The present disclosure relates to an information display device including display means to display content, and, with this, to convey a corresponding content to a user. The present disclosure particularly relates to information display devices that are employed in conjunction with hygienic service facilities, including, for example, toilets, urinals, sinks, dispensers, and the like. The present disclosure also relates to a system for conveying content to a user, and corresponding methods.
Information display devices already find broad application in various fields. Commonly, information display devices are employed for conveying content to users in some form of specific or non-specific environment like train stations, airports, toilets, restroom facilities, etc. Related installations make use of various kinds of information display devices in order to convey any sort of information to the users of the facilities.
In general, the mentioned environments may either be accessible by the public or only by a somewhat limited number of users, for example in the case of facilities operated by an authority, a company, or other type of owner. In the latter cases, typical environments include office buildings, restaurants, stadia, event venues, and the like.
Common to the above mentioned environments is that usually a more or less large number of users have access to the facilities and are thus correspondingly served by the installed information display devices. Especially in the context of hygienic service facilities, such as toilets and the like, the users of the information display devices installed in such a facility can be also identified as the users of the facility as such. For example, the employed information display devices may convey content with regard to the cleaning state or occupancy state of hygienic facilities, or may also convey information of some other sort, including advertisements, flight-, train- or travel-information, etc.
In general, conventional information display devices are usually restricted to convey content only in the direction toward the users in some kind of one-way configuration. Specifically, most conventional information devices installed in public and non-public environments can only display content and do not accept any input from the user with regard to changing the display content and, more specifically, requesting particular information.
However, there are also known information display devices that allow for interaction with the users by means of allowing a user to input a command to the device. These input means usually include touch screens, track balls, keyboards, and the like. Common to these types of input means is that the users are usually required to touch parts of the device as, for example, the screen surface, the keys, or the track ball.
However, in some environments interaction of a user with an information display device is so far limited due to various reasons. Especially in the context of hygienic facilities, users may be reluctant to interact with information display devices due to hygienic concerns. For example, they may be afraid of picking up disease spreading bacteria when no sufficient hygienic/disinfection measures are taken.
At the same time, there are already known information display devices in such environment that rely on an interaction with the user so that he or she can enter information or select options. Specifically, it is known to provide an information display device in the vicinity of a restroom, where a user can leave a feedback regarding the hygienic and cleanliness state of the facility used. For example, one or more buttons or symbols (plus and minus signs, smileys, etc.) are displayed so that the user can simply touch one of the symbols in order to leave a corresponding feedback.
However, and especially in the context with hygienic service facilities, users usually tend to touch as few as possible objects in a restroom for the above mentioned reasons. In turn, this may yield an unsatisfactory acceptance of such information display devices. As a consequence, the efficiency of user interaction systems may be drastically diminished, when users actually avoid using them.
There is therefore a need for an improved information display device that not only conveys content to a user, but also allows interaction with the user without the need to physically touch parts of the device. At the same time, the solution should be practicable in the sense of minimizing the required employment of technology so that already existing equipment should be exploited as much as possible.
According to an embodiment, there is provided an information display device including display means to display content for conveying said content to a user and including communication means to at least receive data from a network, the information display device being configured to emit an optical signal, to receive, from said network, a detection result indicating the detection of the signal by an external device, and to adapt the content conveyed to said user by changing the content displayed on said display means based on the received detection result.
According to another embodiment, there is provided an information display device including display means to display content for conveying said content to a user and including detection means to detect a visual, acoustic and/or gesture instruction from said user, the information display device being configured to determine a detection result indicating an instruction from said user, and to adapt the content conveyed to said user by changing the content displayed on said display means based on the determined detection result.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a system for conveying content to a user, including an information display device according to a related embodiment, a network entity, and an external device, wherein an application on said external device is configured to generate the detection result in response to detecting one of said signals and to forward said detection result to said network entity via a wireless communication network.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a method for displaying content for conveying said content to a user, the method including a step of emitting an optical signal from an information display device including display means; a step of receiving, from a network, a detection result indicating the detection of the signal by an external device; and a step of adapting the content conveyed to said user by changing the content displayed on said display means based on the received detection result.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a method for displaying content for conveying said content to a user, the method including a step of detecting a visual, acoustic and/or gesture instruction from said user; a step of determining a detection result indicating said instruction from said user; and a step of adapting the content conveyed to said user by changing the content displayed on said display means based on the determined detection result.
