Patent Grant
12112090
This invention relates to a system and related methods for a secondary visual digital display on the customer-facing side of a cash register or point-of-sale terminal display or computer monitor.
In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention comprises a secondary visual digital display on the customer-facing side of a cash register or point-of-sale terminal display. The digital display may be an LED (light emitting diode) screen, LCD (liquid crystal display) screen or other form of digital display screen, and is attached to, or arranged proximate to, the back side (i.e., customer-facing side) of a display associated with a point-of-sale terminal or register, concessions register or stand, or similar computer monitor in various locations as described below. A plurality of customer-facing digital displays may be provided, corresponding to the number of POS terminals or monitors used at the location (i.e., each terminal or monitor has a matching customer-facing digital display). In some embodiments, multiple secondary displays may be associated with a single POS terminal or monitor.
The customer-facing digital display presents advertising content, videos, informational content, or any other form of content that the business or location owner or operator would like to have displayed to customers. An application program, as described below, is stored and/or loaded on memory storage in the secondary display and run by a microprocessor in the secondary display, or alternatively, is stored and/or loaded on a separate device, and run by a microprocessor in the secondary display or in the separate device. Examples of control and/or communications methods and devices include, but are not limited to, a USB or similar port compatible device (e.g., stick or dongle), a media player, a power-over-ethernet device, video or TV box or streaming device, television broadcast, direct satellite broadcast, Internet transmission (e.g., TCP/IP), or another computer networking means of video, still picture, and/or audio transmission.
The content may be displayed based upon context. The content can be programmed and managed by the business or location owner or operator, by a third party service that creates and provides content for sale to business/location owners and operators, or by a third party service/operator that manages a system (including, but not limited to, the obtaining and downloading of content) as part of a negotiated contract with the owner or operation of a business or location (or multiple businesses or locations).
The business or location owner or operator may have the customer-facing displays connected (wired or wirelessly) to their own system for content and programming. Alternatively, the customer-facing displays may be kept separate from the business network or system, and may be on a dedicated network or system (which may be in the store/location or remote) providing content and programming. In one embodiment, a “black box” data hub is provided to plug into and interface with the business/location's host system. In yet a further embodiment, a separate wifi guest account may be purchased by the service provider or business/location owner/operator for the purposes of supplying internet access to the displays.
In various exemplary embodiments, as seen in
A plurality of customer-facing digital displays may be provided, corresponding to the number of POS terminals or monitors used at the location (i.e., each terminal or monitor has a matching customer-facing digital display). In some embodiments, multiple secondary displays may be associated with a single POS terminal or monitor.
The customer-facing digital display presents advertising content, videos, informational content, or any other form of content that the business or location owner or operator would like to have displayed to customers. Sound may or may not also be projected as part of the content, or independently from the content. An application program, as described below, is stored and/or loaded on memory storage in the secondary display and run by a microprocessor in the secondary display, or alternatively, is stored and/or loaded on a separate device, and run by a microprocessor in the secondary display or in the separate device. Examples of control and/or communications methods and devices include, but are not limited to, a USB or similar port compatible device (e.g., stick or dongle), a media player, a power-over-ethernet device, video or TV box or streaming device, television broadcast, direct satellite broadcast, Internet transmission (e.g., TCP/IP), or another computer networking means of video, still picture, and/or audio transmission.
The content may be displayed based upon context. The content can be programmed and managed by the business or location owner or operator, by a third party service that creates and provides content for sale to business/location owners and operators, or by a third party service/operator that manages a system (including, but not limited to, the obtaining and downloading of content) as part of a negotiated contract with the owner or operation of a business or location (or multiple businesses or locations).
The business or location owner or operator may have the customer-facing displays connected (wired or wirelessly) to their own system for content and programming. Alternatively, the customer-facing displays may be kept separate from the business network or system, and may be on a dedicated network or system (which may be in the store/location or remote) providing content and programming. In one embodiment, a “black box” data hub is provided to plug into and interface with the business/location's host system. In yet a further embodiment, a separate wifi guest account may be purchased by the service provider or business/location owner/operator for the purposes of supplying internet access to the displays.
