`
`US007382334B1
`
`(12) United States Patent
`Hylin et al.
`
`(io) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,382,334 B1
`*Jun. 3, 2008
`
`(54) DIGITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Mats Hylin, Danderyd (SE); Mats
`Dahlgren, Helsingborg (SE); Joakim
`Jonason, Lidingo (SE)
`
`(73) Assignee: T-Rex Property AB, Danderyd (SE)
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis¬
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/135,549
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Jul. 18, 1998
`
`5,109,384 A *
`5,412,416 A
`5,448,263 A
`5,499,046 A
`5,508,713 A
`
`4/1992 Tseung
`5/1995 Nemirofsky
`9/1995 Martin
`3/1996 Schiller et al.
`4/1996 Okouchi
`
`714/748
`
`(Continued)
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`AU
`
`A-48849/90
`
`8/1990
`
`(Continued)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/676,517,
`filed on Jul. 2, 1996, now Pat. No. 6,005,534.
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/017,403, filed on May
`14, 1996.
`
`IBM Digital Media Distributor, IBM brochure, date unknown.
`
`Primary Examiner—David L. Lewis
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Pierce Atwood LLP; Kevin
`M. Farrell; Katherine A. Wrobel
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`(30)
`
`Apr. 26, 1996
`Jan. 29, 1997
`Apr. 23, 1997
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`(SE)
`(SE)
`(SE)
`
`9601603
`9722250.5
`9741546
`
`The invention relates to a digital information system for
`displaying information on at least one display means with
`the aid of at least one television set or camera. The exposures
`are presented at places accessible to and frequented by a
`general public. The information system includes external
`information mediators and information is controlled
`dynamically through the medium of a communication inter¬
`face and through the medium of an exposure handler in a
`central computer. The inventive system also includes a
`communication interface against an elective number of
`cinema computers having connected television or camera
`computers which control television sets or cameras for
`displaying pictures or exposures. The cinema computers and
`peripheral equipment are situated at mutually distanced
`places.
`
`42 Claims, 1Drawing Sheet
`
`(51)
`
`Int. CI.
`G09G 5/00
`G06Q 10/00
`(52) U.S. CI
`
`(58) Field of Classification Search..........
`
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`345/2.1; 345/2.2; 705/5;
`705/6
`345/1.1-1.3,
`345/2.1-2.3,3.1; 705/5-14; 701/200,213;
`455/419
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3/1992 Esch et al.
`5,099,319 A
`
` IPR2017-00006 Ex. 1001
`Broadsign International, LLC Petitioner
` 1
`
`
`
`US 7,382,334 B1
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6,507,949 B1
`
`1/2003 Jonason et al.
`
`5,565,911 A
`5,568,279 A
`5,612,741 A
`5,634,018 A
`5,642,484 A
`5,675,637 A
`5,745,688 A
`5,848,397 A
`6,006,159 A
`6,144,848 A
`
`10/1996
`10/1996
`3/1997
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`6/1997
`10/1997
`4/1998
`12/1998
`12/1999
`11/2000
`
`Ishikawa et al.
`Hinman et al.
`Loban et al.
`Tanikoshi et al.
`Harrison et al.
`Szlarn et al.
`Oka
`Marsh
`Schmier et al. .
