Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~3P0 01137536 1'CTIUSOW42I29
10 ID1FORMATIONAL MESSAQEB DISBLAY sYSTEM
FOR MAS$ TRANSIT SYSTSM..S AND
M8T80~ FOR SAME
TECBNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods
2U for communicating informational messages to the public. More
particularly, the present invention relates to informational
messages communicated from message sources such as news and
advertising sources by wireless technology to a plurality of
display devices available for viewing by the public and
particular. at mass transit systems including display devices
located in mass transit stations and on mass transit vehicles
for display of the informational messages to the public.
HACK(3ROUND OH THE INVBNTION
Transit systems such as bus, train and aircraft, as well
as roadways with personal passenger and commercial vehicles.
provide transportation for persons and packages among numerous
locations. Often, for persons, the transit system is used fvr
everyday commuting between homes and work. The transit
systems have a number of stations at which. vehicles for
transporting persons arrive and depart. The stations are
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distributed in the areas served by the transit system. The
persons come to the stations to use the transit services.
Generally, the persons gather in increasing numbers as the
time approaches for the vehicle to arrive. Persons at the
station who do not board the vehicle wait for the next
vehicle. Commuter transit typically involves regular,
periodic arrivals of vehicles throughout the day, pursuant to
schedules of arrival and departures for facilitating the
travel of persons in the area served by the transit system.
The gathering of persons at transit stations provides
opportunities to communicate information. Particularly,
advertisers find that persons waiting at transit stations for
vehicles provides an opportunity to present commercial
messages to an audience with reduced distractions to seeing
the commercial message. Often, transit stations include
printed poster billboard advertisements promoting the goods
and services of the entity being advertised. These billboards
are posters or other displays which are changed from time-to-
time, generally monthly or longer intervals.
In addition, the transit system communicates messages to
the persons at the stations. Often there are fixed signs that
identify the station. Temporary signs may be placed to advise
persons of changes that may affect certain persons using the
transit system, such as advising of a closed station, a
canceled or changed schedule, and the like. In other
circumstances, the transit systems make audio announcements
over loudspeakers to advise persons of information.
Persons waiting for transit vehicles also read newspapers
and magazines, to help pass the idle time until the vehicle
arrives.
While these communication devices are useful, there are
drawbacks to their use. Billboard display advertising is
significantly labor intensive. The advertising must be
prepared and approved, with printing well in advance of
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subsequent installation of the advertising in the various
stations. The advertising therefore is more general in
nature. and it is costly and time consuming to attempt having
the advertising be responsive to weekly or daily events.
Further, different approaches to promoting the benefits of the
advertiser are more difficult to implement. Advertisements
targeted to one area may not be as effective in another area.
Placing printed signs by transit systems to communicate timely
information about changes to schedules is labor consuming.
Small placaxd signs positioned in entryways may not be
observed, and events may be unfolding quickly such that
signage is not effectively communicating current accurate
information. For persons waiting far vehicles, idle time may
be wasted due to lack of newspaper or other reading material.
35 Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved
informational messages display system for public facilities,
particularly mass transit systems including stations and
transit vehicles, and a method of communicating informational
messages for display to persons using public facilities such
as transit systems. It is to such that the present invention
is directed.
BRI$F sObd~ARY Og TS$ INVENTION
The present inventl.on meets the need in the art by
providing apparatus and methods for displaying informational
messages on display devices available for viewing by persons
and particularly fcr persons using mass transit systems
including displays in mass transit stations and on mass
transit vehicles, which informational messages are
communicated~from at least one message source by wireless
apparatus to at least one of a plurality of display devices.
The present invention comprises at least one message source
for creating a plurality of message records, each message
record having a cap code which identifies a selected one of
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a plurality of display devices, a pin code which identifies
ane of a plurality of message memory slats associated with the
particular display device to receive the message, a message
and at least one display characteristic for the message. Each
one of the plurality of display devices has a storage means
that defines the plurality of message memory slots for storing
a plurality of communicated messages and the display
characteristics associated with said communicated messages.
The display device has a transceiver which receives the
message and the display characteristics therefore based on the
cap code. The transceiver also selectively acknowledges
receipt of the message. Each display device has a visual
display screen for displaying the stored messages based on the
display characteristics for each of said stored messages. A
controller associated with each display device displays in a
selected sequence the plurality of messages based on the
display characteristics associated with each message.