Embodiments of the present invention, which are presented for better understanding the inventive concepts and which are not to be seen as limiting the invention, will now be described with reference to the figures in which:
The information display device 10 is further configured to emit an optical signal (OS) 91 that can be detected by an external device 20. For this purpose, the external device 20 includes detection means 210 in the form of, for example, a light sensor, a scanner, a camera, a CCD camera, a CMOS camera, or the like. Specifically, the external device 20 may be in the form of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a handheld or tablet computer. Especially smartphones and tablet computers usually include a built-in digital camera that is suitable for acquiring digital image data from an optical target.
If accordingly directed, the external device 20 can thus detect the optical signal 91 from the information display device 10. The external device 20 can be further adapted to generate a detection result upon detecting the optical signal 91 emitted from the information display device 10. This may be effected by means of an application (so-called “app”) that is installed and runs on the external device 20. The application will be in the form of a program that instructs the processing means of the external device 20 so as to, amongst others, acquire and process data from the detection means 210 for generating the respective detection result. For this purpose, said processing may include functions of pattern recognition, decoding of one- or two-dimensional barcodes, or, in general, image processing. The external device 20 can then forward the detection result in the form of a notification 92 to the network 30.
On the side of the network 30, the notification 92 can be further handled and processed so as to generate an instruction 93, which is, in turn, sent to the communication means 120 of the information display device 10. In a particular embodiment, the optical signal 91 carries information that identifies (or is suitable for identifying) the particular information display device 10 that has emitted the detected signal 91. In such an embodiment, the notification 92 can convey this information on identifying the device 10 to the network 30, where it can be determined which particular information display device 10 has emitted the signal 91 and possibly also which external device 20 (user) detected the signal 91. In general, the network side 30 can decide where the instruction 93 is to be sent by means of correspondingly addressing instruction 93. For example, a particular notification 92 is received on the network side 30 where an instruction 93 is addressed to the correct information display device 10 and sent to the same. As a consequence, instruction 93 will be—even if only indirectly—also a form of the detection result determined earlier.
Upon receiving instruction 93, the information display device 10 is configured to adapt the content displayed on the display means 110. In particular, the information display device 10 changes the content on the display means 110 in reaction to receiving instruction 93. In this way, a closed loop is obtained between the information display device 10 on the one side and an external device 20 on the other: Firstly, the information display device 10 emits an optical signal 91 that is received and detected by external device 20. The external device 20 then generates notification 92 as a form of the detection result 92 and forwards this to a network 30. From this network 30, a further notification (instruction) is then sent to the information display device 10, thereby closing a feedback loop. This loop allows for control of and interaction with the information display device 10 without the need for touching it.
In this way, an additional content may be rendered on external device 20 in response to the detection result. For example, a “thank you” message may be conveyed by information 94 for giving the user a feedback on using the system. Additionally or alternatively, information 94 may result in rendering same or similar content on external device 20 as compared to the changed content being displayed on device 10 in response to receiving the detection result. In this way, the user can advantageously continue consuming (reading, watching, listening to, etc.) the adapted content even if moving away from information display device 10.
In general, the memory resources 320 store code that instruct the processing means 310 and communication means 330 so as to implement corresponding embodiments. Specifically, the memory means 310 include code to implement the reception of notification 92, to determine the target display device 10, and to generate and forward the instruction 93 to the determined (and correct) target information display device 10. Optionally, also information 94 may be generated and sent to the external device 20 which is the originator of the information 92. Both instruction 93 and/or information 94 may include information on adapted content to be rendered on information display device 10 and/or external device 20. This information on content (or adapted content as such) may be stored in memory means 320 or may be well retrieved also from other sources via communication means 330 and network 30.
In general, network 30 represents a collection of conventional networks, such as the Internet, cellular communication networks (eg. GSM, GPRS, Edge, 3GGP, LTE and the like), local or wide area networks (LAN or WAN) or their respective wireless implementations (eg. WLAN, WiFi, WiMax, etc.). In one specific implementation, the notification 92 is conveyed from the external device 20 via a cellular communication network to the Internet. The Internet then conveys the information to the network entity 300 connected to the Internet. Any information from there is then again conveyed via the Internet toward the information display device 10 and/or the external device 20. The last part for conveying instruction 93 to the device 10 may then be again a cellular communication network or a further wireless or wirebound local area network (LAN or WLAN).
According to this embodiment, the display means 110 also display a barcode or QR-code 91-1 as one form of the emitted optical signal. In this way, an optical signal is emitted from the display means 110 that can be recorded/detected by an external device 20 and can at the same time also convey additional information (payload). For example, a smartphone or tablet computer including a digital camera can detect the emitted optical signal by decoding the barcode 91-1. The display control and communication means 120-1 are configured to display content 99 and barcode 91-1 on display means 100 and to adapt content 99 in response to receiving a detection result (instruction) from a network side. The instruction is generated and transmitted in response to detecting the barcode 91-1 by an external device. Said means 120-1 may include memory resources for storing alternative content for changing the content displayed on the display means 110 or, additionally or alternatively, may receive adapted/changed content information from the network side.