`Walsh et al
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`FR
`2634295
`2 288 474
`GB
`2288474
`GB
`JP
`4-016985
`JP
`5-300563
`JP
`8-030222
`W093/16459
`WO
`WO96/08113
`WO
`* cited by examiner
`
`1/1990
`8/1985
`10/1995
`1/1992
`11/1993
`2/1996
`8/1993
`3/1996
`
`340/988
`455/419
`
` 2
`
`
`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jun. 3, 2008
`
`US 7,382,334 B1
`
`10
`
`J 12
`
`30
`
`Databases
`30
`
`rÿ
`
`24
`
`Information
`mediators
`
`26
`
`iIDUD|-X!|JD
`
`Modem
`
`28ÿ
`Central computer t 2 T
`
`14
`Radio link
`
`36
`
`18
`
`CJ ."."ll'jr i3dH
`
`20
`
`32
`
`gr
`
`Working stations
`32
`
`Control central
`
`16
`
`Cinema computer
`
`36ÿ0
`
`Cinema 1
`
`38
`
`36
`36
`
`38
`38
`
`A_ A_ \
`
`Projectot computers
`
`22
`
`34-
`
`Cinema 3
`
`Cinema 2
`
`\
`
`10
`
`Camera
`
`TV-aet
`
`40
`
` 3
`
`
`
`334 B1
`US 7,382,
`
`1
`DIGITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`The present application is a continuation-in-part of appli¬
`cation Ser. No. 08/676,517, filed on Jul. 2, 1996 now U.S.
`Pat. No. 6,004,534, the disclosure of which is expressly
`incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`5
`
`10
`
`invention relates to a method and to an
`The present
`arrangement for controlling and coordinating television sets,
`with peripheral equipment, or cameras, with peripheral 15
`equipment, in a digital information system for displaying
`least one display device through the
`information on at
`mediumof at least one television set or camera for each said
`device, said information being displayed in places such as
`cinemas, private homes, onboard air-crafts, onboard trains, 20
`onboard ships, main railway stations, subway stations, air¬
`port waiting lounges etc, and generally every were adver¬
`tisements, films, movies and other information is displayed
`through the medium of television sets or cameras.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART
`
`25
`
`Systems that are used to show information inthe form of
`advertisements, timetable messages or arrival and departure
`times in present-day public service infrastructures with 30
`regard to buses, trains, subway traffic, etc., is of a static
`nature. Such information is given on notice boards, posters,
`charts, tables, verbally through loudspeakers, and on digital
`displays, etc. A characteristic feature of such information
`media is that the information media is not coordinated, but 35
`is in the form of individual items which are controlled and
`updated separately, often manually.
`Modern digital displays used, e.g., in conjunction with
`subway railway traffic gives some of the aforesaid informa¬
`tion but is not controlled to display advertisements, warning 40
`messages, etc. Furthermore,the information is often supple¬
`mentedwith verbal messages transmitted from traffic control
`centers. The information channel cannot be subscribed to
`directly for the display of external information suppliers,
`such as advertising bureaux, the authorities, newspapers, 45
`etc., but is processed administratively and fed manually into
`the information display systems.
`Although the administration of information is often pro¬
`cessed manually with the aid of modern computer technol¬
`ogy, the available display time will nevertheless contain 50
`"deadtime", among other things due to back-logging caused
`by the manual infeed process.
`Thus, present-day systems do not enable information to
`be updated dynamically for display inreal time. Neither do
`present-day systems enable external mediators to update 55
`information for display in a central control system, nor yet
`the administrator who makes the display of information
`available, but that it is the administrator who determines
`when, where and how the information shall be displayed.
`The present-day static information display systems are 60
`therefore beset with a number of problems.
`Also known to the art are systems for displaying or
`showing picture series inlocal public places, such as assem¬
`bly halls, lecture halls, and conference rooms in industry.
`The systems comprise diapositive television set or cameras 65
`which are controlled to display pictures, images and sound
`in an attractive manner, often with rapidpicture changes and
`
`2
`overlaps, so as to avoid the risk of boring viewers, as with
`conventional display with diapositive television set or cam¬
`eras. The computer control of such systems may well be both
`complicated and advanced.
`Unfortunately, these systems are nevertheless static inso¬
`far as they are used in one and the same locality and
`controlled and managed on the display site. The display
`must be planned carefully beforehand, this planning often
`being carried out by experts within the technical field in
`question, so as to obtain a finished display product. For
`instance, when a company wishes to change its display and
`introduce a new picture series combined with sound, the
`process againbecomes static by virtue of the needto employ
`experts to program and arrange the new display.