In another aspect, the present inventian provides a
method of displaying informational messages communicated from
at least one message source by wireless apparatus to a
plurality of display devices available to the public, and
particularly such display devices associated with mass transit
systems having display devices located in mass transit
stations and on transit vehicles, for display of the
informational messages to the public, comprising the steps of
(a) creating a plurality of message records, each
message record generated by a message source, each message
record. having a cap code which identifies the display device
which is to receive the message records a pin code which
identifies one of a plurality of message memory slots
assaciated with the particular display device to receive the
message, a message, and at least one display characteristic
associated with the message;
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(b) communicating each of the message records from the message source
to at least one of a plurality of display devices based on the cap code;
(c) storing the display characteristics and the message in one of the message
!~ memory slots of a memory device of the display device based on the pin
code; and
(d) displaying in a selected sequence the plurality of messages based on the
display characteristics associated with each message.
Objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent
from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention and
claims in
view of the appended drawings.
IS
8R~13F D~F. SC~'tI,~3'ION OF T88 DRA~INC38
Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic illustration of the
informational message communication and display system
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 illustrates a message record originated by a
message source in the informational message communication and
display system illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 illustrates message records received by a display
device from the message sources in the informational message
communication and display system illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view o~ an embodimenC of a
display device for communicating informational messages to the
public (shown in a transportation station), to illustrate a
use of the informational message communication and display
system illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing interconnections of
the informational message communication and display system
according to the present invention.
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Fig. 6 is a flow diagram for a systems administrator for
the informational message communication and display system
illustrated in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a flow diagram for an advertiser placing
informational messages in an assigned message slot of displays
in the informational message communication and display system
illustrated in Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a flow diagram for a transit message
administrator for the informational message communication and
display system illustrated in Fig. 5.
Fig. 9 is a route chart for a transit system using the
informational message communication and display system of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which
like parts have like identifiers, Fig. 1 provides a schematic
illustration of the informational message communication and
display system 10 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. The system 10 includes at least one message source
generally 12 which originates messages for communication by
wireless apparatus generally 14 to a plurality of display
devices 16 for display to the public, preferably in mass
transit stations, in a sequence of the messages stored by each
of the display devices, in accordance with the invention. In
the illustrated embodiment, the wireless apparatus is paging
technology, although other wireless apparatus such as cellular
or other technology may be gainfully used. The illustrated
embodiment provides a news message source 18, a plurality of
advertising message sources 20, and a mass transit message
source 22. These message sources 18, 20, and 22 independently
originate informational messages for communication to selected
display devices 16 which subsequently display the messages
received and stored by the particular display device, as
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discussed below. The news message source 18 originates news
messages; the advertising message source 20 originates
advertising messages; the mass transit message source 22
originates informational messages relevant to transit riders.
S The message sources 12 communicate the messages to a
message distributor generally 24. In the present embodiment,
the message distributor 24 comprises a pager messaging system
having a message distribution center 26 with an uplink station
28 that communicates the messages to satellites 30. The
messages are transmitted to pager transmission towers 32 far
broadcast to selected d9. splay devices 16. Each display device
16 has a pager transceiver 33 for receiving messages based an
one of a plurality of cap codes assigned to particular pager
transceiver. A preferred pager transceiver is a Motorola
xs
CreataLink 2-way transceiver. Further, the display device 16
is capable of acknowledging the receipt of the message by
paging a receipt message to a communications system
administrator.
With reference to Fig. 2, the message source 12 generates
a message record 34 that includes a cap code 36, a pin code
37, a message 38, and at least one display characteristic 40
associated with the message 38. The cap code is an identifier
associated with the particular display device 16 to receive
the message record 34, as discussed below. The pin code 37
identifies one of a plurality of message memory slots
associated with the particular display device 15 to receive
the message 38 and the display characteristics 40. In an
alternate embodiment, the message record 34 includes a start
date and time and a stog date and time for display of the
message 38.
