Interactive display based on near field communications

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing interaction between a user device and an interactive display system using near field communications are provided. The interactive display system includes a display panel configured to present visual content and near field communication (NFC) devices behind or within the display panel. The interactive display system detects a user device adjacent to the display panel using at least one of the NFC devices. The interactive display system determines a position relative to the display panel for the user device. The interactive display system exchanges data with the user device based on the position. The interactive display system may receive data that includes displayable information from the user device and present the displayable information on the display panel at or near the position for the user device. The interactive display system may simultaneously interact with more than one user device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interactive display system, comprising:
 a display panel configured to present visual content;   a plurality of near field communication (NFC) devices located behind or within the display panel; and   one or more processors configured to:
 detect a user device adjacent to the display panel using at least one of the plurality of NFC devices; 
 determine a position relative to the display panel for the user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the user device; and 
 exchange data with the user device based on the position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of NFC devices comprises an array of NFC devices arranged in rows and columns. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user device is a first user device, wherein the position is a first position, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 detect a second user device adjacent to the display panel using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices or another of the plurality of NFC devices;   determine a second position relative to the display panel for the second user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the second user device; and   communicate additional data to or from the second user device based on the second position.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a corresponding location on the visual content based on the position; and   change the visual content at the location or another location based on the communicated data and the position.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the visual content comprises a message board, wherein the data comprises message data for a message, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a corresponding message board location based on the position;   receive message data for the message from the user device; and   present the message at the message board location.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual content comprises one or more user representations, wherein the data comprises user data, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a corresponding user representation for a user based on the position;   receive the user data for the user from the user device; and   check in the user based on the user data.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual content comprises one or more items, wherein the data comprises item data, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a corresponding item based on the position; and   transmit item data for the item to the user device, wherein the item data comprises item information to be presented on the user device.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the item data further comprises purchase information for providing an option to purchase the item to be presented on the user device, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive purchase request data and payment data for the item from the user device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual content comprises a map, wherein the data comprises location data, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a corresponding map location representing a physical location based on the position; and   communicate location data for the map location to or from the user device, wherein the location data comprises information relating to the physical location, directions from a current location to the physical location, or both.   
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 presenting visual content on a display panel;   detecting, by one or more processors using at least one of a plurality of NFC devices, a user device adjacent to the display panel;   determining, by the one or more processors in response to the detecting, a position relative to the display panel for the user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the user device; and   exchanging, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, data with the user device based on the position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of NFC devices are behind or within the display panel, and wherein the plurality of NFC devices comprise an array of NFC devices arranged in rows and columns. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual content is a first visual content, the method further comprising presenting a second visual content on the display panel, wherein second visual content differs, at least in part, from the first visual content based on the data and the position. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user device is a first user device, wherein the position is a first position, the method further comprising:
 detecting, by the one or more processors using the at least one of a plurality of NFC devices or another of the plurality of NFC devices, a second user device adjacent to the display panel;   determining, by the one or more processors in response to the detecting of the second user device, a second position relative to the display panel for the second user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the second user device; and   communicating, by the one or more processors using the plurality of NFC devices, data to or from the second user device based on the second position.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the visual content comprises a message board, wherein the data comprises message data, the method further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more processors in response to the determining of the first position, a corresponding first message board location based on the first position;   receiving, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, message data for a first message from the first user device;   presenting the first message on the display panel at the first message board location;   determining, by the one or more processors in response to the determining of the second position, a corresponding second message board location comprising a second message based on the second position; and   transmitting, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices or the other of the plurality of NFC devices, message data for the second message to the second user device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual content comprises one or more user representations, wherein the data comprises user data, the method further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more processors in response to the determining of the position, a corresponding user representation for a user;   receiving, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, the user data for the user from the user device; and   checking in, by the one or more processors in response to the receiving, the user.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual content comprises one or more items, wherein the data comprises item data, the method further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more processors in response to the determining of the position, a corresponding item; and   transmitting, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, item data for the item to the user device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the item data comprises item information, the method further comprising:
 presenting item information and an option to purchase the item on the user device; and   receiving, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, purchase request data and payment data for the item from the user device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual content comprises a map, wherein the data comprises location data, the method further comprising:
 determining, by the one or more processors in response to the determining of the position, a corresponding map location representing a physical location; and   transmitting, by the one or more processors using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices, location data for the physical location to the user device, wherein the location data comprises information relating to the physical location, directions from a current location to the physical location, or both;   presenting the directions, the information, or both on the user device.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an interactive display system, causes the interactive display system to perform a method comprising:
 presenting visual content on a display panel;   detecting a user device adjacent to the display panel using at least one of a plurality of NFC devices;   determining a position relative to the display panel for the user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the user device; and   communicating data to or from the user device using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices based on the position.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the user device is a first user device, wherein the position is a first position, the method further comprising:
 detecting a second user device adjacent to the display panel using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices;   determining a second position relative to the display panel for the second user device based on which of the plurality of NFC devices detected the second user device; and   communicating data to or from the second user device based on the second position using the at least one of the plurality of NFC devices.