System for distribution and display of advertisements within elevator cars

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein pertains generally to a method and apparatus for controlling the distribution and display of advertisements and other short messages via a network. It applies more particularly to a system for displaying advertisements to passengers in elevators and similar conveyances, wherein the ultimate source of the messages is remote to the elevator and the messages are conveyed thereto over a computer network. Additionally, it pertains to a system for distributing ads to remote locations for display and retrieving back information from the remote locations relative to the ads displayed. It also pertains to a self-monitoring ad distribution network, wherein equipment failures are automatically reported to a central site.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A networked computer system for the distribution and display of short messages such as advertisements in elevators, said short messages being contained within digital ad data files, comprising: 
 (a) a computerized main control unit, said computerized main control unit consisting of at least a hard disk, said hard disk being for the storage of said digital ad data files thereon;    (b) at least one computerized intermediate control unit;    (c) at least one computerized building control unit;    (d) at least one individually addressable computerized graphic display unit, each of said at least one computerized graphic display units consisting of at least, 
 (d1) a computer CPU, and,  
 (d2) at least one display device attached to said computer CPU, each of said at least one display devices for the display of said digital ad data files; and,  
   (e) a plurality of communications links, wherein 
 (e1) said computerized main control unit and each of said at least one computerized intermediate control units are connected by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files from said computerized main control unit to each of said at least one computerized intermediate control units,  
 (e2) each of said at least one computerized building control units being connected to a predetermined computerized intermediate control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files from each of said predetermined computerized intermediate control units to each computerized building control unit connected thereto, and,  
 (e3) each of said at least one computerized graphic display units being connected to a predetermined computerized building control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files to each of said at least one computerized graphic display units from a computerized building control unit connected thereto.  
   
     
     
         2 . A networked computer system according to  claim 1  wherein each of said at least one computerized building control units is connected to only one of said at least one computerized intermediate control units.  
     
     
         3 . A networked computer system according to  claim 1  wherein each of said at least one computerized building control units is additionally connected to said computerized main control unit by one of said plurality of communications links.  
     
     
         4 . A networked computer system according to  claim 1  wherein each of said at least one computerized graphic display units is connected to only one of said at least one building control units.  
     
     
         5 . A networked computer system according to  claim 1  wherein each of said plurality of communications links of step (e) is selected from the group consisting of a telephone line, a wireless communications connection, an ethernet line, a satellite link, a serial line, a parallel line, a coax cable, a twisted pair line, or a fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         6 . A method for the distribution and display of short messages such as advertisements in elevators, wherein is provided the ad distribution system of  claim 1 , and wherein is provided at least one digital ad file that resides on said hard disk of said computerized main control unit, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) selecting at least one digital ad file from said at least one digital ad files which reside on said main control unit;    (b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;    (c) for at least one of said at least one identified graphic display units, identifying a building control unit that is connected thereto;    (d) for at least one of said identified building control units, identifying an intermediate control unit that is connected thereto;    (e) transmitting said selected digital ad files from said main control unit to said identified intermediate control units, thereby creating transmitted digital ad files on said identified intermediate control units;    (f) transmitting at least a portion of said selected transmitted digital ad files from each of said identified intermediate control units to said identified building control units, thereby creating retransmitted digital ad files on said identified building control units;    (g) transmitting at least a portion of said retransmitted digital ad files from each of said identified building control units to said identified graphic display units, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit; and,    (h) displaying at least a portion of said ad display files on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.    
     
     
         7 . A networked computer system for the distribution and display of short messages such as advertisements in elevators, said short messages being contained within digital ad data files, comprising: 
 (a) a computerized main control unit, said computerized main control unit consisting of at least a hard disk, said hard disk for the storage of said digital ad data files thereon;    (b) at least one computerized building control unit;    (c) at least one computerized graphic display unit, each of said at least one computerized graphic display units consisting of at least, 
 (c1) a computer CPU, and,  
 (c2) at least one display device attached to said computer CPU, each of said at least one display devices for the display of said digital ad data files; and,  
   (d) a plurality of communications links, wherein 
 (d1) each of said at least one computerized building control units being connected to said computerized main control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files from each of said computerized main control unit to each computerized building control unit, and,  
 (d2) each of said at least one computerized graphic display units being connected to a predetermined computerized building control unit by one of said plurality of communications links, thereby making possible the transmission of digital ad files to each of said at least one computerized graphic display units from a computerized building control unit connected thereto.  
   