Each display device 16 includes a microprocessor-based
controller 42 with a conventional pager transceiver and data
storage device 94 for receiving, storing, and displaying a
plurality of the messages 38 in a selected sequence. The
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display device 16 also includes an image display screen 46 for
visually presenting the message 38. Such image display
screens 46 include LED displays, liquid crystal, plasma,
conventional video screen, and other such devices for
displaying visually perceived images.
Fig. 9 is a route chart for a transit system on which a
plurality of transit stations are indicated by circles. The
transit system provides a substantially north-south line and
an east-west line. A display device 16a - 16p is positioned
in a respective one of the transit stations. Each transit
station is denominated by a direction and station number, for
example, N1, N2, N3, and N4, for the four stations north of a
central station C. The east, south, and west stations are
similarly denominated. These stations likewise may have a
station name (not illustrated), for example, Broad Street,
Arlington Village, as appropriate for the particular transit
system. The display devices 16 have at least one cap code,
but in an alternate embodiment, have up to four cap codes.
This permits hierarchal access to the display devices 16. For
example, the display device 16 at station N1 is accessed by
its unique cap code, but may have a cap code in common with
each of the North stations . In that way, a message can be
directed to only the North stations in the transit system. It
is noted that display devices 16 can be mounted on both sides
of the transit line (for example, North-bound and South-
bound). Each display device 16 is separately identified with
the cap code for selective access. Using another cap code,
each display device 16 on the North-bound line has a common
cap code whereby North-bound messages can be displayed
differently from South-bound messages. Further, the
informational message system of the present invention includes
display devices 16 mounted to moving vehicles such as buses
and trains, in stations, in shelters, both exterior and
interior.
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Each display device 16 receives and stores a plurality of messages in a
plurality of
message slots. Fig. 3 illustrates a memory storage device 48 having a
plurality of message
slots 5a, b, c---54n, wherein n identifies a particular message slot. However,
in the
description that follows, reference numeral 50 is used to refer to the message
slots in general.
Each slot 50 is identified by a pin code 37, using conventional pager memory
apparatus. The
pager transceiver stores in the designated message slot 50 the message 38
transmitted by the
message source 12 together with the display characteristics 40 for the
message. The message
38 in the preferred embodiment comprises text information. The display
characteristics 40
t 0 define the appearance and presentation of the message 38 on the image
display screen 46.
The display characteristics 40 include the size and color of the letters, the
duration of the
display presence of the text, the style of presentation of the text, the font
and style of the
letters in the message, logo indentifiers associated with the displayed
message. The style of
presentation refers to the manner in which the message is displayed, for
example, scrolling
top to bottom, left to right, one character at a time, and the like.
In a preferred embodiment, the display device 16 has capacity for 56 messages,
although each display device may not receive a message for all slots. The
number of slots
50 is dependent upon the available memory capacity of the transceiver. The
display device
16 displays the plurality of messages held in the storage 44 in a
predetermined sequence. If
a slot is clear and has no message, the message in the next slot in sequence
with a message
is displayed. In one embodiment, the display device 16 uses sixteen of the
message slots 50.
Eight pin codes corresponding to eight of the slots 50 are assigned to the
news information
source 18. These slots receive
the news information messages. Seven of the pin codes are assigned to
advertising
informational messages. The advertiser sources 20 are each assigned one, or
more, of
the pin codes for providing messages to display devices. For
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example, an automobile manufacturer may lease display rights
to one of the pin slots while another advertiser leases
another of the pin slots for providing advertising messages to
selected display devices 16. One pin code is assigned to the
mass transit message source 22. Each message source 18, 20,
and 22 provide messages for the display devices. The messages
are displayed in sequence. For example, the 16 messages may
be displayed in a sequence of two news informational messages
followed by two advertising messages. Typically, the news
informational messages are displayed for 30 seconds; each
advertising message is displayed for 15 seconds. The total
display time for the 16 messages is 6 minutes. The sequence
of display then repeats. If a particular message slot 50 is
empty (that is, there is no message 38 in the particular slot
50) the sequencing skips the no message slot and continues
displaying the messages in the slots 50 in sequence.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a
display device 16 for communicating informational messages to
the public on the visual display 46 (shown in a public
transportation station), to illustrate a use of the
informational message communication and display system 10
illustrated in Fig. 1. The display device 16 in the
illustrated embodiment has the ornamental appearance of an
enlarged pager with a visually perceived screen 46. The
visual display 46 in the illustrated embodiment provides a
four-line by twenty-character text display 70 and the arrows
71 comprise pager-related ornamental buttons. The display
device 16 is shown suspended by supports 72 from a ceiling in
a transit station. In an alternate embodiment, the display
device 16 mounts to wall surfaces or on poles. In an
alternate embodiment, the display 46 is an eight-line LED
color display, with one of the lines reserved to the transit
system for providing station-specific information. For
example, the transit system may use green text to indicate the
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station is open, yellow text to indicate delay, and red text
to indicate the station is closed. Appropriate messages such
as the station name or the rate of arrival of transit cars
can be displayed.
