Display systems and methods having individually addressable monitor units

• US 20060065492A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Micro Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Micro Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Trifu, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,801 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 1/3415 Control system configuration and the data transmission or communication within 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

Abstract

A display system includes multiple monitor units which each include an enclosure, a display screen, a communication port, a storage device, and a control circuit. A communications conduit sequentially connects the monitor units and is selectively connectable with a general purpose computer. Each monitor unit is individually addressable over the communications conduit by a general purpose computer for receiving individualized control information and image information therefrom. The control circuit of each of the monitor units is configured to store the control information and the image information within the storage device, and is further configured to act in accordance with the stored control information to selectively provide at least some of the stored image information to the display screen. The control circuit does not include a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system. An elevator system is also provided, as are methods of displaying information.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a plurality of monitor units each comprising an enclosure, a display screen, a communication port, a power port, a storage device, and a control circuit, the control circuit being electrically connected with each of the display screen, the communication port, the power port, and the storage device, the enclosure supporting each of the display screen, the communication port, the power port, the storage device, and the control circuit, wherein the control circuit does not comprise a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system;

a communications conduit being sequentially connected to the communication port of each of the monitor units, the communications conduit being configured to be selectively connected with a general purpose computer, wherein each of the monitor units is individually addressable over the communications conduit by a general purpose computer for receiving individualized control information and image information from a general purpose computer;

wherein the control circuit of each of the monitor units is configured to store the control information and the image information within the storage device, and is further configured to act in accordance with the stored control information to selectively provide at least some of the stored image information to the display screen.

2. The display system of claim 1 wherein the communication conduit does not employ a protocol selected from the group consisting of Ethernet and TCP/IP.

3. The display system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is configured to be wall-mounted such that no portion of the monitor unit recesses into a wall, and such that no portion of the monitor unit protrudes from a wall by more than about 0.5 inches (1.3 centimeters).

4. The display system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is configured to be wall-mounted such that no portion of the monitor unit recesses into a wall, and such that no portion of the monitor unit protrudes from a wall by more than about 1.0 inches (2.5 centimeters).

5. The display system of claim 1 wherein said monitor units do not comprise any viewer accessible controls.

6. The display system of claim 1 further comprising a motion sensor being electrically connected with the control circuit of at least one of the monitor units, the motion sensor being supported by the enclosure of the at least one of the monitor units and being configured to generate activation signals, the control circuit being operative to selectively display the image information on the display screen at least partially in response to the activation signals.

7. The display system of claim 1 wherein the storage device comprises non-volatile memory.

8. The display system of claim 1 being configured to display information selected from the group consisting of advertisements, weather information, geographic information, elevator cab location information, product information, and service information.

9. The display system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit consists essentially of at least one of a field programmable gate array and an application specific integrated circuit.

10. The display system of claim 1 wherein a general purpose computer need not be continually connected with the communications conduit during operation of the monitors.

11. The display system of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is not configured to display the image information on the display screen in real time as the image information is received from a general purpose computer via the communications conduit.

12. The display system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit of each of said monitor units is configured to receive image information representing time of day from the communications conduit, and to effectuate display of time of day on the display screen.

13. The display system of claim 12 wherein the control circuit of each of said monitor units is configured to receive image information in real time representing time of day from the communications conduit, and to effectuate display of time of day on the display screen.

14. The display system of claim 12 wherein the control circuit of each of said monitor units comprises an internal clock and the control circuit is configured to effectuate display of time of day on the display screen in response to data from the internal clock, wherein the internal clock is configured for periodic calibration by the control circuit in response to image information representing time of day which is periodically transmitted over the communications conduit to each of the monitor units.

15. The display system of claim 12 wherein the image information representing time of day is generated by a global positioning system receiver external to the monitor units.

16. An elevator system for movement of passengers among respective floors of a building, the elevator system comprising:

at least one elevator cab being moveably supported within an elongated vertical passageway, the passageway extending adjacent to a plurality of lobbies, each lobby being located upon a distinct floor of a building, the elevator cab being configured to receive passengers from at least some of the plurality of lobbies;

a control system being connected with said elevator cab and being configured to selectively move said elevator cab through said passageway;

a display system comprising a plurality of monitor units being disposed in locations visible to elevator passengers, each monitor unit comprising an enclosure, a display screen, a communication port, a power port, a storage device, and a control circuit, the control circuit being electrically connected with each of the display screen, the communication port, the power port, and the storage device, the enclosure supporting each of the display screen, the communication port, the power port, the storage device, and the control circuit, wherein the control circuit does not comprise a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system;

a communications conduit being sequentially connected to the communication port of each of the monitor units, the communications conduit being configured to be selectively connected with a general purpose computer, wherein each of the monitor units is individually addressable over the communications conduit by a general purpose computer for receiving individualized control information and image information from a general purpose computer;

wherein the control circuit of each of the monitor units is configured to store the control information and the image information within the storage device, and is further configured to act in accordance with the stored control information to selectively provide at least some of the stored image information to the display screen.

17. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein at least some of the locations are within elevator lobbies.

18. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein at least some of the locations are within elevator cabs.

19. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein at least some of the locations are within elevator lobbies and wherein at least some of the locations are within elevator cabs.

20. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the communication conduit does not employ a protocol selected from the group consisting of Ethernet and TCP/IP.

21. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein said enclosure is configured to be wall-mounted such that no portion of said monitor unit recesses into a wall, and such that no portion of said monitor unit protrudes from a wall by more than about 1.0 inches (2.5 centimeters).

22. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein said monitor units do not comprise a passenger-accessible control.

23. The elevator system of claim 16 further comprising a motion sensor being electrically connected with the control circuit of at least one of the monitor units, the motion sensor being supported by the enclosure of the at least one of the monitor units and being configured to generate activation signals, the control circuit being operative to selectively display the image information on the display screen at least partially in response to the activation signals.

24. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the storage device comprises non-volatile memory.

25. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the monitor units are configured to display advertisements.

26. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the monitor units are configured to display information selected from the group consisting of weather information, geographic information, elevator cab location information, product information, and service information.

27. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the control circuit consists essentially of at least one of a field programmable gate array and an application specific integrated circuit.

28. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein a general purpose computer need not be continually connected with the communications conduit during operation of the monitors.

29. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein said control circuit is not configured to display the image information on the display screen in real time as the image information is received from a general purpose computer via the communications conduit.

30. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the control circuit of each of said monitor units is configured to receive image information representing time of day from the communications conduit, and to effectuate display of time of day on the display screen, wherein the image information representing time of day is generated by a global positioning system receiver.

31. A method of displaying image information on a plurality of monitor units, the method comprising:

providing a first monitor unit, a second monitor unit, a communications conduit, and a general purpose computer;

mounting the first monitor unit in a first location, the first monitor unit comprising a first enclosure, a first display screen, a first communication port, a first power port, a first storage device, and a first control circuit, the first control circuit being electrically connected with each of the first display screen, the first communication port, the first power port, and the first storage device, the first enclosure supporting each of the first display screen, the first communication port, the first power port, the first storage device, and the first control circuit, wherein the first control circuit does not comprise a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system;

mounting the second monitor unit in a second location, the second monitor unit comprising a second enclosure, a second display screen, a second communication port, a second power port, a second storage device, and a second control circuit, the second control circuit being electrically connected with each of the second display screen, the second communication port, the second power port, and the second storage device, the second enclosure supporting each of the second display screen, the second communication port, the second power port, the second storage device, and the second control circuit, wherein the second control circuit does not comprise a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system;

connecting the communications conduit to the first communication port and to the second communication port in a sequential arrangement;

connecting the general purpose computer to the communications conduit;

transferring control information and image information from the general purpose computer to the first monitor unit over the communications conduit;

storing within the first storage device the control information and the image information received by the first monitor unit;

transferring control information and image information from the general purpose computer to the second monitor unit over the communications conduit;

storing within the second storage device the control information and the image information received by the second monitor unit;

providing at least some of the stored image information in the first storage device to the first display screen in accordance with the stored control information in the first storage device, and

providing at least some of the stored image information in the second storage device to the second display screen in accordance with the stored control information in the second storage device.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising receiving over the communications conduit by the first monitor unit and the second monitor unit image information comprising data representing time of day, and displaying time of day on the first display screen and the second display screen in accordance with the received data.

33. A method of displaying advertisements on a monitor unit, the monitor unit being connected sequentially along a communications conduit with other monitor units and being individually and selectively addressable by a general purpose computer over the communications conduit, the method comprising:

providing a monitor unit having a storage device, a control circuit, and a display, the control circuit being connected with a communications conduit, wherein the control circuit does not comprise a general purpose computer and is unable to operate an off-the-shelf operating system;

receiving control information and image information from a general purpose computer over the communications conduit, the image information comprising a plurality of advertisement images;

storing the control information and the image information within the storage device;

processing the control information and the image information with the control circuit; and

displaying at least some of the image information upon the display as directed by the control information.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the displaying function involves the sequential presentation of the images upon the display in accordance with the control information as to the order of images displayed and the presentation time for each image.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the monitor unit is provided within one of an elevator cab and an elevator lobby.