`The same problem as that mentioned above is also met
`when showing pictures through diapositive television set or
`cameras in one and the same locality, because the display
`subscriber has very little chance of influencing the display,
`especially in real time. The picture display is directed
`towards a limited public and towards scheduled display of
`one and the same information material to the public con¬
`cerned. The picture display is not directed to a large number
`of people, as in the case of a railway station platform, a
`subway platform or in airports. In places of this nature, it
`should be possible to spread the information and to display
`different information in different places within said stations
`and it should be possible to update and change the infor¬
`mation quickly. When the information displayed on said
`stations is not effectively coordinated, the displays on which
`information is presented will often become static,
`for
`instance show the time of the next display or show a pause
`picture, i.e. dead time. This becomes nerve-wracking to
`travelers, who often wait for longperiods inwaiting halls or
`stand on platforms. Neither is the failure to utilize expensive
`information display equipment
`to the highest possible
`degree compatible with good economy.
`Further, It is a knownproblem when new films or movies
`are to be released at different locations such as cinemas that
`there are pirate copies made when the movies or films are
`distributed to the locations where they are going to be
`displayed to the public.
`Still further, the advertisement sent at cinemas during the
`projection of a film is static, i.e. not instantly changeable.
`Also, for advertisement on television the same drawbacks
`as for other systems are valid e.g. concerning changing of
`advertisement spots.
`Yet further, the new standards for digital television will in
`a near future revolutionary television viewers demands on
`available services, such as pay per view, video on demand,
`interactive viewing etc, not to say what would be the case if
`it is combined with satellite transmission or cable carried
`broadband transmission.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention aims to provide a flexible system in
`which external information mediators are able to dynami¬
`cally control inreal time the transmission of display instruc¬
`tions to a larger public in different places situated at any
`chosen distance apart through television sets or cameras
`which project information onto displays intended herefor.
`An achievement of the invention is to allow video on
`demand and pay per view on television sets and other
`medium intended for display of information.
`Another achievement is to make it possible to distribute,
`for example, movie films to cinema locations from a remote
`central place.
`
` 4
`
`
`
`334 B1
`US 7,382,
`
`20
`
`3
`Yet another achievement of the invention is to enable
`pictures, images, messages and announcements to be con¬
`figured inaccordance with modern digital technology, there¬
`with providing rapid communication.
`A further achievement of the invention is to enable a 5
`picture, image or other informationto be changed inpractice
`as often as is desired, inrealtime, therewith providing direct
`and immediate communication, and to enable similar or
`specific information to be displayed in places that are
`mutually far apart and to enable message information to be 10
`alternated with advertising spots, for instance.
`A still further achievement in part of the invention is to
`assign every television set and camera an address. In one
`embodiment a network address such as an Internet TCP/IP
`address.
`According to one aspect, the present invention relates to
`a method of coordinating and controlling television sets or
`cameras in a digital information system for exposing infor¬
`mation on at least one display device through the medium of
`at least one television set or camera.
`Said method comprising the following steps:
`generating an exposure list comprising control instruc¬
`tions for coordinating and controlling television sets or
`cameras with regard to what shall be exposed, when it shall
`be exposed, where it shall be exposed and for how long it 25
`shall be exposed;
`using a control center for coordinating and controlling
`television sets or cameras, wherein the control center is able
`to create and update said exposure list in real time with
`control instruction fields via dynamic booking of informa- 30
`tion in time for exposure from mediators; and
`wherein the exposure list enables each television set or
`camera to be controlled, independently of other television
`sets or cameras, to receive the same or different information
`in accordance with the exposure list for exposure of respec- 35
`five television set or camera through the computerized
`devices.
