System for distribution and display of advertisements within elevator cars

• US 6,288,688 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Captivate, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elevating Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Fanning, Gary N., Hughes, Bret A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/111,367
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 187/396, 187/397, 187/393, 187/391, 187/247, 345/1, 345/2
• US Class Current: 345/2.2
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/008 Displaying information not related to the elevator, e.g. weather, publicity, internet or TV
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein pertains generally to a method and apparatus for controlling the distribution and display of advertisements and other short messages via a network. It applies more particularly to a system for displaying advertisements to passengers in elevators and similar conveyances, wherein the ultimate source of the messages is remote to the elevator and the messages are conveyed thereto over a computer network. Additionally, it pertains to a system for distributing ads to remote locations for display and retrieving back information from the remote locations relative to the ads displayed. It also pertains to a self-monitoring ad distribution network, wherein equipment failures are automatically reported to a central site.

Claims

1. A networked computer system for the distribution and display of short messages in elevators, said short messages being contained within digital ad data files, comprising:

(a) a computerized main control unit, said computerized main control unit consisting of at least a hard disk, said hard disk for the storage of said digital ad data files thereon;

(b) a plurality of individually addressable computerized graphic display units spaced remotely from said computerized main control unit,

wherein each of said plurality of computerized graphic display units is in a building not containing said computerized main control unit, and,

wherein each of said plurality of computerized graphic display units is adapted to receive communications directly from said computerized main control unit,

each of said plurality of computerized graphic display units consisting of at least,

(b1) a computer CPU, and,

(b2) at least one display device attached to said computer CPU, each of said at least one display devices being for the display of said digital ad data files; and

,

(c) a plurality of communications links, wherein each of said plurality of computerized graphic display units are connected to said main control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files to each of said at least one computerized graphic display units from said main control unit.

2. A networked computer system according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of communications links of step (c) is selected from the group consisting of a telephone line, a wireless communications connection, an ethernet line, a satellite link, a serial line, a parallel line, a coax cable, a twisted pair line, or a fiber optic cable.

3. A method for the distribution and display of short messages in elevators, wherein is provided the ad distribution system of claim 1, and wherein is provided at least one digital ad file that resides on said hard disk of said computerized main control unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting at least one digital ad file from said at least one digital ad files which reside on said main control unit;

(b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;

(c) transmitting said selected digital ad files from said main control unit to said identified graphic display unit, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit; and

,

(d) displaying at least a portion of said at least one ad display file on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said computerized graphics display units cannot be contacted, and wherein each of said graphics display units has an identification code associated therewith, further comprising the steps of:

(e) automatically identifying at least one of said at least one of said graphics display units which cannot be contacted;

(f) determining for each of said at least one identified units which cannot be contacted an associated identification code; and

,

(g) generating a signal representative of at least one of said determined associated identification codes.

5. A networked computer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one computerized graphic display units, further comprises:

(b3) a display device sensor, said display device sensor being placed proximate to said display device, monitoring an operational status of said display device, and being in electronic communication with said computer CPU.

6. A networked computer system according to claim 5, wherein said display device is an LCD display device and said display device sensor is a photoelectric sensor.

7. A method for the collection and processing of ad log information from an individually addressable graphic display unit in an elevator,

wherein is provided a remote processing unit in electronic communication with said graphic display unit and situated remotely therefrom,

comprising the steps of:

(a) providing to said graphic display unit from said remote processing unit a plurality of different digital ads and a predetermined ad play schedule;

(b) playing said plurality of digital ads on said graphic display unit at least approximately according to said predetermined ad play schedule;

(c) recording at said graphic display unit at least an actual date and a time at which each of said plurality of digital ads is played, thereby creating an ad log file;

(d) initiating a request for said graphic display unit to transmit a representation of said ad log file to said remote processing unit;

(e) transmitting said representation of said ad log file from said graphic display unit to said remote processing unit;

(f) performing steps (d) and (e) as required;

(g) determining an actual number of times each of said plurality of ads was played from any representations of ad log files so transmitted; and

,

(h) displaying a value representative of said actual number of times each of said plurality of ads was played.

8. A method for the collection and processing of ad play data from a graphic display unit in an elevator according to claim 7, wherein said request for said graphic display unit to transmit a representation of said ad log file to said remote processing unit originates on said remote processing unit.

9. A method for the collection and processing of ad play data from a graphic display unit in an elevator according to claim 7, wherein said request for said graphic display unit to transmit a representation of said ad log file to said remote processing unit originates on said graphic display unit.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein step (g) further includes the steps of:

(g1) transmitting said representation of said ad log file from said remote processing unit to a main processing unit, and,

(g2) determining within said main processing unit from said representation of said ad log file unit an actual number of times each of said plurality of ads was played.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein steps (d) to (e) are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

12. A method for the distribution and display of short messages in elevators, wherein is provided

a computerized main control unit having a hard disk containing a plurality of digital ad files,

a plurality of individually addressable graphic display units in electrical communication with said computerized main control unit,

each of said plurality of graphic display units being positioned remotely from said computerized main control unit,

wherein each of said plurality of graphic display units is in a building different from said computerized main control unit, and

each of said plurality of graphic display units having a display device which is positionable to be viewable within an elevator cab,

each of said display devices being for the display of digital ads, and,

each of said at least one graphic display units for the display of said at least one digital ad file on said display device, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a digital ad file, said digital ad file containing at least one selected digital ad;

(b) identifying an individual graphic display unit from among said plurality of individually addressable graphic display units, said identified graphic display unit having an identified display unit associated therewith;

(c) assembling a play schedule for said identified graphic display unit,

said play schedule specifying at least times during when said selected digital ad is to be displayed on said display device, and,

said play schedule depending at least on said identified graphic display unit and said selected digital ad file;

(d) directly transmitting said play schedule and said digital ad file from said main control unit to said identified graphic display unit; and

,

(e) displaying said digital ad on said identified display unit according to said assembled play schedule.

