Notification information display apparatus notification information display system and recording medium

• US 6,678,866 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hakuhodo Incorporated (Hakuhodo DY Holdings Incorporated), Tyo Productions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hakuhodo Incorporated (Hakuhodo DY Holdings Incorporated), Tyo Productions Inc.
• Inventors: Tada, Tomoyuki, Ishikawa, Yukio, Kanai, Hideyuki, Kishimoto, Takayoshi, Fukuda, Toshiya, Akihara, Masatoshi, Sekine, Motokazu, Okazaki, Mari, Shima, Masahiko, Koda, Tomoko, Kakimoto, Shuji, Mikami, Masaki, Sugimoto, Hideo, Uchida, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESAI, RACHNA SINGH
• Application Number:
  US09/345,703
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 707/517, 705/26, 705/25, 715/517
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An advertising information memory area for storing advertising information for displaying prescribed advertisement, and a label information memory area for storing label information for presenting a space for displaying advertisement, are provided. A personal computer refers the label information memory area and the advertising information memory area, synthesizes advertisement images and character strings based on the advertising information, and displays the same in the label image based on the label information. An advertising environment is provided which is highly effective in a personal computer environment.

Claims

1. A notification information display apparatus comprising:

a notification information memory area for storing notification information for displaying prescribed information, the notification information being changeable by at least one of a user and a network;

a label information memory area for storing label information for providing an area for displaying said notification information, the label information being to display a label image directly on a desktop of a computer; and

a controller configured so as to refer said label information memory area and said notification information memory area, and output image data for synthesizing at least one selected from the group consisting of notification images and notification character strings based on said notification information, and displaying these on the label image generated on basis of said label information,

wherein said notification information includes advertising information and time-designating information, both of which are downloadable through the network, and the time-designating information specifying time that the advertising information is to be displayed, and

wherein said controller compares the time-designating information with time information defining current time, and, when the current time corresponds with the display time specified by the time-designating information, enables the display of at least the advertising information.

2. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said notification information includes address information that indicates network addresses related to said notification, and said controller in configured so as, when said address information is contained in said notification information, to incorporate that address information in the notification character strings which are synthesized in said label image, and to establish link information for linking said network address to that address information.

3. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said label information contains label image data for front and back sides thereof, respectively, and said controller is configured so as to select either front or back side of said label image and to output image data for either front or back side.

4. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said label information comprises one or more replacement label image data for replacing and displaying said label image, either in part or in whole, and said controller is configured so as to select replacement label image data in response to operating signals, and to generate image data for displaying an image corresponding to said replacement label image data selected in part of whole of that label image.

5. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said label information includes dialogue line information for displaying dialogue lines corresponding to said label image, and said controller is configured so as to be able to detect position of a cursor, and so as to be able, after determining that said cursor position so detected is a position corresponding to said label image, to refer said dialogue line information and display said dialogue line in vicinity of that label image.

6. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller is configured so as to store message information representing messages entered by an operator, and so as to be able to generate image data for displaying messages based on such message information in a designated area of said label image.

7. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said label information includes minimized image data for displaying said label image in a minimized size, and said controller is configured so as to be able, when minimization is designated, to output said minimized image data in place of image data that display said label image, and, upon determining that cursor is positioned over that minimized image, so as to be able to refer message information associated with that label and display at least part of that message in vicinity of that minimized image.

8. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said label information includes a prescribed identifier, and said controller is configured so as to compare an identifier designated in that notification information display apparatus against an identifier contained in said label information, and, when those two identifiers agree, to use that label information in generating a label image.

9. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller is configured so as to calculate total number of label images produced, and so as to be able, when that total number of label images has reached a predetermined standard number, to display a specific message.

10. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said notification information display apparatus is configured so as to communicate with other notification information display apparatuses;

further provided with a destination information memory area for storing destination information that indicates destination information for said other notification information display apparatuses; and

said controller is configured so as, when transmission of a message is designated, to refer that destination information and send said message information to designated destination.

11. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said notification information display apparatus is configured so that terminal specifying information for specifying said notification information display apparatus is sent to another notification information display apparatus with prescribed timing, and so that, based on said terminal specifying information received from other notification information display apparatuses, a list of other notification information display apparatuses to which that notification information display apparatus is capable of transmitting message information is displayed, inclusive of a transmit enablement display.

12. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said notification information display apparatus is configured so as, when characteristic information for said notification information display apparatus has been altered, to send terminal specifying information including that altered characteristic information to another notification information display apparatus, and so that, when terminal specifying information has been received from other notification information display apparatuses, based on that terminal specifying information so received, that notification information display apparatus updates list of notification information display apparatuses capable of transmitting message information.

13. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said notification information display apparatus is configured so as to communicate with other notification information display apparatuses, and said controller is configured so as, when message information is received from other notification information display apparatuses, to generate image data for displaying a message based on that message information in a prescribed area of said label image.

14. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said controller is configured so as to output image data for selectively displaying front and back sides of said label image in conjunction with operating signals, and so that, when said message information is received and said label image is displayed, back side of that label image wherein are synthesized a notification image and/or part of a notification character string based on said notification information is displayed first, and a message based on said message information is displayed on front side that is displayed on basis of operator input.

15. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said controller is configured so as, when setting information for said label image is contained in message information received from said other notification information display apparatuses, to generate image data for displaying that label image in a display mode corresponding to that setting information.

16. The notification information display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said controller is configured so as, in cases where message information has been received from another notification information display apparatus and referred by an operator, to transmit have-opened information indicating that that message information has been referred to said other notification information display apparatus which communicated that message information.

17. A notification information display system configured so that communications are conducted via a network between a notification information display apparatus and a delivery system, said notification information display apparatus comprising:

a notification information memory area for storing notification information for displaying prescribed information, the notification information being changeable by at least one of a user and a network;

a label information memory area for storing label information for providing an area for displaying said notification information, the label information being to display a label image directly on a desktop of a computer; and

a controller configured so as to refer said label information memory area and said notification information memory area, and output image data for synthesizing at least one selected from the group consisting of notification images and notification character strings based on said notification information, and displaying these on the label image generated on basis of said label information,

wherein said notification information includes advertising information and time-designating information, both of which are downloadable through the network, and the time-designating information specifying time that the advertising information is to be displayed, and

wherein said controller compares the time-designating information with time information defining current time, and, when the current time corresponds with the display time specified by the time-designating information, enables the display of at least the advertising information,

and said delivery system comprising;

a notification information database for storing said notification information;

a label information database for storing said label information; and

a server for controlling communications between the notification information database and the label information database and said notification information display apparatus;

wherein;

said server is configured so as to transmit at least one of said notification information stored in said notification information database and said label information stored in the said label information database, with specified timing, to said notification information display apparatus.

18. The notification information display system according to claim 17, wherein:

said controller in said notification information display apparatus monitors display time-designating information contained in said notification information memory area and, upon determining that predetermined conditions for end time for that display time period have been reached, connects to said delivery system via said network; and

said server of that delivery system is configured so as, after being connected to that notification information display apparatus, to transmit new notification information and/or label information for that notification information display apparatus.

19. A machine-readable recording medium whereon is recorded a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:

referring notification information for displaying prescribed notification and label information for providing space for displaying said notification, the label information being to display a label image directly on a desktop of a computer; and

generating image data for synthesizing at least one of notification images and notification character strings based on said notification information and displaying same in label image generated on basis of said label information,

wherein said notification information includes advertising information and time-designating information, both of which are downloadable through a network, and the time-designating information specifying time that the advertising information is to be displayed, and

wherein said controller compares the time-designating information with time information defining current time, and, when the current time corresponds with the display time specified by the time-designating information, enables the display of at least the advertising information.

20. The recording medium according to claim 19, whereon is recorded a program or programs for also causing a computer to execute the steps of:

including address information indicating a network address related to a notification in a notification character string synthesized in said label image; and

setting link information for linking said network address to that address information.

21. The recording medium according to claim 19, whereon is recorded a program or programs for also causing a computer to execute the steps of:

detecting cursor position;

referring dialogue line information displaying a dialogue line associated with said label image upon determining that said cursor position detected coincides with a position corresponding to said label image; and

generating image data for displaying said dialogue line in vicinity of said label image.

22. The recording medium according to claim 19, whereon is recorded a program or programs for also causing a computer to execute the steps of:

storing message information indicating messages input by an operator; and

generating image data for displaying messages based on that message information in a prescribed area in said label image.

23. The recording medium according to claim 19, whereon is recorded a program or programs for also causing a computer to execute the steps of:

comparing an identifier designated in that notification information display apparatus and a specified identifier included in said label information; and

generating a label image using that label information when both identifiers agree.

24. The recording medium according to claim 19, whereon is recorded a program or programs for also causing a computer to execute the steps of:

calculating total number of label images produced;

determining whether that label image total number so calculated has reached a standard number or not; and

displaying a specific message when said total number has reached said standard number.