Method and system for interacting with a user in an experiential environment

Abstract

A method and system for provides a user with an ability to capture a sample of an experiential environment and deliver that sample to an interactive service to trigger one or more predetermined events. In exemplary embodiments of the invention such triggered events include the delivery of information and services to the user, the execution of tasks and instructions by the service on the user's behalf, communication events, surveillance events and other control-oriented events that are responsive to the user's wishes. In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, the triggered events include transaction-oriented events, entertainment events, and events associated with enhancements to human ability or function.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for interacting with a user comprising: 
 receiving from the user a captured sample of an experiential environment; and    triggering a predetermined event in response to the captured sample.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising determining from the signal a characteristic of the captured sample and triggering a predetermined event in response to the determined characteristic.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a transaction.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the transaction includes sales and purchase of merchandise.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the transaction includes an offer for sale of merchandise.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the offer for sale of merchandise includes an offer to sell recordings of music.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the recording is related to a characteristic of the captured sample.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the transaction includes furnishing and receiving information.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the transaction includes delivery of advertising or promotional offers.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the promotional offers include trial offers.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the promotional offers include offers to sell merchandise or services at discounted prices.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the transaction includes an exchange of information between a sales source and the user attendant to a sale of merchandise or services to the user.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the offer is selected in response to a profile of the user.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the offer is selected in response to history of transactions completed with the user.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a communication event.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes an entertainment event.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a surveillance or monitoring event.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a human ability enhancement event.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes an execution of tasks or instructions event.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a delivery of information event.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a delivery of services event.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a control event.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event includes a combination of communication events and control events.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined event includes an entertainment event.  
     
     
         25 . A method for interacting with a user, comprising: 
 providing a user with an ability to capture a sample of an experiential environment; and    delivering said sample to an interactive service to trigger one or more predetermined events.    
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the predetermined event includes a communication event.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the predetermined event includes a surveillance event.  
     
     
         28 . A method for interacting with a user, comprising: 
 capturing a sample of an experiential environment; and    triggering one or more predetermined events at an interactive service upon receipt of said sample.    
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a communication event.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a surveillance event.  
     
     
         31 . A method for receiving instructions from a user in an interactive service, comprising: 
 receiving a sample of an experiential environment from the user; and    triggering one or more predetermined events in the interactive service upon receipt of said sample.    
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a communication event.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a surveillance event.  
     
     
         34 . A method for interacting with an interactive service comprising: 
 sampling an experiential environment; and    forwarding the sample to an interactive service to trigger one or more predetermined events.    
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a communication event.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes at least a surveillance event.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising deriving information from the sample.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising combining information derived from the sample with information known about the user to trigger the one or more predetermined events.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the one or more predetermined events includes one or more of the following: delivery of information and/or services to the user, execution of tasks and/or instructions by the service on the user's behalf, a communication event, a surveillance event and one or more control-oriented events that are responsive to the user's wishes.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the triggered events also include one or more of the following: transaction-oriented events, entertainment events, and events associated with enhancements to human ability or function.  
     
     
         41 . A method for triggering an information delivery event to a user, comprising: 
 accessing an interactive service;    capturing a sample of an audio signal to which a user is listening;    identifying a song included in the audio signal; and    delivering lyric information to the user upon identifying the song.    
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the delivery of lyric information occurs in real-time so that the user can read the lyrics and sing along with the song.  
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the lyric data is transmitted in near synchronism to the song.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the user further interacts with the service via a graphical user interface.  
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the user accesses the interactive service by dialing a predetermined telephone number and interacts with the interactive service via touch tones on the telephone handset.  
     
     
         46 . A system for interacting with a user comprising: 
 a capture device to capture a sample of an experiential environment;    a user input/identification device to identify the user;    a database to store data representative of potential samples;    a recognition engine to process the sample of the experiential environment in combination with the stored data in the database to identify the sample;    a user profile storage device to store information regarding one or more users of the system; and    a transaction engine initiating a transaction with the user based on the identified sample and identification of the user and stored information regarding the identified user.    
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 46 , wherein the transaction includes at least a communication event.  
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 46 , wherein the transaction includes at least a surveillance event.  
     
