Home
L__PA
Contents
1. Transmission of additional lug nut removal instructions according to previously received vehicle data and local mechanical business listings 352 Distribution of requested lug nut removal instructions and local mechanical business listings ww Patent Application Publication Jan 31 2008 Sheet 4 of 6 US 2008 0027804 A1 FIGURE 5 TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY 520 GPS RECEIVER 518 INPUT DEVICE 502 PROCESSING DEVICE 508 LOCAL 4D STORAGE DEVICE 510 OUTPUT DEVICE 512 READER SCANNER 516 RECEIVER TRANSMITTER 504 US 2008 0027804 A1 Jan 31 2008 Sheet 5 of 6 Patent Application Publication HCH 929 Fc ZC SE yoeg ojupjsonbey yYonoj ajqeuj MaIA joued apis au ojui syoojweo y Buunoas p dajs Ajquassy syoojweg wey jueuodwoj SEVDELOL ON JUeuodwog VIW oye eunjluing jouiqeo eM edit anyum wnInxy apo eunywng 9 FJANDIY Patent Application Publication Jan 31 2008 Sheet 6 of 6 US 2008 0027804 A1 FIGURE 7 INSTRUCTIONAL DATA Date Field 706 709 Reminder Data 708 FIGURE 8 Business Listing Database Meta data Volkswagen 3D DATA 802 a Advertisement Database Location Database US 2008 0027804 Al 4DHELP DIRECTED ADVERTISING DISTRIBUTION METHOD CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 This application claims the benefit of U S provi sional application No 60 833 742 filed on Jul 26 2006 herein
2. Due to user 302 s lack of experience with tire installation the flat tire still cannot be replaced because user 302 does not know how to remove the lug nut from the spare tire User 302 makes additional communication with the processing device 308 via the mobile device 304 which has maintained an open communication channel with the pro cessing device 308 in the meantime to allow additional levels of user inquiries User 302 sends a request for lug nut removal instructions to the processing device 308 in 348 In 350 the processing device 308 transmits the request to the repair instructions database 312 to retrieve lug nut removal instructions At the same time the processing device 308 determines that the additional user request means that user 302 is having difficulty with tire repair As such the pro cessing device 308 locates the mobile device 304 via GPS capability implemented on the mobile device 304 and transmits location information to the data storage device 314 which contains a list of business listings According to the location information received the processing device 308 collects listings of automotive repair shops that are located near where user 302 encountered the vehicle emergency along with lug nut removal instructions from the data storage device 312 in 352 US 2008 0027804 Al 0042 Finally in 354 the processing device 308 distrib utes lug nut removal instructions as well as a set of local automotive repair b
3. are available to one of ordinary skill in the art similar to components 108 308 408 and 508 as they are described in FIGS 1 3 4 and 5 respectively can retrieve and distribute the reminder data 708 to users based on the date field 709 such that users have sufficient time to respond and attend to the reminders 0055 The 3D data may be viewed or interacted with one or more types of existing applications For example one technique may include existing three dimensional interac tive software such as an iPix application Additionally the data may be viewed through a standard browser or other types of applications that allow for user interaction includ ing for example embedded image interaction buttons or queues In another embodiment a standard viewer may be combined with voice recognition and image rendering tech niques such as those found with video gaming consoles to allow for the dynamic image generation or the three dimen sional interaction based on user inputs It is recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art that there exists various other techniques for displaying and facilitating the interac tion of the 3D data and the above discussed examples are not meant to be so limiting as noted herein 0056 FIG 8 is a block diagram that illustrates one embodiment of a method for distribution of directed adver tising as the 4DHelp information to users and its associated database arrangement As described in previous embo
4. are helpful to the user 0049 FIG 6 illustrates a representative example of a screenshot that may be visible on a user interface of a mobile device used in the 4DHelp information distribution system The user interface contains a touch screen display 620 whose functionality is described in further details below In the embodiment illustrated user is attempting to assemble a piece of furniture that was purchased from IKEA and has encountered difficulty in securing a set of camlocks into one of the side panels 0050 The user initiates a request by scanning an identi fication code located on the packaging for the camlocks with a receiver scanner device known to one of skill in the art including for example the receiver scanner 516 described in FIG 5 above After the receipt of the user request a processing device such as the processing device 508 described in FIG 5 retrieves instructions regarding the camlocks from an external database storage device such as the database storage device 110 described in FIG 1 and transmits the instructions to the mobile device 0051 Continuing with this embodiment the instructional information is displayed on the user interface Specifically US 2008 0027804 Al the upper portion of the touch screen display 620 shows a 4DHelp image of a camlock being secured into a side panel The middle portion of the touch screen display 620 shows text information regarding the furniture piece and compo n
5. device 408 retrieves 4DHelp data from a data storage device that is implemented as an external database or a network of external databases that store three or two dimensional data For example in the tire repair example provided in FIG 3 above the data storage devices 310 312 and 314 can be maintained by various truck manufacturers tire manufactures and auto repair businesses who would like to provide better customer service by taking advantage of the 4DHelp information Jan 31 2008 distribution system and sending maintenance reminders repair instructions and or advertisements to customers 0047 FIG 5 is functional block diagram that illustrates another embodiment of a mobile device as a component in the 4DHelp information distribution system The exemplary mobile device comprises a processing device 508 receiver transmitter 504 display 520 input device 502 and output device 512 The processing device 508 receiver transmitter 504 input device 502 and output device 504 may be similar to the mobile device components described above with respect to FIG 4 and the display 520 may be similar to the display of FIG 4 although including touch screen capabili ties Transmission of data can be accomplished via wireless network 506 Additionally the exemplary mobile device also contains a reader scanner 516 such as a radio frequency identification device to enable user input by scanning an object as described in the example embod
