Method and apparatus for the automatic sale of contents for mobile telephones or other supports

Abstract

 The process comprises, after a process initialisation stage, a stage of selection of the desired contents, preferably by means of a touch screen, together with a language selection stage and combined with a stage for receiving contents from an introduction means unit, then continuing to a cost indication stage followed by a stage for payment by different means of payment, alternatively passing to a time expiry and finalisation stage or else to a relevant information stage and a stage of delivery of the contents to a mobile telephone or the like.

Description

[0001] The present invention is intended to disclose a process and machine for the automatic sale of contents for mobile telephones or other types of mobile data carriers.

[0002] The object of the present invention is to provide users with the possibility of purchasing a wide variety of contents for any type of mobile data carrier, the most characteristic example being mobile telephones. This possibility does not currently exist and represents an efficient new service for many users.

[0003] The process involves firstly selecting the preferred contents by means of a touch screen, for which a language is selected, and then, after selecting the contents, passing to selection of the support in which the contents are to be stored, the cost of the operation being automatically indicated and payment then being made by any conventionally permitted method, such as coins, bank notes, credit cards, SMS payment or payment by mobile, etc., after which the contents are delivered to the desired support, thus ending the process.

[0004] The apparatus for carrying out the aforementioned process fundamentally comprises a self-contained unit with a touch screen for user interaction with the machine, means for incorporating the support and means for payment for the transaction. All of this is incorporated in a single unit, which may easily be made available to the public by installation in a location which is passed by or highly frequented.

[0005] The supports in which the contents can be stored and transmitted are infinite. The following are mentioned by way of example: InfraRed, Bluetooth, MemoryStick, CD, USB-HD, SMS, MMS, Wap push, Web, i-mode, CD, DVD, WLAN, etc.

[0006] The contents for sale by means of the machine using the process according to the invention are similarly stored in a remote database, and the machine may be accessed through multiple routes such as CD, DVD, FDD, MemoryStick, Internet, GSM, GPRS, i-mode, UMTS, EDGE, etc.

[0007] The apparatus for automatic sale of data contents can also be fed with contents automatically, i.e. be capable of working intelligently, starting from a number of data sources, processing said data according to previously stored programs and specific hardware and placing the result of said data processing at the disposal of potential system users.

[0008] The apparatus will therefore be connected by means of cables, infrared beams, electromagnetic waves, etc. to various data collecting devices, such as cameras, detectors, sensors, etc. which provide the apparatus with data, allowing said data (analog or digital) to be processed by means of specific software and/or hardware which will generate the contents which are offered thereafter. The process may be completely automatic or semi-automatic according to the value of the specific application.

[0009] Once the contents have been generated, they are stored in an internal and/or external apparatus database whereby said contents will be available, as has been explained above, allowing the contents to be purchased to be selected by means of a touch screen, by navigating by means of an interface with multilingual support.

[0010] Following selection of the desired contents, the support in which the contents are to be stored is selected and finally the cost of the contents is indicated and credit made therefor.

[0011] The list of supports in which the contents can be stored and transmitted is very extensive, just a few examples being mentioned hereinafter, such as InfraRed, Bluetooth, MemoryStick, CD, USB-HD, SMS, MMS, Wap push, Web, i-mode, DVD, WLAN, etc.

[0012] The payment systems supported by the system are also very extensive, such as coins, notes, credit cards, SMS payment, mobile payment, etc.

[0013] The applications of the invention can be very varied, for example:

1. The machine or apparatus may provide a sporting, cultural or social, etc. photograph and/or video recording, and the contents may be sold instantly.

2. The machine or apparatus can feed data to journalists at a press agency at specific events capturing political speeches and interviews with celebrities, and making available any multimedia contents derived from events of journalistic interest.

3. The system user may make a video, for example of the best goals scored by a football team, immediately after leaving the pitch, in their own mobile telephone, PDA, etc.

4. The machine or apparatus can record a conference, seminar, presentation, etc. in exhibition centres, conference centres, forums, etc. and can independently generate contents which will subsequently be offered through the interface of the automatic sales apparatus.

[0014] To assist understanding there follow, by way of descriptive but non-limiting example, some schematic drawings of a block diagram of the machine and an embodiment thereof.

[0015] Fig. 1 shows a block diagram illustrating the development of the process according to the invention.

[0016] Fig. 2 and 3 are a respective front elevation and perspective view of the machine according to the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 4 and 5 each show a further embodiment of the present invention, in an explanatory block diagram.