`Information mediators are, in one embodiment of the
`invention, connected to a computerized control
`present
`center via interfaces for data and telecommunication for 40
`round-the clock transmission of information. The control
`center has communication interfaces against computerized
`devices, situated at specific places remote from the control
`center, for coordinating and controlling television sets or
`cameras. A control center is able to create and update an 45
`exposure list in real time with control instruction fields via
`dynamic booking of information in time for exposure from
`mediators having drive routine means. Said drive routine
`means may be transparent for transmission of information
`with the drive routine means of the control center for 50
`transmission of informationinthe system via interfaces. The
`exposure list with control instructions coordinates and con¬
`trols the television set or camera with regardto what shall be
`exposed, when it shall be exposed, where it shall be exposed
`and for how long it shall be exposed. Also it enables each 55
`television set or camera to be controlled, independently of
`other television sets or cameras, to receive the same or
`different informationinaccordance with the exposure list for
`exposure of respective television set or camera through the
`computerized devices.
`In one embodiment, the system administrator is able to
`update the exposure list with elective information at any
`time whatsoever, wherein the dynamic booking can be
`changed or delayed.
`In another embodiment a server situated at said specific 65
`place and included in a computerized device includes data¬
`bases; and in that information in the databases relating to
`
`15
`
`60
`
`4
`exposures in the exposure list is copied in databases of
`servers in a selected number of computerized devices situ¬
`ated at some other place.
`A further embodiment comprises that the exposure list
`includes reserved instruction fields for updating control
`instructions via mediator interfaces.
`the control
`further embodiment
`includes that
`A still
`instructions are placedina queue, or line, when the exposure
`list temporarily lacks instruction updating fields.
`In yet another embodiment a switch senses when one of
`said servers is out of function, wherein the television set or
`cameras controlled by said server are controlled by another
`server situated at some other place.
`Also, a further embodiment ensures that every television
`set or camera is assigned an unique address, whereby the
`addresses can be of the type TCP/IP. Addresses to television
`set or cameras, in one embodiment, respectively, are stored
`on a smart card which can be read by computerised means
`via in these comprised smart card readers.
`The present invention also relates to an arrangement of
`apparatus for carrying out the aforesaid method, said
`apparatus including the aforesaid devices and an expo¬
`sure handler which creates the exposure list. More
`specifically an arrangement for coordinating and con¬
`trolling television sets or cameras in a digital informa¬
`tion system for displaying information on at least one
`display device through the medium of at
`least one
`television set or camera, said information being sup¬
`plied by mediators of information, for exposure or
`display.
`It comprises:
`computerized control center means, wherein the control
`center has communication interfaces against;
`computerized means for coordinating and controlling
`television sets or cameras;
`exposure handler means whereby the control center func¬
`tions, inreal time and through the medium of said exposure
`handler, to create and update an exposure list having control
`instruction fields, via dynamic booking of display informa¬
`tion from mediators; and
`wherein said exposure list, containing control
`instruc¬
`tions, coordinates and controls the television sets or cameras
`in question with respect to what shall be exposed, where it
`shall be exposed, when it shall be exposed, and for how long
`it shall be exposed, and enables each television set or
`camera, independently of other television sets or cameras, to
`receive the same or different information according to the
`exposure list for exposure, or display, by respective televi¬
`sion set or camera through the computerized devices.
`Mediators of information for exposure or display are
`connected to a computerized control center via interfaces for
`data andtelecommunication for transmitting the information
`at any elected time whatsoever, wherein the control center
`has communication interfaces against computerized devices
`for coordinating and controlling television sets or cameras.
`The control center functions, in real time and through the
`medium of said exposure handler, to create and update an
`exposure list having control instruction fields via dynamic
`booking of display information from mediators having drive
`routine means. Said drive routine means possibly being
`transparent for transmission of information with the drive
`routine means of the control center for transmission of
`information in the system via interfaces. An exposure list
`containing control instructions coordinates and controls the
`television sets or cameras in question with respect to what
`shall be exposed, where it shall be exposed, when it shall be
`exposed, and for how long it shall be exposed. This enables
`
` 5
`
`
`
`334 B1
`US 7,382,
`
`5
`that each television set or camera, independently of other
`television sets or cameras, to receive the same or different
`information according to the exposure list for exposure, or
`display, by respective television set or camera through the
`computerized devices.
