Digital signage device capable of entering diagnostic display mode

• US 8,866,911 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmZetta Technologies, LLC (American Megatrends International, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Sivertsen, Clas Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US14/100,516
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 348/177, 348180-181, 348/184, 348/189, 348/552, 348/553, 725/119, 725/120, 725/37, 725/41, 725/34, 725/20, 725/116
• US Class Current: 348/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/045 Self-contained testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Certain aspects of the disclosure direct to a digital signage device capable of entering a diagnostic display mode. In certain embodiments, a signage device includes a display device and a signage controller in communication with the display device. The display device is configured to display media content in a display mode and display diagnostic information in a diagnostic mode. The signage controller includes a processor and a non-volatile memory storing computer executable codes. When executed at the processor, the codes are configured to display the media content on the display device in the display mode, switch from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command, and display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode. In certain embodiments, the diagnostic information includes system information and content operational and deployment information.

Claims

1. A signage device, comprising:

a display device, configured to display media content in a display mode and display diagnostic information in a diagnostic mode; and

a signage controller in communication with the display device, the signage controller comprising a processor and a non-volatile memory storing computer executable codes, wherein the codes are configured, when executed at the processor, to

receive an image frame,

generate a demographic-map data structure, wherein the demographic-map data structure contains demographic information of persons detected in the image frame,

store the demographic-map data structure in a data queue,

send the demographic-map data structure stored in the data queue to a server system,

receive the media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure,

display the media content on the display device in the display mode,

switch from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command, and

display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode, wherein the diagnostic information comprises system information and content operational and deployment information.

2. The signage device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a camera in communication with the signage controller, wherein the camera is configured to capture the image frame.

3. The signage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the codes are configured, when executed at the processor, to

process the captured image frame, and

detect the persons in the image frame.

4. The signage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the codes comprise:

a camera control module configured to control the camera to capture the image frame;

a video converter configured to convert the image frame to digital image frame data;

a demographic information collector configured to store the digital image frame data to a frame queue, to receive the demographic-map data structure from an image processing engine, to store the demographic-map data structure in the data queue, and to send the demographic-map data structure in the data queue to the server system;

a diagnostic module configured to receive the diagnostic input command, and to switch the signage device from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to the diagnostic input command; and

a player manager module configured to receive the media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure, to display the media content on the display device in the display mode, and to display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode;

wherein the image processing engine is configured to retrieve the digital image frame data from the frame queue, to generate the demographic-map data structure according to the digital image frame data, and to send the demographic-map data structure to the demographic information collector.

5. The signage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the demographic information collector comprises an image-processing-engine interface, wherein the image-processing-engine interface defines a function to configure the image processing engine collecting information in the demographic-map data structure.

6. The signage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server system comprises:

a demographic information server in communication with the signage controller via a network, wherein the demographic information server is configured to receive the demographic-map data structure from the signage controller, and to generate demographic information according to the demographic-map data structure;

a storage service in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the storage service is configured to store the media content, to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate a program list of the media content according to the demographic information, to receive a request for the program list from the signage controller via the network, and to send the program list to the signage controller via the network in response to the request for the program list; and

a digital signage control service (DSCS) in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the DSCS is configured to store a campaign deployment plan file, to receive a request for information in the campaign deployment plan file, and to send the information to the signage controller in response to the request for the information.

7. The signage device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the demographic information server comprises a data store configured to store the demographic information.

8. The signage device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the storage service comprises:

a content storage configured to store the digital media content data; and

a media deployment module configured to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate the program list according to the demographic information, and to send the program list as the media content to the digital signage device via the network.

9. The signage device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the information requested from the DSCS.

10. The signage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the demographic-map data stored in the data queue and content information specifying the media content related to the demographic-map data.

11. A method of controlling a signage device, comprising:

receiving, by a signage controller of the signage device, an image frame;

generating, by the signage device, a demographic-map data structure, wherein the demographic-map data structure contains demographic information of persons detected in an image frame;

storing, by the signage controller, the demographic-map data structure in a data queue;

sending, by the signage controller, the demographic-map data structure stored in the data queue to a server system;

receiving, by the signage controller, media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure;

displaying, by the signage controller of the signage device, the media content on a display device of the signage device in a display mode;

switching, by the signage controller, from the display mode to a diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command; and

displaying, by the signage controller, diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode, wherein the diagnostic information comprises system information and content operational and deployment information.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

controlling, by the signage controller, a camera of the signage device to capture the image frame;

processing, by the signage controller, the captured image frame; and

detecting, by the signage controller, the persons in the image frame.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signage controller comprises a non-volatile memory storing computer executable codes, wherein the codes comprise:

