Computerized information and display apparatus

Abstract

Computerized apparatus useful for obtaining and presenting information to users. In one embodiment, the computerized apparatus includes a display device and speech digitization apparatus configured to receive user speech input and enable performance of various tasks, such as obtaining desired information relating to an entity, maps or directions, weather, news, or any number of other topics. In one variant, the user causes the apparatus to enter a mode whereby the user can immediately say a portion of a name, and the apparatus will locate two or more possible matches, and solicit further user input to allow the user to rapidly converge on identifying and navigating to a desired entity.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . Computerized apparatus configured to aid a user in rapidly locating an organization or business entity, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one digital processor;   a display device;   speech processing apparatus in data communication with the at least one processor; and a microphone in signal communication with the speech processing apparatus; and   a storage medium having at least one computer program configured to run on the at least one processor, the at least one program configured to, when executed on the at least one processor:
 receive an input originated from the user, the input causing the computerized apparatus to enter a mode wherein the computerized apparatus can immediately, and without further user action, receive the user's speech input via the microphone, the speech input comprising at least a portion of a name of the organization or business entity; 
 obtain a digital representation of the speech input from the speech processing apparatus, the digital representation comprising the at least portion of the name therein; 
 cause use at least the at least portion of the name to identify a plurality of possible matches; 
 prompt the user to provide an input to identify one of the plurality of possible matches which the user desires to locate; 
 receive a subsequent input from the user in order to identify the one of the plurality of possible matches; and 
 enable presentation of a visual representation of a location associated with the identified one of the plurality of possible matches, as well as at least immediate surroundings of the location including one or more other organizations or business entities proximate to the location, on the display device so as to be viewable by the user, the visual representation enabling the user to rapidly orient themselves and find the one organization or entity. 
   
     
     
         42 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the input originated from the user comprises the user depressing a key- or button-based input apparatus of the computerized apparatus. 
     
     
         43 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the computerized apparatus is substantially integrated with a transportation device in which the user is riding. 
     
     
         44 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the display device comprises a touch screen input and display device, and the subsequent input comprises the user selecting a region of a screen of the touch screen input and display corresponding to the one of the plurality of possible matches. 
     
     
         45 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the subsequent input comprises the user providing a second speech input from the user. 
     
     
         46 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one program is further configured to, when executed on the at least one processor, prompt the user to confirm that the user wants to select the identified one of the plurality of possible matches for travel thereto. 
     
     
         47 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the prompt of the user to confirm that the user wants to select the identified one of the plurality of possible matches for travel thereto comprises an audible synthesized speech query, to which the user can respond verbally to make said selection. 
     
     
         48 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the prompt of the user to provide an input to identify one of the plurality of possible matches which the user desires to locate comprises display on the display device of a list of the plurality of possible matches, including for each of the plurality: (i) at least part of a name associated with the listed possible match; and (ii) information cognizable to the user and which enables the user to immediately perceive a location associated with the listed possible match without any subsequent computation or analysis. 
     
     
         49 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the information cognizable to the user and which enables the user to immediately perceive a location associated with the listed possible match without any subsequent computation or analysis comprises a textual representation of at least part of an address of the listed possible match. 
     
     
         50 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the causation of use of at least the at least portion of the name to identify a plurality of possible matches comprises using the at least portion of the name to search a database comprising data relating to a plurality of organizations and business entities, the data relating to a plurality of organizations and business entities comprising at least a name of each of the plurality. 
     
     
         51 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the data relating to a plurality of organizations and business entities further comprises data relating to a location of each that, when rendered by the computerized information system, enables the user to immediately perceive the location associated with the user-cognizable information without any calculation or analysis by the user. 
     
     
         52 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the data relating to a plurality of organizations and business entities comprises data relating only to organizations or entities which are geographically local to a present location of the computerized information system. 
     
     
         53 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the visual representation of a location associated with the identified one of the plurality of possible matches, as well as at least immediate surroundings thereof including one or more other organizations or business entities proximate to the location, is generated from data stored in a data file. 
     
