This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-113045, filed May 30, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a technology that provides information by using a signage device.
In shops or event venues, typical images for goods and held events are exhibited using signage devices (electronic bulletin boards). Such signage devices display images under the control of computers.
A maintenance person updates display content data of a signage device as necessary.
An object of an embodiment is to provide a technology for controlling an update process of content data displayed on the signage device.
An information providing apparatus of the embodiment is a device which displays information on a signage device and controls the signage device, and includes an interface and a control unit. The interface transmits data of a management screen for updating one or a plurality of contents displayed on the signage device, to a first terminal device. Further, the interface receives update data of content which is input by using the management screen and data about an update timing from the first terminal device. The control unit updates existing data displayed on the signage device to the update data, according to the data about the update timing.
Hereinafter, management, control, and data updating of an information providing apparatus (server) that provides information using a signage device will be described.
The information providing apparatus of the embodiment has a Web server function, and provides an update page depending on the type of device that is connected to an update Web page. Further, the information providing apparatus manages a user in association with an update device, and sets a change range for each user.
The information providing apparatus of the embodiment stores use history and update history as a log, and generates and outputs a report. The type of the report to be generated and the log is set for each user.
In the embodiment, an update time of content displayed on the signage device can be designated. The update timing may be set as “updating at a timing when the portable terminal of a visitor is not connected to the information providing apparatus” in addition to the settings of “immediate” and “designated time”. Another setting is possible in such a manner that a sensor provided in the signage device detects the presence or absence of a person and updating is performed when there is not a person.
The information providing system of the embodiment has a function of delivering the detailed information of the content displayed on the signage device, to the visitor's own portable terminal. In a case of such a signage system, at the timing when the maintenance person is updating the display content of the signage device and the detailed information for delivery, if the detailed information is downloaded, the content displayed on the signage device and the delivered detailed information may be different in some cases. For example, if a delivery process is performed at a timing when only delivery information is updated, the detailed information different from the content that the visitor views on the signage device is delivered. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, as described above, a timing when the visitor does not use the signage device is detected, and the display content is updated at the timing.
Further, a description will be made regarding updating the content by using the content and the attached image of the received e-mail.
The server 100 performs display control of the signage device 200. The server 100 is a computer that transmits and receives information with portable terminals 401 to 403 that a signage administrator and a tenant person (hereinafter, referred to as a maintenance person) own, through the access point 301. Further, the server 100 transmits and receives information with PCs 501 and 502 (personal computer: PC) that the maintenance people use, through the router 302. Further, a wide area network may be used for the communication between the server 100 and the portable terminals 401 to 403, while the access point 301 is not used. In the present embodiment, a Web server and a Web browser are introduced in advance to the server 100.
The signage device 200 is, for example, an electronic bulletin board which is provided in commercial facilities and is installed at a position where visitors and event participants (hereinafter, referred to as users) are capable of viewing the electronic bulletin board. The signage device 200 displays an image in response to an image signal that is output from the server 100. The signage device 200 may emit a sound according to an audio signal that is output from the server 100.
The signage device 200 includes one or a plurality of human sensors 210. The human sensor 210 is a sensor that senses whether a person is present in the vicinity of the signage device 200. The server 100 is connected to the human sensor 210 through a cable, and receives a detection signal about the presence or absence of a person. In addition, a camera is provided, and there may be a method for detecting the presence or absence of a person, based on the information captured by the camera.
The access point 301 is a communication infrastructure device by which the server 100 and the portable terminals 401 to 403 perform wireless communication, and in the present embodiment, encrypted communication that is communication based on the standard of IEEE802.11. The router 302 is a device relaying communication between the external device of the information providing system 1 and the PCs 501 and 502.
The portable terminals 401 to 403 are smartphones and tablets that the maintenance people own, and may be notebook computers. The portable terminals 401 to 403 can perform at least wireless communication, and it is assumed that the Web browser is introduced. The portable terminals 401 to 403 access the Web server of the server 100, by using the Web browser, and acquire a management screen for updating the content displayed on the signage device 200. Further, the portable terminals 401 to 403 display the management screen on touch panel displays, acquire input information and an image from the user through the touch panel displays, and transmit the received input information and image to the server 100. The same operation may also be performed in the PCs 501 and 502.
A description will be made regarding the configuration of the server 100, with reference to
The network I/F 105 is a LAN board, and performs communication between the access point 301 and the router 302. The network I/F 105 transmits data of the management screen to the portable terminal 401 to 403 and the PCs 501 and 502, through the access point 301 and the router 302. Further, the network I/F 105 receives update data of content that is input by using the management screen and data about an update timing, from the portable terminal 401 to 403, and PCs 501 and 502.
The output device 106 is a device including an HDMI terminal, a DVI terminal, and a controller that controls a video output, and is connected to the signage device 200, through a cable. The monitor 107 and the operation device 108 (for example, a keyboard and a mouse) are operation display units when the administrator of the server 100 performs maintenance.
The HDD 104 stores display information 111, layout data 112, a content information DB 113 (DB: database), a user DB 116, a log 117, and a program 115.
The program 115 has a Web server function, and includes a code group to be executed in response to an instruction received from a client (in this example, portable terminals 401 to 403, and PCs 501 and 502). Further, the program 115 includes a code for controlling the display of the signage device 200, a code for executing an update process, and a code for the report output function.
The display information 111 is a data group obtained by summarizing images and captions of products and held events (a title or a short description of content, a character string describing content in words, and the like) displayed on the signage device 200. The layout data 112 is a data group defining positions when displaying an image and the like on the signage device 200.