S In practicing the present invention, the display devices
is display the plurality of messages held in the storage 44 in
a predetermined sequence. In one embodiment of the method of
communicating informational messages, the present invention
alternates display of one message of eight news information
i0 messages with one message of eight advertising messages. Upon
completion of the display of the sixteen messages, the cycle
repeats. In yet another practice, the sequence of messages
provides two advertising messages followed by two news items.
Upon completion of display of the messages, the cycle repeats.
15 There are various sequences that can be set far the display
devices.
In the preferred embodiment, the news messages axe
generated by the news source 18 which preferably is a news
gathering and reporting service. The news source 18
24 originates text messages containing the news in. various
categories including Features, Show Business, Business, US
News, Weather, World News, Financial Markets, and Sports.
Eaeh of these categories is assigned to one of the news
"slots" based on the pin code. Accordingly, each of these
25 categories is associated with one of the pin codes. It is
noted that each display device 16 may contain identical pin
codes. For example, each display device 16 may be configured
to receive the Features messages from the news source 18.
Each 3isplay device 16 would thus include the appropriate pin
3Q code for receiving Features messages. The news source 1B
identifies the display devices 16 to receive the news message
and its display characteristics. For news messages, the
system 10 preferably dces not use different fonts or style
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effects, but merely displays the text news on the image
display 44.
;7pon completion of the news message record 34, the news
source 18 transmits the message record to the message
distributor 24 preferably over secure telephone line or other
secure communication mechanism. The message distributor 24
receives the message record 34 and distributes the message
record to the selected display device 16 using conventional
pager messaging apparatus. This is accomplished in the
illustrated embodiment by the message distributor 24 sending
the message record 34 through the uplink station 28 to the
satellite 30. The message record 34 is then transmitted to a
pager transmission towers 32 far broadcast to the selected
display device 16 based on the cap code. Each display device
i5 16 containing the particular cap code receives the message
record 34. In a preferred embodiment, the display devices 16
utilize pager receivers for communicating messages. Upan
receipt of the message record 34, the display device 16 stores
the message 38 and the display characteristics 4o in the
storage 44. The message 38 is then available in the display
device 16 for presentation on the image display 46 in the
sequence of messages displayed by the display device 16,
Similarly, advertising messages are originated and
communicated as message records 34 to selected display devices
1.6. In the illustrated embodiment, the advertising source 20
originates the advertising messages. The selected display
device 16 to receive the message is identified. The system 20
assigns the pin code fox the advertiser for the selected
display device 16. F'or example, a manufacturer of sports
equipment may :nave assigned to it the slot or pin code
immediately following the sports news item. The text and
display characteristics are completed and the complete message
record 34 is communicated to the message distributor 24 for
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distribution to the selected display device 16, as discussed
above in relation to the news message.
It is noted that the display devices 16 continuously
cycle the presentation of messages 38, and that new messages
(either news or advertising) can be slotted into storage far
the display device 16 based on the particular cap code and pin
code in the message record 34. The controller on the display
device 16 prevents a message from being inserted while the
- message in the particular slot identified by the pin code is
being displayed.
The message sources 18, 20, and 22 each reauire
appropriate microprocessor computers for creating the message
records 34 and communicating the message records to the
message distribution center 24. These computers preferably
TTc ~,
are 233 Mhz .MACINTOSH POWER computers, 200 IHhz PENTIUM II
computers, or higher, with appropriate conventional memory,
hard drive, video monitor, and modem. In a preferred
embodiment, the message sources have HTM3.-based microprocessor
capability.
