US20030155413A1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for authoring and providing information relevant to a physical world
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 2001-12-26
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2021-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A system and method capable of reading machine-readable labels from physical objects, reading coordinate labels of geographical locations, reading timestamp labels from an internal clock, accepting digital text string labels as input obtained directly from a keyboard type input device, or indirectly using a speech-to-text engine, and treating these different labels uniformly as object identifiers for performing various indexing operations such as content authoring, playback, annotation and feedback. The system further allows for the aggregating of object identifiers and their associated content into a single addressable unit called a tour. The system can function in an authoring and a playback mode. The authoring mode permits new audio/text/graphics/video messages to be recorded and bound to an object identifier. The playback mode triggers playback of the recorded messages when the object identifier accessed. In the authoring mode, the system supports content authoring that can be done coincident with object identifier creation thereby enabling authored content to be unambiguously bound to the object identifier. In the playback mode, the system can be programmed to accept/solicit annotations/feedback from a user which may also be recorded and unambiguously bound to the object identifier.
Inventors
- 👤 Rozsa Kovesdi
- 👤 Ajit Rajasekharan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:03
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/954
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 80
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
1 . A method for authoring information relevant to a physical world, comprising: detecting with an authoring device a first label associated with a first object; and triggering, in response to detecting, a system for authoring content; wherein the content is to be unambiguously bound to the first object and is to be rendered on a playback device during detection of the first label.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
1 . A method for authoring information relevant to a physical world, comprising: detecting with an authoring device a first label associated with a first object; and triggering, in response to detecting, a system for authoring content; wherein the content is to be unambiguously bound to the first object and is to be rendered on a playback device during detection of the first label.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the system for authoring content is resident on the authoring device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the authoring device and the playback device are integrated within a single apparatus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the label is selected from a group consisting of a barcode label, a coordinate, a RFID tag, an IR tag, a time stamp, a text string, and a speech to text string.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of audio, text, image, and video.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the content is a link to a live agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of detecting a second label associated with a second object; triggering, in response to detecting, the system for authoring content which is unambiguously bound to the second object; and aggregating the content bound to the first object and the second object into a tour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of detecting a second label associated with the first object and normalizing the first label and the second label such that the content bound to the first object can rendered during detection of either the first or second label in the playback mode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing the content in non-volatile memory resident in the apparatus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of uploading the content to a remote server.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
11 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of uploading is performed via a wireless network.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
12 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of uploading is performed via a wired network.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
68 words
13 . A computer-readable media having instructions for authoring information relevant to a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: detecting a first label associated with a first object; and triggering, in response to detecting, a system for authoring content to be unambiguously bound to the first object; wherein the content is to be rendered during detection of the first label by a device in a playback mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
13 . A computer-readable media having instructions for authoring information relevant to a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: detecting a first label associated with a first object; and triggering, in response to detecting, a system for authoring content to be unambiguously bound to the first object; wherein the content is to be rendered during detection of the first label by a device in a playback mode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
62 words
14 . The computer-readable media as recited in claim 13 , wherein the instructions perform the further steps of detecting a second label associated with a second object; triggering, in response to detecting, a system for authoring content to be unambiguously bound to the second object; and aggregating the content bound to the first object and the second object into a tour.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
59 words
15 . The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14 , wherein the instructions perform the further step of detecting a second label associated with the first object and normalizing the first label and the second label such that the content can rendered during detection of either the first or second label by the device in the playback mode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
70 words
16 . A computer-readable media having instructions for authoring content to be associated with objects in a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: normalizing a read object label associated with an object into an object identifier; placing the object identifier into a database; accepting content to be rendered when the object label is read in a playback mode; and binding the content to the object identifier in the database.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
16 . A computer-readable media having instructions for authoring content to be associated with objects in a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: normalizing a read object label associated with an object into an object identifier; placing the object identifier into a database; accepting content to be rendered when the object label is read in a playback mode; and binding the content to the object identifier in the database.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
17 . The computer-readable media as recited in claim 16 , wherein the instructions allow a plurality of different label types to be normalized to one object identifier.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
18 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: detecting with a device a label associated with an object; normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; using the object identifier to search a database to find content bound to the object identifier; and rendering the content.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
