Patent ID: 7978184

Claim:
An interactive retail storefront display system comprising an acoustic tap tracking system in combination with a storefront window of a retail store, the acoustic tap tracking system configured to locate the position of a tap, knock or contact with the storefront window, a plurality of contact sensors or pickups attached to the storefront window whereby when tap contact is made with the glass of the storefront window acoustic energy propagates through the glass and is sensed by the sensors of the acoustic tap tracking system which is configured to determine a location of the tap contact on the storefront window by calculation of time for acoustic energy propagation through the glass to the closest relative contact sensor and by the differential time-of-arrival of acoustic energy at multiple contact sensor locations on the storefront window, the acoustic tap tracking system further comprising a microcontroller programmed to continuously sample acoustic signals from each contact sensor into a rotating buffer which is scanned for peak values in an absolute-value waveform produced by the transducers, to produce parameters which are sent to a digital signal processor programmed to estimate the tap contact location on the storefront window glass in Cartiesian coordinates, and every coordinate on the display corresponds to a coordinate on the storefront window; a display located in the retail store on an interior side of the storefront window and spaced from and generally parallel with the storefront window, the display comprising a holograph in the form of a transparent refractive panel upon which images can be projected by a projector from a side of the display opposite to the storefront window and at an oblique angle and whereby images are displayed clearly toward and visible through the storefront window, the images being projected from the projector which is located at an oblique angle from and outside of boundaries of the display and the storefront window so that the display does not obstruct a view of the interior of the retail store through the storefront window.