GEOGRAPHIC LOCATOR FOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

A system obtains and transmits and stores information, including location information of a potential economic event associated with visual information provided locally with respect to a geolocator. The system may contain at least: an article intimately associated with an electromagnetically interrogatable geolocator a hand-held information receiving and transmitting device that can interrogate the geolocator such as a chip; the chip containing communicable information relating to the article; a distal server in wireless two-way communication with the hand-held information receiving and transmitting device, the distal server capable of receiving, storing and transmitting information from the chip transmitted through the hand-held device. Upon interrogation of the chip by the hand-held device, the hand-held device communicates data received in response from the interrogation of the chip to the server, the server containing information transmitted to and receive by the hand-held device. The information contained in memory may include information specific to the article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A system for obtaining and transmitting and storing location of an economic entity associated with a geolocator. A geolocator is defined as a component which contains information that is specifically identifiable with a location, and which information may be read by electronic or automated visual interrogation. The geolocator identifies the specifics of the location of information to be accessed, not necessarily the location of the hand-held device. For example, the geolocator may be at a booth in a restaurant and there may be video display monitors unique to the booth and/or generally accessible to view by multiple individuals in multiple booths. Where someone in a booth wishes to access information or enable interactivity with an economic transaction related to a specific topic or product or service being shown on the video display in the booth, there may be a geolocator specific to that booth that accesses only the information presently (or recently) having been displayed on the visual display monitor unique to that booth. By interrogating the geolocator at that booth with the hand-held device, the hand-held device is put into interactive communication with the server for information specific to the content being displayed on the visual display system.

For example, the visual display system may show a preview of a movie at a local theater. By accessing the geolocator, a direct connection between the hand-held device and the server through which tickets may be ordered is established. Similarly, if the visual display system shows a special event upcoming at the restaurant (e.g., Mother's Day dinner, Fourth of July events, golf tournament, etc.), interrogation of the geolocator will enable access to effecting an economic transaction for that event.

If there are multiple visual display screens viewable by individuals within a location, there may be either multiple geolocators (each specific to an identifiable visual display screen) or a single geolocator that accesses the server to provide a drop-down list or field of available economic transactions/events that are displayed or recently displayed on any of the multiple visual display systems, and the user can scroll through or highlight a specific event or transaction related to one of the visual displays to investigate or perform an economic event.

The general system for performing this technology may include at least: an economic event or potential economic transaction associated with an electromagnetically interrogatable geolocator. The event may be a purchase of an article, a ticket, a service, a wager at a casino, food, etc. In the casino environment, for example, multiple wagering events are often occurring at the same time. There may be multiple sports events, each with differing wagering options available at any time. For example, there may be keno games, bingo games, lotteries, football games, basketball games and baseball games occurring at the same time. It would be difficult for a single player at a single location to navigate his way through all of the events from a single location to place the wagers. By having a player (and player hand-held device) authenticated at a player position (e.g., a private cubicle or booth) and having a unique geolocator at that physical location, the player can view the multiple available visual display screens, access the drop-down field of use list through the geolocator, navigate through the available wagers associated with the multiple display screens, and place a wager through the hand-held device.

There is a hand-held information receiving and transmitting device that can interrogate the geolocator, the hand-held information receiving and transmitting device comprising a camera, RFID and/or NFC reader to electromagnetically interrogate the geolocatorhip. The technical aspects and content of the geolocator are described in greater detail later herein.

The geolocator contains communicable information relating to a temporary location of a hand-held information receiving and transmitting device. By the term “location” in this specific activity, actual physical location is not always necessarily essential. What is referred to is location as a point of reference within a communication network and accessing the possible location of an available transaction or economic event. Except in reference to the entire environment of the visual display systems or the accessing of unique content related to only a single visual display screen, location is a more general content.

A distal server is in wireless two-way communication with the hand-held information receiving and transmitting device, the distal server capable of receiving, storing and transmitting information from the geolocator transmitted through the hand-held device. That server provides or connects to the economic activity content.

Upon interrogation of the geolocator by the hand-held device, the hand-held device communicates data received in response from the interrogation of the geolocator to the server, the server containing information in memory that is transmitted to and received by the hand-held device relating to the economic activity.

