This is a new launch and I'll be posting one invention each week to
alt.inventors with some cross-posts to other appropriate newsgroups.
The Frame Embedded Live Auction Countdown (F.E.L.A.C.)
These are wireless cafe/bar picture frames with embedded in one of the
horizontal bars a red L.E.D. which displays current sales price of the
frame content e.g. an original painting by a local artist. Embedded
into the frame itself the L.E.D. offers a live auction countdown
(dutch auction) to users of the cafe/bar that is also synchronized
with a sales point on the Internet. To avoid a physical/virtual
conflict of interest over two potential simultaneous purchase
agreements, the frame also features an additional press able
colour-changing status button called "buy-it-now". Those physically
present can press to reserve the picture for purchases on a suggested
5 minute timer switch. This changes the button red for the allotted
time and more importantly synchronizes with the internet sales point
to inform virtual visitors that it is not for sale during this time
period. Within this reservation time the physical buyer has to
conclude a purchase transaction with the cafe/bar sales staff.
Likewise a purchase arising from a virtual buyer would synchronize
with the frame on the cafe/bar wall and turn the "buy-it-now" button
from green to red. The website might also offer a 5 minute reservation
time to the virtual buyer to contemplate or pay for the product. Since
the countdown price (dutch auction) would be frozen in the event of
any sale, there may exist an obligation for the buyer to wait a
stipulated time period in weeks before collecting or being delivered
his artwork. This allows the cafe/bar owner to make regular customers
aware that products have been sold and at what price. The L.E.D. might
also indicate with the letter P or V if the artwork was bought
physically or virtually. Popular tourist destinations, such as York,
house many prints displayed on cafe/bar walls with price tickets
attached. This is a high-tech replacement! The introduction of the
electronic countdown built-in to the frame allows for the gradual
countdown of sales prices in chosen increments. Artist or owner could
set a reserve price for each picture at which to stop counting down
and return to the starting price maximum and a typical countdown might
be 2 euros a day. Wiring could be either fixed to wall or but less
intrusively arranged using something wireless such as bluetooth.
Obviously a service to switch into a normal frame would be needed.
Physical buyers might have to pay a financial penalty if they wished
to take away the artwork there and then, if say immediate onward
travel demanded it. The cafe/bar owner is going to require a control
box to handle the wireless/bluetooth synchronization with the website
sales point but preferably without a full-grown PC on the cafe/bar
floor. Additionally unlike with a virtual purchase that can generate
an automatic payment received and sold signal to change the
"buy-it-now" button permanently red, some control switch would be
needed by physical sales staff e.g. bartender to indicate that a
picture had been physically bought and paid for. This could be in a
control box or a lock and key with the frame itself. However any
control switches needed by physical sales staff i.e. the bartender
signaling when art has been physically bought, could be done through a
text message to the control-box. As always it is best to avoid
introducing a computer keyboard into any area where staff have to deal
directly with customers. Therefore the design of the wireless or
alternatively wired control-box must take this into account to shift
processing off-site and out of sight. The potential of this device
might be understood through your visual imagination of the effect of
walking into a large modern bar to see the red glow of price
countdowns coming from every picture frame offset against each other
around the room. Next day all prices a little lower, but prices have
fallen by different amounts. Some picture have been sold and left on
the wall for an additional week by the buyer in order to claim the
voucher reductions on offer for doing this. This creates discussion
over who bought the picture and why at what price. The fact that it is
sold should be indicated by the unchanging colour red of the
"buy-it-now" frame button, but perhaps it could be advertised more
prominently by setting the L.E.D. countdown into blink mode.
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Project First Cup inventions development program supports the frank
exchange of ideas, concepts and prototypes likely to lead to
commercial success. Project First Cup requests acknowledgement as
first source when things succeed.
Please visit
www.tide2000.com/feedback to discuss this invention and
others.
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