6. incorporated by reference COPYRIGHT NOTICE 0002 A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduc tion by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records but otherwise reserves all copyright rights what soever BACKGROUND 0003 The present invention generally relates to a system and method for distribution of four dimensional 4D infor mation or 4DHelp information to users and more specifi cally to on demand and real time transmission of time sensitive and useful self help data which enable innovative and complex user interactions with the 4DHelp information along with an additional set of data pertaining to the self help data that may be of potential interest to the users such as advertising and business listings 0004 Currently there exist many self help mechanisms that attempt to expedite a user s problem solving process by providing information relating to the user s problem or product at hand For example desktop help menus are designed to be searchable by topic so that a user can access information pertaining to a specific subject matter or own er s manuals containing voluminous product information are provided to users for future reference when they purchase products However these systems fail to fully me
7. which indicates when a vehicle maintenance task should be com pleted 0039 The processing device 308 performs periodic retrieval of 4DHelp data based on the date field in order to distribute reminder information In this embodiment the processing device 308 distributes reminder for tire rotation at a predetermined time period for example three weeks before the vehicle maintenance due date in 334 In this example the user 302 may choose to ignore the reminder and continue to drive the truck without rotating the tires 0040 After certain passage of time due to over usage of the truck s tires one of them becomes flat and the truck breaks down on the side of the road in an isolated area User 302 requests for tire installation instructions by making voice commands via the mobile device 304 in 336 The processing device 308 receives the user requests and responds with an inquiry for vehicle data in 338 User 302 inputs the vehicle data by scanning the vehicle s identifica tion code with the mobile device 304 which transmits the requested vehicle data to the processing device 308 in 340 The processing device 308 in turn transmits the vehicle data to data storage device 312 to retrieve the tire installation instructions customized for user 302 s truck in 342 The requested instruction information is immediately collected and transmitted from the repair instructions database 312 in 344 and distributed to user 302 in 346 0041
8. N Vehicle Make etc 330 Transmission and storing of vehicle information VIN Vehicle Make etc 332 Distribution of information regarding scheduled tire maintenance event Request for tire repair instructions 336 Request for vehicle data input 338 ke Transmission of kan vehicle data Transmission of requested vehicle data 342 Transmission of tire repair instructions according to vehicle data 344 Distribution of requested tire repair instructions 346 Le Request for additional lug nut removal instructions a Request for additional lug nut removal instructions Request for locat mechanical business listings 350 Transmission of additional lug nut removal instructions according to previously received vehicle data and local mechanical business listings 362 Distribution of requested lug nut removal instructions and local mechanical business listings L Patent Application Publication Jan 31 2008 Sheet 1 of 6 US 2008 0027804 A1 FIGURE 1 4DHelp information distribution User request FIGURE 4 DISPLAY 420 PROCESSING DEVICE 408 INPUT DEVICE 402 406 OUTPUT DEVICE kis RECEIVER TRANSMITTER 404 Patent Application Publication 202 204 206 208 210 212 214 216 Jan 31 2008 Sheet 2 of 6 FIGURE 2 200 Sends request for instruction on tire installation to processing device Req
9. US 20080027804A1 a Patent Application Publication co Pub No US 2008 0027804 A1 av United States Kaplan 43 Pub Date Jan 31 2008 54 4DHELP DIRECTED ADVERTISING DISTRIBUTION METHOD 76 Inventor Richard D Kaplan New York NY US Correspondence Address KENYON amp KENYON LLP ONE BROADWAY NEW YORK NY 10004 21 Appl No 11 634 487 22 Filed Dec 5 2006 Related U S Application Data 60 Provisional application No 60 833 742 filed on Jul 26 2006 Publication Classification 51 Int CL G06Q 30 00 2006 01 52 A TISE ON shan ata ete ee An ao 705 14 57 ABSTRACT The present invention provides for a method of transmitting directed advertisement to an end user in a 4DHelp informa tion distribution system The method employs intelligent information filtering and association such that when the user initiates a request for one set of 4DHelp instructional information an additional set of 4DHelp promotional infor mation that is related to the information requested is also transmitted along with the 4DHelp instructional informa tion To provide additional levels of customization the 4DHelp information can be selected based on the location of the user as well as user s previously registered personal information Repair instruction database 312 Registration and maintenance database 302 204 308 310 Local business listing database Registration of vehicle information VI
10. ach set of 3D data with which it is associated For example if the 3D data 702 contains product data directed to automotive parts for a 2007 Acura MDX then the meta data 704 contains descriptors such as Acura SUV MDX etc Finally the data structure for the 4DHelp information may also include instructional data 706 which enables user interaction with the 3D data In another embodiment of the invention the instructional data 706 is an interactive program that maintains an open communication Jan 31 2008 channel between an input source such as a user of a mobile device with voice command functions and an output source such as an operator who provides real time customer service to the user of the 4DHelp information distribution system Alternatively the instructional data 706 may be imple mented as an interactive program that allows for radio frequency identification capabilities 0054 In further embodiments of the invention the data structure for the 4DHelp information may also include reminder data 708 which can be data regarding a set of scheduled events such as a vehicle maintenance schedule for the vehicle whose data is contained in the 3D data 702 and described by the meta data 704 or a healthcare checkup schedule Reminder data 708 may be implemented to include date field 709 which indicates when a scheduled task should be completed as described in example embod ied in FIG 3 Processing devices that