In other words, alternatives are provided to the user who can then not only change the content, but also select a specific content to be rendered on display means 100 of information display device 10-2. For example, the user can choose alternative advertisements, information, videos or the like according to his/her needs. As a more specific example, the user can choose a specific product field and can therefore be provided with corresponding advertisements in the specific field of interest during the use of the hygienic service facility. Further, the user can select specific information, for example either departure time information or arrival time information, and can therefore use the time that he/she spends with the hygienic service facility for obtaining the information of actual interest. In all, the display efficiency can be substantially improved and the user satisfaction greatly enhanced.
In general, the content displayed by any information display device may include information that describes the significance of a specific optical signal. For example, the information can include captions for each emitted signal (displayed pattern, barcode). If there are options, i.e. more than one signals emitted, there can be corresponding captions in the vicinity of the barcode, pattern, or signal source. These captions can indicate which information/content will be displayed on display means 110 in response to detecting the corresponding optical signal.
Usually, states of satisfaction are “universally” indicated by means of so-called “smileys” that convey one or more different states of satisfaction independent from language or reading capabilities. The user can accordingly direct his/her external device to the corresponding barcode 91-51, 91-52, or 91-53 in accordance with the feedback. In response to receiving and processing the corresponding detection result, the information display device 10-5 may change/adapt the content displayed so as to demonstrate to the user the acknowledgment of receipt of the respective feedback. The user can be in this way informed that his/her feedback has been recorded.
Specifically, detection means 130 may include any one of a digital camera, a CCD camera, a gesture camera, a motion detector, an ultrasonic detector, an infrared (IR) detector, a microphone, a voice detector, and the like. In this way, detection means 130 may be adapted to receive a visual, acoustic and/or gesture instruction from a user. The content displayed on display means 110 may be changed/adapted according to a corresponding detection result generated in conjunction with receiving (and successfully decoding) an instruction from a user.
As regards the recognition and processing of the instruction 95, detection means 130, communication means 120, or other parts of the information display device 10′ may comprise include processing resources for processing a raw signal (or: raw data) retrieved from a camera, light detector, and/or microphone. This raw data is processed and analyzed for determining a corresponding detection result. Dependent on the kind of instruction, said processing may involve image processing, gesture detection, and or voice decoding for generating a corresponding detection result.
As in other embodiments, also a plurality of different detection results may be considered in that the instruction 95 can provide alternative inputs to the information display device 10′. The optional communication means 120 of information display device 10′ are optional in the sense that no communication to an external network 30 is necessary for detecting and processing the instruction 95 and for accordingly changing the content rendered on display means 110. However, the provision of communication means 120 may allow exchange of information 95 with a network 30 in order to, for example, acquire adapted content from network 30 and/or forwarding information 94 to a user (i.e. to a user's external device, e.g. smartphone) via network 30.
In general, communication and control means 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, and 120-7 implement corresponding control and result reception according to the respective embodiment as described for each information display device 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6, and 10-7.
For example, control means 2 may include a proximity sensor that is adapted to sense the proximity of a user of urinal 3. For energy saving considerations or the like, detecting the proximity of a user may initiate displaying contents and emitting one or more optical signals by the information display device 10. The contents is then later adapted/changed in accordance with receiving a detection result as described in conjunction with the other embodiments. In any way, the present embodiment can likewise be modified to other types of hygienic service facilities, such as a toilet seat and corresponding flushing and/or cleaning equipment. Such further embodiments may consider placing the display means and information display device 10 on the opposite side so that the user of the hygienic service facility can see and observe and correspondingly operate the information display device while using the hygienic service facility.
The described embodiments may provide one or more advantages over conventional systems, devices, and, in general, solutions. A particular advantage may be provided when installing one or more taught information display device(s) in the context of hygienic service facilities. In particular, the user can interact with the information display device and control the content displayed or provide information without the need of touching the information display device or other parts of the hygienic service facility. At the same time, the embodiments can employ existing equipment in an advantageous manner: For example, the wide spread and availability of mobile devices (smartphones, etc.) and communication infrastructure (internet, cellular and wireless networks) can be employed to implement embodiments.
Although detailed embodiments have been described, these only serve to provide a better understanding of the invention defined by the independent claims, and are not to be seen as limiting.
This application is a § 371 National Stage Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2014/069726 filed Sep. 16, 2014, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/069726 | 9/16/2014 | WO | 00 |