WO2004064034A1

WO2004064034A1 - Display system

Info

Publication number: WO2004064034A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/000019
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Mccue; Allan Jones
Original assignee: Jones Mccue Multi Display Systems Pty Limited
Priority date: 2003-01-09
Filing date: 2004-01-09
Publication date: 2004-07-29
Also published as: AU2003100018B4

Abstract

A display system is described that facilitates display of multiple unrelated images on multiple display devices under the control of a single central processing unit. Each display device is separately addressable so that the unrelated images can be manipulated independently. The invention may also include individual control devices for each monitor to allow a user to control the display of the unrelated images.

Description

"DISPLAY SYSTEM" FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a display system that provides multiple monitors attached to a single central processing unit. The display system has particular application to marketing real estate although it is also applicable to other products marketed by visual display.

BACKGROUND

Real estate, along with many other products, is particularly sold by display of images of the property for sale in the window of the business offering the property. In the real estate context, this typically means a large array of individual photographs of houses or land displayed in the front window of the real estate office, with associated information such as price and features. This system has proven useful for many years but has significant limitations. The number of images which may be displayed is limited by the size of the window. Images are not easily updated. Due to space limitations only a single image is usually provided for each property.

An alternate approach is to provide a PC that displays images of the properties on a computer monitor. However, this is limited to a single display and therefore only one property is viewable at a time. This is too limiting to find useful application in most markets.

The use of computer monitors to display goods and services for sale is known, as is the concept of displaying multiple images for multiple products. Typically these systems show multiple images on a single monitor so that each image is relatively small and is not easily manipulated separately from each other image. One system for sale of goods or services by presentation techniques on computer screens is described in International Patent Application WO 97/20277. The system suffers from the limitations mentioned above.

An alternate system for interactively displaying multiple images of marketed property is desirable.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form, although it may not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in a multiple display system comprising: a central processing unit; one or more storage devices associated with said central processing unit and accessible under control of said central processing unit; one or more graphics processing units associated with said central processing unit and accessible under control of said central processing unit; and two or more graphic display devices associated with each said graphic processing unit; wherein said central processing unit is programmed to retrieve multiple unrelated images from said storage device and display said unrelated images on each said graphic display device.

In a further form, the invention resides in a method of displaying multiple unrelated images in a multiple display system including the steps of: storing unrelated multiple images in a storage device associated with a central processing unit; sequentially retrieving unrelated images from said storage device and formatting said unrelated images for display in a segment of a virtual screen formed on two or more graphic display devices, said graphic display devices associated with one or more graphic processing units, each said graphic processing unit controlling two or more graphic display devices; and automatically and independently scrolling through said unrelated images on each graphic display device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To assist and understand the invention preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the following figures in which:

FIG 1 is a schematic of a multi-display system; FIG 2 is a flow chart of a display process;

FIG 3 is a flow chart of an options selection process of FIG 3;

FIG 4 is a flow chart of a Caption Creator process of FIG 3;

FIG 5 is a flow chart of a process for saving screen position;

FIG 6 is a flow chart of initiating a repeating display process; FIG 7 is a flow chart of a repeating display process;

FIG 8 is a flow chart of an image display process;

FIG 9 is a flow chart of a story display process;

FIG 10 is a flow chart of a logo display process;

FIG 11 is a flow chart of a pause process; and FIG 12 is a flow chart of a change directory process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIG 1 there is shown a central processing unit 1 that is conveniently part of a conventional personal computer. The personal computer will normally have additional elements such as random access memory, DVD movie player, compact disc player (writer or re-writer), floppy disc drive, modem, etc. Associated with the CPU is a storage device 2 that stores multiple images of properties to be sold. Multiple graphic processing units 3 such as Matrox or GeForce video adaptor cards are associated with the CPU for display of images retrieved from storage device 2. Each of these graphic processing units are able to receive instructions to display images on multiple graphic display devices (monitors) 4. In a particular embodiment shown there are four graphic processing units each displaying images on four monitors.

The CPU 1 is programmed to retrieve images from the storage device 2 and display them sequentially on one or more of the graphic display devices 4. The instructions are written under visual basic but can easily be written in other languages. A virtual screen is constructed from the multiple graphic display devices and each display device is treated as a segment of the virtual screen. Each retrieved image is allocated to a segment of the virtual screen and thus displayed on one of the graphic display devices.

