FR2803063A1 - Centralized unit and graphics controller with video memory for displaying publicity pages on computer screens of Internet terminals, with real time selection of data to be displayed - Google Patents

Abstract

The display system includes a central unit (1), a graphics controller (3) associated with video memory (4), a buffer video data memory (5) connected to the controller (3) and linked to a switching memory (15) and electronic switching logic unit (6). The switching unit allows insertion between the host machines screen connector (7) and the screen of this machine so that selection can be made in real time from the publicity source data to be displayed. The electronic system is designed to offer publicity or other information display space on computer screens and/or similar terminals without any link and or software dependence with the computers or terminals which are called 'host machines'. The system is contained in a casing inserted between the screen output of the 'host machine' and the screen . As an alternative it can be in the form of an electronic card (A) inserted directly into the host computer and can be integrated as an independent module in the 'host machine'. It may also use an interface (10) foe a tactile pad (13). The central unit transforms the data pressed onto the tactile pad (13) into standard pointing tool data for the host machine. A pixel recognition logic (9) allows the system to recognize the presence of one or more images on the 'host machine' screen, images which were previously memorized in the central unit and its associated memory.

Description

An electronic device for providing advertising or other information display spaces on computer screens and / or like terminals.

 The massive increase in the use of the Internet is generating more or less short-term an explosion in the number of access terminals to this network, both in public places (railway stations, airports), in transport (aircraft ... ) than in the major centers of activity (department stores, banks, etc.). All these places offer or will offer the possibility of accessing the Web, usually through specialized terminals, such as "Internet terminal".

These terminals, to offer the best ergonomics of use, will use a touch screen as a human-machine interface.

The operator of the place where this type of terminal will be placed will not be in control of the Web server or servers consulted during the accesses made by the users. these terminals offer perfectly adapted advertising media.

On the basis of this observation, the present invention proposes to provide a device making it possible to offer advertising spaces or, more generally, information spaces on the screen of computers and / or access terminals to networks, simultaneously. to their normal operation, by incrustation of one or more windows, and this without any link and / or software dependence with said computers or terminals, also hereinafter referred to as "hosts", and without any modification and / or adaptation of the current application on the terminal screen, and therefore completely regardless of the application and operating system in use on these machines.

Indeed, the device that is the subject of the invention, for embedding pop-ups on computer screens and / or terminals, essentially comprises in combination: a central unit, a graphics controller with which a video memory is associated, a memory buffer video data connected to the graphics controller and associated with a switching memory, and electronic switching means allowing it to be intercalated between the screen connector of the host machine and the screen itself of this machine, way to be able to select in real time source information to display.

Thus, it has a keying system, which can be triggered by manual control and / or automatically on recognition of "pixel" images in the application screen being executed and / or automatically on recognition of free information areas in the display of the running application.

According to particular embodiments, the device according to the invention can be inserted into a housing that is interposed between the screen output of the host machine and the screen itself; be in the form of an electronic card inserted directly into the host computer; integrate as an independent module (expansion card) into a host machine.

Depending on the case, the device does or does not have its own power supply. interesting case is the one where the device is integrated, from the design stage, into a microcomputer-type system or special terminal for connection to a network.

The device also advantageously comprises an interface for double touch screen connected to a double touch, the central unit transforming the support information on the touch screen in standard "pointing tool" data of the host machine.

preferably, the device also comprises a pixel recognition logic, allowing it to recognize the presence of one or more image (s) on the screen of the host machine, image (s) previously stored in the central unit and its associated memory .

storage in the central unit and its associated memory of the image (s) to be recognized is simply performed using the touch screen positioned the screen of the host machine, pointing on this touch screen two opposite corners thus defining perfectly the boundaries of the image recognize.

The pixel recognition logic makes it possible, knowing the value of the coordinates corresponding to the corners defined as indicated above, to acquire the pixel values generated by the host machine within these coordinates.