[0018] As shown in the diagram of Fig. 1, the process is put into operation in an initial phase 100 and continues in phase 101 with contents selection, preferably by means of a touch screen, by navigating by means of an interface with a multilingual support, language selection being shown in phase 102.

[0019] Phase 103 represents the integration in the apparatus of contents which originate from the introduction phase 104, coming from a database (not shown) through multiple means of introduction indicated by reference numeral 105 and which include, for example, Internet, CD, DVD, modem, USE, WLAN, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc.

[0020] After the contents selection phase, the process comprises the indication of the cost in step 106, after which a payment operation 107 can be effected by multiple means of payment, such as coins, notes, credit cards, SMS payment, mobile payment, etc., represented by block 108. After the cost indication phase, a change issuing stage 109 or an expired time stage 110 can be produced, which leads to finalisation 111. Alternatively, it is possible to pass to a relevant information stage 112 and a contents delivery stage 113 by way of the means shown in block 114, such as CD, DVD, IR, Bluetooth, MS, SMS, MMS, WAP, WAP Push, I-mode, SD. Once the process has ended, the finalisation stage 115 thereof is reached.

[0021] The apparatus according to the present invention intended to carry out the present invention comprises a unitary independent assembly shown by way of an embodiment in Fig. 2 and 3, comprising a surrounding body 200 equipped with power supply means and means for intercommunication with the database, which are not shown, as well as a touch control screen 201, means for receiving the mobile data carrier, such as a mobile telephone or the like 202, means 203 for introducing the means of payment and a device 204 for the possible issuance of change, etc.

[0022] As will be understood, the schematic diagram of the machine shown in Fig. 2 and 3 does not have a limiting character, merely having as its aim the schematic representation of a possible embodiment of a machine intended to carry out the process of the invention, and which may easily be incorporated in any public access location as it occupies a small space and fundamentally comprises the elements described above.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the invention, as can be seen in Fig. 4, an initial phase 1 is followed by generation of contents 2 from a plurality of contents sources 3 which have collected the data from collecting devices 4, such as cameras, webcams, sensors, detectors, etc. Supervision and editing of the contents take place in phase 5. A local contents processing phase 6 precedes a contents BBBD phase 7 (INSERT), after which contents are selected in phase 8 with simultaneous language selection in phase 9, continuing to contents BBDD phase (SELECT) 10, after which the machine proceeds to the indication of cost in phase 11.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 5, after cost indication the process proceeds to payment in phase 12, by means of very varied external methods 13, such as coins, notes, credit cards, payment via mobiles, SSM payment, etc. If the process is continued, change is provided in phase 14. To continue, if the process is not continued, a time expired phase 19 is produced and passes to the end of the process 15. Alternatively, the relevant information phase 16 is produced and after this the delivery of the contents 17 by means of multiple systems 20, such as CD, DVD, IR, Bluetooth, etc., finally passing to finalisation 18 of the process.

[0025] As will be appreciated, the present invention provides means for effecting immediate collection and processing of events so that contents to be sold by the machine or apparatus can be independently processed.

Claims

1. Process for the automatic sale of contents for mobile telephones or other supports, which, after a process initialisation stage (100), comprises a stage (101) for selection of the desired contents, preferably by means of a touch screen, together with a language selection stage (102) and combined with a stage (103) for receiving contents from an introduction means unit (105), then continues to a cost indication stage (106) followed by a stage (103) for payment by different means of payment (108), alternatively passing to a time expiry (110) and finalisation stage (111) or else to a relevant information stage (112) and a stage (113) for delivery of the contents to a mobile telephone or the like by means of a contents support assembly (114), and finally passing to a finalisation stage (115).

2. Apparatus for carrying out the process of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a compact surrounding body equipped with means for intercommunication with a database equipped with various contents, comprising means for receiving the mobile telephone or the like which is to be loaded with the purchased contents, the apparatus comprising a touch screen or the like for selection of the contents to be purchased and also comprising elements for introducing the means of payment and for possible withdrawal of change.

3. Apparatus according to the preceding claims, characterised by the arrangement of external event data collecting means and means for automatically generating contents in accordance with software and hardware incorporated in the apparatus, as well as means for supervising and editing the contents and local processing thereof for integration of a contents bank which is immediately available to the public for selection and loading in an external support.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised by the arrangement of multiple means for collecting the event for transforming it into saleable contents, such as cameras, sensors, detectors, webcams and the like.

Drawing