Optical: systems and elements – Extended spacing structure for optical elements – Extension of tubular element adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-31
2001-07-17
Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Extended spacing structure for optical elements
Extension of tubular element adjustable
C359S483010, C359S900000, C052S027000, C052S036100, C109S00100R, C109S010000, C348S834000, C348S835000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262843
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to operation of video terminals within kiosks or the like that are used to provide users access to passive or interactive video-related services such as access to the Internet, video games, and financial institutions. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for limiting access to the video information in such an environment. The present invention is particularly useful in connection with terminals positioned in public or open locations, such as airport terminals, shopping malls, or open office spaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of publicly accessible or open terminals with visual monitors has greatly increased in recent years. The public may use such a terminal, for example, to access the Internet to perform E-mail and other functions, to view television, movies, or other video programs, to play video games, to complete financial transactions, and to view personal information such as health records, personnel files, and retirement accounts. In many cases, the terminals have been used in areas open to the public, such as in airport terminals, shopping malls, and parking lots, and in areas open to select members of the public, such as hospitals lobbies and business offices. For a number of reasons, such terminals are often located in partitions, e.g., within partially or fully enclosed kiosks, booths, or the like or behind windows, screens, or other structures designed to allow individuals to view the terminal or user area and to allow users to view an area external to the partitions. For example, such partitions have included semi-enclosed, partial walls and fully-enclosed, transparent or windowed walls. In this manner, a measure of privacy is provided to the user while potential users can see the terminal area and determine if the terminal is available for their use. Similarly, users can see out of the privacy system to allow them to, for example, stay in visual contact with other people, their belongings, and potential users.
As can be appreciated, many users of the terminals would prefer substantially more privacy than provided by current practices. For example, a user may be uncomfortable completing financial transactions at terminals located in certain locations (e.g., secluded parking lots) where account balances or withdrawal amounts are displayed on the visual monitor in view of onlookers. An unscrupulous observer may be more likely to attempt a robbery of the user when the displayed balances are relatively large than when the observer cannot see the displayed information. Similarly, a user may desire more privacy if the terminal provides access to the Internet and the user wishes to conduct business activities involving confidential information or if the terminal provides access to and displays retirement account information or health records. Further, the terminal may provide access to information of an adult nature bringing about a need for protecting young observers by preventing them from seeing the information displayed on the visual monitor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a privacy system, for use with a terminal, providing a high degree of privacy to a user of the terminal.
A related objective is to provide a user area, separate from an external area accessible by outside observers, in which a user may privately access information displayed on a visual monitor of a terminal. A further related objective is to inhibit or substantially prevent outside observers in the external area from viewing the information displayed on the visual monitor while allowing the outside observers to view the user located in the user area and allowing the users to see the external area.
These and other objectives are addressed by the privacy system of the present invention. Generally, the privacy system includes a structure defining a user area where the user can access a terminal, e.g., a fixed terminal or a portable terminal (e.g., a notebook computer, a laptop computer, or the like) placed in the user area by the user and further defines an external area separate from the user area. The structure includes a barrier to provide a degree of physical, visual, and/or auditorial privacy to a user of the terminal or protection against the elements. In this regard, during operation of the privacy system, the terminal is located behind or within the barrier. The barrier includes at least one wall, window, screen or partition which defines a user area in which the user may use the terminal. That is, the barrier at least partially separates the user area from an external area accessible to outside observers (e.g., other potential users of the terminal and members of the general public). For example, the barrier may include a window in a reception area of an office, a kiosk in a mall, of a booth located in a parking lot or other public area. The barrier is generally at least partially transparent to allow the outside observers to visually verify that the terminal is in use and allow the user in the user area to see the external area. The terminal includes a visual monitor which displays any information accessed through the terminal to the user located in the user area. To allow the user to privately access this displayed information, the privacy system substantially prevents radiation emitted from the visual monitor from being transmitted to the external area where outside observers might receive the radiation (e.g., the displayed information being transmitted in the form of visible light).
According to one aspect of the present invention, the privacy system uses a selective filter to prevent information displayed on a visual monitor of a terminal from being seen by observers in an external area outside the barrier. Generally, the privacy system includes a terminal with a visual monitor that allows a user to access information and a selective filter interposed between a user area and an external area for filtering the radiation transmitted by the monitor. The selective filter permits the user located in the user area (e.g., inside the barrier) to see the external area (e.g., outside the barrier) and permits observers in the external area to see into the user area without being able to see information displayed on the visual monitor of the terminal. To accomplish this selective filtering, various types of filters may be used including, for example, filters based on polarization or other optical phenomena. For example, the selective filter may include a polarizing sheet that transmits radiation having a particular axis of polarization and at least partially blocks radiation having other polarization states. At least a portion of any ambient light is transmitted by the selective filter allowing both the user and outside observers to see through the selective filter.
To prevent outside observers from viewing information on the visual monitor, the visual monitor transmits or is filtered to transmit radiation having a characteristic that is at least partially blocked by the selective filter, e.g., radiation having a polarization state which is different from a polarization state that is passed by the selective filter. In this regard, a monitor filter may be disposed between the visual monitor and the user area so as to transmit radiation having a specific characteristic, e.g., polarization state. For example, in the case where polarizing filters are used for the monitor filter and selective filter, a first axis of polarization of the monitor filter is preferably oriented at least 30 degrees relative to, and more preferably orthogonal to, a second axis of polarization of the selective filter. The monitor filter and/or the selective filter may include a mechanism (e.g., mechanical, electrical, or otherwise) for allowing the privacy system to be activated or deactivated as desired. For example, one or both of the filters can be selectively positionable from a first position in which the filter does not receive radiation emitt
Jr. John Juba
Marsh & Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP
Qwest Communications Int'l, Inc.
Spyrou Cassandra
LandOfFree
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