     
     
         8 . A method for the distribution and display of short messages such as advertisements in elevators, wherein is provided the ad distribution system of  claim 7 , and wherein is provided at least one digital ad file that resides on said hard disk of said computerized main control unit, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) selecting at least one digital ad file from said at least one digital ad files which reside on said main control unit;    (b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;    (c) for at least one of said at least one identified graphic display units, identifying a building control unit that is connected thereto;    (d) transmitting said selected digital ad files from said main control unit to said identified building control units, thereby creating transmitted digital ad files on said identified building control units;    (e) transmitting at least a portion of said transmitted digital ad files from each of said identified building control units to said identified graphic display units, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit; and,    (f) displaying at least a portion of said at least one ad display file on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.    
     
     
         9 . A method for the distribution and display of short messages such as advertisements in elevators, wherein is provided 
 a computerized main control unit having a hard disk containing at least one digital ad file,    at least one intermediate control unit linked thereto,    at least one building control unit linked to each of said at least one intermediate control units, and,    at least one graphic display unit linked to each of said at least one building control units, each of said at least one graphic display units for the display of said at least one digital ad file,    comprising the steps of:    (a) selecting at least one digital ad file from said at least one digital ad files which reside on said main control unit;    (b) identifying at least one graphic display unit that is to display said selected digital ad file;    (c) for at least one of said at least one identified graphic display units, identifying a building control unit that is connected thereto;    (d) for at least one of said identified building control units, identifying an intermediate control unit that is connected thereto;    (e) transmitting said selected digital ad files from said main control unit to said identified intermediate control units, thereby creating transmitted digital ad files on said identified intermediate control units;    (f) transmitting at least a portion of said selected transmitted digital ad files from each of said identified intermediate control units to said identified building control units, thereby creating retransmitted digital ad files on said identified building control units;    (g) transmitting at least a portion of said retransmitted digital ad files from each of said identified building control units to said identified graphic display units, thereby creating at least one ad display file on each identified graphic display unit; and,    (h) displaying at least a portion of said at least one digital ad display file on said display device according to a predetermined time schedule.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (i) writing information to an ad log file representative of at least one of said digital ad display files so displayed; and,    (j) transmitting to said computerized main control unit at least a portion of said ad log file.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein step (i) is performed on at least one of said graphic display units.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein step (j) comprises the steps of: 
 (j1) transmitting at least a portion of said ad log file to a predetermined building control unit, thereby creating a transmitted ad log file,    (j2) transmitting a representation of at least a portion of said transmitted ad log file to a predetermined computerized intermediate control unit, thereby creating a retransmitted ad log file, and    (j3) transmitting a representation of at least a portion of said retransmitted at log file to said computerized main control unit.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one of said computerized intermediate control units, said computerized building control units, or said graphics display units cannot be contacted, and wherein each of said computerized intermediate control units, said computerized building control units, and said graphics display units has an identification code associated therewith, further comprising the steps of: 
 (i) automatically identifying at least one of said at least one of said computerized intermediate control units, said computerized building control units, or said graphics display units which cannot be contacted;    (j) determining for each of said at least one identified units which cannot be contacted an associated identification code; and,    (j) automatically sending to said main control unit a signal representative of at least one of said determined associated identification codes, thereby notifying said main control unit of at least one of said computerized intermediate control units, said computerized building control units, or said graphics display units which cannot be contacted.    
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein step  0 ) includes the step of: 
 (j1) placing a signal file in a main control unit trouble directory.    
     
     
         15 . A networked computer system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said at least one computerized graphic display units, further comprises: 
 (d3) a display device sensor, said display device sensor being placed proximate to said display device, monitoring an operational status of said display device, and being in electronic communication with said computer CPU.    
     
     
         16 . A networked computer system according to  claim 15 , wherein said display device is an LCD display device and said display device sensor is a photoelectric sensor.  
     
     
         17 . A networked computer system according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said at least one computerized graphic display units, further comprises: 
 (c3) a display device sensor, said display device sensor being placed proximate to said display device, monitoring an operational status of said display device, and being in electronic communication with said computer CPU.    
     
     
         18 . A networked computer system according to  claim 17 , wherein said display device is an LCD display device and said display device sensor is a photoelectric sensor.  
     
     
         19 . A display device sensor for monitoring a changeable status of a display device, comprising: 
 (a) an electrical sensor, said electrical sensor being placed proximate to said display device, monitoring said changeable status of said display device, and, generating a signal representative of a change in said changeable status of said display device;    (b) an interconnecting wire, said interconnecting wire having a first connecting end and a second connecting end, said first connecting end in electronic communication with said electrical sensor; and, (c) a computer CPU in electrical communication with said second connecting end of said interconnecting wire and in electrical communication with said electrical sensor, 
 said computer CPU being responsive to said signal representative of said change in said changeable status of said display device.  
   
     
     
         20 . A display device sensor according to  claim 19 , wherein said display device is an LCD display device and said display device sensor is a photoelectric sensor.