Message providing apparatus

• US 6,717,522 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagatomo, Hideo, Kobayashi, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/596,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/825.25, 340/825.22, 340/825.15, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 340/825.55, 340/825.4, 340/825.27, 395/186, 395/187, 395/200.33, 395/681, 704/270, 704/278, 705/17, 705/27, 705/41
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays

Abstract

A message providing apparatus according to one embodiment is apparently a small-sized (for sample, screen size of about 3.5 inches) flat display (for example, LCD), wherein a speaker is provided at a cabinet, and a memory card that is a message data storage medium is inserted into the cabinet. Advertisement display data is stored to be classified into a moving image layer indicating a landscape, a still image layer indicating a commodity, a graphic (POP) layer indicating a price, a character layer indicating a catch phrase, and a sound layer which are displayed to be superimposed as required. BGM music data is also stored as the sound layer, and is reproduced in synchronism with a display. Advertisement characters are printed at the cabinet. When power is supplied, the apparatus automatically starts data reproduction of the memory card (by using a power on play function), and when all the data has been reproduced, the apparatus automatically restarts reproduction (by using an auto replay function). The message providing apparatus can be disposed on a commodity display shelf in place of a conventional advertisement providing apparatus so that image or sound information such as television commercial message popular among consumers can be distributed near commodities.

Claims

1. A message providing apparatus to which a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which stores message data containing at least one of a still image, moving image, character, graphic and sound is able to be detachably mounted, the message providing apparatus comprising:

a sound output device which reproduces the sound read from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus; and

a display device which displays the images, character or graphic read from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus,

wherein said nonvolative semiconductor memory device further stores software identification data, the apparatus further comprising,

an identification memory which stores a hardware identification data of said apparatus,

a collator which detects whether the software identification read from the semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus corresponds to the hardware identification read from the identification memory; and

wherein said sound output device reproduces the sound included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification, and

said display device displays the still image, moving image, character and graphic included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor memory device stores a still image, moving image, character, graphic or sound, respectively, as layer data, and said display device displays a plurality of layer data to be superimposed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said message data comprises advertisement data and further comprising a printer for printing advertisement data, advertisement related information, price reduction ticket, money certificate, lottery ticket, or coupon ticket.

4. A commodity display tool comprising:

a cabinet portion having a commodity housed therein; and

a message providing apparatus according to one of claims 1, 2 or 3 which is disposed integrally at said cabinet portion.

5. An advertisement display apparatus comprising:

an advertisement display device; and

a message providing apparatus according to one of claims 1, 2 or 3 which is disposed integrally in said advertisement display device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said message data comprises advertisement data and further comprising an order input device which receives an order from a customer.

7. The message providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound output device starts reproduction of the sound and said display device starts display of the images, character or graphic when said apparatus is powered on.

8. The message providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound output device restarts reproduction of the sound when all sound data has been reproduced and said display device restarts display of the images, character or graphic when all images, character or graphic data has been reproduced.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a subject detector which detects a presence of a subject by using one of an infrared ray and ultrasound wave which are transmitted to the subject and reflected therefrom and a thermal signal transmitted from the subject; and

a volume controller which increases an output volume of said sound output device when said subject detector detects the presence of the subject and decreases the volume when said subject detector does not detect the presence of the subject.

10. The message providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said storage device further stores attribute data of the message data indicating a time when the message data should be provided,

said sound output device reproduces the sound read from said storage device at a time determined by the attribute data of the message data, and

said display device displays the images, character or graphic read from said storage device at a time determined by the attribute data of the message data.

11. A message providing apparatus comprising:

a storage device which stores message data containing at least one of a still image, moving image, character, graphic and sound;

a sound output device which reproduces sound read from said storage device;

a display device which displays images, character or graphic read from said storage device;

a subject detector which detects a presence of a subject by using one of an infrared ray and ultrasound wave which are transmitted to the subject and reflected therefrom and a thermal signal transmitted from the subject; and

a suspend controller which suspends a sound output operation of said sound output device and a display operation of said display device when said subject detector does not detect the presence of the subject and restarts the sound output operation of said sound output device and the display operation of said display device when said subject detector detects the presence of the subject,

wherein said nonvolative semiconductor memory device further stores software identification data, and

wherein the apparatus further comprising;

an identification memory when stores a hardware identification data of said apparatus;

a collator which detects whether the software identification read from the semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus corresponds to the hardware identification read from the identification memory; and

wherein said sound output device reproduces the sound included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification; and

said display device displays the still image, moving image, character and graphic included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification.

12. A message providing apparatus to which a nonvolatile semiconductor memory which stores software identification data thereof, and message data containing at least one of a still image, moving image, character, graphic and sound is able to be detachably mounted, the message providing apparatus comprising:

an identification memory which stores a hardware identification data of said apparatus;

a collator which detects whether the software identification read from the semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus corresponds to the hardware identification read from the identification memory;

a sound output device which reads the message data from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus and reproduces sound read included in said read message data when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification; and

a display device which reads the message data from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus and displays images, character or graphic included in said message data when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor memory device further stores attribute data indicating message data validity, and said sound output device and said display device do not reproduce and display message data whose validity has expired based on the attribute data read from said semiconductor memory device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein mask data invalidating identification setting is added to said software identification data, and when said mask data invalidates identification setting, said collator detects coincidence between the software identification and the hardware identification.