In the basic form of the invention each image scrolls across a fixed monitor screen on a fixed time scale. Alternatively, each image may be statically displayed on a fixed monitor.

Optionally, images may traverse across two or more adjacent segments, and hence monitors, such that one part of the image may be viewed on one monitor and the second part may be viewed on a neighbouring monitor.

In an advanced version of the invention each monitor screen may be controlled independently. For example, images may be displayed on a five second cycle on a primary display and then moved to another display for longer viewing. This allows a user to identify which of the remaining fifteen monitors should be watched in order to find a property of interest.

In a further modification of the invention a viewer may independently control each monitor using a pointing device 5. This may be provided by a keypad, mouse ortrack ball interfaced through a universal serial bus 6. This interface allows a viewer to interactively pause or advance the images on individual monitors.

A further alternative is to replace each display monitor with a touch screen that allows individual control of the images being displayed. This embodiment has maximum advantage if the images are stored in a database accessible to each monitor. Thumbnail images of all available properties may be displayed concurrently on each monitor. The viewer then selects the individual property to be viewed. Multiple images of each property are available including external views, internal views and features.

In a further embodiment of the invention, each image has additional information associated with it that is stored on the storage device 2. When a user selects an image, for example by pressing on a touch screen monitor when a particular image of interest scrolls across the monitor or is statically displayed on the monitor, the central processing unit 1 retrieves this additional information from the storage device 2 and displays this information on the touch screen monitor. This additional information may be descriptive information related to the image, further images that are related specifically to the selected image or may comprise multimedia information, such as movies, that are related to the selected image. In a further embodiment, each display monitor may be a touch screen monitor that utilises wireless technology to communicate with its respective graphics processing unit and the CPU 1 via a wireless communication pathway.

In some situations the use of touch screens or tactile display devices are problematic due to the risk of vandalism. The inventor has proposed a voice activator or a tone activator control system for this situation. In this embodiment a user dials into the display system through a modem using a toll free number. A menu is then presented allowing the user to select the display to be controlled and the images to be displayed. Typically this would be through a tone activated menu system.

The process of displaying and controlling images is described more fully in the flow charts of FIG's 2 to 12. FIG 2 shows an overview of the setup of the multiple display system. The first step in the process is to create screens up to the multiple number of available screens. The screens may be arranged in a particular order to suit the available screen array or an auto arrange sub-routine can be used.

The next step is to select from available options according to the process shown in FIG's 3-5. The options process allows logos and a "story" to be switched on or off, captions to be added to each image and for the created screen positions on the virtual desktop to be saved. If it is desired a DVD movie or similar is to be repeatedly played on a particular screen, a "Video Bypass" option can be selected, so the Logo and Story images can be displayed on that screen over the top of the movie. The option process also allows for selection as to whether the each image is scrolled across a monitor or whether it is statically displayed. Furthermore, the option process allows for selection of whether each monitor changes images independently or whether all images are changed on each monitor at the same time.

After each screen is set-up with images, logos, captions and stories, the display process is started as shown in the flow chart of FIG 6. The elements to be displayed are retrieved from storage. An image timer is started to count down to the next image change.

The process of displaying the images with logos, captions and stories is shown in the flow charts of FIG's 7 to 10. The process increments a counter each time the display process completes a loop. The images continue to loop until a stop signal is generated.

It may be desired to highlight a particular property for sale/lease. The "story" feature can be used to achieve this. When the set time has been reached, the image timer is switched off and the image loop is halted. All screens are set to display nothing, and if a DVD movie or similar is showing, the blank screen is forced over the top of it. The story elements to be displayed are retrieved from storage. The story timer is started to count down to the next story image change. Instead of all screens displaying an image simultaneously, only 1 image at a time is displayed, with the counter counting the image display interval before showing the next story image. Thus leading the customers view along the "story line". After the story has finished displaying, the logo is displayed, the story timer is halted and the image timer restarted. The screen covering any DVD movie is forced below. As mentioned above, in one embodiment the images with associated material (logos, captions, stories) will loop continuously until a stop signal is generated. Also mentioned above is another embodiment in which a user can control the display of the images and other material. The process depicted in the flow chart of FIG 11 shows one manner in which this is achieved. Using the mouse, keyboard, trackball or touch screen the repeating display of images is paused by clicking anywhere on the screen. Scroll icons then become active that allow a user to scroll forwards or backwards through the list of images assigned to that monitor.