`
`5
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The following description makes reference to the text in
`the accompanying drawing to provide a better understanding io
`of the embodiments of the present invention, said drawing
`illustrating schematically a system for coordinating and
`controlling television sets or cameras ina digital information
`system for displaying information in accordance with the
`invention.
`
`15
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present inventionrelates to a method for the dynamic 2o
`coordination and control of television sets or cameras, with
`possible peripheral equipment, in a digital information sys¬
`tem for displaying information on at least one display device
`via at least one television set or camera for each display
`device, wherein the information is displayed in places that 25
`are accessible to and frequented by a general public. The
`invention also relates to an arrangement of apparatus for
`carrying out the method.
`It is to be understood that the television set or camera
`itself can comprise a digital display device or be incorpo- 30
`rated ina digital display device such as an LCDdisplay, PDP
`display (Plasma Display Panel), a digital television set etc.
`Although implementation of embodiments are limited in
`the following to private homes or cinema locations, it will be
`understood that
`the invention is not restricted to these 35
`embodiments. As before mentioned, the inventive system
`can be used in places where large sections of the public are
`known to visit or look at advertisement, looking at televi¬
`sion,
`looking at movies etc., such as railway stations,
`subway stations, airports, outdoor locations, onboard air- 40
`crafts, onboardtrains, onboard ships, airport waiting lounges
`etc, inaddition to cinemas and private homes, and generally
`every were advertisements, films, movies and other infor¬
`mation is displayed through the medium of television sets or
`cameras.
`It should be appreciated that the word camera generally
`relates to any kind of apparatus able to project images on
`displays.
`Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
`described in detail with reference to the accompanying 50
`single drawing, which illustrates schematically a system 10
`for coordinating and controlling television sets or cameras in
`a digital information system for displaying information on
`display devices, such as free-standing picture screens, wall-
`mounted screens, walls, and overhead screens or other 55
`means suitable for reproducing or exposing picture infor¬
`mation in the form of text, stills, movable pictures, images,
`etc.
`In the main, the system is comprised of a control center
`12 having a communication interface 14 which connects an 60
`unlimitednumber of computerized devices 16, 18, 20 which
`are placed at desired distances from one another for the
`control of television sets 40 or cameras 22.
`The illustrated system also includes an information
`mediator which is connected to the control center 12 through 65
`the medium of a computer 24 and a modem 26. Although
`only one modem is shown connected to the central computer
`
`45
`
`6
`28 of the control center, it will be understood that modem
`poles, telephone switching centers and other similar devices
`may be used to this end in accordance with present-day
`techniques. Also, the connection between the system 10 or
`control center 12 and information mediators is arbitrary by
`wire or wireless, preferably cable oriented and possibly a
`broadband network.
`As an example of a preferred embodiment, a system 10
`couldbe administrated by almost any company or by a major
`broadcasting company for movies or television. Alterna¬
`tively, the information mediators could be broadcasting
`companies and the administrator of the system 10 an inde¬
`pendent distributor of media. In accordance, the computer¬
`ized devices or station sites 16, 18, 20 are e.g. cable
`television delivers, satellite television distributors, locations
`where movies are displayed etc.
`The central computer 28 in the control center 12 also
`includes databases 30, in the illustrated case two databases.