Thus, associated with the control of a touch screen, the device allows simple geographical delimitation of the / images "pixels" he will recognize to embed his or her windows. Regarding still the recognition of the images, the invention still provides the following modalities - The recognition of the images pre-stored by the central unit and coming from the host machine does not depend on the position of these images on the screen, but only the pixel content (digital RGB value) of these images.

The images may, in order to optimize the memory space, be recorded in the central unit and / or be compared by the pixel recognition logic only on one or more pixel lines, a pixel line taken substantially in the middle of the image most often to characterize the image itself.

The recognition of one and / or more images is able to trigger the automatic overlay of one or more windows by the device on the screen of the host machine.

The recognition of one or more images is accompanied by the provision by the device coordinates in the screen of these images, so that the device can trigger the automatic incrustation of one or more windows superimposed this / these detected images.

Recognition of the image or images by the pixel recognition logic is capable of allowing the recognition of identical and juxtaposed zones in a screen, for example screen areas, thus allowing the system to know the empty space surface of the screen. information on a screen page to automatically adjust the size of the information window that it will be able to embed on this screen.

Moreover, the device advantageously comprises an autonomous communication interface for downloading in connected mode or not the information necessary for its operation, which can be execution programs and / or the contents of embedded windows.

Thus, the device object of the invention has the following features and advantages The display of the advertisement in the screen of the application does not depend on the application itself or the operating system of the machine whatever these are the inlaid advertising window can not be hidden the user if the device has not been programmed accordingly.

This device optimizes the advertising impact compared to solutions of the "banner" type known on the Web. These banners appear only when the pages viewed by a browser-type application contain links to the banner. With the device of the invention, the advertising space will always be present on the screen, regardless of the website and page viewed.

The device contains enough memory to hold several pages of advertising information.

Associated with a touch panel managed by the device, the device can emulate vis-à-vis the system on which it is installed the presence of a mouse so that the system application can be used with the touch screen.

The device thus managing the touch screen, it knows recognize the support by the user on the area of the advertising space, thus triggering the display of other pages of information always independent of the course application.

These other pages are stored in the device, their display is instantaneous, this brief response time being essential for advertising made of several pages of information succeeding each other on the screen is really effective, and that response times too long discard the user (case of the Web).

The majority of advertising space, to be effective, requires feedback from users, often manifested by entering information requiring actions on the "keyboard". The input of this information can be a nuisance for the user, in the sense that this input action can be too tedious for the user.

The device of the invention can, for this input, and knowing has own network connection capabilities, automatically connect to a local or remote server specialized in voice recognition, and transmit to this server the digitized voice of the user , which server gives back the echo "characters" resulting in recognition.

This principle makes it possible to optimize the cost of the device by the use of specialized relocated resources, thus making it possible to have a truly effective advertising space generating system that is truly adapted to the type of ergonomics required for these systems.

being able to trigger the automatic appearance of the advertising window by recognizing pixel areas that can characterize the presence in the display of the application of images referenced in the device two direct consequences - Possibility of detection and / or inhibition of banners ( s) existing advertising (s) on the page displayed the application following recognition by the device of this or these banners (s) and automatic trigger the or advertising windows of the device thus allowing the display and / or the overlay masking of the app's banner ads.

- Possibility of detecting unused screen areas on the page of the application being viewed to optimize the location and / or dimensions of the ugly pop-ups generated by the device.

The device, to be able to simply generate advertising information in its windows, will allow execution at least the execution of HTML code and evolutions, and may include a Java virtual machine for running Java applets (buried Web browser).

The invention will in any case be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, given with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing representing, by way of example, an embodiment of this device for embedding pop-up windows on screens of computers and / or terminals Figure 1 is a block diagram of the device; Figure 2 shows a detail of this device.

As shown in Figure 1, the device object of the invention is in the form of a microprocessor electronic card (A). This electronic A has in particular a microprocessor central unit (1) that can execute, for example HTML code, Java applets, and more generally, integrating a buried browser.

This central unit 1 is connected to a graphics controller (3) and its associated video memory (4) for displaying the data in the windows that it will be able to generate on the screen of a host computer. The graphic controller 3 is in relation with a memory (5) allowing the storage of the video data coming from the output of the graphic controller.