The information contained in memory comprising information specific to an economic transaction or event available through the hand-held device only after communication has been first established between the hand-held device and the server. The geolocator may, by way of non-limiting examples, be selected from the group consisting of a camera readable QR code, a camera readable bar code, a readable chip, a readable transceiver or a transponder providing a connectable address to interactive program relating to the economic activity. The hand-held device is configured to interrogate the geolocator or chip, transceiver or transponder and accept information from the geolocator or chip through near-field communication, and is configured to transmit and receive information to the distal server by wireless communication. The wireless communication between the hand-held device and the distal server is enabled through long-range electromagnetic communication systems, such as where the long-range electromagnetic communication systems is a radio frequency communication system.

In one embodiment of the system, there is visual information provided in a location visually accessible by a person holding the hand-held device and the geolocator. For example, the visual information may be physically located and available to the user (within a field of vision) at a single monitor at a seating position, from among multiple monitors viewable from a seating position, from a monitor or monitors at a sports arena or stadium (covered or not), in a casino, restaurant, theatre, grocery store, shopping mall, or any other physical location.

In the method of using the system, the hand-held device may interrogate the interrogatable chip, transceiver or transponder on a specific article and receives information from the interrogatable chip, transceiver or transponder in near-field communication or visually captured information; the received information is transmitted top the distal server by wireless transmission and is then stored in memory at the distal server, the received information comprising at least location information for the specific article.

Alternatively the method may use the system wherein the hand-held device interrogates the interrogatable chip, transceiver or transponder on a specific article and receives information from the interrogatable chip, transceiver or transponder in near-field communication or visually captured information; the received information is transmitted top the distal server by wireless transmission and is then stored in memory at the distal server, the received information comprising at least location information for the specific article. Again, the hand-held device may communicate by wireless transmission with the distal server and retrieves location information from the distal server, and the distal server provides to the hand-held device, in addition to location information, a menu of additional information available with respect to the specific economic transaction or related economic transaction. The visual information provided may comprise advertising content or product information on which an economic transaction may be effected. Also, in the process, the hand-held device may interrogate the geolocator to access information on potential economic activities related to one field of economic activity related to the visual information.

Referring again to the term “location,” the location of the visual display systems may be within an open or enclosed facility and the visual information may be provided on a visual display device, and the information accessed relates to an available economic transaction related to the one field of economic activity related to the visual information. A particularly good location may be where the location comprises an enclosed facility and the visual information is provided on a visual display device and the geolocator provides data on how to access the server for information specific to only displayed visual information, and the information accessed relates to an available economic transaction related to the one field of economic activity related to the displayed visual information, or wherein multiple sources of visual information are displayed within the enclosed facility and there are multiple geolocators available for interrogation, and each geolocator provides access specific to content specific to available economic transaction related to the one field of economic activity on the server specific to a single sources of visual information. Also, the process may be practiced wherein multiple sources of visual information are displayed within the enclosed facility and there is a single geolocator available for interrogation, and that single geolocator provides access generic to content specific to available economic transaction related to the one field of economic activity on the server specific to each of the multiple sources of visual information.

The method may be generally further described as having one or more video monitors which displays still or moving graphics and has identifiable marks or ID's which would appear on the screen or on the housing of the monitors or in close proximity. The identifiable marks can be of letters, numbers or symbols which are then coupled up with identical marks positioned within view of the monitor. The ID's not installed on the monitor could be placed on items such as a restaurant table or bar and are accessible via mobile device with an NFC tag and or QR code. ID's can also be located on a mobile application, webpage or point-of-purchase display. When a user views and item of interest on the television screen, by matching symbols they are then able to retrieve related content to their mobile device. Other places this can be used include Live events, Sports games and in-home use. A television network or company could prompt a user to place their mobile device on a magazine ad while watching a television show or ad for a chance to win a prize while verifying viewership and capturing the users unique Information.

A narrower system obtains and transmits and stores information, including location information of an article associated with a chip. The information relating to the article may include much of a wide array of information types, including, a generic descriptor of the article type, a specific descriptor of the article type (e.g., manufacturer, trade name, model number, etc.), pricing code (e.g., store code, price identifier), manufacturing date, shelf placement date, and the like.