The content information DB 113 is a database that stores detailed content data of the content, which is associated with each piece of information of the display information 111. For example, in a case of a store selling clothes, the content information DB 113 stores various types of information such as identification information of content, a file name of an image that the signage device 200 displays, a product name and a price of clothes displayed on the image, the presence or absence of inventory for each color, a coordination example (a combination example of clothes recommended by a store), and a remarks column, as one record. Further, text information such as information of whether the product is to be marked down is stored in the remarks column. The various types of information in these records and the image and caption displayed on the signage device 200 are delivered to the portable terminal of the user.
The user DB 116 stores various types of information such as a user name and a password of an administrator, and the presence or absence of the setting authority of each management item, as one record. The log 117 stores a use history, a delivery history, an update history, and an occurring error of the information providing system 1 as a log.
Next, a display example of the signage device 200 is illustrated in
Next,
First,
When the setting item does not fit on a screen, the display screen slides according to the slide operation of the maintenance person, and transitions as illustrated in
In continuation,
In a state where the display content reaches the end of the selected item (in the present example, a change timing), in other words, in a state where the change timing selection area 418 is displayed at the bottom, if the maintenance person strongly slides a finger upward, the portable terminal 401 transmits these types of input information, and the images to the server 100. Otherwise, the portable terminal 401 transmits the input information and the image by pressing the upload button 412. The PCs 501 and 502 can perform the same setting.
If the server 100 receives the update data, the server 100 checks the update timing, and in the case of “immediate”, the flowchart illustrated in
First, the processor 101 acquires update data (information which is selected and input by the maintenance person) transmitted from the portable terminal 401, through the network I/F 105 (ACT 001), and checks the presence or absence of image data (ACT 002). If there is image data (ACT 002-Yes), the processor 101 additionally registers the image in the display information data 111 (ACT 003). If there is not image data (ACT 002, No), ACT 003 is skipped. Then, the processor 101 checks the presence or absence of a caption (ACT 004), and if there is the caption (ACT 004-Yes), the display information data 111 is updated (ACT 005). If there is no caption (ACT 004-No), ACT 005 is skipped. Then, the presence or absence of a design template is checked (ACT 006), and if there is a change (ACT 006-Yes), the processor 101 updates the display information data 111 and the layout data 112 (ACT 007). If there is not a change in the design template (ACT 006, No), ACT 007 is skipped. If the updating of data is detected, the program 115 switches the display content of the tenant information RC corresponding to “immediate” to the update data.
Further, when the update timing is “designated timing”, the update process (operation of
When the update timing is “timing when there is not a person in front of the signage”, the processor 101 executes the operation illustrated in
Then, when the update timing is “timing when a used terminal is not connected to the signage”, the processor 101 executes the operation illustrated in
The update process illustrated in
Then, Tenant_A which is an administrator of a Tenant, of which the user type is Tenant, and can update part of the display information and part of the content information of the signage device 200 and the Tenant_A's own user information. When the user type is Tenant, the Tenant_A can update only the assigned tenant information RC, and cannot update the tenant information RC of other people.
The user whose user type is “Administrator” or “Manager” can select all pieces of the tenant information RC from the tenant selection area 413 (see
Further, each user is stored in association with a terminal ID in the user DB 116, and thus when fixed portable terminals 401 to 403 or PCs 501 and 502 access the server 100, it is possible to output a suitable update setting screen. In this case, screen control for permission or prohibition of the tenant selection described above is controlled for each device.
Meanwhile, the display screen may be switched when the portable terminals 401 to 403 are connected to the server 100, or when the PCs 501 and 502 are connected to the server 100.
Next, the report output function will be described. The maintenance person can check the report illustrated in
The report example illustrated in
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to properly manage and update the information providing system.
A description will be made regarding an embodiment in which the server 100 receives update content through an e-mail, and updates the display information and the content information of the signage device 200.
The maintenance person performs the setting described with reference to
If the server 100 receives an e-mail, the processor 101 analyzes the description contents of the mail text, according to the prescribed format, and extracts each setting item. The processor 101 acquires the update timing from the setting items. When the update timing is “immediate”, the processor 101 executes the update process illustrated in
In the present embodiment, a description is made regarding a case where the function of performing the exemplary embodiment is recorded in the apparatus in advance, but without being limited thereto, the same function may be downloaded to the apparatus from the network, or the same function stored in a recording medium may be installed in the apparatus. As long as a recording medium such as a CD-ROM can store a program and can be read by the apparatus, any form of recording medium may be used. Further, the function obtained by being installed or downloaded in advance in such a manner may be one that realizes the function in cooperation with an operating system (OS) inside the apparatus.
Further, a first terminal device corresponds to the portable terminals 401 to 403, and the PCs 501 and 502 in the above embodiment. A second terminal device corresponds to the portable terminal that the user owns in the above embodiment.
The content is data displayed on the signage device, and is described as the image data, the caption, and the design template as an example in the present embodiment. Further, the detailed information for delivery defined in the content information DB 113 may be included in the content.
As described in detail above, since the Web based data update screen is provided in the embodiment, it is not necessary to introduce an application and the like to the terminal. Further, since it is possible to set a timing of when to perform updating, it is possible to update the display content of the signage device at a timing other than when the visitor performs access.
It is possible to perform the present exemplary embodiment in various ways, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments described above are merely exemplary in all respects, and are not limitedly interpreted. The scope of the present exemplary embodiment is represented by the claims, and is not limited by the specification text. All of modifications, various improvements, alternatives and reforms belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the exemplary embodiment.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-113045 | May 2014 | JP | national |