Switching logic (6) is interposed between the video output of the host computer (7) and the display of the host computer (8), this switching logic 6 allowing either the display on the display 8 data from the host computer, ie the display of the data contained in the memory (5) described above: this allows the embedding of display windows on the screen of the host computer, without changing the hardware architecture and system software.

Note that if the host computer does not have a digital video output but an RGB type analog output (Red, Green, Blue), the card (A) may include an option or a daughter card (14) for scanning this video signal.

A "pixel" recognition logic (9) makes it possible to identify and / or characterize the presence of pre-defined video information in the display frames originating from the host computer (7).

An interface subset 10 allows the control of a touch screen, in connection with the central unit (1), for the management and processing of data from this subset.

A pointing tool interface subassembly (11) allows, in connection with the central unit (1), to simulate with respect to the host computer the operation of a standard pointing tool (mouse or tablet to digitize) from the information from the touch screen (13).

A subset of the communication interface (12) is either directly integrated in the card (A) or in the form of a daughter card that can be plugged into the electronic card (A), said daughter card defining a type of card. communication interface (such as an RS232 interface daughter card, an Ethernet interface card, etc.).

The operation of the device, described below, mainly involves the subassemblies of logic embedding (6) and recognition pixels (9), operation described for a display on a digital LCD screen resolution 800 x 600, 18 bits per single bus pixels, the principle can be transposed to any LCD screen of lower or higher resolution. also referring to FIG. 2, the overlay performs as follows The central unit (1) writes in the video memory the data to be displayed in the window or windows that it will embed on the screen, the graphic controller delivering them in the form of digital video signals in the video data memory (5).

the address bus of the memory (5) is accessible both by the graphics controller (3) and by an address counter 7), the memory data bus (5) being multiplexed at a time to the graphics controller and to the switch (6).

The central unit (1) writes at the same time in a switching memory 5) if the pixel of the same address in the memory (5) is to be switched to the display (8) or not.

digital video 16 from the digitization subset of the video signal (14) if the host video output (7) is analog, or directly the video output of the host computer (7) if the digital one consists mainly of the signals following controls: frame synchronization signal, start screen refresh signal.

line synchronization signal, line start signal - A data validation signal validating data on the data bus.

The address counter (17) uses the above three signals to synchronize the generated address on the video memory (5) with the pixel being written on the screen by the digital video bus (16), or Knowing the horizontal resolution of the screen (800 pixels in this example), the frame synchronization start signal resets the address generated by the address counter (17).

The first top line allows counting of the counter (17).

The first data enable signal enables the counter (17) to generate the first address on the given video memory, as well as on the associated switching memory (15), thereby giving the characteristics of the corresponding pixel.

The address counter continues counting up to the value 800, corresponding to the horizontal resolution of the screen. After that, it waits for the next line synchronization signal to continue counting by the address counter.

In screen, after the pixel of the 600 th line and 800 th column, the counter 17 stops, and resets by the next frame synchronization signal.

Each top of data validations defines the characteristics of a pixel of the screen: at each top, in the example defined, the six bits red, green and blue of the pixel are recorded by the screen, the next top characterizing the pixel following the screen.

The video memory (5) of the device contains the pixels describing the pages to be embedded, each memory address containing the characteristics of a pixel. (Digital RGB) The associated switching memory (15) describes for an address of the video memory (5) whether the data of this address should be displayed on the screen, ie whether the switch (6) should switch to the screen the values of the pixel of the video memory (5) or those of the digital video bus pixel (16).

All of this logic is therefore synchronous with the three control signals transmitted on the digital video bus (16).

A more specific example is given hereinafter with reference to FIG. 2: The frame synchronization signal resets line and pixel counters in the address counters 17.

The address counter (17) increments each address generated on its address bus to the value of 800, corresponding to the horizontal resolution of the screen.

At this value, it waits for the line synchronization signal to continue counting.