Each display device 16 includes a backup power supply in
the event a main supply of power to the display device is
lost. Further, the display device 16 rnay be interrogated as
to the contents of its memory 48 so as to provide reports to
the advertisers of the display of advertising messages. In an
alternate embodiment, the display device 16 selectively
confirms receipt of a particular message from the advertising
source 20.
The display devices 16 include cache memory which stores
default messages for selected slots, as well as certain
controls for message displays. To reduce bandwidth loading on
the message distribution channels, a message having a control
identifier is communicated to the selected display device.
The control identifier instruar_s the display device to insert
the default message into the specified slot 50. Another
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control character in the message instructs the display device
16 to access cached display characteristics, for example,
scrolling, duration, or other. In an alternate embodiment,
the display device 16 caches multiple versions of a message,
for example, a fast food advertisement . The display device 16
rotates the versions in sequence after display of one of the
versions during the sequenced display of the messages in the
slots 50.
Logos and graphics having high character or instruction
content are preferably cached in memory of the display device
16, so that such do not have to burden the bandwidth. Rather,
the system administrator communicates the logos and with
appropriate control instructions, directs the display device
to store the logo graphics in memory. The logo is then
accessed by control characters within the message communicated
by the advertiser. Of course, logo graphics instructions can
be loaded manually and directly into the memory on site using
conventional computer interconnection mechanisms, such as
local network connections.
The system 10 is usable for broadcasting emergency
messages, such as those provided by the emergency alert
notification system operated by civil defense and emergency
management authorities. Further, in such events, a text-to
audio device with a speaker provides audio of the emergency
message.
Fig. 5 provides a schematic diagram showing
interconnections among the message sources 12 comprising a
systems administrator 80, at least one advertiser 82, and a
transit system administrator 84, in a preferred embodiment of
the informational message communication and display system 10.
The message sources 12 communicate with the informational
message communication and display system 10 through an
interactive web site 86 provided by an ISP server 88 having
interconnections to an interactive computer network generally
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89. Conventional telecommunication channels generally 90
carry the communications between the message sources 12 and
the web site 86 through the interactive computer network 89.
The web site 86 provides an interactive display for use by the
S systems administrator 80, the advertiser 82, and the transit
system administrator 84 to create messages and designate the
display devices 16 to which the messages are transmitted.
Preferably, the interactive display on the web site 86
x
comprises JAVA apples and HTML-based instructions far an
interactive interface operated by the web site 86 and
communicated through the ISP server 88. The web site 86
includes a database 92 that is operated and controlled by the
system administrator 80. A scheduler 94 and output formatter
96 communicates with the database. The scheduler 94 sequences
the transmission of messages to the selected display devices
16. The output formatter 96 formats the messages for
communication through a network interface y8 for communication
to the message distribution center 24 for paging broadcast to
the selected display devices 16.
Fig. 6 is a flow d5_agram for a systems administrator for
the informational message communication and display syste;rt 10
illustrated in Fig. 5. The systems administrator 80 accesses
the web site 86 through the ISP server 88. The systems
administrator 80 performs administrative functions 100 for the
2S informational message communication and display system 10.
These functions include setting and modifying passwords for
security on the system 10, adding and modifying control and
site information for display devices 16, maintains the
database files which associate the advertisers and the
particular display devices 16 far each as well as the period
for which the advertisers have rights to use the message slots
50, and other administrative tasks. Further, the systems
administrator 80 can perform review and modification 102 of
archived informational messages. Archived messages generally
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are ones which are repeated periodically. These messages are
stored in the database for recall and transmission to selected
display devices 16. The systems administrator also approves
advertising messages for display, as is typical in broadcast
and print media services.
The systems administrator 80 also creates 104 a new
message. The message input screen 106 is displayed and the
systems administrator 80 enters the new message. This is
accomplished by entering the text as well as designating 108
the color of the text, the graphics if any, and the time for
delivery of the message. The systems administrator 80 selects
110 the particular display devices 16 to receive the message.
