Information-display system, an information-display method, an information-display server, and an information-display program

• US 20020133544A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eiji Yoshino, Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh System Kaihatsu Company Limited (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Eiji Yoshino, Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh System Kaihatsu Company Limited (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Eiji, Kuniyoshi, Yoshio, Kogami, Hideki, Aoike, Kunio
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems

Abstract

An information-display system, an information-display method, an information-display server and an information-display program are provided that enable updating of a presence status on a real time basis without useless accesses, while facilitating changes of the kind of information to be displayed and facilitating improvements. The information-display system includes information display terminals and an information-display server, wherein the server transmits a notice to the terminals indicating that there is an update, and then, the terminals acquire and display the updated information.

Claims

1. An information-display system that displays information, using one or more information-display terminals and an information-display server connected to the information-display terminals through a network, comprising:

information storing means provided in the information-display server for storing information to be displayed on the information-display terminals,

update notice transmitting means provided in the information-display server for transmitting a notice that there is an update of the information stored in the information storing means to the information-display terminals when the information is updated, and

information acquisition and display means provided in each of the information-display terminals-for acquiring the updated information from the information-display server pursuant to the notice from the information-display server that there is an update, and for displaying the updated information.

2. The information-display system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

update demanding means provided in each of the information-display terminals for demanding an update of the information stored in the information-display server, and

information updating means provided in the information-display server for updating the information stored in the information storing means according to the update demand from one of the information-display terminals.

3. The information-display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information displayed on the information-display terminal is for indicating a status of one or more persons.

4. The information-display system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the information storing means stores at least one piece of

personal information relative to the one or more persons whose status is to be displayed,

status information relative to the one or persons whose status is to be displayed, and

at least one set of layout information for aligning a display screen for the one or more persons whose status is to be displayed and their respective status on the information-display terminal.

5. The information-display system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the information-display terminal displays the status information of the one or more persons whose status is to be displayed in an area specific to each of the persons, and the area is provided with different colors according to different statuses indicated by the status information.

6. The information-display system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the status information comprises at least “

presence” and

“

absence”

of the one or more persons whose status is to be displayed.

7. An information-display method for displaying information, using one or more information-display terminals and an information-display server connected to the information-display terminals through a network, comprising:

an update notice transmitting step for transmitting from the information-display server to the information-display terminals a notice that there is an update of information when there is an update of the information stored in information storing means, and

an acquisition and display step for acquiring the updated information from the information storing means pursuant to the notice of updating received by the information-display terminals from the information-display server.

8. An information-display server connected to one or more information-display terminals through a network for displaying information on the information-display terminals, comprising:

information storing means for storing information to be displayed on the information-display terminals,

update notice transmitting means for transmitting to the information-display terminals a notice that there is an update when there is an update of the information stored in the information storing means, and

updated information transmitting means for transmitting the updated information to the information-display terminals pursuant to a demand from one of the information-display terminals such that the information-display terminals display updated current information.

9. An information-display program for a computer to function as:

information storing means for storing information to be displayed on one or more information-display terminals connected through a network,

update notice transmitting means for transmitting to the information-display terminals the notice that there is an update when there is an update of the information stored in the information storing means, and

updated information transmitting means for transmitting to the information-display terminals the updated information that is updated pursuant to a demand for the updated information from one of the information-display terminals such that the information-display terminals display updated current information.