18 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: detecting with a device a label associated with an object; normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; using the object identifier to search a database to find content bound to the object identifier; and rendering the content.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising the step of retrieving the content bound to the object identifier from local memory in the apparatus.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
20 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising the step of retrieving the content bound to the object identifier from a remote server.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
21 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of audio, text, image, and video.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
41 words
23 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the label is selected from a group consisting of a barcode, a coordinate, an IR tag, a RFID tag, a timestamp, a text string, and a speech to text string.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
24 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the content is a connection to a live agent.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
25 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising the step of determining the current time and comparing the current time to the timestamp before rendering the content.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
26 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the step of rendering the content comprises streaming the content from a remote server.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
27 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising the steps of accepting annotations/feedback after the rendering of the content and binding the annotations/feedback to the object identifier.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
28 . The method as recited in claim 27 , further comprising the step of storing the annotations/feedback in local memory.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
29 . The method as recited in claim 27 , further comprising the step of storing the annotations/feedback in a remote memory.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
58 words
30 . A computer-readable media having instructions for providing information relevant to a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: detecting a label associated with an object; normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; using the object identifier to search a database to find content bound to the object identifier; and rendering the content.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
58 words
30 . A computer-readable media having instructions for providing information relevant to a physical world, the instructions performing steps comprising: detecting a label associated with an object; normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; using the object identifier to search a database to find content bound to the object identifier; and rendering the content.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
25 words
31 . The computer-readable media as recited in claim 30 , wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of audio, text, and video.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
65 words
32 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: storing an object identifier indicative of a plurality of read labels associated with an object into a database; and using the database to bind content to the object identifier and, accordingly, the object; whereby the content is renderable when any one of the plurality of labels is detected in a playback mode.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
65 words
32 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: storing an object identifier indicative of a plurality of read labels associated with an object into a database; and using the database to bind content to the object identifier and, accordingly, the object; whereby the content is renderable when any one of the plurality of labels is detected in a playback mode.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
33 . The method as recited in claim 32 , wherein at least one of the plurality of labels is custom created.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
34 . The method as recited in claim 32 , further comprising the step of attaching at least one of the plurality of labels to the object.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
40 words
35 . The method as recited in claim 32 , wherein the plurality of labels is selected from a group consisting of a barcode label, a coordinate, a RFID tag, an IR tag, a time stamp, and a text string.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
20 words
36 . The method as recited in claim 32 , further comprising the steps of detecting the plurality of labels.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
116 words
37 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: associating one or more labels with each of a plurality of objects in a tour; storing an object identifier indicative or the one or more labels associated with each of the plurality of object in the tour in a database; authoring content relevant to each of the plurality of objects in the tour; and binding the content to an object identifier in the database which corresponds to the relevant one of the plurality of objects in the tour whereby the content is renderable when the label is detected by a playback device without regard to the order in which the content was authored.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
116 words
37 . A method for providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: associating one or more labels with each of a plurality of objects in a tour; storing an object identifier indicative or the one or more labels associated with each of the plurality of object in the tour in a database; authoring content relevant to each of the plurality of objects in the tour; and binding the content to an object identifier in the database which corresponds to the relevant one of the plurality of objects in the tour whereby the content is renderable when the label is detected by a playback device without regard to the order in which the content was authored.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
30 words
38 . The method as recited in claim 37 , wherein the labels are selected from a group consisting of coordinates, barcode labels, RFID tags, IR tags, timestamps, and text.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
68 words
39 . A system for authoring and retrieving selected digital multimedia information relevant to a physical world, comprising: a plurality of machine readable labels relevant to the physical world; an apparatus for detecting the machine readable labels and including programming for normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; and a digital multimedia library accessible by the apparatus storing content indexed by the object identifiers.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
68 words
39 . A system for authoring and retrieving selected digital multimedia information relevant to a physical world, comprising: a plurality of machine readable labels relevant to the physical world; an apparatus for detecting the machine readable labels and including programming for normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; and a digital multimedia library accessible by the apparatus storing content indexed by the object identifiers.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
48 words
