Media content display system with presence and damage sensors

• US 7,519,703 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cineplex Digital Media Inc.
• Original Assignee: EK3 Technologies Inc. (Cineplex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Elliott, Edward David, Stuart, Kenneth Robert, Michaelson, Dennis Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim; Sahera
• Application Number:
  US10/095,500
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/231, 709/232, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2027/001 Comprising a presence or proximity detector
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2027/002 Advertising message recorded in a memory device
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A media content distribution and display system and method that includes a central server, a plurality of remote display devices, and an electronic network for communicating therebetween. The plurality of remote display devices receive via the electronic network or local peripheral device the media content. Each of the remote display devices includes at least one electronic display, presence sensors, a local storage device for storing the content media, security sensors, and a processor that causes the electronic device to display the media content in response to detected presence of people in various proximity distances from the electronic display. The processor also sends messages to the central server when the security sensors detect someone tampering with the remote display device.

Claims

1. A media content display system, comprising:

an electronic network;

a central server connected to the network; and

a plurality of remote display devices connected to the network, each of the remote display devices including;

at least one electronic display,

a storage device for storing content media,

at least one presence sensor for detecting presence of a person in a predetermined proximity to the electronic display,

a security sensor for detecting tampering with the remote display device, and

a processor for causing the electronic display to display the stored media content in response to detected presence of a person by the at least one presence sensor, and for sending a message to the central server via the network in response to detected tampering by the security sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the security sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, a vibration detector, and a micro-switch.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display an alarm message in response to the detected tampering.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to sound an audible alarm in response to the detected tampering.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one presence sensor includes:

a first presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a first distance from the electronic display; and

a second presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a second distance from the electronic display which is different from the first distance;

wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display a first part of the stored media content in response to detected presence of a person by the first presence sensor, and the processor causes the electronic display to display a second part of the stored media content different from the first part in response to detected presence of a person by the second presence sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor ceases display of at least part of the stored media content on the electronic display in response to the at least one presence sensor not detecting presence of any person for more than a predetermined time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for loading the media content onto the storage device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the communication peripheral device is a compact disc drive.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein for each of the remote devices, the content media is transmitted via the network from the central server to the remote device for storage on the storage device.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sound sensor, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display the stored media content in response to detected sounds by the sound sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for sending via a wireless transmission the media content to a personal receiving device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor sends a record to the central server indicating a frequency in which the media content has been displayed on the electronic display.

13. A media content display system, comprising:

a plurality of remote display devices, each of the remote display devices including;

at least one electronic display,

a storage device for storing content media,

a first presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a first distance from the electronic display,

a second presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a second distance from the electronic display which is different from the first distance, and

a processor for causing the electronic display to display a first part of the stored media content in response to detected presence of a person by the first presence sensor, and for causing the electronic display to display a second part of the stored media content different from the first part in response to detected presence of a person by the second presence sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an electronic network connected to each of the plurality of remote display devices; and

a central server connected to the network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the remote display devices further comprises:

a security sensor for detecting tampering with the remote display device, wherein the processor causes a message to be sent to the central server via the network in response to detected tampering by the security sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the security sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, a vibration detector, and a micro-switch.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display an alarm message in response to the detected tampering.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to sound an audible alarm in response to the detected tampering.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor ceases display of at least part of the stored media content on the electronic display in response to the at least one presence sensor not detecting presence of any person for more than a predetermined time period.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for loading the media content onto the storage device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the communication peripheral device is a compact disc drive.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein for each of the remote devices, the content media is transmitted via the network from the central server to the remote device for storage on the storage device.

23. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a sound sensor, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display the stored media content in response to detected sounds by the sound sensor.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for sending via a wireless transmission the media content to a personal receiving device.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor sends a record to the central server indicating a frequency in which the media content has been displayed on the electronic display.

26. A media content display system, comprising:

an electronic network;

a central server connected to the network; and

a plurality of remote display devices connected to the network, each of the remote display devices including;

at least one electronic display,

a storage device for storing content media,

a security sensor for detecting tampering with the remote display device, and

a processor for causing the electronic display to display the stored media content, and for sending a message to the central server via the network in response to detected tampering by the security sensor.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each of the remote display devices further comprises:

at least one presence sensor for detecting presence of a person in a predetermined proximity to the electronic display, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display the stored media content in response to detected presence of a person by the at least one presence sensor.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one presence sensor includes:

a first presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a first distance from the electronic display; and

a second presence sensor for detecting presence of a person at a second distance from the electronic display which is different from the first distance;

wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display a first part of the stored media content in response to detected presence of a person by the first presence sensor, and the processor causes the electronic display to display a second part of the stored media content different from the first part in response to detected presence of a person by the second presence sensor.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor ceases display of at least part of the stored media content on the electronic display in response to the at least one presence sensor not detecting presence of any person for more than a predetermined time period.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the security sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, a vibration detector, and a micro-switch.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display an alarm message in response to the detected tampering.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to sound an audible alarm in response to the detected tampering.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for loading the media content onto the storage device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the communication peripheral device is a compact disc drive.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein for each of the remote devices, the content media is transmitted via the network from the central server to the remote device for storage on the storage device.

36. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a sound sensor, wherein the processor causes the electronic display to display the stored media content in response to detected sounds by the sound sensor.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of remote display devices further comprises:

a communication peripheral device for sending via a wireless transmission the media content to a personal receiving device.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor sends a record to the central server indicating a frequency in which the media content has been displayed on the electronic display.