11. and receiving communications 0044 Additionally processing device 408 whose exem plary functionality is described above for the processing device 108 in FIG 1 can be implemented to provide visual display of all or portions of the received data and enable adjustment of the visual display by the user in display 420 The adjustment of the display may be accomplished using any suitable interactive technique such as a tactile interface to allow a user to rotate an imagine a touch screen interface to allow a user to perform various touch screen operations voice input capabilities through various voice recognition techniques on screen interactive commands or any other suitable techniques as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art 0045 Additionally audio output device 412 can be implemented in the mobile device so that rather than visu ally displaying the data retrieved by the processing device 408 the retrieved data can be outputted in audio announce ments to the user In another embodiment the input device 402 and the audio output device 412 are further equipped with natural language engines so that voice command func tions are capable of recognizing natural languages 0046 Ina further embodiment the processing device 408 retrieves 4DHelp data from a data storage device that is implemented as a local memory within the processing device 408 Alternatively in the wireless communication environment 406 the processing
12. ate 4DHelp images based on three dimensional data using a commercially or publicly available software application such as a graphics or CAD system or a sketch up technique As another example the user may utilize a 3D scanner such as one currently available from NextEngine to generate a 3D model Additionally the meta data may be assigned to the 3D data to thereby allow user interactivity It is also recognized the 3D data may be acquired from other existing sources such as a CAD or design database three dimensional mapping database a video database or any other suitable source 0053 FIG 7 is a block diagram that illustrates the data structure for the 4DHelp information as a component of the 4DHelp information distribution system In the disclosed embodiment the data structure includes three dimensional 3D data 702 which can be implemented as any 3D data structure known to one skilled in the art for example as a sequence of frames of 3D data The substance of the 3D data 702 may be any type of information such as in various exemplary embodiments of product data or healthcare rec ommendations In another embodiment of the invention the 3D product data 702 may include CAD drawings from manufacturers a product identifier i e an unique identifi cation code maintenance information regarding the prod uct and product repair instructions The data structure also includes meta data 704 which can be used to describe and identify e
13. ded with the 4DHelp instructional data such that when the user activates the 4DHelp instructional data through actions such as enabling touch screen func tionality the related promotional data appears as a multi media display 0058 In another embodiment of the invention an addi tional layer of intelligence is added such that the method includes the steps of determining the location where the user entered the user request and selecting promotional informa tion such as business listings based on the location In this embodiment the advertisement database 810 is organized as a relational database with connections to business listing database 812 and location database 814 The exchange of information amongst the databases 810 812 and 814 ensures that the user receives business listings that are substantively relevant and physically accessible 0059 In a further embodiment of the invention the user may register personal information similar to the registration of vehicle data as described for the example embodied in FIG 3 For instance the user may choose to register personal contact information car insurance information state vehicle registration information and automotive ser vice subscriptions It may be implemented such that another embodiment of the invention includes the steps of retrieving the stored personal information and selecting promotional information based on the personal information to provide further customization
14. di ments the distribution of advertisement can be accom plished in a networked or wireless communication environ ment One embodiment of the proposed method includes the step of determining a user request seeking 4DHelp instruc tional data related to a Volkswagen vehicle as indicated by meta data 804 which describes the contents of 3D data 802 as similarly disclosed in the example embodied in FIG 7 Once it is decided that the meta data 804 identifies infor mation pertaining to Volkswagen the directed advertising distribution method searches advertisement database 810 whose functionality and examples are described above for database 110 in FIG 1 to determine promotional data that is related to Volkswagen vehicles In another embodiment of the invention the promotional data can be of one or more topics that are related to the subject matter indicated by the meta data 804 For example promotional data can include coupons from Volkswagen dealerships or offerings from automotive service clubs such as AAA 0057 This embodiment of the invention further includes the steps of associating the promotional data with the 4DHelp instructional data initially requested by the user and providing the promotional data along with the requested US 2008 0027804 Al 4DHelp instructional data to the user To associate the promotional data with the 4DHelp instructional data another embodiment of the invention allows a multi media display to be embed
15. e device or processing system having the ability to make a wireless connection such as a wireless enabled computer The invention may utilize any suitable interface allowing a user to connect to an information retrieving system such as directly connecting to a wireless service or logging onto a web based portal or site for example In one embodiment the user may enter account information or login information if requested 0025 Through this connection the user may then provide input data indicating the requested information Various embodiments are envisioned as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art for requesting information One technique may include scanning or submitting a photograph of a component or identifier For example if a product has a universal identification code this may be photographed scanned typed in by the user spoken among other input techniques Another technique may include wirelessly read ing information from the device itself such as from an RFID tag or wireless data chip for example 0026 Through the various data submission techniques the service program may then access a database of 4DHelp data to retrieve the corresponding information In another embodiment further operating steps may be performed to narrow the scope of information such as asking the user for more specific information being requested or a purpose of the information Once the proper 4DHelp data is retrieved this informa
