SMART ARTEFACT AND USER TERMINAL HAVING A SHORT RANGE INTERFACE AND LONG RANGE INTERFACE

Abstract

A smart artefact (101) and user terminal (102) according to the invention have a first, short range interface (112, 121) for initiating an interactive session, and a second, long range interface (111, 124), for continuing the interactive session. The smart artefact (101) and user terminal (102) thereto also contain means that transfer the interactive session from the first interface (112, 121) towards the second interface (121, 124).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the artefact and user terminal according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

FIG. 1 shows a smart public display 101, a mobile user terminal 102, and a base transceiver station 103 of a mobile network.

The smart display 101 contains an RF interface 111, a haptic interface 112, a processor unit 113, application logic 114 and a graphical user interface 115. The mobile user terminal 102 has a haptic interface 121, application logic 122, a user interface 123 and an RF interface 124. The RF interfaces in the smart display 111 and user terminal 124 can be an interface for GSM, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.

When the user of the mobile terminal 102 touches with the haptic interface 121 the corresponding haptic interface 112 of the smart display 101, a short range interactive session is established between the smart display 101 and user terminal 102 and the mobile user terminal 102 becomes associated to the smart display 101.

Once the association is made between the mobile terminal 102 and the smart display 101, the user of the mobile terminal 102 may start walking around. The interactive session with the smart display 101 will be kept, even when the user is out of sight, since the session will be handed over from the haptic interface 112 to the RF interface 111, which is a long range interface that communicates with the RF interface 124 of the mobile terminal 102 via the mobile network represented by the base transceiver station 103 in FIG. 1. Also in the mobile user terminal 102, the interactive session is transferred from the haptic interface 121 to the RF interface 124, and this in synchronism with the handover in the smart display 101. From this moment on, the smart display 101 and the user terminal 102 are engaged in a long range communication session, and the interaction takes place over RF. An application, e.g. of the client-server type like fetching a movie trailer, posting text, sharing the graphical user interface between the user terminal and the smart display, etc. will run over the established interactive communication session, and the user is able to maintain the interactive session, for instance even till he has returned to his/her home or his/her office.

Thanks to the invention, the user of the mobile terminal 102 is offered a clear and intuitive way of entering into an interactive session with the smart display 101. The user can select a smart display from a multiple of displays within his vicinity by simply touching the selected display with the mobile terminal 102, and is able to extend the interaction zone to infinity (e.g. take the interactive session with the smart display home). The invention introduces natural, tactile or haptic aspects in the interaction with smart artefacts, and solves the privacy issue when interacting with public artefacts, like public displays or billboards that according to prior art solutions would automatically interact with the passing user terminal and eventually display personal, private information.

Although the user terminal 102 and the smart display 101 in FIG. 1 are equipped with a haptic or touch-based interface, any short range interface or sensing technology like RFID, infrared, Bluetooth, barcode reading, etc. could be a viable alternative for associating a user terminal with the smart display and establishing an interactive session there between.

A further remark is that the smart display 101 and the mobile phone 102 of FIG. 1 are only examples of the smart artefact and the user terminal according to the present invention. Other examples of smart artefacts are billboards, whiteboards, ambient walls, tables etc. Other examples of user terminals are PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), laptops, remote control devices, etc. Yet another remark is that long range communication via an RF connection through a base transceiver station was only given as example. The skilled technician will appreciate that variants of the present invention may employ long range communication through hotspots (e.g. WiFi), or through other wireless terminals (e.g. WiFi in ad-hoc mode) in the neighborhood.

It is also noticed that the smart display, or more generally the smart artefact, and user terminal according to the present invention may comprise more than one short range interface, and more than one long range interface. Plural interfaces increase the chance for compatibility, and the chance to successfully establish an interactive session when for instance one of the interfaces fails. In such case where the user terminal or smart artefact contains plural short range interfaces and/or plural long range interfaces, the terminal or artefact preferably is also equipped with handover means that enable to transfer an interactive communication session from any available short range interface to any available long range interface. When plural long range interfaces are available, the user terminal and smart artefact possibly agree upon the long range communication means that will be used to maintain the interactive session. This may be done during a negotiation cycle.

Although the present invention has been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments, and that the present invention may be embodied with various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. In other words, it is contemplated to cover any and all modifications, variations or equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles and whose essential attributes are claimed in this patent application. It will furthermore be understood by the reader of this patent application that the words “comprising” or “comprise” do not exclude other elements or steps, that the words “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality, and that a single element, such as a computer system, a processor, or another integrated unit may fulfil the functions of several means recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the respective claims concerned.

Claims

1. A smart artefact (101) having first interfacing means (112), active within a short range, for initiating an interactive session with a user terminal (102), CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said smart artefact (101) further has:second interfacing means (111), active within a substantially longer range than said short range, for continuing said interactive session with said user terminal (102), andmeans for transferring said interactive session from said first interfacing means (112) towards said second interfacing means (111).

2. A smart artefact (101) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said first interfacing means (112) are an instantiation of one or more of:a touch-based interface;a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag;a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader;a barcode;a barcode scanner;a shotcode;a shotcode scanner;a Uniform Resource Locator (URL);a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) reader;a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface;an infrared interface;a Bluetooth interface.

3. A smart artefact (101) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said second interfacing means (111) are an instantiation of one or more of:a Bluetooth interface or IEEE 802.15 interface;a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interface;a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) interface or IEEE 802.11 interface;a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) interface or IEEE 802.16 interface;a Wireless Broadband (WiBro) interface;a HomeRF interface;a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) interface;a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) interface;a Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) interface.

4. A user terminal (102) having first interfacing means (121), active within a short range, for initiating an interactive session with a smart artefact (101), CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said user terminal (102) further hassecond interfacing means (124), active within a substantially longer range than said short range, for continuing said interactive session with said smart artefact (101), andmeans for transferring said interactive session from said first interfacing means (121) towards said second interfacing means (124).