Method and system for distributing art

• US 6,670,934 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Gates
• Original Assignee: William H. Gates
• Inventors: Cook, James, Muoio, David, Hasha, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/322,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1-2, 345/326-329, 345/333, 345/356, 345/357, 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 345/2.2, 345/730, 345/748, 345/759, 725/78, 725/83, 434/307.R
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

An art distribution system for distributing art to multiple display devices within an environment. The art distribution system provides a technique for specifying images to be displayed in an environment. The art distribution system provides a hierarchical representation of spaces within the environment. Each space may be further subdivided into subspaces. The art distribution system allows a user to select a space within the hierarchy and then to select an image that is to be displayed at the display devices within the selected space. The art distribution system then displays the selected image within the space including within all subspaces of the selected space. The art distribution system may allow a subsequent assignment of the image to a subspace to override within that subspace the previous selection of an image for the space.

Claims

1. A method in a system for displaying art images in a distributed physical environment having a plurality of rooms, each room having a display device capable of displaying art images, comprising:

providing a representation of a plurality of hierarchical groups of rooms, each room in the environment being associated with at least one of the plurality of groups;

determining a first hierarchical group of rooms from the representation;

determining a first play list of art images to be displayed in the rooms associated with the first group; and

causing the first play list of art images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the first group, such that each room displays art images from the first play list while the other rooms of the first group also display art images from the first play list.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of groups further comprise a second hierarchical group, and wherein the first play list of art images to be displayed in the first group is also automatically determined to be displayed in the second group, such that the same art images are caused to be displayed in the rooms of the first group and the rooms of the second group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second hierarchical group of rooms from the representation;

determining a second play list of art images to be displayed in the second group of rooms; and

causing the second play list of art images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the second group such that each room that is associated with the first group that is not also a room associated with the second group displays the first play list while each room associated with the second group displays the second play list.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein all of the rooms in the second group are also rooms in the first group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second hierarchical group of rooms from the representation;

determining a second play list of art images to be displayed in the determined second group of rooms; and

causing the second play list of art images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the second group such that each room associated with the first group displays the first play list while each room associated with the second group that is not also a room associated with the first group displays the second play list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein all of the rooms in the second group are also rooms in the first group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a selected room in the first group;

determining a second play list of art images to be displayed in the selected room;

causing the second play list of art images to be displayed on the display device of the selected room such that the device of the selected room displays the second play list of art images while the other rooms in the first group display the first play list of art images.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each room has a user control point device for receiving input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user control point device is a touch panel display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first play list of art images is determined using the user control point device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first group of rooms is determined using the user control point device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the rooms are associated into the plurality of groups using the user control point device.

13. A system for displaying art images in a distributed physical environment having a plurality of rooms, each room having a display device capable of displaying art images, comprising:

user control point device that

associates each room with at least one of the plurality of hierarchical groups;

determines a selected hierarchical group of rooms; and

determines a first play list of art images to be displayed in the rooms associated with the selected group; and

art image distribution system that receives input from the user control point device and causes the first play list of art images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the selected group, such that each room displays art images from the first play list while the other rooms of the selected group also display art images from the first play list.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the selected group of rooms comprises a first hierarchical group of rooms, wherein the user control point device determines a second selected hierarchical group of rooms and wherein the art image distribution system causes the same art images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the second selected group of rooms as on the display devices of the rooms associated with the first group of rooms.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the selected group of rooms comprises a first hierarchical group of rooms, wherein the user control point device determines a second selected hierarchical group of rooms and a second play list of images, and wherein the art image distribution system causes the second play list of images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the second group and causes the first play list of images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms of the first group that are not also rooms of the second group.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the selected group of rooms comprises a first hierarchical group of rooms, wherein the user control point device determines a second selected hierarchical group of rooms and a second play list of images, and wherein the art image distribution system causes the first play list of images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms associated with the first group and causes the second play list of images to be displayed on the display devices of the rooms of the second group that are not also rooms of the first group.

17. A method in a system for displaying images in a physical environment, the environment having a plurality of spaces, each space having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, comprising:

associating the plurality of spaces with a first hierarchical group;

determining a first image to be displayed in the spaces of the first group; and

causing the first image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the first group, such that each space of the first group displays the first image while the other spaces of the first group also display the first image.

