Content display system and method

• US 7,764,280 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Process Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Process Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Shiina, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/790,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20070256102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345/619, 705 50- 53, 725/22, 725/45, 725/46
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In a content display system 100, a control unit 210 of a controller 200 performs a display control process. During the display control process, moreover, a reproduction monitoring process is performed, to thereby monitor whether or not content is displayed as scheduled. In the reproduction monitoring process, a pattern corresponding to the content is laid over the content in a display period corresponding to the display period of the content, and is used for the display performed by a display device 300. On the other hand, on a detection device 400, a pattern through the display performed by the display device 300 is detected. The detected pattern is compared with the pattern laid over the content by a comparison unit 240. The control unit 210 judges that the content is displayed as scheduled, if the both patterns match as a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A content display system comprising:

a displaying device;

a controlling device for controlling said displaying device to display, in accordance with a schedule in which at least content or contents to be displayed on said displaying device are specified with display period or periods of the content or contents to be displayed, the specified content or contents during the specified display period or periods, respectively;

a pattern setting device for individually assigning video pattern or patterns in predetermined type or types to monitoring-target content or contents including at least one of the specified content or contents;

a display period setting device for setting the display period or periods of the assigned video pattern or patterns in association with the display period or periods specified to the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns assigned, respectively; and

a merging device for merging the assigned video pattern or patterns with the monitoring-target content or contents in at least one portion of the set display period or periods,

said controlling device further controlling said displaying device to display the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged, if the video pattern or patterns are merged with the monitoring-target content or contents,

said content display system further comprising;

a detecting device for detecting the video pattern or patterns through display performed by said displaying device in such period or periods that the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged are displayed; and

a judging device for judging whether or not the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged are displayed during the specified display period or periods on the basis of the detected video pattern or patterns.

2. The content display system according to claim 1, wherein

in the schedule, the video pattern or patterns to be assigned to the monitoring-target content or contents are further specified with the display period or periods of the video pattern or patterns to be assigned,

said pattern setting device assigns the specified video pattern or patterns to the monitoring-target content or contents in accordance with the schedule, and

said display period setting device sets the display period or periods of the assigned video pattern or patterns as the display period or periods specified in accordance with the schedule.

3. The content display system according to claim 1, further comprising a first memory device for storing each of content data associated with the display of the content or contents and video pattern data associated with the display of the video pattern or patterns.

4. The content display system according to claim 3, further comprising a first obtaining device for obtaining the content data and the video pattern data from a predetermined server apparatus via a network.

5. The content display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second obtaining device for obtaining schedule data for defining the schedule from a predetermined server apparatus via a network; and

a schedule setting device for setting the schedule on the basis of the obtained schedule data.

6. The content display system according to claim 5, further comprising a second memory device for storing the obtained schedule data.

7. The content display system according to claim 1, wherein said judging device judges, if the detected video pattern or patterns match the video pattern or patterns assigned to the monitoring-target content or contents corresponding to time point or point in which the video pattern or patterns are detected, that the corresponding monitoring-target content or contents are displayed during the display period or periods.

8. The content display system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the video pattern or patterns comprises at least one of unit patterns, which have geometric shapes with mutually different brightness, and at least one of which is set in a plurality of pattern set positions set in advance, and

degree of brightness in each of the plurality of pattern set positions is detected during the period or periods that the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged are displayed.

9. The content display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a result information generating device for generating result information indicating a judgment result associated with said judging device; and

a third memory device for storing the generated result information.

10. The content display system according to claim 1, wherein said merging device lays the assigned video pattern or patterns over the monitoring-target content or contents.

11. A content display method comprising:

a first controlling process of controlling a displaying device to display, in accordance with a schedule in which at least content or contents to be displayed on said displaying device are specified with display period or periods of the content or contents to be displayed, the specified content or contents during the specified display period or periods, respectively;

a pattern setting process of individually assigning pattern or patterns in predetermined type or types to monitoring-target content or contents including at least one of the specified content or contents;

a display period setting process of setting the display period or periods of the assigned video pattern or patterns in association with the display period specified to the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns assigned, respectively;

a merging process of merging the assigned video pattern or patterns with the monitoring-target content or contents in at least one portion of the set display period or periods;

a second controlling process of controlling said displaying device to display the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged, if the video pattern or patterns are merged with the monitoring-target content or contents;

a detecting process of detecting the video pattern or patterns through display performed by said displaying device in such period or periods that the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged are displayed; and

a judging process of judging whether or not the monitoring-target content or contents with the video pattern or patterns merged are displayed during the specified display period or periods on the basis of the detected video pattern or patterns.