The message may be previewed 112 on a display device
accessible to the systems administrator or on a computer
screen during editing. The message is scheduled for
communication 114 and the output formatter places appropriate
header information for communicating the message to the
message distribution center 24. If the message is one that
requires advertiser approval, the message is first
communicated 118 to the advertiser. Otherwise, the message is
communicated 119 to the distribution center 24.
Fig. 7 is a flow diagram for the advertiser 82 placing
informational messages in an assigned message slot of display
devices 16 in the informational message communication and
display system 10. The advertiser 82 accesses the web site 86
through the ISP server 88 and complies with required password
and security procedures. The advertiser 82 accesses 120 the
database on the web site 86 for review 121 of archived
messages and pending messages, if any, created by the system
administrator 80. A message is selected 122 for creation or
review. The message is edited 124 which includes entering 126
appropriate text and designation of display characteristics
including color, display features, graphics and time of
delivery. The particular display devices 16 to receive the
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message are selected 128, for example, at one or more transit
stations. The advertiser 82 selectively previews 130 the
appearance of the message on the computer display associated
with the microprocessor used by the advertiser. If the
message is unsatisfactory, further editing is done.
Otherwise, the message is approved for communication. The
message is communicated to the system administrator for
approval, as discussed above. If the message is approved, the
scheduler 94 and output formatter 96 prepare 132 the message
for communication 134 through the network interface 100 to the
message distribution center 24. If the message is not
approved, the message is returned to the advertiser source 20
for further editing.
The system administrator 80 creates a second message
record having the cap code and the pin code, together with a
stop time. If no stop time is specified by the advertiser,
the default stop time is the expiration date/time for the
particular advertiser's right to use the particular display
device 16 identified by the cap code and pin code. This
second message is held in the database 92. Using the clock of
the microprocessor operating the database, the second message
is released for communicating at the appropriate time. If the
advertiser specifies the start time, the message is also held
in the database 92 for subsequent communication at the
selected time. If no start time is specified, the message is
communicated upon approval by the system administrator.
Fig. 8 is a flow diagram for the transit message
administrator 84 for placing messages in a selected one of the
assigned message slots in display devices 16. The transit
message administrator 84 accesses the web site 86 through the
ISP server 88 and complies with required password and security
procedures. The transit message administrator 84 accesses 140
the database on the web site 86 for review 141 of archived
messages and pending messages, if any, for example, messages
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created by the system administrator 80. A message is selected
142 for creation or review. The message is edited 144 which
includes entering appropriate text and designation of display
characteristics including color, display features, graphics
and time of delivery. The particular display devices 16 to
receive the message are selected 148, for example, at one or
more transit stations. The transit message administrator 84
selectively previews 150 the appearance of the message on a
display device 16. If unsatisfactory, further editing is
done. Otherwise, the message is approved for communication.
The scheduler 94 and output formatter 96 prepare the message
for communication 151 through the network interface 100 to the
message distribution center 24.
In the event of emergency, the transit message
administrator 84 designates 152 the message as emergency. The
scheduler 94 and output formatter 96 communicate the emergency
message through the network interface 100 to the message
distribution center 24. The emergency message is thereafter
received by the designated display devices 16. The selected
display devices 16 suspend the cyclic display of the messages
and display only the emergency message. For example, the
particular station may be closed due to damage . The emergency
message may inform persons to evacuate the area or provide
other necessary information for instruction and direction of
persons in the area as to the problem and actions to be taken
for safety and security.
In the practice of the present invention, the transit
system can designate five message characteristics: normal,
delay-1, delay-2, emergency-1, and emergency-2. In emergency-
1 messages, the transit system signals the display device 16
to interrupt the display of the news messages for display of
the emergency message . The display device 16 then resumes its
cycle of displaying the messages in sequence. For an
emergency-2 message, the display device 16 interrupts all
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messages and only displays the emergency message. The cycle
of news and advertising messages is resumed upon
communication of a release message. Delay-1 and delay-2
messages similarly control display of messages at a particular
display device 16, whereby transit delays or station problems
can be communicated.
In a preferred embodiment, the display devices 16 are
identified by a hierarchical sequence, in order that the
display devices 16 may be selected more easily. For example,
transit systems often designate the particular routes for the
transit vehicles with a plurality of stations on the routes.
Each station has an identifier, such as a name or number.