16. e one a SMS message an instant message an electronic mail communication an electronic mail com munication attachment or a facsimile 18 A method for directed advertising in a wireless data transmission system the method comprising receiving a data request from a mobile device determining a user input request for interactive three dimensional instructional data from the data request determining related promotional information associated with the interactive three dimensional instructional data associating the related promotional information with the interactive three dimensional instructional data selected based on the user input request and transmitting the related promotional information and the interactive three dimensional instructional data to the mobile device of the end user wherein multi media display of promotional information is outputted in conjunction with user activation of the interactive three dimensional instructional data and the promotional information includes directed advertising to one or more topics relating to the content or purpose of the interactive three dimensional instructional data 19 The method of claim 18 further comprising recognizing a location of the transmission of the user input request and selecting the related promotional material also based on the location 20 The method of claim 18 wherein the promotional information includes a promotional coupon for goods or services associated
17. ent item For example in the embodiment described herein furniture type is shown to be a wall cabinet furniture maker is shown to be IKEA component number is shown to be 103433 and assembly step inquired is shown to be securing 4 camlocks into the side panel Lastly the bottom portion of the touch screen display 620 shows touch buttons that allow user interactions such as View button 622 Enable Touch button 624 Request Info button 626 and Back button 628 The functionality of each touch button can be implemented according to available capabilities known to one skilled in the art For example Enable Touch button can be implemented such that after the user touches the button the user can rotate the 4DHelp image shown on the upper portion of the touch screen display 620 by touching a particular part of the screen and dragging the 4DHelp image with the touch of a finger In the meantime a new Disable Touch button is shown to be available to the user at the bottom portion of the touch screen display 620 such that the user can touch the button to disable the touch screen function 0052 4DHelp images may be generated in this system based on any suitable generation technique As described below the 4DHelp images include additional data allowing for user interaction whereas the base 3D data field is available for multi dimensional rotation By way of example a user may gener
18. et a user s problem solving requirement in today s mobile and demanding consumer environment because they typically provide static information mostly in the form of two dimen sional 2D flat printed materials that cannot dynamically adapt to the user s needs in real time and in a manner that is most suitable and convenient for the user 0005 Existing self help systems only provide general ized static 2D and potentially obsolete information that is not customized to the user s specific needs For example a printed user manual provides a generalized instruction tool for the user to navigate for finding specific information such as how to perform a particular function on a motor vehicle This information is usually text information printed figures or other non interactive materials As a further example an electronic help menu may be text and some related static figures but does not include active video or interactive three dimensional instructional materials that are in motion such as 4DHelp information Additionally these static manuals as they are updated the old manuals must be discarded or replaced as being obsolete thereby wasting significant amounts of paper ink and associated costs 0006 These existing systems cannot intelligently under stand or anticipate the user s potential interest so that the systems also fail to provide additional information that could be of significant value to the user For example wh
19. for the inclusion of the directed message to the user in a timely manner consistent with a user s apparent need 0030 FIG 1 is a functional block diagram that illustrates one embodiment of a 4DHelp information distribution sys tem 100 The system 100 includes a user 102 a mobile device 104 a wireless transmission device 106 a backend server 108 and a database 110 The mobile device 104 may be a mobile phone a PDA a mobile computing device having wireless capabilities a smart phone or any other suitable type of the mobile device 104 as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art The wireless device 106 may be one more wireless systems that may include connectivity to one or more networks such as the Internet or a proprietary network using known connecting techniques and protocols Jan 31 2008 The backend server 108 may be one or more processing devices capable of receiving communication and accessing the database 110 as described in further detail below The database 110 may be one or more of any suitable type of data storage device capable of storing interactive 4DHelp data as described in further detail below 0031 As illustrated in FIG 1 the user 102 operates the mobile device 104 User 102 sends a user request via the wireless network 106 for assistance with a personal encoun ter such as for example a vehicle or medical emergency In the exemplary case of a medical emergency user 102 may need instructions o
20. h an RFID scanning device for example which can be implemented inside the mobile device 304 in 330 The identification code had been previously configured by the truck manufacturer before the vehicle left the manufacturing facility it uniquely identifies the truck by capturing information including vehicle make model year and various data for the components in the truck including tire model Additionally the identification code also captures a schedule of maintenance events that is especially designed for the truck When the user scans the truck s identification code with the mobile device 304 the vehicle s data as well as its maintenance schedule are Jan 31 2008 transmitted to processing device 308 whose functionality is exemplarily described above for the processing device 108 illustrated in FIG 1 0038 In 332 the processing device 308 transmits and registers the vehicle data and maintenance schedule in data storage device 310 whose functionality and examples are described above for the data storage device 110 illustrated in FIG 1 In this example the data storage device 310 main tains registration and maintenance information for vehicles Additionally the data storage device 310 is connected in a network of databases with data storage devices 312 and 314 which maintain repair instructions for vehicles and local business listings respectively The maintenance schedule may be a set of data that contains a date field
