GB2374508A

GB2374508A - Integrated display of information on a screen

Info

Publication number: GB2374508A
Application number: GB0108210A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fabrice Luc Henri Papazian; Oliver Frederic Renault; Keith Graham Jones
Original assignee: CEDEMO Ltd
Current assignee: CEDEMO Ltd
Priority date: 2001-04-02
Filing date: 2001-04-02
Publication date: 2002-10-16
Also published as: GB0108210D0

Abstract

Apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen, which apparatus comprises the screen having a housing 6, a plurality of index panels 18, a plurality of image panels 20, a data display panel (22), and a detailed display panel 28, the apparatus being such that an index, its constituent elements and detailed data and images relating to one of those elements may be selected from one integrated display. The housing is displayed on the screen and is connected to one or more computer systems allowing a user to select individual indexes, images and functions and thereafter to receive further selected information via the display housing.

Description

APPARATUS FOR THE INTEGRATED DISPLAY OF INFORMATION ON A SCREEN This invention relates to apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen.

Known apparatus for accessing information on a screen is typically time consuming to use and it involves selecting an index. Upon choosing the index, a computer system typically serves the constituents of the index to a screen display. If further information relating to one of the constituents of the index is required, that element is selected and the computer system serves further information relating to the selected element. This process is time consuming and it does not give an over view of the different indexes available and their constituent elements. Still further, this process does not display simultaneously indexes, constituent elements of an index, detailed images, data and available functions. Still further, the user of such a system will lack simultaneous information to optimize their selection from a number of indexed elements.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen, which apparatus comprises the screen having a housing, a plurality of index panels, a plurality of image panels, a data display panel, and a

detailed display panel, the apparatus being such that an index, its constituent elements and detailed data and images relating to one of those elements may be selected from one integrated display.

By virtue of the fact that a plurality of indexes, images and data are able to be displayed simultaneously within the housing on the screen, the user can easily make an informed choice. Thus the apparatus of the present invention facilitates consumer choice. The ease of use of the apparatus of the invention further facilitates rapid informed choice.

The apparatus may be one in which the housing also includes a plurality of functional panels and advertising panels.

The apparatus may be one in which the information displayed within the housing is served from one or more computer systems which may be local to the housing, remote or connected via the Internet.

The apparatus may be one in which functional panels within the housing give access to functions such for example as allowing a user to test the compatibility of their own computer with a specific software product.

Another function could be to purchase one or more of the selected elements. Another function could enable the user to send a displayed image bye-mail to a third person or organization.

The apparatus of the invention may be one which includes a plurality of advertising panels served from a local or remote computer system. Advertisements on the advertising panels may or may not relate to the specific elements selected by the user.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows schematically apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen; Figure 2 shows in more detail the components within a housing on a screen of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates the steps that a user of the apparatus of the invention would typically take; and Figure 4 illustrates in block diagram form the operation of the apparatus required to effect the user methodology illustrated in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown apparatus 2 for the integrated display of information on a screen. The apparatus 2 comprises a screen 4 having a housing 6 with a number of display panels which are shown in more detail in Figure 2. The screen 4 is shown connected via the Internet 8 to a computer 10. The screen 4 is also shown connected to a remote computer 12 and a local computer 14. A user 16 is shown schematically using the information on the screen 4 of the apparatus 2.

Figure 2 shows the screen 4 and the housing 6. The housing 6 may be regarded as a frame containing a template. The housing 6 contains index panels 18, image panels 20, a data display panel 22, functional panels 24, an advertising panel 26, and a detailed display panel 28. During operation of the apparatus 2 as shown in Figure 2, the user 16 has first selected Index 1 and has subsequently selected Image 4 of Index 1. A

detailed image, data and functions relating to the image 4 of Index 1 are displayed in the detailed display panel 28.

Figure 3 shows typical user methodology that the user 16 has to use in using the apparatus 2 of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows the equipment necessary to carry out the user methodology shown in Figure 3. In Figure 4, the first column shows user action by the user 16. The second column shows the operation of a computer server. The third column shows the display in a screen or browser. The browser may be regarded as being a form of screen.

The apparatus of the present invention may be used for a wide variety of purposes. Thus, for example, the apparatus may be used to facilitate the rapid acquisition of information concerning computer games. In

this application of the invention, index panels 18 may be used to show

different technical platforms on which the computer games operate, for LITM example personal computers, consoles and Macintosrr (a proprietary brand).

If the index panel personal computer were selected, the images of the packaging of the best selling ten products appropriate for the personal computer platform could be displayed within the image panels 20. If one of those image panels 20 were then selected, a video showing highlights of that particular computer game could be shown. Simultaneously, data relating to the publisher of the game, a textual summary and the release date could be shown within the data display panel 22. Functional panels 24 could be used to allow the user to test the compatibility of their computer

system, with the selected product, to buy the selected product or to e-mail the video to a third person. A manufacturer of personal computers may wish to advertise specifically to persons interested in computer games for personal computers and, in this case, the remote computer would select the advertisement of the manufacturer only when the personal computer index is selected to insert within an advertising panel 26.

Another application of the apparatus of the invention is to facilitate the rapid acquisition of information regarding films. In this application, the index panels 18 could show different categories of films such as action films, romantic films, horror films and science fiction films. If the index panel for action films is selected, the publicity image of the action films currently on cinema theatrical release could be displayed in the image panels 20. When one of these image panels is selected, a video trailer or a selection of screen shots of the film could be displayed in the detailed image panel 28.

Information relating to the film such as the film studio, the running time and principal actors could be displayed in the data display panel 28. Functional panels 24 could allow users to reserve tickets in a theatre or purchase a digital versatile disk of the film. Advertisers of carbonated drinks could be interested in advertising to persons interested in films.

A further application of the apparatus of the invention relates to food and allows the user rapidly to choose a recipe. In this application, the index panels 18 could display different international cuisines such as French, Italian, American and Japanese. If the French index were selected, images

of a number of French dishes could be displayed in the image display panels 20. When one of the image display panels 20 was selected, a video of the dish being prepared with a still image of the finished dish could be shown in the detailed display panel 28. A list of ingredients could be displayed in the data display panel 22, and functional panels 24 could be used to buy ingredients, e-mail the recipe to a friend, or print the recipe.

As indicated above, information selected by the user may be delivered to the screen from the local computer 14 and/or the remote computer 12. If the information is sent from the remote computer 12, the information may be sent in the form of a screen of compressed data that is decompressed and displayed at the screen. The information may be either a real-time transmission or retrieved from a storage device such as a hard

disk, cd-rom or DVD-rom. The information may be stored on such a device LIM in a compressed form such as MPG2, MPG4, QuicktimeProprietary or Real

Proprietary. The information may also be transmitted via a wireless network, a satellite network or the Internet.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen, which apparatus comprises the screen having a housing, a plurality of index panels, a plurality of image panels, a data display panel, and a detailed display panel, the apparatus being such that an index, its constituent elements and detailed data and images relating to one of those elements may be selected from one integrated display.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the housing includes a plurality of functional panels and advertising panels.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the information displayed within the housing is served from one or more computer systems which may be local to the housing, remote or connected via the Internet.
4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which functional panels within the housing give access to functions.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the functions are one or more of allowing a user to test the compatibility of their own computer with a specific software product, purchasing one or more of the selected elements,

<Desc/Clms Page number 8>

and enabling the user to send a displayed image bye-mail to a third person or organization.
6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a plurality of advertising panels served from a local or remote computer system.
7. Apparatus for the integrated display of information on a screen, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.