In the embodiment depicted in the flow chart of FIG 11, it is also possible to change directory using the process depicted in the flow chart of FIG 12. This process has particular application where a user sees a product (such as a house) of particular interest and stops the display of the image to view additional information related to the image. In this case, the user elects to view the additional information by selecting the image. The additional information is retrieved and displayed. This additional information may be descriptive information related to the image, further images that are related specifically to the selected image or may comprise multimedia information, such as movies, that are related to the selected image The invention provides a versatile system for the display of images in marketing situations such as real estate offices. Multiple images of each property can be displayed either passively or interactively. The invention provides a significant advance over the static displays that currently exist.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A multiple display system comprising: a central processing unit; one or more storage devices associated with said central processing unit and accessible under control of said central processing unit; one or more graphics processing units associated with said central processing unit and accessible under control of said central processing unit; and two or more graphic display devices associated with each said graphic processing unit; wherein said central processing unit is programmed to retrieve multiple unrelated images from said storage device and display said unrelated images on each said graphic display device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said central processing unit constructs a virtual screen corresponding to all of said graphic display devices.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to display each of said unrelated images sequentially on each said graphic display device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to display each of said unrelated images for an equal amount of time on each said graphic display device.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to display each of said unrelated images on a primary graphic display device for a first period of time before being moved to a secondary graphic display device for a second period of time, wherein said first period of time is less than said second period of time.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pointing device for each said graphic display device associated with said central processing unit, said pointing device providing input to said central processing unit for controlling display of said unrelated images on said graphic display device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said pointing device is a mouse.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said pointing device is a trackball.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said pointing device is a keyboard.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein said virtual screen comprises a plurality of segments with each said segment corresponding to one said graphic display device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said graphic display device is a touch screen monitor.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to receive an input from a user via said touch screen monitor for controlling display of images on said touch screen monitor.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to scroll each said unrelated image progressively across adjacent graphic display devices.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein a set of additional information is stored on said storage device in respect of each said unrelated image.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each said set of additional information is descriptive data associated with said respective unrelated image.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein each set of additional information is multimedia data associated with said respective unrelated image.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein each said set of additional information is one or more further images associated with said respective unrelated image.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said central processing unit is programmed to retrieve said additional information from said storage device associated with an unrelated image displayed on a said graphic display device based on an input from a user.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said graphic display devices are associated with said graphics processing units via a wireless communication channel.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one said graphic display device displays at least two said unrelated images concurrently.

21. A method of displaying multiple unrelated images in a multiple display system including the steps of: storing said multiple unrelated images in a storage device associated with a central processing unit; sequentially retrieving said unrelated images from said storage device and formatting said unrelated images for display in a segment of a virtual screen formed on two or more graphic display devices, said graphic display devices associated with one or more graphic processing units, each said graphic processing unit controlling two or more graphic display devices; and automatically and independently scrolling through said unrelated images on each graphic display device.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of scrolling through said unrelated images on each said graphic display device is controlled based on an input from a user.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein each of said unrelated images are displayed on each said graphic display device for an equal amount of time.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein each of said unrelated images are displayed on a primary graphic display device for a first period of time before being moved to a secondary graphic display device for a second period of time, wherein said first period of time is less than said second period of time.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said method further includes the step of storing in said storage device a set of additional information in respect of each said unrelated image in said storage device.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said method further includes the steps of: receiving an input from a user, said input selecting one of said unrelated images; retrieving from said storage device said set of additional information associated with said selected unrelated image selected by said user; and displaying said additional information on one of said graphic display devices.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein each said set of additional information is descriptive data associated with said respective unrelated image.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein each said set of additional information is one or more further images associated with said respective unrelated image.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein each set of additional information is multimedia data associated with said respective unrelated image.

30. A multiple display system as described herein with reference to Figure 1.

31. A method of displaying multiple unrelated images in a multiple display system as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 12.