21. hod of claim 7 wherein the electronic message may be one a SMS message an instant message an electronic mail communication an electronic mail commu nication attachment or a facsimile 9 An apparatus for directed advertising in a wireless data transmission system the apparatus comprising a three dimensional instructional data database having interactive three dimensional instructional data stored therein a promotional information database having promotional information stored therein and a processing device coupled to the databases operative to in response to executable instructions US 2008 0027804 Al determine a user input request for the interactive three dimensional instructional data and retrieve the data from the instructional database determine related promotional information associated with the interactive three dimensional instructional data and retrieve the information from the informa tion database associate the related promotional information with the interactive three dimensional instructional data selected based on the user input request and provide the related promotional information and the interactive three dimensional instructional data to an end user 10 The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a receiver operative to receive the user input request and a transmitter operative to transmit the promotional infor mation and the interactive three dimensional instruc tional data 11 The appa
22. ied in FIG 3 above Further the exemplary mobile device may include GPS receiver 518 to provide location information as usable with the mobile device in conjunction with the 4DHelp interactive information application 0048 In one embodiment a camera 514 can also be implemented as an integrated component in the mobile device as an alternative identification device for the user For example instead of identifying the object that needs repair by scanning the object with reader scanner 516 the user may use the camera 514 to take a picture of the object and transmit the image to the processing device 508 for identi fication In another embodiment the camera 514 may allow for visual feedback to an assistant such as a customer service representative for example if the user is having problems with an item the user may take a picture or capture video of the problem and submit the visual feedback to the customer service representative in a proximate real time fashion More specifically in the example embodied in FIG 3 above when user 302 does not know the name of the mechanical part that needs to be removed from the spare tire i e a lug nut the user may capture the lug nut pictorially using the camera 514 in the mobile device Finally a local data storage device 510 whose functionality is introduced above for the local memory in FIG 4 is provided for the mobile device embodied in FIG 5 to allow faster access of 4DHelp information that
23. ile some existing systems provide repair instructions to users they do Jan 31 2008 not have the ability to determine that the users may also be interested in business listings for repair services in addition to the instructions 0007 Existing self help systems are inherently static 2D in nature only providing a one way communication between the user and the information That is once the user requests a set of information and receives the requested materials the user s interactive experience ends and the user cannot immediately make additional inquiries pertain ing to a subset data of the requested materials Should the user need further specific information the user must then resort to additional sources such as researching through a Frequently Asked Questions FAQ section calling a help line to talk to a customer service representative or employ ing other techniques for finding the additional information 0008 Current self help systems may also lack time sensitivity For example because a user may not carry along a digital camera s owner s manual when a problem with a digital camera occurs the user must either blindly figure out the problem or delay use of the product until the manual can be referenced In other situations where an electronic device may include an electronic copy of the user manual or help menu on the device for example a laptop computer or a mobile phone the user is still limited to the exist
24. in addition to the location where the user entered the user request For example if the registered personal information indicates that the user is an AAA member then one embodiment of the invention selects an AAA participating vehicle towing business that is closest to where user is currently located 0060 The inclusion of pertinent or non pertinent infor mation includes other embodiments such as a product warranty or registration For example a user may be allowed or granted 4DHelp capabilities for a product if they register the product with the manufacturer Therefore the pertinent information may pertain to the product itself or warranty information such as indicating that the item is still under warranty and can be returned for authorized repairs The data may also be non pertinent such as generalized adver tising similar to banner advertising on a web page where the initial advertisements are general but may be later custom ized based on further levels of user interaction 0061 Finally the promotional information provided to the user can be in the format of an electronic message such as a SMS message an instant message an electronic email communication or attachment or a facsimile depending on the mechanism at which the user will be receiving the information Various other techniques are envisioned to encompass the distribution of additional information based on the access of the 4DHelp application including sending addit
25. ing static 2D help data on the device 0009 There currently exists mobile user assistance tech niques but these solutions fail to provide interactive three dimensional capability One example of a mobile user assis tance technique is an in vehicle navigation system that uses a GPS device to monitor and track a vehicle position relative to a database of routing information This system uses a static 2D flat topographical map and tracks the vehicle progress on the map The user is provided limited interaction based on the visual feedback of watching the vehicle posi tion updated on the screen but is not afforded direct inter active capabilities in a 3D environment but are rather specifically limited to 2D static maps 0010 There also exists three dimensional assistance guides but these lack mobility interactivity and timeliness For example an item might come with a how to video but these videos by their very nature are static and lacking interactivity As with manuals they also lack portability such that the user must have the item or access to the item in a time sensitive manner to retrieve the requested infor mation As the complexity of electronics consumer items and other elements of the modern world increase so does the complexity of usability of these items There currently does not exist a proficient system combining the various elements and techniques to thereby provide interactive 4DHelp infor mation and perti
26. ional information that can have additional levels of interactivity such an active link to a web site or a verifica tion code for future online or offline activities such as purchasing a new product based on the use of the help application for example a 5 off coupon for an online retailer as an incentive for using the 4DHelp application 0062 Therefore 4DHelp information is provided in a mobile environment where the 4DHelp information is timely with interactive three dimensional information This Jan 31 2008 4DHelp information includes 3D data with associated meta data structures as are readable by a mobile device Addi tionally back end systems allow for the recognition and inclusion off ancillary or additional data to the interactive three dimensional data transmitted in the mobile environ ment 0063 Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and described herein However it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention What is claimed is 1 A method for directed advertising in a wireless data transmission system the method comprising determining a user input request for interactive three dimensional instructional data determining related promotional information associated with the interactive three dimen