Each increment of address arrives on the address bus of the switching memory (15), the corresponding data making it possible to switch the position of the electronic switch (6).

In the example of FIG. 2, the value 01 located at the address 1018 of the switching memory (15) will activate the switch (6) to the video data memory (5), thus making it possible to display the value XX of this memory on the display, XX containing the RGB digital values of the pixel 1018 of the screen is the pixel corresponding to the second line, 218th column (1x800 + 218 = 1 8).

This system therefore allows switching at the pixel level: the window embedded by the device has a granularity of a pixel.

In addition, it allows the opening of several simultaneous windows (non-rectangular windows). The increase of the depth "Bits" the switching memory (15) allows easy management of the different windows: 1 data bit is assigned to a window as a property open or not, 8 data bits can manage 8 windows, 16 bits 16 windows etc ... (non-exhaustive example).

The purpose of the recognition logic "pixels" 9 is to allow the device to recognize on the display the presence of a previously stored image, so as to be able to automatically trigger one of its functions such as the incrustation of a window .

The storage of the image can be done for example in association with a touch screen: after launching on the host computer of the application, and once arrived on the screen containing the image to be recognized later, the screen touch simply allows to delimit the screen surface containing the image, that is to say the pixels to be stored.

The central unit controlling the touch screen 13, it can easily deduce the geographical coordinates of the image to be stored, transform them into position line / column upper left corner of the image, and row column bottom right corner of the image .

These two coordinates (upper left corner, lower right corner) are written and stored in the pixel recognition logic (9), in pixel coordinates (line counter, pixel counter on a line).

The first step is for this logic (9) to memorize the value of the pixels inside the previously stored coordinates.

For this, the operation of this logic is identical to that previously described for the address counter (17): on synchronization of the frame signal of the digital video bus 16, the logic (9) will trigger its two counters (line counter and counter pixels on a line), and compare the counter value to the value of the coordinate of the upper left corner previously stored.

In order to obtain equality, the logic (9) will internally store the pixel values coming from the digital video bus 16, until its internal counters are equal with the value of the lower right corner previously stored.

Once this acquisition is complete, these pixel values will be transferred to the central unit (1) for recording in its internal memory. Thus, several images can be stored in the internal memory of the device.

The second step is recognition itself. For this purpose, according to the programming of the device, the central unit will load in the recognition logic (9) an image to be recognized as stored in the central unit as previously seen, or only the pixel values of this image.

Synchronized on the frame synchronization, the logic (9) compare to each given validation signal, the pixel values present on the digital video bus 16 with the values of the first pixel the image recorded in the logic (9) (Cycle 1) these two values are equal, the comparison continues between the next pixel of the digital video bus (16) and the next pixel stored in the logic as well as with the first pixel stored in the logic (Cycle 2).

cycle 1 stores the value of the count corresponding to the position of the first recognized pixel (N column from 1 = to 800) the first comparison is satisfied, the cycle is continued with the following pixels of the digital video bus 16 and the logic (9).

that this first comparison is not satisfied, device takes into account the second comparison. If it is satisfied, continue with cycle 2; the next pixel from the digital video bus will therefore be compared with the second pixel of the logic (9).

this second comparison is not satisfied, cycle 1 is repeated, with the next pixel of the digital video bus. Example: Stored image: 18 12 11 56 12 23 98 67 Digital video bus pixels image 1 12 <B> 18: </ B> cycle 1 performed: goes to cycle 2 18 received from video bus other than 12: second comparison with first memorized pixel: 18 = <B> 18: </ B> cycle 2 continued from the digital video bus: different from 12: the cycle 1 continues cycle again until full recognition on a line.

For the next line, cycle 1 does not start again when the column position of the pixel coming from the digital video bus corresponds to the value recorded during cycle 1 carried out on the first line. (Image inscribed in a rectangle).

recognition of the presence of the image thus performs during the duration of a video frame.

video frame for about 16 milliseconds, one can imagine the recognition of several images in the following way During the first frame (the central unit (1) taking into account the frame sync signal of the digital video bus (16)), the CPU loads the values of the 1st frame into logic (9).

