Electronic display remote image verification system and method

• US 10,313,037 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: De Laet, Rick, Dunn, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Huerta, Alexander Q
• Application Number:
  US15/609,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/375 Commercial
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method for remotely verifying images shown on an electronic display is provided. A processor may direct a screen capture device to take a screen capture of the image currently shown on the electronic display. The screen capture may be stored on an electronic storage device and may be transferred to a networked database via a network connection device. A client may be able to access the screen captures through a user interface in connectivity with the networked database.

Claims

1. A system for remote verification of an advertising image shown on an electronic display comprising:

a weather resistant enclosure for the electronic display;

a timing and control board (TCON);

a video player;

a screen capture device in connectivity with the electronic display, the TCON, and the video player, wherein said screen capture device is configured to take a screen capture of the advertising image;

a processor in connectivity with the video player and the screen capture device, wherein said processor is configured to direct the screen capture device to take a screen capture of the advertising image;

an electronic storage device in connectivity with the processor, wherein said electronic storage device is configured to store said screen capture;

a network connection device in connectivity with the processor; and

a networked database located remote from said electronic display and in connectivity with said network connection device, wherein said networked database is configured to receive said screen capture;

wherein the processor is configured to instruct the screen capture device to take the screen capture only when a particular advertising image is scheduled to be displayed on the electronic display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said networked database and said network connection device are in communication with one another via the internet.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the processor is configured to direct the screen capture device to take screen captures of the advertising images at regular intervals.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said screen capture device is configured to add time and date information to said screen capture.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said processor is configured to direct said screen capture device to take a screen capture of each new advertising image displayed on said electronic display.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

and screen capture device is configured to add checksum data to said screen captures; and

said processor is configured to discard screen captures having checksum data that matches the checksum data on an already stored screen capture; and

wherein the advertising images displayed are static advertising images, each of which is displayed for a respective predetermined period of time.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said processor is configured to compress said screen capture.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said processor is configured to reformat said screen capture.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface configured to permit access to said screen capture stored on the networked database; and

an electronic device in communication with said networked database and configured to display said user interface.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the user interface is a website.

11. A system for remote verification of images shown on an electronic display comprising:

a processor configured to receive image verification requests and direct said video player to display said images on the electronic display, each for a respective predetermined period of time, wherein said images are static digital advertising images;

a screen capture device configured to take screen shots of the images displayed on the electronic display and add checksum data to said screen captures;

a video player configured to receive instructions from said processor and output data regarding said images to said electronic display and said screen capture device;

an electronic storage device in connectivity with said processor and comprising a schedule of when various images are to be displayed on said electronic display, wherein said electronic storage device is configured to store said screen shots;

a network connection device in connectivity with the processor and configured to receive one ore more user requests to take a screen capture of one or more images scheduled for display on the electronic display; and

a networked database located remote from said electronic display and in connectivity with said network connection device, wherein said networked database is configured to receive said screen shots;

wherein said processor is configured to instruct said screen capture device to take a screen shot when an image verification request has been received for the image being currently displayed on the electronic display;

wherein said processor is configured to discard screen captures having checksum data that matches the checksum data on an already stored screen capture;

wherein the processor is configured to instruct the screen capture device to take a screen capture of the image currently being displayed on the electronic display if a user request to take a screen capture has been received for the image currently scheduled for display on the electronic display.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a user interface configured to permit viewing of said screen shots; and

an electronic device in communication with said networked database and configured to provide access to said user interface.

13. A method for remote verification of an advertising image shown on an electronic display comprising the steps of:

providing a processor in connectivity with the electronic display, a video player, a screen capture device, an electronic storage device comprising a schedule of advertising images to be displayed on said electronic display, a network connection device, and a networked database;

receiving a request, by way of the network connection device, to take a screen capture of one or more advertising images scheduled for display on the electronic display;

instructing the video player to output the advertising image scheduled for display on the electronic display;

instructing the screen capture device to take a screen capture of the advertising image being displayed on the electronic display if a request to take a screen capture has been received for the advertising image currently scheduled for display;

storing the screen capture on the electronic storage device;

transmitting the screen capture to the networked database via the network connection device;

storing the screen capture on the networked database; and

providing access to the screen capture stored on the networked database.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

providing checksum data on the screen capture;

determining if the checksum data provided on the screen capture matches checksum data provided on any stored screen captures; and

discarding said screen capture if the screen capture comprises checksum data matching the checksum data provided on any already stored screen captures;

wherein the images displayed are static advertising images, each of which is displayed for a respective predetermined period of time.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

compressing the screen capture.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:

access to the screen capture stored on the networked database is provided by hosting a website configured to permit access to said networked database.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

access to the screen capture stored on the networked database is provided by transmitting a copy of the stored screen capture to a client.