Manual switch system for outputting multimedia content to a digital sign

• US 9,508,310 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael S. Barnes
• Original Assignee: Michael S. Barnes
• Inventors: Barnes, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/569,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 709/209
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

The present invention extends to a manual switch system for selecting multimedia content from one or various source inputs to be provided to a digital display. The manual switch system of the present invention provides a compact, convenient, and simple to use solution for updating a digital display in many environments. In a particular example, the manual switch can be used within a fast food restaurant to quickly and easily update the menu such as when the restaurant switches from serving breakfast to lunch or dinner.

Claims

1. A manual switch system for controlling the output of multimedia content to a digital display device, the manual switch system comprising:

a plurality of source input ports for receiving external media devices, the external media devices storing multimedia content;

an output port configured to couple the manual switch system to one or more display devices;

a first switching mechanism for selectively connecting one of the source input ports to a processor;

a remote source port for receiving remotely rendered multimedia content from another manual switch system;

the processor for accessing and rendering the multimedia content on a selected one of the external media devices;

a second switching mechanism for routing either the multimedia content rendered by the processor or the remotely rendered multimedia content to the output port of the manual switch system;

a remote output port for outputting the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the other manual switch system;

a third switching mechanism for selectively routing the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the remote output port for output to the other manual switch system;

a master/slave switch for controlling the second and third switching mechanisms, wherein when the master/slave switch is in a master position, the second and third switching mechanisms route the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the output port of the manual switch system and to the remote output port respectively, and when the master/slave switch is in a slave position, the second switching mechanism routes the remotely rendered multimedia content to the output port of the manual switch system; and

a manual switch for controlling the position of the first switching mechanism.

2. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third switching mechanisms is implemented by the processor.

3. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein the manual switch comprises a push button mounted on an exterior of a housing of the manual switch system.

4. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein the source input ports comprise USB ports or SD sockets.

5. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein the output port comprises an HDMI port.

6. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein, when the master/slave switch is in the slave position, the third switching mechanism prevents the multimedia content rendered by the processor from being routed to the remote output port.

7. The manual switch system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more status indicators for displaying an indication of the state of the first switching mechanism to a user.

8. The manual switch system of claim 7, wherein the one or more status indicators comprise a plurality of LEDs.

9. The manual switch system of claim 1, wherein the manual switch system is contained within a display device.

10. A display system comprising:

a first and a second manual switch system, each of the first and second manual switch systems comprising;

a plurality of source input ports for receiving external media devices, the external media devices storing multimedia content;

a switching mechanism for connecting one of the source input ports to an output port;

a processor for accessing and rendering the multimedia content on the external media devices for display on a display device connected to the manual switch system via the output port;

a manual switch for controlling the position of the switching mechanism;

a master/slave switch for configuring the manual switch system as a master or a slave in a group of manual switch systems;

a remote output port over which is outputted a control signal for controlling the switching mechanism in another manual switch system when the master/slave switch is in a master position; and

a remote source port over which is input a control signal from another manual switch system for controlling the switching mechanism of the manual switch system when the master/slave switch is in a slave position;

wherein, when the first manual switch system is configured as the master, and the second manual switch system is configured as a slave, the processor of the first manual switch system controls the state of the switching mechanism of the second manual switch system.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein the control signal output by the first manual switch system causes the switching mechanism of the second manual switch system to be in the same position as the switching mechanism of the first manual switch system.

12. The display system of claim 10, wherein one or both of the first or second manual switch systems is incorporated into a display device.

13. The display system of claim 10, wherein the switching mechanism is implemented by the processor.

14. The display system of claim 10, further comprising:

a first display device connected to the output port of the first manual switch system, the first display device comprising a first digital sign in a restaurant; and

a second display device connected to the output port of the second manual switch system, the second display device comprising a second digital sign at the restaurant that is located remote from the first digital sign.

15. The display system of claim 14, wherein the first digital sign is located inside the restaurant, and the second digital sign is located outside in a drive through of the restaurant.

16. A system for controlling the output of multimedia content to a plurality of digital display devices, the system comprising:

a first manual switch system and a second manual switch system that each comprises;

a plurality of source input ports for receiving external media devices, the external media devices storing multimedia content;

an output port configured to couple the manual switch system to a display device;

a first switching mechanism for selectively connecting one of the source input ports to a processor;

a remote source port for receiving remote multimedia content from the other manual switch system;

the processor for accessing and rendering the multimedia content on a selected one of the external media devices;

a second switching mechanism for routing either the multimedia content rendered by the processor or the remote multimedia content received from the other manual switch system to the output port of the manual switch system;

a remote output port for outputting the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the other manual switch system;

a third switching mechanism for selectively routing the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the remote output port for output to the other manual switch system;

a master/slave switch for controlling the second and third switching mechanisms, wherein when the master/slave switch is in a master position, the second and third switching mechanisms route the multimedia content rendered by the processor to the output port of the manual switch system and to the remote output port respectively, and when the master/slave switch is in a slave position, the second switching mechanism routes the remote multimedia content to the output port of the manual switch system; and

a manual switch for controlling the position of the first switching mechanism.