Accordingly, the display devices 16 may be selected by the
route, by direction on the route (for example, all display
devices that are on an eastbound direction of travel), by
portion of the route (for example, all display devices east of
a central station), by zip code, or individually. Further,
demographic characteristics associated with each display
device may be useful for an advertiser in placing of the
information messages.
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Format of pager messages:
There are three Pager message formats. (The code may be two
characters, to reduce bandwidth loading).
"NNN-xx" followed by message characters, where "NNN" is
an identifier of the originating source of the message and
"xx" is any two characters corresponding to the message slot
in which the message is to be placed when sent by the message
distribution center 24 to the selected display devices 16.
"ADD-xx" followed by message characters, where "ADD" is
an identifier of the originating advertiser of the message and
"xx" is any two characters corresponding to the message slot
in which the message is to be placed when sent by the message
distribution center 24 to the selected display devices 16.
"CTL-xx" followed by message characters, where "CTL" is
a control code identifies functions for execution by the
display device 16 and "xx" is any two characters corresponding
to the message slot involved.
An initial list of messages in a sixteen-slot embodiment of
the display device 16 is:
ADD-O1 NNN logo
ADD-02 blank, not displayed
NNN-03 U.S.News
NNN-04 WorldNews
ADD-05 advertiser logo
ADD-06 blank, not displayed
NNN-07 Business news
NNN-08 Markets
ADD-09 Advertisement
ADD-10 Advertisement
NNN-11 Sports news
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NNN-12 Feature news report
ADD-13 Advertisment
ADD-14 Transit system message
NNN-15 Weather
NNN-16 Show business/Hollywood
Messages received with the same header (NNN-xx or ADD-xx)
will replace the existing message.
Messages with a new header (such as NNN-xx or ADD-xx)
will be added to the list in the first empty message position.
NNN-xx messages:
In the illustrated embodiement, when received by the display
device 16, the "NNN-xx" messages are automatically formatted
to fit in a 20 character wide by 4 line tall display.
"Line-Feeds" are inserted into "NNN-xx" messages.
ADD-xx messages:
When received by the display device 16, the "ADD-xx" messages
are not automatically formatted.
Formatting of the "ADD-xx" messages is the responsibility of
the source, as discussed in one embodiment below.
To enter a "Line-Feed" into an "ADD-xx" message, enter the
character string:
{lf) note: lower case required
To enter a "{" character into an "ADD-xx" message, enter the
character string:
{{~
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To enter an "Escape" character into an "ADD-xx" message, enter
the character string:
{esc} note: lower case required
S Escape sequences:
The following "escape" sequences work in the Pager Led Sign.
Use of "escape" sequences that are not listed below will cause
problems.
{esc}Q nn Select Character Font
{esc}s slink on
{esc}T Blink off
{esc}U Reverse on
{esc}V Reverse off
Example of an "ADD-xx" message:
ADD-02Test add-02 message {;f} notice the line feed {lf} Line
2 {lf}
{esc}Sthis is
blinking{esc}T{lf}{esc}QOILarge{lf}Characters{lf}
{esc}QOO{esc}U {lf} Reverse {esc}Sblink{esc}T {lf}
{lf} {esc}V
where:
ADD-02 header
Test add-02 message {lf} text
notice the line feed {lf} text
Line 2 {lf} text
{esc} S blink on
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this is blinking text
{esc} T blink off
{lf} line feed
{esc} QOI character font O1
Large {lf} text
Characters {If} text
{ese} QOO character font 00
{esc} U reverse on
{lf} 20 spaces
Reverse text
{esc} S blink on
blink text
{esc} T blink off
{lf} spaces
{lf} 20 spaces
{esc} V reverse off
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It is thus seen that an improved informational message
apparatus and method has been disclosed for sources of
informational messages to originate such messages, communicate
such messages to selected display devices, and display such
messages in selected sequence of messages. While this
invention has been described in detail with particular
reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, the principles
and modes of operation of the present invention have been
described in the foregoing specification. The invention is
not to be construed as limited to the particular forms
disclosed because these are regarded as illustrative rather
than restrictive. Moreover, modifications, variations and
changes may be made by those skilled in the art without
departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as
described by the following claims.