     
         54 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , further comprising a graphics processor, and the data stored in the data file comprises a graphic image file renderable by the graphics processor. 
     
     
         55 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein (i) the at least one database comprising data relating to a plurality of organizations and business entities, and (ii) the data file from which the visual representation is generated, are both stored on at least one server, the at least one server being in data communication with the computerized information system via a network, and a wireless interface of the computerized information system that is in wireless communication with the network. 
     
     
         56 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein at least the data file from which the visual representation is generated is stored on at least one server, the at least one server being in data communication with the computerized information system via a network, and a wireless interface of the computerized information system that is in wireless communication with the network. 
     
     
         57 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the plurality of possible matches are each located geographically proximate to a present location of the computerized information system. 
     
     
         58 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the causation of use at least of the at least portion of the name to identify a plurality of possible matches comprises access to only entries within a database containing data on a plurality of organizations and business entities which relate to a geographic region local to the current location of the computerized information system. 
     
     
         59 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the location comprises a location within a building, the one or more other organizations or business entities proximate to the location are disposed within the building, the building further comprising a plurality of floors and at least one elevator capable of accessing the plurality of floors, and the location and the one or more other organizations or business entities are disposed on at least a common floor. 
     
     
         60 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to cause provision of a visually perceivable representation of directions to the location on the display device, the visually perceivable representation of directions comprising at least one arrow or line that is highlighted in a different color relative to the immediate surroundings so as to aid the user in finding the desired organization or business entity. 
     
     
         61 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 60 , further comprising a graphics co-processor in data communication with the at least one program, and the provision of a visually perceivable representation of directions to the location on the display device comprises rendering the at least one arrow or line using at least the graphics co-processor. 
     
     
         62 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to cause provision of a synthesized speech output which is audible to the user and which comprises at least one word recognizable by the user and which is part of an address of the location. 
     
     
         63 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , further comprising a graphics processor in data communication with the at least one program, and the visual representation of the location comprises a rendering of at least a portion of a building on the display device, the rendering generated using at least the graphics processor. 
     
     
         64 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 63 , wherein the display device comprises a touch-screen input and display device, and the computerized information system is configured to generate a plurality of soft function keys thereon, the soft function keys each having at least one function associated therewith, and the at least one computer program is further configured to, based at least in part on a user's selection of at least one of the soft function keys, cause access of a remote network server via a wireless interface of the computerized apparatus to retrieve information relating to the user's selection. 
     
     
         65 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 64 , wherein at least one of the plurality of soft function keys corresponds to a weather-related function, and the user's selection comprises selection of the one key corresponding to the weather-related function in order to obtain information relating to weather conditions for an area local to a present location of the computerized apparatus, the obtained information supplied by the remote network server via the wireless interface. 
     
     
         66 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 65 , wherein said obtained comprises a multi-day forecast, the computerized apparatus further configured to display at least a portion of the multi-day forecast on the display device in the form of a plurality of iconic weather-related symbols, as well as a plurality of temperature values. 
     
     
         67 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the computerized apparatus is further configured to display a plurality of icons corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of topical areas on the display device, selection of a topical area by the user causing access of a remote network entity via at least a wireless network interface of the computerized apparatus, in order to retrieve information relevant to the user and relating to the selected topical area. 
     
     
         68 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 67 , wherein the selection of the topical area by the user comprises:
 receipt of a voice input from the user, the voice input relating to the selected topical area;   processing of the voice input using at least the speech processing apparatus to enable identification of one or more words therein; and   use of the identified one or more words to perform said access of the remote network entity.   
     
     
         69 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 67 , wherein the display device comprises a touch screen input and display device, and the topical areas include weather information, and the information relevant to the user comprises a weather forecast for a prescribed geographic area, the area selected by the user via the computerized information system by touching a region of a screen of the touch screen input display device selecting the prescribed area. 
     
