received by the International Bureau on 23 January 2015

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for identifying a user and providing an in-place personalized interactive display, the method comprising:

capturing, via a first imaging system, an image of a user's palm and detecting, via the captured image, one or more unique characteristics of the user's palm;

identifying the user via the one or more unique characteristics of the user's palm and a database containing mappings between detectable unique palm characteristics and stored user identities;

retrieving user-specific interactive content as a function of the identity of the user;

projecting, via a second imaging system, the user-specific interactive content onto the user's palm; and

detecting, via a third imaging system, a user's interaction with the projected user-specific interactive content on the user's palm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific interactive content comprises a challenge portion of an authentication challenge/response pair.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting, via the second imaging system, the user's interaction with the user-specific interactive content projected onto the user's palm, and authenticating the user as a function of the detected user's interaction and an authentication database containing expected responses associated with the challenge.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first imaging system comprises an image capture device and light source, the second imaging system comprises a projector, and the third imaging system comprises a depth imager.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the challenge and expected response is retrieved from a remote authentication server via a network.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to authenticating the user, approving a financial transaction associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to authenticating the user, allowing the user entry into a secured area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, after authenticating the user, projecting, via the second imaging system, one of directions and a location of where to proceed within the secured area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific interactive content comprises one or more targeted coupons applicable to a current transaction or future transaction associated with the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting, via the third imaging system, the user's interaction with the user-specific content projected onto the user's palm, and based on the detected user's interaction, applying a particular one of a plurality of displayed targeted coupon to a current or future transaction associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific content comprises a fillable form partially populated with information associated with the identified user.

12. The method of claim 1 1, further comprising detecting, via the third imaging system, the user's interaction with the user-specific content projected onto the user's palm, and based on the detected user's interaction, storing updated form information including new information provided via the detected user's interaction with the displayed fillable form.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of identifying the user comprises transmitting the one or more unique characteristics to a remote authentication server and receiving, in response, an identity of the user; and

the step of retrieving user-specific content as a function of the identity of the user comprises transmitting a content request including the identity of the user to a remote interactive content server and receiving, in response, the user-specific content.

14. A controller for identifying a user and providing an in-place personalized interactive display, the controller comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory;

first, second, and third imaging systems; and

a processor configured to: capture, via the first imaging system, an image of a user's palm and detect, via the captured image, one or more unique characteristics of the user's palm;

identify the user via the one or more unique characteristics of the user's plam and a database containing mappings between detectable unique palm characteristics and stored user identities;

retrieve, via the transceiver, user-specific interactive content as a function of the identity of the user;

project, via the second imaging system, the user-specific interactive content onto the user's palm; and

detect, via the third imaging system, a user's interaction with the projected user-specific interactive content on the user's palm.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the user-specific interactive content comprises a challenge portion of an authentication challenge/response pair.

16. The controller of claim 15, the processor further configured to detect, via the second imaging system, the user's interaction with the user-specific interactive content projected onto the user's palm, and authenticate the user as a function of the detected user's interaction and an authentication database containing expected responses associated with the challenge.

17. The controller of claim 14, wherein the user-specific interactive content comprises one or more targeted coupons applicable to a current transaction or future transaction associated with the user.

18. The controller of claim 17, the processor further configured to detect, via the third imaging system, the user's interaction with the user-specific content projected onto the user's palm, and based on the detected user's interaction, apply a particular one of a plurality of displayed targeted coupon to a current or future transaction associated with the user.

19. The controller of claim 14, wherein the user-specific content comprises a fillable form partially populated with information associated with the identified user.

20. The controller of claim 14, wherein:

the processor is configured to identify the user by transmitting, via the transceiver, the one or more unique characteristics to a remote authentication server and receive, in response, an identity of the user; and

the processor is configured to retrieve user-specific content as a function of the identity of the user by transmitting, via the transceiver, a content request including the identity of the user to a remote interactive content server and receive, in response, the user-specific content.