Information display system

• US 20050056494A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Captivate, LLC
• Original Assignee: Gannett Satellite Information Network Incorporated (Gannett Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Lacheur, Neil S., Amo, Stephen D., Lacheur, Dean L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/396
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/00 Applications of devices for indicating or signalling operating conditions of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/008 Displaying information not related to the elevator, e.g. weather, publicity, internet or TV
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels

Abstract

A display apparatus within elevator cabs or elevator waiting areas that facilitates the simultaneous display of advertising and general news information is described. Broadcast from a remote control center, advertising and general news information updates are transmitted to, and stored in a server located within a building and then forwarded to a display memory and subsequently displayed on a monitor according to a remotely modifiable program schedule. The display is updated such that it contains a copy of the latest broadcast schedule, as well as the advertisement and information programming, and automatically displays a days program according to the most current broadcast schedule. The display units as well as the building server are each individually addressable thus allowing groups of displays to be simultaneously updated from a remote centralized location with information such as news updates, customized advertising information and the like.

Claims

1-20. -20. (Cancelled)

21. A system for displaying information in elevator cabs, the system comprising:

a central server for compiling and transmitting information to be displayed;

a plurality of individually-addressable displays for receiving the information, each of the displays being disposed in an elevator cab and having a plurality of display areas, each of the display areas displaying a different portion of the information.

22. The system as defined in claim 21, further comprising a plurality of intermediary servers in data communication with the central server and with a subset of the displays, the intermediary servers configured to

receive the information from the central server and to

forward the information to the displays in the subset of displays.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a network interface associated with each of the displays, the network interface providing an address for receiving information.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the intermediary servers comprise building servers, each associated with a building, and wherein the subset of displays comprises displays located in the building.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the network interface comprises a wireless network interface.

26. A method for distributing information to a plurality of individually-addressable displays, each of the displays being disposed in one of a plurality of elevator cabs, the method comprising:

compiling information to be displayed;

selecting, from the plurality of displays, a subset of displays on which the information is to be displayed;

causing the information to be transmitted across a network to the selected displays.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving the information at each of the displays.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the information comprises indirectly receiving the information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein indirectly receiving the information comprises:

receiving the information at an intermediary server in communication with the wide area network; and

causing the information to be transmitted from the intermediary server to the displays.