Systems and Methods for Coordinating Portable Display Devices

• US 20140009366A1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobbers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobbers, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 9,318,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165

Abstract

A system for distributing display content to multiple heterogeneous mobile display devices is presented. The system includes several independently operated mobile display devices and a host server. The host server is communicatively coupled with the independent mobile display devices and is configured to divide the display content into several pixels. The host server is also configured to assign single pixels from the several pixels individually to distinct display devices selected from the several mobile display devices. The host server is also configured to instruct the display devices having assigned pixels to display their assigned single pixels. In some embodiments, the host server is configured to assign the single pixels to the display devices according to the attributes of the display devices.

Claims

1. A distributed content display system capable of presenting content comprising:

a plurality of independent mobile display devices; and

a host server communicatively coupled with the plurality of mobile display devices and configured to;

divide the content into a plurality of pixels;

assign single pixels from of the plurality of pixels individually to distinct display devices selected from the plurality of mobile display devices; and

instruct the display devices having assigned single pixels to display their assigned single pixels.

2. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display devices comprises a group of heterogeneous display devices.

5. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises image data.

6. The distributed content display system of claim 5, wherein the image data comprises an image derived from video data.

7. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises advertising content.

8. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein each display device comprises display device attributes.

9. The distributed content display system of claim 8, wherein the display attributes comprises at least one of:

location information, seat assignment information, an orientation, or flash availability.

10. The distributed content display system of claim 8, wherein the host server is further configured to assign the single pixels to the distinct display devices based on the display attributes of the distinct display devices.

11. The distributed content display system of claim 8, wherein the host server is further configured to iteratively assign pixels to each display device over a time period, wherein the assigning of pixels to each display device depends on changes in display attributes of the display device over the time period.

12. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the host server is further configured to obtain location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile display devices.

13. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the host server is communicatively coupled to the plurality of display devices over a network.

14. The distributed content display system of claim 1, wherein the host server comprises an administrator interface configured to allow a content administrator to deploy the content.

15. The distributed content display system of claim 14, wherein the administrator interface comprises a touch sensitive display that is configured to receive a touch input from the content administrator for deploying the content.

16. The distributed content display system of claim 15, wherein the host server is further configured to map different gestures received on the touch sensitive display to different pixel assignments.

3. The distributed content display system of claim 3, wherein the group of heterogeneous display devices comprises displays having different display resolutions.

4. The distributed content display system of claim 3, wherein the group of heterogeneous display devices comprises displays of different sizes.

17. A method for displaying content comprising:

providing access to a host server that is coupled with a plurality of independent mobile display devices;

configuring the host server to divide the content into a plurality of pixels;

configuring the host server to assign single pixels from of the plurality of pixels individually to distinct display devices selected from the plurality of mobile display devices; and

configuring the host server to instruct the display devices having assigned single pixels to display their assigned single pixels

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of mobile display devices comprises display devices having different display resolutions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each display device comprises display device attributes, wherein the method further comprises configuring the host server to assign the single pixels to the distinct display devices based on the display attributes of the distinct display devices.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising iteratively assigning pixels to each display device over a time period based on changes in display attributes of the display device over the time period.