18. The method of claim 17, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, further comprising:

associating the second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group; and

causing the first image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group, such that the same image is caused to be displayed in the spaces of the second group and in the spaces of the first group.

19. The method of claim 17, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, further comprising:

associating the second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the second group;

causing the second image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group such that each space of the first group that is not also a space of the second group displays the first image while each space of the second group displays the second image.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein all of the spaces of the second group are also spaces of the first group.

21. The method of claim 17, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, further comprising:

associating the second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the second group;

causing the second image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group such that each space of the first group displays the first image while each space of the second group that is not also a space of the first group displays the second image.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein all of the spaces of the second group are also spaces of the first group.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a selected space of the first group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the selected space; and

causing the second image to be displayed on the display device associated with the selected space such that the selected space displays the second image while the other spaces of the first group display the first image.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the determined first image is an art image.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the determined first image comprises a play list of multiple images.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the multiple images are art images.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein each space has a user control point device for receiving input.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the user control point device is a touch panel display.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the first image is determined using the user control point device.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the first group is determined using the user control point device.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the spaces are associated with the first group using the user control point device.

32. A computer-readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to display images in a physical environment, the environment having a plurality of spaces, each space having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, by:

associating the plurality of spaces with a first hierarchical group;

determining a first image to be displayed in the spaces of the first group; and

causing the first image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the first group, such that each space of the first group displays the first image while the other spaces of the first group also display the first image.

33. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, containing further instructions that control the computer processor by:

associating the second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group; and

causing the first image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group, such that the same image is caused to be displayed in the spaces of the second group and in the spaces of the first group.

34. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, containing further instructions that control the computer processor by:

associating the second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the second group;

causing the second image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group such that each space of the first group that is not also a space of the second group displays the first image while each space of the second group displays the second image.

35. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 34 wherein all of the spaces of the second group are also spaces of the first group.

36. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, the environment having a second plurality of spaces, each of the second plurality of spaces having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, containing further instructions that control the computer processor by:

associating the plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the second group;

causing the second image to be displayed on the display devices associated with the spaces of the second group such that each space of the first group displays the first image while each space of the second group that is not also a space of the first group displays the second image.

37. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 36 wherein all of the spaces of the second group are also spaces of the first group.

38. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, containing further instructions that control the computer processor by:

determining a selected space of the first group;

determining a second image to be displayed in the selected space; and

causing the second image to be displayed on the display device associated with the selected space such that the selected space displays the second image while the other spaces of the first group display the first image.

39. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, wherein the determined first image is an art image.

40. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32, wherein the determined first image comprises a play list of multiple images.

41. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 32 wherein each space has a user control point device for receiving input.

42. A system for displaying images in a physical environment, the environment having a plurality of spaces, each space having an associated display device capable of displaying an image, comprising:

plurality of art space controllers, each associated with a space of the plurality of spaces and the associated display device of the space, that each

receive an indication of an image; and

cause the associated display device of the associated space to display the indicated image in the space; and

art administration system that

associates a plurality of the spaces with a first hierarchical group;

determines a first image to be displayed in the spaces that belong to the first group; and

sends an indication of the first image to the art space controller associated with each space that belongs to the first group.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the same image is displayed in each of the spaces that belong to the first group.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein the art administration system further

associates a second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group,

determines a second image to be displayed in the spaces that belong to the second group, and

sends an indication of the second image to the art space controller associated with each space that belongs to the first group that also belongs to the second group.

45. The system of claim 42 wherein the art administration system further associates a second plurality of spaces with a second hierarchical group,

determines a second image to be displayed in the spaces that belong to the second group, and

sends an indication of the second image to the art space controller associated with each space that belongs to the second group that does not also belongs to the first group.

46. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

user control point device that receives selections from an operator and transmits the selections to the art administration system to arrange the plurality of spaces into hierarchical groups and to select images for display.

47. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

image server that

receives a request for an indicated image for an indicated space,

retrieves the indicated image, and

forwards the retrieved image to the art space controller associated with the indicated space.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the indicated image is retrieved from an image storage system that is not located at the image server.

49. The system of claim 42 wherein the first image is an art image.