a camera control module configured to control the camera to capture the image frame;

a video converter configured to convert the image frame to digital image frame data;

a demographic information collector configured to store the digital image frame data to a frame queue, to receive the demographic-map data structure from an image processing engine, to store the demographic-map data structure in the data queue, and to send the demographic-map data structure in the data queue to the server system;

a diagnostic module configured to receive the diagnostic input command, and to switch the signage device from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to the diagnostic input command; and

a player manager module configured to receive the media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure, to display the media content on the display device in the display mode, and to display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode;

wherein the image processing engine is configured to retrieve the digital image frame data from the frame queue, to generate the demographic-map data structure according to the digital image frame data, and to send the demographic-map data structure to the demographic information collector.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the demographic information collector comprises an image-processing-engine interface, wherein the image-processing-engine interface defines a function to configure the image processing engine collecting information in the demographic-map data structure.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the server system comprises:

a demographic information server in communication with the signage controller via a network, wherein the demographic information server is configured to receive the demographic-map data structure from the signage controller, and to generate demographic information according to the demographic-map data structure;

a storage service in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the storage service is configured to store the media content, to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate a program list of the media content according to the demographic information, to receive a request for the program list from the signage controller via the network, and to send the program list to the signage controller via the network in response to the request for the program list; and

a digital signage control service (DSCS) in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the DSCS is configured to store a campaign deployment plan file, to receive a request for information in the campaign deployment plan file, and to send the information to the signage controller in response to the request for the information.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the demographic information server comprises a data store configured to store the demographic information;

and

wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the information requested from the DSCS.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the storage service comprises:

a content storage configured to store the digital media content data; and

a media deployment module configured to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate the program list according to the demographic information, and to send the program list as the display media content to the digital signage device via the network.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the demographic-map data stored in the data queue and content information specifying the media content related to the demographic-map data.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable codes, wherein the codes, when executed at a processor, are configured to:

receive an image frame;

generate a demographic-map data structure, wherein the demographic-map data structure contains demographic information of persons detected in the image frame;

store the demographic-map data structure in a data queue;

send the demographic-map data structure stored in the data queue to a server system;

receive media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure;

display the media content on a display device of a signage device in a display mode;

switch from the display mode to a diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command; and

display diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode, wherein the diagnostic information comprises system information and content operational and deployment information.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the codes, when executed at the processor, are further configured to:

control a camera of the signage device to capture the image frame,

process the captured image frame, and

detect the persons in the image frame.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, wherein the codes comprise:

a camera control module configured to control the camera to capture the image frame;

a video converter configured to convert the image frame to digital image frame data;

a demographic information collector configured to store the digital image frame data to a frame queue, to receive the demographic-map data structure from an image processing engine, to store the demographic-map data structure in the data queue, and to send the demographic-map data structure in the data queue to the server system;

a diagnostic module configured to receive the diagnostic input command, and to switch the signage device from the display mode to the diagnostic mode in response to the diagnostic input command; and

a player manager module configured to receive the media content provided by the server system in response to the demographic-map data structure, to display the media content on the display device in the display mode, and to display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode;

wherein the image processing engine is configured to retrieve the digital image frame data from the frame queue, to generate the demographic-map data structure according to the digital image frame data, and to send the demographic-map data structure to the demographic information collector.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the demographic information collector comprises an image-processing-engine interface, wherein the image-processing-engine interface defines a function to configure the image processing engine collecting information in the demographic-map data structure.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, wherein the server system comprises:

a demographic information server in communication with the signage controller via a network, wherein the demographic information server is configured to receive the demographic-map data structure from the signage controller, and to generate demographic information according to the demographic-map data structure;

a storage service in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the storage service is configured to store the media content, to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate a program list of the media content according to the demographic information, to receive a request for the program list from the signage controller via the network, and to send the program list to the signage controller via the network in response to the request for the program list; and

a digital signage control service (DSCS) in communication with the signage controller via the network, wherein the DSCS is configured to store a campaign deployment plan file, to receive a request for information in the campaign deployment plan file, and to send the information to the signage controller in response to the request for the information.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23,

wherein the demographic information server comprises a data store configured to store the demographic information;

wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the information requested from the DSCS; and

wherein the storage service comprises;

a content storage configured to store the digital media content data; and

a media deployment module configured to request the demographic information from the demographic information server, to generate the program list according to the demographic information, and to send the program list as the media content to the digital signage device via the network.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the demographic-map data stored in the data queue and content information specifying the media content related to the demographic-map data.