Location-relevant real-time multimedia delivery and control and editing ...

1. A system for providing a tour of a venue, comprising:

central computer for creating the tour, the central computer remotely located from the venue;

venue server computer, communicatively connected to the central computer, for storing the tour;

editor connected to the central computer, for programming, editing and selectively modifying the tour, the central computer communicatively connected to the venue server computer to deliver the tour as modified to the venue server computer; and

portable device remotely located from the central computer, communicatively connected to the venue server computer, for obtaining the tour from the venue server computer, the portable device comprising:

storage for retaining the tour by the portable device, once obtained from the venue server computer;

user interface for delivering multimedia output of the tour; and

device processor connected to the storage and the user interface, for controlling the portable device to deliver the tour at the portable device;

wherein the portable device is communicatively disconnected from the venue server computer upon obtaining the tour in the storage of the portable device;

wherein the venue server computer, if the tour then-stored by the venue server computer differs from the tour then-retained in storage of the portable device, delivers the tour then-stored by the venue server computer to the portable device on communicative connection of the portable device to the venue server computer;

wherein the portable device when communicatively disconnected from the venue server computer, selectively plays the tour obtained from the venue server computer as multimedia output on the portable device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

relational database for correlating geographic locations to point of interest content, communicatively connected to the central computer;

wherein the central computer comprises:

processor, connected to the editor; and

controller, connected to the processor, for delivering the tour to the venue server computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the portable device further comprises:

a log of usage data for the portable device relevant to the tour then retained by the portable device; and

wherein the venue server computer further comprises:

reporter for obtaining and storing the log from the portable device on communicative connection of the portable device to the venue server computer;

venue server processor, connected to the reporter, for controlling the venue server computer to deliver the log to the central computer.

4. The system of claim 1, further wherein the venue server computer comprises:

central computer synchronizer, connected to the venue server processor, for communicatively synchronizing the tour then-maintained at the venue server computer with the tour then-maintained at the central computer; and

portable device synchronizer, connected to the venue server processor, for communicatively synchronizing the tour then-maintained at the venue server computer with the portable device upon communicative connection of the portable device with the venue server computer.

5. The system of claim 4,

wherein the venue server computer further comprises:

portable device controller, connected to the venue server processor, for communicatively connecting the portable device to the venue server computer, the portable device is checked-in to the portable device controller to establish communicative connection of the portable device to the venue server computer, the portable device is checked-out of the portable device controller to dissociate the portable device from communicative connection to the venue server computer during play of the tour on the portable device;

wherein the venue server computer reads the log of the portable device during communicative connection of the venue server computer and the portable device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises:

a log of usage data for the portable device, communicatively connected to the device processor;

the tour, communicatively connected to the device processor;

user input interface, communicatively connected to the device processor, for receiving input to direct the tour; and

geographic location identifier, communicatively connected to the device processor, for automatically controlling the tour in response to applicable geographic location from time to time of the portable device during operation of the tour on the portable device;

wherein the tour can be varied in operation on the portable device by interaction with the user input interface, without communicative connection to the venue server computer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the geographic location identifier comprises a GPS receiver; and

wherein the portable device further comprises:

tour content engine, communicatively connected to the device processor, for retrieving a geographic location of the portable device from the geographic location identifier; and

customer user interface, communicatively connected to the device processor and the tour content engine, for ascertaining the geographic location retrieved by the tour content engine and correlating and controlling output of the tour on the portable device in response to the geographic location so ascertained.

8. A method of tour guiding, comprising the steps of:

creating a tour at a first location, for a venue at a remote location;

communicating the tour to a venue system at the venue at the remote location from the first location;

providing a portable tour guide device for delivering multimedia output of the tour;

communicatively connecting the portable tour guide device to the venue system;

writing the tour to the portable tour guide device upon the step of communicatively connecting;

disconnecting the portable tour guide device from communicative connection to the venue system after the step of writing;

moving the portable tour guide device within the venue as disconnected from the venue system;

outputting multimedia of the tour by the portable tour guide device without communicative connection to the venue system; and

varying the tour output by the portable tour guide device by interaction with the portable tour guide device without communicative connection to the venue system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating comprises the steps of:

identifying a geographical coordinate of a point of interest within the venue of the tour;

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to certain of the tour and varying output of the tour by the portable tour guide device based on the point of interest;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

detecting by the portable tour guide device a location of the portable tour guide device within the venue, corresponding to the geographical coordinate of the certain of the tour; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of detecting.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of creating further comprises the steps of:

including an advertisement in the tour in the step of creating; and

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to the advertisement of the tour;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

outputting the advertisement by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of detecting;

editing the advertisement in the tour at the first location;

communicating the edited advertisement tour to the venue system at the venue at the remote location from the first location;

communicatively connecting the portable tour guide device to the venue system for obtaining the edited advertisement;

writing the edited advertisement in the tour to the portable tour guide device upon the step of communicatively connecting.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device, wherein the interactive user interface enables input to select certain of the tour;

selecting the certain of the tour via the interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device, without communication between the portable tour guide device and the venue system; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device in response to the step of selecting, without communication between the portable tour guide device and the venue system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device, wherein the interactive user interface enables input to select certain of the tour;

selecting the certain of the tour via the interactive user interface of the portable tour guide device, without communication between the portable tour guide device and the venue system; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device in response to the step of selecting, without communication between the portable tour guide device and the venue system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of creating further comprises the steps of:

identifying a geographical coordinate of a point of interest within the venue of the tour;

correlating the geographical coordinate for the point of interest to certain of the tour;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

detecting by the portable tour guide device a location of the portable tour guide device within the venue, corresponding to the geographical coordinate of the certain of the tour; and

outputting the certain of the tour by the portable tour guide device, automatically, upon the step of detecting without communication between the portable tour guide device and the venue system.