Information display system

Abstract

An information providing system, which transmits a passive image such as an advertisement while providing a requested image. The passive image and the requested image, for example, information from the Internet 9, are transmitted from the information provider 4 to the terminal 1 and displayed separately on the display 8. The whole passive image is displayed in the front of the display 8.

1 . An information display system comprising: 
 an information provider;    a communication line connected to the information provider;    a display; and    a display controller which receives an active image and a passive image from the information provider through the communication line and displays the active image and the passive image in separate areas of the display.    
     
     
         2 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the display controller displays the passive image in the front of the display.    
     
     
         3 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the display controller displays the whole passive image within the display.    
     
     
         4 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a detector which detects whether or not the passive image is in normal status, normal status being a condition where the passive image is displayed in the front of the display and the whole passive image is displayed within the display; and    a notifier which provides a notice, when the detector detects that the passive image is not in normal status.    
     
     
         5 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the notifier displays the notice on the display.    
     
     
         6 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the active image can be updated; and    the detector detects the status of the passive image after a predetermined period of time from the provision of the notice;    the information display system further comprising:    a display delayer which delays updating the active image when the detector detects the status as being not normal.    
     
     
         7 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a display suspender which suspends updating the active image when the detector detects the status as being not normal after a predetermined period of time from the time when the display delayer delays updating the active image.    
     
     
         8 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a communication disconnector which disconnects the communication between the information provider and the terminal when the detector detects the status as being not normal after a predetermined period of time from the time when the suspender suspends updating the active image.    
     
     
         9 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the active image can be updated, further comprising: 
 a detector which detects whether the passive image is in normal status, normal status being a condition where the passive image is displayed in the front of the display and the whole image is displayed within the display; and    a display delayer which delays updating the active image when the detector detects that the passive image is not in normal status.    
     
     
         10 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the display delayer delays updating the active image by delaying transmission of the active image from the display information provider to the terminal.  
     
     
         11 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 means for canceling the delay of the display delayer when the detector detects normal status within a predetermined period of time after the display delayer delays the update.    
     
     
         12 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the active image can be updated, further comprising: 
 a detector which detects whether the passive image is in normal status, normal status being a condition where the image is displayed in the front of the display and the whole image is displayed within the display; and    a display suspender which suspends updating the active image when the detector detects that the passive image is not in normal status.    
     
     
         13 . An information providing system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the display suspender suspends updating the active image by terminating the normal transmission of active images from the display information provider to the terminal.    
     
     
         14 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 means for canceling the suspension of the update by the display suspender when the detector detects normal status within a predetermined period of time after the display suspender suspends the update.    
     
     
         15 . An information display system as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a detector which detects whether the passive image is in normal status, normal status being a condition where the image is displayed in the front of the display and the whole passive image is displayed within the display; and    a communication disconnector which disconnects the communication between the information provider and the terminal when the detector detects the image as being not in normal status.    
     
     
         16 . An information provider that transmits a plurality of images to a terminal having a display, using a communication line to which the terminal can be connected, the information provider comprising: 
 means for receiving a request for an active image actively designated by the user of the terminal from the terminal;    means for selecting the active image designated by the user from among the plurality of types of images, based on the user's request;    means for selecting a passive image to be displayed on the terminal from among the plurality of types of images, regardless of active designation by the user; and    means for transmitting both the active image and the passive image to the terminal so as to have these images be displayed on the terminal.    
     
     
         17 . An information provider as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising display control means for having the active image and the passive image be displayed in different display areas provided on the display.  
     
     
         18 . An information provider as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 means for detecting whether or not the display state of the passive image is normal, a normal display state being a display state in which the entire passive image is displayed on the front-most surface of the display and within the allowed area of the display; and    means for warning the terminal when the detecting means detects that the display state is not the normal display state.    
     
     
         19 . An information provider as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the warning means includes means for having a warning notice be displayed on the display.  
     
     
         20 . An information provider as claimed in  claim 16 , comprising: 
 means for detecting whether or not the display state of the passive image is normal, a normal display state being a display state in which the entire passive image is displayed on the front-most surface of the display and within the allowed area of the display; and    means for delaying updating the active image when it is detected that the display state is not normal.    
     
     
         21 - 63 . (canceled)