The system may contain at least: an article intimately associated with an electromagnetically interrogatable chip, transceiver or transponder. The chip may contain permanent (non-erasable) information or may be programmable so that generic chips may be applied to different articles. The chips may be programed by initial embedding of information, wire transfer of information or wireless transmission to the chip, ASIC or field programmable gated array (FPGA). In a less preferred embodiment of the present invention, the article may have visually readable information (bar codes and the like) that can be recorded by visual, camera-like capture by the hand-held device. The hand-held device would still transmit the captured data to a distal server and would then also receive requested information back from the distal server. U.S. Pat. No. 8,364,552 describes a system and method for using a mobile phone having a camera. The systems and methods receive an image of a merchant access device (e.g., bar code and the like) and optionally location data from a mobile device of a user engaged in the transaction. The systems and methods also receive transaction information associated with the transaction and account information associated with an account of the user.

The hand-held information receiving and transmitting device that can interrogate the chip, the hand-held information receiving and transmitting device comprising an RFID and/or NFC reader to electromagnetically interrogate the chip. The hand-held device incorporating this functionality and the subcomponents necessary for effecting this functionality may be selected from any of the various types of hand-held communication devices operating on any wireless communication network to the server. Such devices, by way of non-limiting examples may include cell phones, smart phones, iPhones, pads, tablets, PDAs and the like.

The server computer may comprise a processor, a computer readable storage medium, and software stored on the computer readable storage medium, the software, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer to perform functions including: receiving, during a transmission from the hand-held device between a consumer and the article from a merchant via a personal hand-held device, merchant access device associated with the merchant, and a merchant wifi system, or wifi system provided by the provider for the hand-held device (which mat capture an image of the merchant access device), the image may include characteristics of the merchant access device located outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device; receiving, during the transmission of information between the consumer and the merchant or server, location data indicating a location of the mobile communication device (and hence the article); identifying the merchant access device from a plurality of merchant access devices associated with the merchant participating in the transmission of information using the characteristics/data/accessible information of the merchant access device located within or outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device included in the received image; wherein identifying the merchant access device includes: comparing the received image with images/information originally sent to (by the hand-held device) or stored in a database to determine a matching image or transmitted and stored information; and comparing the received location data with location data stored in the database to determine a matching location, the database having images and location data associated with merchant access device identifiers; and sending an authorization response message to the merchant access device. The authorization response message may indicate whether or not the information is accurate and is approved.

The chip may contain communicable information relating to the article. A system may comprises one or more user equipment (UEs) (the hand-held device) having connectivity to a communication network. The UEs are any type of mobile terminal, or portable terminal including laptop computers with scanner attachment, handsets, units, devices, multimedia tablets, Internet nodes, communicators, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, mobile communication devices, digital camera/camcorders, audio/video players, positioning devices, game devices, and/or the like, or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that the UEs can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable” circuitry, etc.). The UEs permit rapid management, like for example discovery, activation, accessing, modification, and set-up of one or more services, including services, applications, and content, or any combination thereof (referred to herein as “services”).

By way of example, the communication network of system includes one or more networks such as a data network (not shown), a wireless network (not shown), a telephony network (not shown), or any combination thereof. It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietary packet-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-optic network. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like.

The system also includes bearer tags/chips, with each bearer tag corresponding, for example, to one or more services. In exemplary embodiments, the bearer tag is a near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, contactless card, barcode, or any combination thereof that contains information related to the one or more corresponding services related to the article of interest. The service information contained in the bearer tag may include, for instance, one or more service codes to identify the one or more services represented by the bearer tag. It is contemplated that in other embodiments, the bearer tag may contain additional service related information (e.g., expiration date, use restrictions, etc.). The bearer tags, for instance, are embedded in, attached to, or printed on any of a variety of materials capable of supporting the tag (e.g., packaging material, a sticker, a poster, a card, etc.). The UEs each include one or more readers capable of reading the bearer tags, e.g., a near field communication (NFC) reader, radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, contactless card reader, barcode reader, camera, and/or the like, or any combination thereof.

By way of example, NFC, RFID, contactless card, and similar technologies are short-range wireless communication technologies that enable the exchange of data between devices over short distances (e.g., the range for NFC is approximately 4 inches). In general, these technologies comprise two main components, a tag (e.g., attached to an object) and a reader (which can be implemented with the UEs). Communication between the reader and the tags occur wirelessly and may not require a line of sight between the devices. The tag (e.g., an RFID transponder) is, for instance, a small microchip that is attached to an antenna. The tags can vary in sizes, shapes, and forms and can be read through many types of materials.

