of the electronic device 2 is indicated by directional arrows in Figure 1. Preferably, the sensing means 6 face the separation element 7 opposite said at least one first surface area 12 of the separation element 7. Advantageously, the sensing means 6 may comprise at least one capacitive sensor or a proximity sensor. Advantageously, the control signal generated by the sensing means 6 is of the on/off type. The control unit 3 is provided with encoding means 11, which are adapted to convert the on/off control signal into a digital signal with alphanumeric encoding that can be handled by the personal computer 13. The separation element 7 is made of transparent material in order to allow the user 9 to see the display 5. Preferably, the separation element 7 is rigid thereby constituting a physical barrier between the user 9 and the device 2, so as to protect the device 2 against any damage or tampering attempt on the part of the user 9. In particular, the separation element 7 may be in the form of a window or advantageously made of any other rigid transparent material, including electrically insulating ones. In one of the possible embodiments, the separation element 7 can be for example the window of a shop that separates the environment 2 inside the shop, in which the electronic device 2 is arranged entirely, from the external environment 8, in which there is a generic user 9 who can query the electronic device 2 (even when the shop is closed). The system according to the present invention renders the window of the shop interactive or "virtual" without requiring any modification to the existing infrastructure of the shop. In this case, the sensing means 6, for example a plurality of proximity sensors 6, and the display 5, face the inner side of the window with a preset spatial arrangement. For example, the display 5 occupies a central portion of the internal side of the window, while the proximity sensors 6 are arranged around three of the four sides of the display 5. A logic function is assigned to each external surface area 12 of the window that faces a corresponding proximity sensor 6. The logic function is indicated by a caption provided on the display 5 and/or on said areas 12. For example, it is possible to assign to first, second, third and fourth areas 12 logic functions for scrolling to the right, to the left, upward and downward the page or pages displayed by the display 5, to assign to a fifth area 12 a logic function for selecting one of these fields, to assign to a sixth area 12 a logic function for confirming the query to display the information to which the selected field refers (for example, the price or stock availability of an article on sale, et cetera). In this way, the user scrolls the displayed page or pages by touching or skimming, according to an appropriate sequence, the first and/or second and/or third and/or fourth areas 12, selects one of these fields by touching or skimming the fifth area 12, and queries the device 2 by touching or skimming the sixth area 12 in order to display the information retrieved from the selected field. Every time an area 12 is touched or skimmed, the corresponding proximity sensor 6 generates a control signal, which is processed and encoded by the control unit 3, which in turn transmits it, thus modified, to the personal computer in order to display the request associated with the control signal. In particular, the control signal can be generated by the switching of an electrical line that connects each sensor 6 to the control unit 3 from a first voltage or current level to a second level, wherein the first voltage or current value is zero. The system for querying an electronic device intended for information display thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art. For example, the display can be an LCD, TFT, television plasma, holographic rear-projection screen, or a screen using holographic systems in general. The rigid transparent insulating material that constitutes the separation element can be not only glass but also Plexiglas®, polypropylene, plastics, ABS, silicone-based material, or other material. The electronic device 2 can be integrated partially or completely in a single structure. Such a communications system allows non-physical interaction between the user and the electronic device, placing the user and the device in entirely separate environments, allowing to provide a service for information lookup or advertising or simple visual communication and the like. The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2004A000351 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A system for querying an electronic device intended for information display, characterized in that it has a separation element that is adapted to physically separate a first environment, in which a querying user operates, from a second environment, in which said electronic device is entirely located, said electronic device being provided with at least one electronic file that contains said information, a display for said information, sensing means adapted to generate at least one control signal when they detect the touching or skimming of at least one first area of the surface of said separation element that is directed toward said first environment, and a control unit, which is connected to said sensing means, to said file and to said display and is adapted to process said at least one control signal so as to display the request associated with said control signal. 2. The querying system according to claim 1, characterized in that said control signal generated by said sensing means is of the on/off type. 3. The querying system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control unit comprises an electronic board. 4. The querying system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control unit is connected to a personal computer, which in turn is connected to said display and to said file. 5. The querying system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control unit is provided with encoding means that are adapted to convert said on/off control signal into a digital signal with alphanumeric encoding that can be managed by said personal computer. 6. The querying system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation element is made of transparent material. 7. The querying system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation element is rigid. 8. The querying system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation element is made of electrically insulating material. 9. The querying system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said separation element is in the form of a window. 10. The querying system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sensing means face said separation element in a position that lies opposite said at least one first area. 11. The querying system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said sensing means comprise at least one capacitive sensor or proximity sensor.