27. mote device such as during downtimes For example suppose a user has a wireless device manu factured by a particular electronics company and then pur chases a video disk player by the same company upon registration of the disk player the company may push the 4DHelp data to the user s remote device allowing the user time sensitive access to product information Additionally this service may be provided in conjunction with co oper ating agreements such as purchasing an item by one com pany and registering that product may allow a wireless service provider to provide users with this specific informa tion 0029 In another aspect the 4DHelp data may also facili tate the inclusion of advertising or other directed messages In the above example of a flat tire an intermediate server or service application may recognize one or more messages related to the flat tire and provide such messages in con junction with the tire changing information By way of example one type of directed message may be an adver tisement for a tire sale at a local auto store or an advertise ment for a membership application to a local automobile club It is recognized that additional direct message infor mation may be included such as warranty information in the event vehicle needed to be towed or was covered under a roadside assistant program or other scenarios Regardless of the specific listed embodiments the 4DHelp data and the distribution system allows
28. n further detail below this may include associ ating interactive data to the 4DHelp information which allows for a user to interact with the instructions interrupt the instructions for asking non sequential instructions con tacting additional sources of assistance or other interactive or assistance techniques 0036 Thereafter in step 212 the processing device sends the 4DHelp information to a distribution device which transmits the 4DHelp tire installation information to a receiving device in step 214 Finally in step 216 the receiving device houses a display device which visually outputs the 4DHelp tire installation information on the user s touch screen as a 2D display of interactive 4DHelp images and the user is able to maneuver the images as necessary Additionally the user may utilize the other ele ments of the mobile device for interactive capabilities with the 4DHelp information such as described below with respect to FIG 4 0037 FIG 3 illustrates a data flow of one embodiment of the utilization of interactive 4DHelp information In this 4DHelp information distribution example truck driver 302 carries a mobile device 304 whose functionality and examples are described above for the mobile device 104 illustrated in FIG 1 When truck driver 302 first purchased the vehicle the driver registered the vehicle s data and a corresponding maintenance schedule by scanning an iden tification code located on the truck wit
29. n how to perform CPR on another indi vidual User 102 sends a request to receive such instructional materials by inputting a message via a voice command function on the mobile device 104 Please send me CPR instructions As discussed in further detail below in alter native embodiments the user s input may be accomplished by text input on a display scanning an object such as a barcode or a radio frequency identification device RFID tag or any other suitable input techniques 0032 In this example the user s request is transmitted through the wireless network 106 where the processing device 108 interprets the user request and retrieves the requested data from the database 110 In this embodiment the database 110 stores medical instructional materials in the form of interactive 4DHelp data as described in further detail below and communicates the requested CPR instruc tions to the processing device 108 In another embodiment the data stored on database 110 can be 2D data such as static figures and text 0033 To continue service to the user 102 the processing devices 108 receives the 4DHelp data from the database 110 and transmits the interactive 4DHelp data to the mobile device 104 via the wireless network 106 The mobile device 104 receives the 4DHelp data from the processing device 108 and displays an output on a display device such as a screen on the mobile device 104 The display device may contain capabilities of out
30. nent sub information to users operating in a mobile environment BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0011 FIG 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the system overview of a 4DHelp information distribution system 0012 FIG 2 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of the sequence of steps in a 4DHelp information distribu tion method 0013 FIG 3 is a data flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the distribution of 4DHelp information to assist a user encountering a vehicle emergency US 2008 0027804 Al 0014 FIG 4 is a block diagram illustrating one embodi ment of a mobile device used in the 4DHelp information distribution system 0015 FIG 5 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of a mobile device used in the 4DHelp infor mation distribution system 0016 FIG 6 is a screen shot illustrating one embodiment of a user interface for a mobile device used in the 4DHelp information distribution system 0017 FIG 7 is a block diagram illustrating one embodi ment of the data structure used to implement the 4DHelp information data 0018 FIG 8 is a block diagram illustrating one embodi ment of a method for distribution of directed advertising as the 4DHelp information to a user and its associated database arrangement DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0019 The present invention relates generally to interac tive three dimensional in motion data and a distribution sys
31. putting the 4DHelp data as a video output which may include an audio component as well as text or audio capabilities for user interaction In the present example the received 4DHelp data may be outputted by the display device housed in the mobile device 104 as a maneu verable 4DHelp image of an individual giving CPR to another individual so that user 102 may touch the screen of the display device or any other input device such as a plurality of buttons voice commands a rotary wheel among others to rotate zoom and move the 4DHelp image for better viewing perspectives As described in further detail below the generation of maneuverable 4DHelp images can be implemented using any suitable digital imaging or com puter animation techniques such as those presently known in the art 0034 FIG 2 is a flow chart that demonstrates one embodiment of a 4DHelp information distribution method 200 This exemplary method relates to an embodiment of a user requesting interactive 4DHelp information for changing a flat tire The method may be initiated by a user request in step 202 which sends a request for instructional materials Next in step 204 a receiver of the user request such as a processing device similar to the processing device 108 described above with respect to FIG 1 sends an inquiry for vehicle data from the user in order to retrieve 4DHelp instructional materials that are customized for the user s particular vehicle In step 206