Moreover, the tags may be passive tags or active tags. Passive tags are generally smaller, lighter, and less expensive than active tags. Passive tags are only activated when with the response range of a reader. The reader emits a low-power radio wave field that is used to power the tag so as to pass on any information that is contained on the chip. Active tags differ in that they incorporate their own power source to transmit rather than reflect radio frequency signals. Accordingly, active tags enable a broader range of functionality like programmable and read/write capabilities.

A distal server is in wireless two-way communication with the hand-held information receiving and transmitting device, the distal server capable of receiving, storing and transmitting information from the chip transmitted through the hand-held device. Upon interrogation of the chip by the hand-held device, the hand-held device communicates data received in response from the interrogation of the chip to the server, the server containing information in memory that is transmitted to and receive by the hand-held device. The information contained in memory may include information specific to the article.

RF techniques are then used to transmit data between the inductors. For example, a digital signal can be modulated by a carrier wave, and then driven through an inductor. The receiving inductor picks up some fraction of this modulated wave, and passes the signal on to a receiver circuit. The use of RF techniques for transmitting data is the reason the inductors are sometimes called “antennae.” Many microfabricated antenna designs have been, and continue to be, researched for various applications such as clocking and data transfer. These designs are generally intended for non-test applications and do not meet the cost, performance and data integrity requirements for applications such as SiP testing. The designs presented here create RF transceivers meeting the cost and performance goals of SiP applications. Specialized RF CMOS technologies and other technologies like SiGe are not used for the stated economic reasons, but the concepts may be implemented in these processes for technical reasons. Although many designs may be used for transmitting and receiving data wirelessly, many are not suitable in wafer testing applications since they require a large power budget, or utilize large amounts of silicon real estate on the device under test (DUT) or probe. Additionally, the bit error rate for testing purposes must be extremely low.

The use of RF based interconnects alleviates the need to reduce the number of touch downs on signal i/o (input/output) pads. Further, as has been discussed, KGD levels improve dramatically since a more thorough wafer level test is performed. These two benefits combine to suggest RF based interconnects provide a means for improving SiP process test flow and consequently manufacturing yields.

The method of wireless communication is not limited to inductive coupling, however. It is possible to use other forms of near-field communication, such as capacitive coupling, for communication. As well, far-field communication is also a viable technique, where one antenna receives far-field radiation from a transmitting antenna. Further, optical methods such as lasers, photo diodes, and electro-optic components may be used to couple electronic circuits. Another method involves the use of magnetics such as high speed magnetic circuit (MR, GMR, TMR, etc.) components to couple electronic circuits.

One method for improving manufacturing yields is to perform tests of the SiP during the manufacturing process flow. Such testing enables defects to be identified early in the process and rework and repair to be affected or the component can be discarded and reduces the cost of the discard by eliminating additional process steps and their associated additional value. The implementation of a process flow with just one repair step can have a significant impact on manufacturing yield. SiP's are manufactured with materials that are susceptible to probe damage in the same way as CMOS VLSI integrated circuits.

However, wireless access has limitations. One limitation is that there may be a need to provide power to the device being accessed. A limited amount of power can be provided without physical contact to a chip undergoing access, for example, but the amount of power may be inadequate for accessing of complex multicomponent circuits on such a chip. Hence it would be more beneficial to develop a method for accessing electronic components in which the probe can be configured to interface one or both of wireless access and a wireline access methods.

One method to allow physical probing without causing damage is to “ruggedize” the physical contact. For example, use thick metal that will withstand multiple touchdowns or metallurgy that is not compatible with standard manufacturing techniques for integrated circuits but may be applied in a post process. Such metallurgy may include gold contacts, tungsten contacts, etc.

The chip or RFID reader according to8,368,515may include an RF antenna, multiple (e.g., three) antenna connection terminals, a tuning circuit, a memory, a controller, and a secondary battery. The wireless chip or card communicates with an external RFID tag or an RFID reader (e.g., the hand-held device), and stores data into a memory (in the distal server or temporarily in the hand-held device). The RF antenna selectively identifies a radio wave having a frequency (e.g., 13.56 MHz) from among radio waves radiated in the air for RFID communication. In active mode the RF antenna transmits RF communication data to the outside in active mode. The RF antenna is a general loop antenna used for both passive and active mode. The multiple antenna connection terminals are connected to the RF antenna, and are exposed to the outside of the wireless communication card or chip. The multiple antenna connection terminals support both active and passive modes. The multiple antenna connection terminals may be made of a conductive material and are located in parallel to be exposed to a short edge of the wireless communication card or chip. The location of the multiple antenna connection terminals may vary according to the structure of the article and the mode of attachment of the chip to the article.

