Signage

• US 20100118200A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alexander Epshtegn, Geoffrey Michael Gelman
• Original Assignee: Alexander Epshtegn, Geoffrey Michael Gelman
• Inventors: Epshtegn, Alexander, Gelman, Geoffrey Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/615,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20100118200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/578
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a digital signage system plays content. According to some embodiments, content may vary based on various circumstances.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining data associated with a first item of content;

determining a first time when the first item of content is scheduled to play in a first region of a display;

determining a criterion associated with a second item of content;

determining, based on the data, that the first item of content satisfies the criterion;

determining a second time based on the first time; and

scheduling the second item of content to play in a second region of the display at the second time.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the first item of content is a video featuring a news segment, and the second item of content is a video featuring an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the data associated with the first item of content is a set of keywords that are descriptive of the first item of content.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the criterion specifies a word and in which determining that the first item of content satisfies the criterion includes determining that the set of keywords includes the word.

5. The method of claim 1 in which determining a second time includes determining a second time that is the same as the first time.

6. The method of claim 1 in which determining a second time includes determining a second time that is before the first time.

7. The method of claim 1 in which data associated with the first item of content includes a closed captioning feed, in which the criterion associated with the second item of content specifies a keyword, and in which determining that the first item of content satisfies the criterion includes determining that the keyword is contained within the closed captioning feed.

8. The method of claim 7 in which determining that the keyword is contained within the closed captioning feed includes performing a text search of the closed captioning feed.

9. A method comprising:

playing a first item of content in a first region of a display;

playing, simultaneously to the first item of content, a second item of content in a second region of the display;

determining that a viewer is gazing towards the first region; and

enhancing the perceptibility of the first item of content.

10. The method of claim 9 in which determining that a viewer is gazing towards the first region includes:

capturing an image of the viewer'"'"'s face;

determining, based on the image, the distance of the viewer from the display;

determining, based on the image, the angle of the viewer with respect to the plane of the display; and

determining, based on the image, the direction in which the viewer'"'"'s pupils are focused.

11. The method of claim 9 in which enhancing the perceptibility of the first item of content includes:

enlarging the first region based on the determination that the viewer is gazing towards the first region; and

scaling the first item of content to fit within the newly enlarged first region.

12. The method of claim 11 further including:

shrinking the second region; and

scaling the second item of content to fit within the newly shrunk second region.

13. The method of claim 9 in which enhancing the perceptibility of the first item of content includes increasing the volume of audio associated with the first item of content.

14. The method of claim 9 in which enhancing the perceptibility of the first item of content includes directing a beam of directional sound towards the viewer.

15. The method of claim 9 in which enhancing the perceptibility of the first item of content includes changing the play rate of the first item of content.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic display with a contact-sensitive portion;

an arm attached to the display, in which the arm can take at least two configurations; and

a processor, the processor operable to;

receive an indication of a first contact with the contact-sensitive portion;

determine a first visual representation based on the first contact, in which the first visual representation simulates the marking of chalk on a chalkboard; and

cause the electronic display to output the first visual representation.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the electronic display is a liquid crystal display screen, in which the contact-sensitive portion includes an overlay using capacitive technology, and in which the arm is bendable about a joint.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 in which, in order to determine the first visual representation, the processor is operable to:

determine a first trajectory of the first contact based on the received indication of the first contact;

apply a noise filter to the first trajectory; and

apply a blurring filter to the first trajectory.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, in which the processor is further operable to:

receive an indication of a second contact with the contact-sensitive portion;

determine a color based on the second contact;

determine a second visual representation by applying the color to the first visual representation; and

cause the electronic display to output the second visual representation.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, in which the processor is further operable to:

receive an indication of a second contact with the contact-sensitive portion;

determine a selection of a first time in the future based on the second contact;

determine when the current time matches the first time; and

cause the electronic display to output the first visual representation only when the current time matches the first time.