32. ratus of claim 10 wherein the promotional information includes directed advertising to one or more topics relating to the content or purpose of the interactive three dimensional instructional data 12 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the promotional information relates to services for an assistant to perform a task of the interactive three dimensional instructional data 13 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processing device in response to executable instructions is further operative to recognize a location of the transmission of the user input request and select the related promotional material also based on the location 14 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the promotional information includes a promotional coupon for goods or services associated with the interactive three dimensional instructional data 15 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processing device in response to executable instructions is further operative to recognize the user providing the user input request retrieve stored registration information associated with the user and personalize the promotional information to the user 16 The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processing device in response to executable instructions is further operative to generate an electronic message and provide additional promotional information via the elec tronic message Jan 31 2008 17 The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the electronic message may b
33. s to information From this universal identification system cor responding 4DHelp data may be accurately and timely retrieved such as using a remote device for providing a two dimensional display of the 4DHelp data which can be implemented as interactive three dimensional data 0021 The invention encompasses numerous aspects of the dynamic 4DHelp system The front end includes the acquisition of the three dimensional information and the creation of the four dimensional 4DHelp information In one embodiment the 4DHelp information may be acquired from existing databases or other repositories of engineering infor mation For example a manufacturing company may already include a repository of existing engineering or CAD based drawings such as an automotive manufacturing company having three dimensional CAD figures associated with various car parts and assembly drawings which can be converted into 4DHelp information Jan 31 2008 0022 In another embodiment this 4DHelp information may be generated using one or more various three dimen sional modeling or CAD based software programs It is recognized that there are additional techniques for the data acquisition and storage where the underlying data includes three dimensional information in 4DHelp data format which may in one embodiment be represented in a two dimensional display 0023 In addition to the three dimensional components the 4dHelp information further includes the abili
34. sional instructional data associating the related promotional information with the interactive three dimensional instructional data selected based on the user input request and providing the related promotional information and the interactive three dimensional instructional data to an end user 2 The method of claim 1 wherein the promotional infor mation includes directed advertising to one or more topics relating to the content or purpose of the interactive three dimensional instructional data 3 The method of claim 2 wherein the promotional infor mation relates to services for an assistant to perform a task of the interactive three dimensional instructional data 4 The method of claim 1 further comprising recognizing a location of the transmission of the user input request and selecting the related promotional material also based on the location 5 The method of claim 1 wherein the promotional infor mation includes a promotional coupon for goods or services associated with the interactive three dimensional instruc tional data 6 The method of claim 1 further comprising recognizing the user providing the user input request retrieving stored registration information associated with the user and personalizing the promotional information to the user 7 The method of claim 6 further comprising generating an electronic message and providing additional promotional information via the electronic message 8 The met
35. tem for providing this data to an end user The interactive three dimensional data is also referred to by the name four dimensional Help 4DHelp data as this data includes information in the fourth dimension of time enabling the end user to navigate and manipulate this 4DHelp data Alternatively because the present invention includes the use of interactive three dimensional data as introduced above 4DHelp can also be referred to as i3DHelp The 4DHelp data includes the interactive three dimensional data being manipulatable navigatable and or rotatable over time Additionally this 4DHelp data may be enhanced with text and multi party interactive natural voice functionalities such as with speech recognition applications or interfacing to a live person Through the distribution system the inter active data is received and processed by a handheld or other remote device allowing the end user to manually interact with the information as requested 0020 Concurrent with 4DHelp product data the inven tion further includes system information associated with various consumer products and other elements or features for which 4DHelp data may be used One embodiment envisions a universal identification system to quantify and organize items For example a universal descriptive code may be applied to one or more components to provide for one of numerous available searching or otherwise identifi able techniques to allow a user time sensitive acces
36. the user inputs the necessary US 2008 0027804 Al vehicle data such as vehicle model make year and tire component identification and sends the information to the processing device In one example there may be a bar code in the owner s manual or on the inside panel of a door where this bar code may represent the vehicle information In another example an RFID tag may be embedded in the vehicle so that an RFID tag reader housed in the mobile device can read this information In yet another example the mobile device may be an intemal computing system e g navigation system on the vehicle so the 4DHelp information may already be included in the above mentioned mobile device 0035 In step 208 the processing device retrieves data instructions for changing a flat tire from a data storage device similar to the data storage device 110 described above according to the vehicle data received from the user This spare tire installation may include steps for placing safety flares in the road removing a jack and the spare tire from the trunk jacking up the car removing the flat tire installing the spare tire and replacing the tire jack in the vehicle After the data storage device communicates the requested tire installation instructions to the processing device the processing device may convert the raw data into 4DHelp information by enabling user interaction with the images rendered by the 4DHelp information in step 210 As described i