Regardless of configuration, there are multiple options for content management and control. Management and control may be through a third-party service provider that provides equipment, original content, and services to a business/location owner or operator. Alternatively, a third-party service provide may help manage the content, but the content is created and owned by the business/location owner or operator (or other entity). In yet another embodiment, the system includes software applications designed to allow the displays to connect to the business/location owner or operator's host system and thereby control and manage their own content. In a further embodiment, a third party service/operator manages a system (including, but not limited to, the obtaining and downloading of content from various sources, such as corporate advertisers or sponsors) as part of a negotiated contract with the owner or operation of a business or location (or multiple businesses or locations).
In one exemplary embodiment, the content being displayed is dynamic, and can be based upon the customer's interaction with the employee at the business/location terminal. For example, as items being purchased are recognized and entered in a POS terminal, the corresponding customer-facing display may show related products or items or services.
The size, weight, and configuration of the customer-facing screen may vary, depending on the business/location's needs and size and configuration of the existing monitors/terminals. In one embodiment, as seen in
In an alternative embodiment, a tablet computing device, as seen in
A variety of connection/attachment means or mechanisms may be used to securely attach the customer-facing screen 20 to the back of, or proximate to the back of, the existing monitor/terminal 10. The customer facing screen may be connected directly to the corresponding monitor/terminal, or indirectly, such as to a stand or platform. Examples of connection means 30, 32, 34, 36, 130, 132 include, but are not limited to, mounting plates, mounting brackets, pole mounts, stand mounts, mounting plates with rotating arms, hook-and-loop attachment devices or strips, magnetic attachment means, tablet enclosure, and the like. Connection means may provide attachment at the top and/or bottom (
In several embodiments, the secondary display is removable attachable, and thus can be “retro-fit” to pre-existing POS register/terminal or similar system. In an alternative embodiment, the secondary display is integrated or built into the POS register/terminal as a second screen, or as a double-sided screen display facing in opposite directions, with the displays operating independently of each other.
As can be seen in
In one exemplary embodiment, as seen in
Playback generally is controlled by the local application program, although, as discussed above, the central server may control playback on secondary displays with which it is in electronic communication over a network. Playlist playback parameters include, but are not limited to, start time, end time, continuous play, playlist sequencing, random play within a set list, and similar functions.
Secondary displays may be locally controlled by a local application program loaded on the local computer storage device associated with the display, and run by a local microprocessor in or associated with the display. The local application program receives the pre-selected content and then displays the content according to its programming. Display may be in accordance with default instructions in the local application program, or in accordance with specific instructions sent from the central server. The secondary display may be controlled remotely from the central server, including turning the secondary display on/off, turning the display of content on the secondary display on/off, or interrupting the display of the pre-determined content, such as to add additional programming, run live programming (such a sporting event or news program), or run an alert (such as a weather or traffic alert).
In order to provide a context for the various computer-implemented aspects of the invention, the following discussion provides a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which the various aspects of the present invention may be implemented. A computing system environment is one example of a suitable computing environment, but is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. A computing environment may contain any one or combination of components discussed below, and may contain additional components, or some of the illustrated components may be absent. Various embodiments of the invention are operational with numerous general purpose or special purpose computing systems, environments or configurations. Examples of computing systems, environments, or configurations that may be suitable for use with various embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptop computers, computer servers, computer notebooks, hand-held devices, microprocessor-based systems, multiprocessor systems, TV set-top boxes and devices, programmable consumer electronics, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, smart phones, touch screen devices, smart TV, internet enabled appliances, internet enabled security systems, internet enabled gaming systems, internet enabled watches; internet enabled cars (or transportation), network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, embedded systems, virtual systems, distributed computing environments, streaming environments, volatile environments, and the like.
Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in the form of computer-executable instructions, such as program code or program modules, being executed by a computer, virtual computer, or computing device. Program code or modules may include programs, objects, components, data elements and structures, routines, subroutines, functions and the like. These are used to perform or implement particular tasks or functions. Embodiments of the invention also may be implemented in distributed computing environments. In such environments, tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked via a communications network or other data transmission medium, and data and program code or modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices such as, but not limited to, hard drives, solid state drives (SSD), flash drives, USB drives, optical drives, and internet-based storage (e.g., “cloud” storage).
In one embodiment, a computer system comprises multiple client devices in communication with one or more server devices through or over a network, although in some cases no server device is used. In various embodiments, the network may comprise the Internet, an intranet, Wide Area Network (WAN), or Local Area Network (LAN). It should be noted that many of the methods of the present invention are operable within a single computing device.
A client device may be any type of processor-based platform that is connected to a network and that interacts with one or more application programs. The client devices each comprise a computer-readable medium in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM) in communication with a processor. The processor executes computer-executable program instructions stored in memory. Examples of such processors include, but are not limited to, microprocessors, ASICs, and the like.
Client devices may further comprise computer-readable media in communication with the processor, said media storing program code, modules and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the program and perform the steps described herein. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer or computing device and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. Computer-readable media may further comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media comprises media for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data, data structures, or program code or modules. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, any electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage or transmission device, a floppy disk, hard disk drive, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, an ASIC, a configured processor, CDROM, DVD or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium from which a computer processor can read instructions or that can store desired information. Communication media comprises media that may transmit or carry instructions to a computer, including, but not limited to, a router, private or public network, wired network, direct wired connection, Power over Ethernet device or other Ethernet connection, wireless network, other wireless media (such as acoustic, RF, infrared, or the like) or other transmission device or channel. This may include computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism. Said transmission may be wired, wireless, or both. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media. The instructions may comprise code from any computer-programming language, including, for example, C, C++, C #, Visual Basic, Java, and the like.
Components of a general purpose client or computing device may further include a system bus that connects various system components, including the memory and processor. A system bus may be any of several types of bus structures, including, but not limited to, a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Such architectures include, but are not limited to, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.
Computing and client devices also may include a basic input/output system (BIOS), which contains the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within a computer, such as during start-up. BIOS typically is stored in ROM. In contrast, RAM typically contains data or program code or modules that are accessible to or presently being operated on by processor, such as, but not limited to, the operating system, application program, and data.
Client devices also may comprise a variety of other internal or external components, such as a monitor or display, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a pointing device, touch pad, microphone, joystick, satellite dish, scanner, a disk drive, a CD-ROM or DVD drive, or other input or output devices. These and other devices are typically connected to the processor through a user input interface coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, serial port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor or other type of display device is typically connected to the system bus via a video interface. In addition to the monitor, client devices may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers and printer, which may be connected through an output peripheral interface.
Client devices may operate on any operating system capable of supporting an application of the type disclosed herein. Client devices also may support a browser or browser-enabled application. Examples of client devices include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, computer notebooks, hand-held devices, cellular phones, mobile phones, smart phones, pagers, digital tablets, Internet appliances, and other processor-based devices. Users may communicate with each other, and with other systems, networks, and devices, over the network through the respective client devices.
Thus, it should be understood that the embodiments and examples described herein have been chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited for particular uses contemplated. Even though specific embodiments of this invention have been described, they are not to be taken as exhaustive. There are several variations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/451,016, filed Jun. 25, 2019, which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Applications Nos. 62/689,280, filed Jun. 25, 2018, and 62/775,953, filed Dec. 6, 2018, all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by specific reference for all purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090259516 | Zeevi | Oct 2009 | A1 |
| 20110153393 | Raff | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62775953 | Dec 2018 | US | |
| 62689280 | Jun 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16451016 | Jun 2019 | US |
| Child | 17475106 | US |