`The databases 30 may be externally connected to the central
`computer. The control center also includes working stations
`32, which are preferably connected to the central computer
`28 via a Local Area Network (LAN) in accordance with
`known techniques. The working stations 32 are used by the
`personnel serving the control center 12, in monitoring,
`checking, maintaining and updating functions inthe central
`computer with its databases. The control center administra¬
`tor is able to insert television set or camera control instruc¬
`tions via the working stations, for instance when information
`is directed specifically to travelers and passengers travelling
`by ship, train, subway, aircraft or some other vehicular traffic
`who require specific information. The information may
`concern the arrival times and departure times of passenger-
`carrying vehicles. The administrator controls internally how,
`what, when or where the information shall be displayed by
`the television sets or cameras 22. An important feature in
`this context, however, is that external informationmediators
`24 are able to give control instructions to the television sets
`or cameras 22 with regard to the information that
`the
`external mediators 24 desire the system 10 to display via the
`television set or cameras 22, each on its own initiative and
`communication-wise transparent via modems 26. This can
`be achieved in accordance with one embodiment of the
`invention without involving the working stations 32 in the
`procedure of transmitting the control
`instructions to the
`central computer 28.
`The term information mediator 24 used in the following
`shall be interpreted in its widest meaning, i.e. as not only
`referring to advertising agencies but to all companies and
`private persons who wish to utilize the system 10 for
`commercial reasons or for the display of information that
`concerns a general public. At present a mediator which
`wishes to display information in public places is normally
`forced to wait about two weeks, perhaps longer, before his
`order can be implemented and the information publicly
`displayed. With the inventive digital information system 10,
`the information can be displayed principally inreal time, i.e.
`at the time of making the order, possibly with a short delay
`due to processing, fully-booked exposure lists and other
`quickly passing causes. Furthermore, an external informa¬
`tion mediator 24 is able to put through information to the
`system 12 twenty-four hours a day, whereupon the infor¬
`mation can be included instantaneously in an exposure list,
`as illustrated in more detail below.
`Those external information mediators which connect to
`the control center 12 are, in one embodiment of the inven¬
`tion, connected to the control center via specially designed
`interfaces (drive routine means) for data and telecommuni-
`
` 6
`
`
`
`334 B1
`US 7,382,
`
`20
`
`7
`cation. In this way, only external mediators 24 having the
`correct interface are able to connect transparently to the
`control center 12 for delivering control instructions to the
`television sets or cameras 22, which avoids unauthorized
`access to the display of such information and misuse of the 5
`system. In this regard, the special interface, which may be
`included in the computers of external mediators, also
`includes commercially available code keys or other codes
`sent between the control center 12 and the computer 24 of
`the external mediator to verify the right to enter control 10
`instructions into the central computer 28, without the admin¬
`istrator needing to supply through the working stations 32
`further information or authority permitting access of the
`external information mediators 24 to the central computer
`for transmitting system transparent control instructions to 15
`the television set or cameras 22.
`Inaccordance with the invention, the control center 12has
`the computerized
`a communication interface 14 against
`devices 16, 18, 20 situated on shifting positions or places for
`television set or camera coordination and control.
`The drawing shows specifically a radio link which forms
`an interface between the control center 12 and the comput¬
`erized devices 16, 18, 20, this interface being a preferred
`inter face, although not necessarily the sole possible inter¬
`face. Other interfaces for transmitting information between 25
`the control center 12 and the computerized devices 16, 18,
`20 may consist of a cable-carried ISDN solution (Integrated
`Services Digital Network), satellite network, other wireless
`network, or other fixed lines that have the same capacity.
`In one embodiment of the invention relating to a cinema 30
`or a cable television distributor 1(from now on cinema 1),
`the computerized device 16 is comprised of a cinema
`computer (server) which either includes or is connected
`externally to a hard disk 36, wherein the cinema computer
`34 is connected to a plurality of television set or camera 35
`computers 38, three such television set or camera computers
`inthe illustrated case, which transmit control information to
`connected television sets 40 or cameras 22, only one of
`which is shown. The television set or camera computers 38
`have the form of PC units with picture screens in the 40
`illustrated case. The information sent to television sets or
`cameras 22 can be monitored on the picture screens of the
`PC units 38 and edited by personnel stationed at different
`locations within a cinema 16, or from a central location. In
`the illustrated embodiment, cinema 2, referenced 18, and 45
`cinema 3, referenced 20, comprise other cinemas that are
`equipped with devices similar to the devices of the cinema
`16, although without showing the television set or camera
`computers 38 and the television set 40 or camera 22. It is
`assumed, however, that these stations also include television 50
`set or camera computers 38 and at least one television set or
`camera 22.
