An object of the invention is to provide an interactive media storage system.
A second object of the invention is to provide a system which provides active response to a media item being stored in an appropriate or inappropriate location.
A third object of the invention is to provide a system which will encourage users to interact with media items in a variety of contexts.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following disclosure.
The present invention relates to a system for storing media items wherein a storage means such as a shelf, rack, box or case can detect the insertion and/or removal of a media items and respond in a predetermined manner. The system is suitable for a wide variety of applications, such as a children's book storage system which is keyed to books and responds in the voice of a character or by encouraging a child to read or a storage system for professional books which ensures that books are replaced in an orderly manner. The system can also track the identity of a person or persons inserting or removing media items.
The characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims. The descriptions of the preferred embodiment refer to the preceding drawings:
The description of the preferred embodiment uses the invention in a device which stores children's books and recognizes them as they are inserted or removed from the storage area. While the description refers to “books,” the media involved could be DVD's, videocassettes, CD's, or any other appropriate media which is suitable for storage in a base.
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The description of the figures above demonstrates the most basic embodiment of the invention, but further refinements could be added to increase the interactivity of the system and its responsiveness to a given book or books. For instance, each book could contain a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and the base could contain a corresponding RFID reader, such that the base could respond appropriately to a given book. In an embodiment for children, the reader could respond by encouraging the child to enjoy the book when it is removed and thanking them for returning it when it is inserted, possibly in the voice of one or more of the characters in the book. In an embodiment for tracking books, the RFID tags could be tracked by time, with a secondary RFID tag keyed to individual users allowing the system to know who removed a given book, when it was removed, and when and if it was replaced. The user identification means could also be an input sequence, a swiped card, or any other suitable identification means. The means of identifying the books may also be embodied in a variety of ways, such as physical key shapes, capacitance tags, conductive inks with or without integrated inductance devices which are detectable by sensors, or appropriately placed barcodes or other symbols with corresponding reader means incorporated into the system.
While the description above details the preferred and best mode(s) of practicing the invention, many other configurations and variations are possible. For example:
Number | Date | Country | |
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61010437 | Jan 2008 | US |