     
         70 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 67 , wherein the plurality of icons are configured to facilitate rapid recognition of the respective topical area by the user, access to, and display of a limited collection of data, in order to reduce the amount of time needed by the user to locate and be cognitive of information that the user desires to a few seconds. 
     
     
         71 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , further configured to obtain information relating to parking rates from a remote network entity via at least a wireless interface of the computerized apparatus, in response to the user making a speech request via the microphone. 
     
     
         72 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said display device comprises a touch screen input and display device, and the computerized apparatus is further configured to obtain information relating to parking rates from a remote network entity via at least a wireless interface of the computerized information system, in response to the user making a request via touching a portion of the touch screen device. 
     
     
         73 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , further comprising a key- or button-based electromechanical input device, and further configured to obtain information relating to parking rates from a remote network entity via at least a wireless interface of the computerized information system, in response to the user providing an input via the electromechanical input device. 
     
     
         74 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein at least a portion of the visual representation of the location comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML)-based representation. 
     
     
         75 . Computerized information apparatus configured to enable a user to rapidly locate an organization or business entity, the apparatus comprising:
 a microphone;   a display device;   a data processing apparatus in data communication with the display device;   speech digitization apparatus in signal communication with the microphone and the data processing apparatus;   at least one audio speaker;   speech synthesis apparatus in signal communication with the at least one audio speaker;   an input apparatus in communication with the data processing apparatus; and   a storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program configured to run on at least a portion of the data processing apparatus, the at least one program configured to, when executed:
 receive, in response to the user actuating the input apparatus, a signal from the input apparatus, the signal causing the computerized system to enter a mode wherein the user can provide a speech input; 
 after entry into said mode, and without further intervening user action: 
 (i) obtain a representation of a first speech input from the user, the first speech input relating to a name of a desired organization or business entity; 
 (ii) cause use of at least a speech recognition algorithm to process the representation to identify at least one word therein; 
 (iii) cause use of the identified at least one word as part of a search of at least one database or data file, the search identifying a plurality of possible matches for the desired organization or business entity; and 
 (iv) prompt the user for a subsequent input, the subsequent input to identify one of the plurality of possible matches which best correlates to the desired organization or business entity; 
 receive the subsequent user input; and 
 enable, based at least in part on the subsequent input, user access to a visual representation of at least a portion of a building in which the identified one organization or business entity resides, as well as at least an area immediately proximate thereto, the visual representation being displayable on the display device, the visual representation further showing one or more other organizations or business entities proximate to the identified one organization or business entity. 
   
     
     
         76 . Smart computerized apparatus capable of interactive information exchange with a human user, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of digital processors;   a display device in communication with at least one of the plurality of digital processors;   speech synthesis apparatus and at least one audio speaker in signal communication therewith, the speech synthesis apparatus in communication with at least one of the digital processors;   input apparatus configured to cause the computerized apparatus to enter a mode whereby a user can speak at least part of a name of an entity into a microphone in signal communication with the computerized apparatus, the entity being an entity which the user wishes to find; and   at least one computer program operative to run on at least one of the digital processors and configured to engage the user in an interactive interchange, the interchange comprising:
 receipt of a signal generated in response to the user actuating the input apparatus; 
 digitization of the user's speech received via the microphone to produce a digital representation thereof, the user's speech comprising the at least part of the name and received within a predetermined period of time from the receipt of the signal; 
 causation of use of the digitized representation to identify a plurality of entities which match the at least part of the name; 
 causation of generation of an audible communication to the user via the speech synthesis apparatus in order to at least prompt the user to select one of the identified plurality of entities; 
 receipt of a subsequent speech input provided by the user; 
 digitization of the subsequent speech input to produce a digital representation thereof; 
 causation of utilization of at least the digital representation of the subsequent input to select one of the plurality of entities; and 
 enablement of provision of a visually perceptible representation of the selected one of the plurality of entities, including at least a portion of the immediate surroundings thereof, and at least one other entity proximate to the entity, to the user via the display device.