13. A method according to claim 12, step (d) includes the step of:

(d1) transmitting said play schedule and said digital ad file to an intermediate control unit,

(d2) transmitting said play schedule and said digital ad file from said intermediate control unit to said identified graphic display unit.

14. A networked computer system for the distribution and display of short messages in elevators, said short messages being contained within digital ad data files, comprising:

(a) a computerized main control unit, said computerized main control unit consisting of at least a hard disk, said hard disk being for the storage of said digital ad data files thereon;

(b) at least one computerized intermediate control unit situated remotely from said computerized main control unit;

(c) at least one individually addressable computerized graphic display unit,

each of said at least one computerized graphic display units being situated remotely from said computerized main control unit and said computerized intermediate control unit, and,

each of said at least one computerized graphic display units being in building different from said computerized main control unit and said computerized intermediate control unit,

each of said at least one computerized graphic display units consisting of at least,

(c1) a computer CPU, and,

(c2) at least one display device attached to said computer CPU, each of said at least one display devices for the display of said digital ad data files,

wherein each of said at least one computerized graphic display units is adapted for direction communication with at least one of said at least one computerized intermediate control units; and

,

(d) a plurality of communications links, wherein

(d1) said computerized main control unit and each of said at least one computerized intermediate control units are positionable to be in electronic communication with each other via at least one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files from said computerized main control unit to each of said at least one computerized intermediate control units, and,

(d2) each of said at least one computerized graphic display units are positionable to be in direct communication with a predetermined computerized intermediate control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files to each of said at least one computerized graphic display units from a intermediate control unit connected thereto.

15. A method for the distribution and display of short messages in elevators, wherein is provided the ad distribution system of claim 14, and wherein is provided at least one digital ad file that resides on said hard disk of said computerized main control unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting at least one digital ad file from said at least one digital ad files which reside on said main control unit;

(b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;

(c) for at least one of said at least one identified graphic display units, identifying an intermediate control unit that is connected thereto;

(d) transmitting said selected digital ad files from said main control unit to said identified intermediate control units, thereby creating transmitted digital ad files on said identified intermediate control units;

(e) transmitting at least a portion of said transmitted digital ad files from each of said identified intermediate control units to said identified graphic display units, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit;

and,

(f) displaying at least a portion of said ad display files on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said computerized graphics display units cannot be contacted, and wherein each of said graphics display units has an identification code associated therewith, further comprising the steps of:

(g) automatically identifying at least one of said at least one of said graphics display units which cannot be contacted;

(h) determining for each of said at least one identified units which cannot be contacted an associated identification code; and

,

(i) generating a signal representative of at least one of said determined associated identification codes.

17. A networked computer system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said at least one computerized graphic display units, further comprises:

(c3) a display device sensor, said display device sensor being placed proximate to said display device, monitoring an operational status of said display device, and being in electronic communication with said computer CPU.

18. A networked computer system according to claim 17, wherein said display device is an LCD display device and said display device sensor is a photoelectric sensor.

19. A method for the distribution of short messages over a computer network and display of said short messages in elevators, wherein is provided

a computerized main control unit,

at least one digital message accessible by said computerized main control unit,

each of said at least one digital messages including at least one command file and one digital ad file associated therewith,

at least one computerized intermediate control unit,

each of said at least one computerized intermediate control units being in electrical communication with said computerized main control unit, and,

a plurality of individually addressable graphic display units,

each of said graphic display units being in electrical communication with at least one of said intermediate control units,

each of said plurality of graphic display units being positioned remotely from any computerized intermediate control unit with which it is in electrical communication,

each of said plurality of graphic display units being in a building different from any computerized intermediate control unit,

each of said plurality of graphic display units further being in a building different from said computerized main control unit,

each of said plurality of graphic display units being adapted for direct communication with at least one of said at least one computerized intermediate control units, and,

each of said plurality of graphic display units having a display device which is positionable to be viewable within an elevator cab,

comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting at least one digital message from among said at least one digital messages, said selected digital message including at least a selected command file and a selected digital ad file;

(b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;

(c) for each identified graphic display unit,

(c1) automatically identifying an intermediate control unit that is in electrical communication with said identified graphic display unit;

(c2) transmitting at least a portion of said selected digital message from said main control unit to said identified intermediate control unit, thereby creating at least one transmitted digital message file on said identified intermediate control unit;

(c3) directly transmitting at least a portion of said at least one transmitted digital message files from said identified intermediate control unit to said identified graphic display unit, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit; and

,

(d) displaying at least a portion of said at least one ad display files on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein step (c3) includes the steps of:

(i) assembling an ad play schedule for said identified graphic display unit from said at least one transmitted digital message files on said identified intermediate control unit, and,

(ii) transmitting said ad play schedule and at least a portion of said transmitted digital message files from said selected intermediate control unit to said identified graphic display unit, thereby creating at least one ad display file on said identified graphic display unit.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein step (c2) includes the steps of:

(i) transmitting said at least said selected digital ad file and at least a portion of said selected command file to said identified intermediate control unit, thereby creating at least one transmitted digital ad file on said identified intermediate control unit.