During the next frame, the recognition process proceeds.

During the next new frame, the CPU (1) loads the new image into logic (9) etc.

The full recognition time of four images will therefore be done for the 4 th image in 6ms (1 image load) + 16ms (1st image recognition) + .... + 16 ms (4th image recognition) = 128 ms.

storing all the pixels of an image to be compared may require a lot of memory space in the logic (9).

can therefore consider variants to limit the size of the memory, such as in an image stored in the central unit, take only one pixel line horizontally corresponding to the middle of the image, or 2 or 3 lines of pixels, a minimum number of rows of pixels compared being sufficient to characterize the presence of an image on the digital video bus 16.

variant can also be used, by integrating an image recognition end counter into the recognition logic, thus giving the central unit (1) the corresponding coordinates of the upper left and lower right corners of the recognized image, to detect in a screen page areas of 'screen Pond', thus allowing the device to know the place it can allocate to its windows on the screen being sure not to hide information at the user.

Thus, the invention is not limited to the only embodiment described, and it encompasses all variants of the same principle.

Claims (1)

<B> <U> CLAIMS </ U> </ B> 1 - Electronic device for providing advertising or other information display spaces, computer screens and / or analogous access terminals for networks, without any link and / or software dependency with said computers or terminals, also hereinafter referred to as "host machines", and therefore completely independent of the application and the operating system in use on those machines, <U> characterized in </ U> it <U> that </ U> 'it essentially comprises a central unit (1), a graphics controller (3) with which is associated a video memory (4), a video data memory buffer (5) connected to the graphics controller (3) and associated with a switching memory (15), and electronic switching means (6) allowing it to be interposed between the screen connector (7) of the host machine and the screen itself of this machine, so you can select in t emps real the source of the information to display. 2 - An electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is inserted in a casing inserted between the screen output of the host machine (7) and the screen itself. 3 - electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in the form of an electronic card (A) inserted directly into the host computer. 4 - Electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it integrates as an independent module in a host machine. 5 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises an interface for touch screen (10) connected to a touch screen (13) and in that the central unit (1) transforms the support information on this touch screen (13), data standard "pointing tool" of the host machine. 6 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a pixel recognition logic (9) allowing the device to recognize the presence of one or more image (s) on the screen of the host machine, previously stored image (s) in the central unit (1) and its associated memory. 7 - Electronic device according to claim 6, characterized in that the storage in the central unit (1) and its associated memory of the image (s) to be recognized is simply done using the touch screen (1 positioned on the screen of the host machine, by pointing on this touch screen two opposite corners thus defining perfectly the limits of the image to be recognized 8 - Electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that the recognition logic pixels (9) allows , knowing the value of the coordinates corresponding to the corners defined in the preceding claim, to acquire the pixel values generated by the host machine within these coordinates 9 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 8 characterized in that the recognition of the images - stored by the central unit (1) and coming from the host machine does not depend on the position of these im on the screen, but only pixel content (digital RGB value) of these images. 10 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the images can, to optimize the memory space, be recorded in the central unit (1) and / or not be compared by the recognition logic pixels (9) only on one or more pixel lines, in particular a pixel line taken substantially in the middle of the image, which is most often sufficient to characterize the image itself. 11 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the recognition of one and / or more images is able to trigger the automatic incrustation of one or more windows by the device on the screen of the host machine. 12 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that the recognition of one or more images is accompanied by the provision by the device coordinates in the screen of these images, so that the device can trigger the automatic overlay of one or more windows superimposed of these detected images. 13 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that a recognition of the image or images by the pixel recognition logic (9) is adapted to allow the recognition of identical areas and juxtaposed in a screen , for example screen areas, thus allowing the system to know the empty space of information on a screen page to automatically adjust the size of the information window that it will be able to embed on this screen . 14 - Electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises an autonomous communication interface (12) for downloading connected or offline mode the information necessary for its operation, which can be programs execution and / or the contents of the embedded windows.