Digital signage device capable of entering diagnostic display mode

• US 9,258,556 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• 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:
  US14/518,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 348/177, 348180-181, 348/189
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

One aspect of the disclosure directs to a signage device, which include a display device, a camera, and a signage controller. The display device is configured to display media content in a display mode and display diagnostic information in a diagnostic mode. The diagnostic information includes content operational and deployment information related to the media content being displayed, and system information of the signage device. The signage controller is configured to control the camera to capture an image frame, process the captured image frame to generate information for a server system such that the server system provides the media content to the signage controller based on the generated information, display the media content on the display device in the display mode, switch the display device to the diagnostic mode in response to a diagnostic input command, and display the diagnostic information on the display device in the diagnostic mode.

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, wherein the media content is configured to be provided to the signage device by a server system, and wherein the diagnostic information comprises content operational and deployment information related to the media content being displayed, and system information of the signage device;

a camera configured to capture an image frame; and

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

control the camera to capture the image frame,

process the captured image frame to generate information for the server system, wherein the server system is configured to provide the media content to the signage controller based on the generated information, wherein the captured image frame is processed by;

detecting persons in the image frame,

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

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

sending the demographic-map data structure stored in the data queue to the server system, and

receiving 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 the display device 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.

2. 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.

3. The signage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the code comprises:

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; and

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.

4. 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.

5. The signage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the demographic information server comprises a data store configured to store the demographic information.

6. The signage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the storage service comprises:

a content storage configured to store the media content; 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 content to the signage device via the network.

7. The signage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the information requested from the DSCS.

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

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

processing, by the signage controller, the captured image frame to generate information for a server system, wherein the server system is configured to provide media content to the signage controller based on the generated information, wherein the captured image frame is processed by;

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

generating, by the signage controller, a demographic-map data structure, wherein the demographic-map data structure contains demographic information of the persons detected in the image,

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 the server system, and

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

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

switching, by the signage controller, the display device of the signage device 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 content operational and deployment information related to the media content being displayed, and system information of the signage device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8,

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.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the signage controller comprises a non-volatile memory storing computer executable code, wherein the code comprises:

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; and

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.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, 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.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, 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.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the storage service comprises:

a content storage configured to store the media content; 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 content to the signage device via the network.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code, wherein the code, when executed at a processor, is configured to:

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

process the captured image frame to generate information for a server system, wherein the server system is configured to provide media content to the signage device based on the generated information, wherein the captured image frame is processed by;

detecting persons in the image frame,

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

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

sending the demographic-map data structure stored in the data queue to the server system, and

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

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

switch the display device of the signage device 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 content operational and deployment information related to the media content being displayed, and system information of the signage device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14,

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.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein the code comprises:

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; and

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.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14, 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.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 17,

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

and

wherein the storage service comprises;

a content storage configured to store the media content; 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 content to the signage device via the network.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the content operational and deployment information comprises the information requested from the DSCS.