Public Signage

• US 20150084838A1
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao M., Dimitriadis, Dimitrios, Renger, Bernard S., Zavesky, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/033,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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

Abstract

A network of intelligent electronic public signs interacts with one or many devices. A central server manages the electronic public signs and determines which one of the electronic public signs should display content related to a device. The central server may thus pair devices to electronic public signs for public display of individual content requests. Should any interaction involve personal or private information, the central server may exclude the corresponding response from public display. Any personal or private interactions may, instead, be privately conducted to prevent public display.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, queries sent from a plurality of mobile devices;

retrieving responses to the queries;

determining an electronic public sign that is common to the queries;

retrieving a network address associated with the electronic public sign;

sending the responses from the server to the network address associated with the electronic public sign; and

sending a display instruction from the server to the network address to display the responses on the electronic public sign.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a single response is common to multiple ones of the queries; and

instructing the electronic public sign to display the single response,

wherein the single response is publically displayed in response to the multiple ones of the queries.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a percentage of the queries having the single response;

instructing the electronic public sign to display the single response sized to the percentage of a display area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining one of the responses contains personal information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the personal information prior to the display on the electronic public sign.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising excluding the one of the responses from the display on the electronic public sign.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining which one of the queries corresponds to the one of the responses containing the personal information;

determining an address from which the one of the queries originated; and

sending the one of the responses containing the personal information to the address,

wherein the one of the responses containing the personal information is received by a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices to prevent public display of the personal information.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving queries sent from a plurality of mobile devices;

retrieving responses to the queries;

determining an electronic public sign that is common to the queries;

retrieving a network address associated with the electronic public sign;

sending the responses to the network address associated with the electronic public sign; and

sending a display instruction to the network address to display the responses on the electronic public sign.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a single response is common to multiple ones of the queries; and

instructing the electronic public sign to display the single response,

wherein the single response is publically displayed in response to the multiple ones of the queries.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a percentage of the queries having the single response;

instructing the electronic public sign to display the single response sized to the percentage of a display area.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining one of the responses contains personal information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise removing the personal information prior to the display on the electronic public sign.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise excluding the one of the responses from the display on the electronic public sign.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining which one of the queries corresponds to the one of the responses containing the personal information;

determining an address from which the one of the queries originated; and

sending the one of the responses containing the personal information to the address,

wherein the one of the responses containing the personal information is received by a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices to prevent public display of the personal information.

15. A memory storing instructions that when execute cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, at a server, a query sent from a mobile device;

retrieving a response to the query;

dual-formatting the response to generate a public response and a private response for different destinations;

retrieving a network address of an electronic public sign that is associated with the network address of the mobile device;

sending the public response from the server to the network address associated with the electronic public sign for public display; and

sending the private response from the server to the network address of the mobile device for private consumption.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise removing personal information from the public response prior to the public display.

17. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise processing the public response to suit capabilities of the electronic public display.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise processing the private response to suit capabilities of the mobile device.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sanitizing the public response for the public display.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending a display instruction from the server to the network address associated with the electronic public sign.