     
         49 . A method for interacting with a user to trigger a transaction with the user comprising: 
 capturing an image of an advertisement; and    forwarding the captured image to a predetermined web site.    
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , further comprising: 
 identifying the captured image; and    engaging in a transaction with the user based on the identified sample.    
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the transaction includes at least a communication event.  
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the transaction includes at least a surveillance event.  
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the advertisement is disposed in one or more of the following: a newspaper, a magazine, a billboard, a sign, a poster, a printed publication.  
     
     
         54 . A method for enhancing human abilities of a user comprising: 
 capturing a sample of an experiential environment of the user;    forwarding the captured sample to an interactive service; and    triggering an enhancement event based on the captured sample.    
     
     
         55 . A method for interacting with a user comprising: 
 receiving a captured sample of an experiential event from a user;    triggering a transactional event with the user based on a characteristic of the captured sample.    
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the transactional event includes storing the captured sample.  
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein the transactional event includes sorting the captured sample based on a dominant characteristic inherent in the captured sample.  
     
     
         58 . A method for remote sensing comprising: 
 accessing a remote sensing service;    sampling the audio environment in the location; and    triggering an event based on a characteristic in the sampled audio environment.    
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 58 , wherein the accessing includes accessing a remote sensing service by dialing a predetermined telephone number.  
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 58 , wherein the sampling includes leaving the telephone handset off hook in a location in which the user wishes to remotely sense activity.  
     
     
         61 . A method for remotely sensing an environment of a user; 
 capturing a sample of an experiential environment; and    using the sample to trigger an event to provide assistance to the user.    
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 61 , wherein the sample includes a video image and the assistance includes identifying a person in the image.  
     
     
         63 . A method for paying bills comprising: 
 scanning a bill;    forwarding the scanned bill to a bill payment service; and    paying the bill by the bill payment service upon receiving the scanned bill in combination with user profile data.    
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 63 , wherein paying the bill includes debiting the user's bank account.  
     
     
         65 . A method for interacting with a user comprising: 
 sampling an audio component of a broadcast signal;    forwarding the sampled audio component to a service provider;    identifying one or more corporations in the sampled audio component; and    engaging in a transaction with the user involving the one or more corporations.    
     
     
         66 . The method according to  claim 65 , wherein the transaction includes forwarding information to the user regarding the one or more corporations.  
     
     
         67 . The method according to  claim 65 , wherein the transaction includes trading securities of the one or more corporations based on user profile data and information characteristics derived from the audio sample.  
     
     
         68 . A method for interacting with a user comprising: 
 receiving a sample of an experiential event; and    initiating one or more control events in response to said sampled experiential event.    
     
     
         69 . A method for finding suitable employers comprising: 
 capturing images from a plurality of web sites of a plurality of potential employers;    uploading the images to a processor;    deriving one or more characteristics from the captured images; and    sorting a database of the plurality of potential employers in accordance with the derived characteristics.    
     
     
         70 . A portable apparatus for interacting with a user comprising: 
 a capture device to capture a sample of an experiential environment;    a database to store data representative of potential samples; and    a processor to process the sample of the experiential environment in combination with the stored data in the database to identify the sample and to initiate a transaction with the user based on the identified sample and identification of the user and stored information regarding the identified user.    
     
     
         71 . The portable apparatus according to claim  70 , further comprising a user input/identification device to identify the user.  
     
     
         72 . The portable apparatus according to claim  70 , wherein the portable apparatus comprises a portable computing device.  
     
     
         73 . The portable apparatus according to claim  70 , wherein the database is updatable by coupling the apparatus to an interactive service.  
     
     
         74 . A portable apparatus for interacting with a user comprising: 
 a capture device to capture a sample of an experiential environment;    a communication device to communicate with an interactive service; and    a processor to process the sample of the experiential environment and forward a processed version of the sample to the interactive service via the communication device to identify the sample and to initiate a transaction with the interactive service for the user based on the identified sample and identification of the user and stored information regarding the identified user.    
     
     
         75 . A method for interacting with a user comprising: 
 sampling an experiential event; and    initiating one or more control events in response to said sampled experiential event.