The tuning circuit is electrically connected to the multiple antenna connection terminals respectively, and is electrically connected to the RF antenna. A tuning circuit filters a particular frequency (e.g., of 13.56 MHz). The tuning circuit is a general circuit used for RFID communication.

Basic data about RFID and diverse data are stored in the memory of the hand-held device (temporarily) or in the distal server. For instance, when the RFID hand-held device is used as a transportable consumer guide information source, detailed data about the generic class of goods, the goods alternatives at that determined location, specific data about individual alternatives, advertisements, warnings, and other information provided about the product by the manufacturer can be sourced from the distal server, and may be stored in the memory of the distal server and displayed transiently on the hand-held device. The memory on the server may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, wherein data stored therein are not erased even when power is not supplied to it.

The hand-held device is electromagnetically connected (in a communication link, as by RFID or near-field communication) to the RF antenna and then by any wireless link to the memory in the distal server. The controller transmits data stored in memory in the outside (distal server) through the RF antenna, or stores data received by the RF antenna in the memory. When the controller is in passive mode, it is operated by currents induced by radio waves emitted from the RFID reader, the hand-held device. When the controller is in active mode, it is operated by power provided by a wireless communication controller set received through the RF antenna0. The controller is provided in the form of an integrated circuit (IC) chip. Although a controller may be provided in the embodiment of the present invention, it may not be included in another embodiment of the present invention. In the absence of a controller, the memory may be controlled by a microcontroller unit (MCU) mounted on the wireless communication controller set. In this case, the memory may be connected to the MCU of the wireless communication controller set through the antenna connection terminals.

The secondary battery includes a bare cell, a protection circuit, and two charge/discharge terminals. The secondary battery supplies power to the wireless communication controller set. Although not illustrated, the bare cell is an electrical energy source, and may include an electrode assembly (not shown) and a pouch (not shown) surrounding the electrode assembly (not shown). The electrode assembly may include a first electrode plate (not shown), a second electrode plate (not shown), and a separator (not shown). The electrode assembly may have a form of a plate in which the separator is located between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate. The electrode assembly is sealed by the pouch (not shown) together with a polymeric electrolyte. Although not illustrated, the bare cell includes a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal connected to the protection circuit.

Reference to the Figures will further advance enablement and appreciation of the present technology.

FIG. 1shows a schematic of a system enabling one embodiment of the present invention. The article3is shown with the responsive tag5on its surface. The responsive tag may be embedded in or adhered to the article3. The tag5may be removable and reprogrammable for reuse. It may be applied to the article3by adhesive (permanent if not removable, pressure-sensitive if removable), clips, pins, snaps and the like. The chip/tag5is shown as in near-field communication along path A with a hand-held device7having a view screen9. The hand-held device7is shown to be in wireless communication along path B with the distal server11. Each communication path A and B should be two-way communication, although the communication path A between the tag/chip5and the hand-held device7may be one way, as the chip may need only to be activated or stimulated or charges by the hand-held device, without substantive information being transferred to the chip/tag.

FIG. 2shows a flow diagram for one method of practicing technology within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 3is a functional block diagram of a transponder that may be used in the present invention represented in the system ofFIG. 1. Transponder12includes battery120, antenna110, transceiver115, multiplexer122, analog to digital (A/D) converter124, and central processing unit (CPU)126. Transceiver115includes transmit/receive switch112, receiver114, and transmitter128. Transponder12operates from battery power provided by battery120. All functional blocks are coupled to receive battery power signal VB.

The present technology has a wide range of applications and should not be limited by the specific examples provided of fields of use, components and methodology, except as limited by the language of the claims. For example, the system may be used on parking lot tickets or a chip in the car, so that the ticket is scanned on the parked car (having a unique identity and temporary location), the scanned information and location is then sent to the distal server and stored, identifying by GPS (global positioning satellite or other positioning mechanism) the specific location of that car, especially within the parking lot. Upon return of a driver to the parking lot, the hand-held device can again interrogate the distal server and get the specific location and/or directions to the car where previously parked.

These and other variations are included within the generic concepts of the present invention.