`Inan alternative embodiment of the device or devices 38,
`i.e. the television set or camera computers 38, included in
`the cinema computer 34, the television sets or cameras 22 55
`is/are controlled directly from the cinema computer 34.
`Inyet another embodiment of the devices included inthe
`computerized devices 16, 18,20, the television set or camera
`22 is replaced with an electronic display (not shown), such
`as a large picture screen in LCD technology, PDP technol- 60
`ogy or the like. The cinema computer 34 is then included in
`the large picture screen or is connected externally thereto.
`Preferably, the television set or camera computers 38 in the
`cinema computer 34 and the database 36 are also included.
`Information is transmitted from the control center 12 gen- 65
`erally inthe same manner as that before described. However,
`each separate large picture screen may be addressed directly
`
`8
`through a radio network 14, wherein the screens are con¬
`trolled from the control center 12 which includes redun¬
`dancy. Thus,
`the computerized
`in the illustrated case,
`devices 16, 18, 20 form an electronic display with cinema
`control computer 34, said television set or camera 22 effect¬
`ing the display.
`According to one embodiment, the computerized devices
`16, 18, 20 may include redundancy by virtue of all databases
`36 or harddisks inthe cinemas 16, 18, 20 includingthe same
`television set or camera control information or instructions
`for monitoring the system in a cinema 16, 18, 20. Thus, all
`information is copied between the cinema computers 34 and
`their databases 36 via the communications interface 14 from
`the central computer 28. This means that a computerized
`device for displaying information in a cinema via television
`sets or cameras 22 will not be disabled should one or two of
`the cinemas shown inthe drawing suffer a computer or hard
`disk power down in a cinema computer 34. In the event of
`a power down ina cinema computer 34, the communications
`interface 14 can be coupled to a switch which automatically
`bypasses the cinema computer and connects television sets
`or cameras 22 connected to the power down computer 34 to
`one of the cinema computers 34 that is still in function (the
`switch is not shown in the drawing).
`The digital information system 10 has been described in
`the aforegoing with regard to respective hardware and
`Implementation of the present
`invention in
`interfaces.
`achieving the objects and purposes thereof will now be
`described more specifically.
`The illustrated central computer 28 is divided into three
`powerful servers 1, 2, 3, of which server 1receives material
`from external information mediators 24, via modems 26,
`wire or wireless or combinations of them. Server 2 sends
`information material to the cinema computers 34. The same
`material can be sent to all cinema computers 34, eventhough
`the information is to be displayed solely on a given display
`or on given displays. What shall be exposed and where it
`shall be exposed will be explained in more detail below.
`Server 3 functions to process information and control
`instructions received from the information mediator 24, as
`described in more detail below.
`The server 3 of the central computer 28 functions partly
`as an exposure handler. The exposure handler 3 carries out
`the important object of the invention with regard to the
`possibility of an external mediator 24 to organize the infor¬
`mation delivered to the cinema 16, 18, 20 via an exposure
`list, this organizing of informationbeing effected inreal time
`via the modem 26 and the server 1that receives television
`set or camera control information from the external media¬
`tor.
`In one embodiment of the invention, a queue, or line, is
`created from the informationmaterial received by the server
`1, in accordance with some known line or queuing method,
`such as FIFO (First InFirst Out), LIFO (Last In First Out)
`or Round Robin, etc., wherein the server 3 or exposure
`handler 3 has set-up or created an exposure list which covers
`a twenty-four hour period for information exposure or
`display via television set or cameras 22. The exposure
`handler 3 collects and processes, i.e. allocates, information
`instructions,
`relating to television set or camera control
`wherein mediator informationis sorted into the exposure list
`in accordance with the wishes of the mediator 24 or i