37. tion may be submitted to the remote device In the embodiment where the remote device is wireless the transmission may be across a wireless network In an US 2008 0027804 Al embodiment where the remote device includes a hard wired connection the 4DHelp data may be transmitted using known hard wired transmission techniques 0027 The invention may include software applications capable of playing 4DHelp information It is further envi sioned that this 4DHelp information be fully interactive such as allowing a user to enter and receive natural language instructions and responses For example a person with a flat tire may ask the question where do I place the jack and this could be translated to provide a 4DHelp display of the jack designated location on the side of the car It is also recognized that natural language queries can be made avail able on the front end such as a person asking how do I change the tire on my 2005 Volkswagen for which such a person would receive human or avatar natural language responses 0028 Other embodiments of this invention include the pre population of 4DHelp data on a product or wireless device prior to its sale For example data storage means permitting a company that sells a mobile device may include 4DHelp data for all or a subset of its electronic components with the wireless device In one embodiment as a user purchases different products the information may be provided to the re
38. ty for user interaction as described above being the fourth dimension in the 4DHelp data This interaction component may include one or more levels of information allowing for interfacing with a user interface For example the 4DHelp data may include meta data associated with different components or views where a user interface utilizes the meta data for providing different levels of interaction For example as described in further detail below different 4DHelp data fields may be designated as a wheel assembly for a particular vehicle or number instruction displays for the changing of a particular tire In another embodiment the interaction infor mation may be directly encoded into the 4DHelp data usable by the user interface Through this meta data or other levels of interaction guiding information the interface appli cation can then allow for the end user to have the 4DHelp information be interactive For example if a user seeks to rotate a particular view voice commands may be recognized to adjust the display to another three dimensional view thereby providing real time 4DHelp illustration of the rota tion of the three dimensional display of the underlying object or element being described 0024 In one operation of the invention a user may seek to access the four dimensional information in a time sensi tive manner The invention includes the ability for this information to be accessed in one embodiment using a remote or mobil
39. uests vehicle data from user T inputs vehicle data and sends information to processing device Retrieves tire installation instruction data based on vehicle data from data storage device Converts retrieved data into 4DHelp information Sends 4DHelp information to distribution device Transmits 4DHelp information on tire installation to receiving device Displays 4DHelp information on tire installation on user s touch screen US 2008 0027804 A1 Patent Application Publication Jan 31 2008 Sheet 3 of 6 US 2008 0027804 A1 FIGURE 3 Repair instruction database 312 Registration and maintenance database 310 Local business listing database 302 304 308 314 Registration of vehicle information VIN Vehicle Make etc 330 Transmission and storing of vehicle information VIN Vehicle Make etc 332 Distribution of information regarding scheduled tire maintenance event 334 Request for tire repair instructions 336 LI Request for vehicle data input Transmission of requested vehicle data 340 Transmission of requested vehicle data 342 Transmission of tire repair instructions according to vehicle data 344 Distribution of requested tire repair instructions 346 a Request for additional lug nut removal instructions 349 Request for additional lug nut removal instructions Request for locat mechanical business listings 350
40. usiness listings to the mobile device 304 for output to user 302 As with previous instructions the lug nut removal image may be a 4DHelp display with user interaction such as allowing a user to rotate or otherwise manipulate the image such as for example viewing the lug nut removal from a different perspective From the mobile device 304 user 302 may choose to call an auto shop by dialing the telephone number displayed for expert assistance with tire replacement As discussed in further detail below with respect to FIG 8 various types of additional data may be included with the interactive 4DHelp data including advertising information club membership information e g auto club information for a flat tire or other suitable information which may be pertinent to the subject of the 4DHelp 0043 FIG 4 is a block diagram that illustrates one embodiment for a mobile device component used in the 4DHelp information distribution system The mobile device comprises an input device 402 which accepts and interprets input from a user such as a microphone capable of voice command functions or a keyboard with text input capabili ties It also includes receiver transmitter 404 which operates to transmit user request initiated by the user and receive the requested data via a networked communication environment or a wireless environment 406 The receiver transmitter 404 may operate in accordance with any known mobile tech niques for transmitting
41. with the interactive three dimensional instructional data 21 The method of claim 18 further comprising recognizing the user providing the user input request retrieving stored registration information associated with the user and personalizing the promotional information to the user 22 The method of claim 21 further comprising generating an electronic message and providing additional promotional information via the electronic message where the electronic message may be one a SMS message an instant message an elec tronic mail communication an electronic mail commu nication attachment or a facsimile
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search
Related Contents
RADIO OKAPI - Global Witness Husqvarna CD52L User's Manual I – Liste de piéce Handbuch für die Implementierung von USER MANUAL - Kramer Electronics Japan Homepage Copyright © All rights reserved.
Failed to retrieve file