40 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a system for authoring digital multimedia in response to detecting one of the plurality of labels which is to be stored within the digital multimedia library and unambiguously bound to the object identifier.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
49 words
41 . The system as recited in claim 40 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a system for rendering digital multimedia in response to detecting one of the plurality of labels, the digital multimedia rendered being the content unambiguously bound to the object identifier associated with a detected label.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
44 words
42 . The system as recited in claim 41 , wherein the digital multimedia library includes one or more of audio files, visual image files, text files, video files, XML files, hyperlink references, live agent connection links, programming code files, and configuration information files.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
28 words
43 . The system as recited in claim 41 , wherein the apparatus comprises programming that renders digital multimedia as a function of output capabilities of the apparatus.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
21 words
44 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the physical world comprises labeled locations containing labeled mobile objects.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
24 words
45 . The system as recited in claim 44 , wherein the labeled locations are used to determine proximity of the labeled mobile objects.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
27 words
46 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the digital multimedia library is stored on one or more computer servers external to the apparatus.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
23 words
47 . The system as recited in claim 46 , wherein the digital multimedia library and the apparatus communicate via a wired network.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
23 words
48 . The system as recited in claim 46 , wherein the digital multimedia library and the apparatus communicate via a wireless network.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
19 words
49 . The system as recited in claim 48 , wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular telephone network.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
19 words
50 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the digital multimedia library resides on the apparatus.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
21 words
51 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus accesses the digital multimedia library via the Internet.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
22 words
52 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus accesses the digital multimedia library via a voice portal.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
24 words
53 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus accesses the digital multimedia library via a cellular telephone voice mailbox.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
19 words
54 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the digital multimedia is aggregated into a tour.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
20 words
55 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the digital multimedia is randomly accessible by the apparatus.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
23 words
56 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the digital multimedia is accessible by the apparatus in a sequential order.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
18 words
57 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus comprises a personal digital assistant.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
17 words
58 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus comprises a cellular telephone.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
22 words
59 . The system as recited in claim 39 , wherein the apparatus comprises purpose built devices targeted to a specific application.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
56 words
60 . An apparatus for authoring information relevant to a physical world, comprising: circuitry for detecting a label associated with an object; and a system for authoring content to be unambiguously bound to the object as represented by the detected label which content is to be rendered during detection of the label in a playback mode.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
56 words
60 . An apparatus for authoring information relevant to a physical world, comprising: circuitry for detecting a label associated with an object; and a system for authoring content to be unambiguously bound to the object as represented by the detected label which content is to be rendered during detection of the label in a playback mode.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
17 words
61 . The apparatus as recited in claim 60 , wherein the circuitry comprises a barcode reader.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
18 words
62 . The apparatus as recited in claim 60 , wherein the circuitry comprises an IR tag reader.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
18 words
63 . The apparatus as recited in claim 60 , wherein the circuitry comprises a RFID tag reader.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
20 words
64 . The apparatus as recited in claim 60 , wherein the circuitry comprises a keyboard for inputting textual information.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
85 words
65 . An apparatus for authoring and providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: circuitry for detecting a label associated with an object; and programming for normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; a system for authoring content in an authoring mode which content is to be unambiguously bound to the object identifier; and a system for rendering content in a playback mode, the content rendered being the content unambiguously bound to the object identifier associated with a detected label.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
85 words
65 . An apparatus for authoring and providing information relevant to a physical world, comprising: circuitry for detecting a label associated with an object; and programming for normalizing information contained in the detected label into an object identifier; a system for authoring content in an authoring mode which content is to be unambiguously bound to the object identifier; and a system for rendering content in a playback mode, the content rendered being the content unambiguously bound to the object identifier associated with a detected label.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
33 words
66 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , further comprising a communications link for downloading authored content to a remote location and for retrieving content from the remote location for rendering.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
18 words
67 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , further comprising a memory for storing the content.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
17 words
68 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , wherein the circuitry comprises a barcode reader.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
18 words
69 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , wherein the circuitry comprises an IR tag reader.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
17 words
70 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , wherein the circuitry determines a coordinate location.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
18 words
71 . The apparatus as recited in claim 65 , wherein the circuitry is a RFID tag reader.
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