SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for displaying information, on the one hand in the form of alphanumeric information, in particular text, and on the other hand in the form of stationary or moving video images. The system according to the invention is intended in particular to provive travel information to passengers at railway stations and airports, but can also be used to provide information to visitors to hotels, hospitals, exhibition sites, libraires and the like.

Description: System for displaying information Field of the invention The invention relates to a system for providing service-related information to users of the service concerned, which system is provided with: a number of monitors with screens installed in locations accessible to the users of the service, on which screens the service- related information can be rendered visible, a centre where the service-related information is generated, and a communication network, via which network the monitors are linked to the centre. Prior art Systems such as that described above have already been disclosed in the prior art. Reference is made to the systems which are in use at many airports . Information on the arrival and departure of various air- craft is presented in alphanumeric form on the screens of the system to those using the airport. The users of an airport are both passengers themselves and others, such as people collecting or dropping off passengers. The information presented is continually updated and amended in the centre, so that the users are presented with up-to-date information. A system which is intended in particular to provide information to visitors to a hotel is disclosed in US 4 991 011. In this system, on the one hand, video information in the form of television programmes on various TV channels is transmitted from a centre to each television set in the hotel rooms. Furthermore, use is made of teletext to provide the visitor with information on the hotel and its facilities. If a specific page from the available teletext information is requested, the relevant information is displayed in the lower area of the screen, whilst video information on the requested facility is simultaneously visible in the upper area. The teletext pages are linked to predetermined video images. For example, the swimming pool can be shown in the upper area while the opening times of the pool are projected in the lower area. The user determines what information appears on the screen. In many cases it is desirable to provide the users of a specific service, such as an airport, railway station, hospital and the like, with information on the service, for example in the form of arrival/- departure times of aircraft or trains, routes to and opening times of hospital departments and the like. This information is frequently pres- ented in a manner which attracts little attention. A screen filled with a relatively small amount of alphanumeric information in itself already attracts little attention and, moreover, it takes only a limited number of seconds to read the information on a stationary image. Aim of the invention The aim of the invention is, now, to provide a system with which, on the one hand, information related to a service is provided to the users of that service and, on the other hand, further information is provided, independently of the service-related information, in the form of further video images, together with the service-related information presented on the same screen. System according to the invention The above-mentioned objective is met by a system for the provision of service-related information to users of the service concerned, which system is provided with: a number of monitors with screens installed in locations access- ible to the users of the service, on which screens the service- related information can be rendered visible, a centre where the service-related information is generated, and a communication network, via which network the monitors are linked to the centre. According to the invention, said system is characterised in that the system is further provided with: a second centre for generation of further information in the form of video images, which video images are fed to the monitors via the communication network, wherein the service-related information in the form of teletext information arranged in teletext pages is generated and is combined with the video images to give a composite video signal on the communi- cation network, the monitors are subdivided into groups made up of one or more monitors, and in each group the monitors are tuned to a teletext page which is different for each group, - the service-related information on the relevant teletext page is displayed on each screen in a first area of the screen and the video images are displayed in a second area of the screen. A system of this type is, in particular, but certainly not exclusively, suitable for providing travel information at railway sta- tions and airports, making use of a number of television monitors installed in various suitable locations. Teletext information, in particular travel information which is relevant to the passengers present at that point in time, is presented on one area of the screen, whilst stationary or moving video images, for example in the form of stationary advertising messages, moving commercials or more informative video programmes on travel destinations and the like, are visible on another area of the screen. Such a system attracts greater attention from the users, as a result of which greater attention is paid to the service-related information. Certainly if the further information comprises a series of images or full-motion video, this will retain the attention. It is preferable that use is made of an overlay technique, known per se, for displaying the teletext pages, the service-related information taking up only a predetermined first area of the screen and the teletext page being transparent over the remaining second area of the screen, so that the video images in the said second area of the screen are visible. In order to prevent loss of video information, it is preferable for the video images to be generated in a format such that the whole of the video picture can be rendered visible in the said second area of the screen. It is pointed out that techniques for the simultaneous presentation of teletext information and video images are known per se. For example, EP 0 497 235 describes a television receiver which is constructed such that the screen is divided into an upper area where moving video images, for example a programme on one of the standard transmission channels, are visible, whilst teletext information can be displayed in the lower area. Said teletext information is made up of alphanumeric symbols which are displayed in a light colour against a darker background. The teletext signals are inserted in a known manner into the unused lines of a standard television signal, or are transmitted to the television set via a separate channel. The fact that only part of the normal video signal is visible because the lower area is covered by the displayed teletext signal constitutes a disadvantage of this known system. A similar television set is described in US 5 418 576. In this set the teletext signal is not displayed against a black background but against a background having a reduced contrast. This means that the complete video signal is visible, but both video and teletext are visible simultaneously in the lower area thereof . Another television receiver with a screen divided into two is disclosed in US 5 343 300. With this receiver also the upper area of the screen is used to screen video images, whilst the lower area of the screen is used for teletext. Overlapping of the complete video picture by a complete teletext image in such a way that both are visible simultaneously is, incidentally, disclosed in US 5 502 504. Other techniques, generally referred to as picture-in-picture, are known with which part of the normal television image is taken up by a smaller image in which either a teletext page or another scaled-down video image can be rendered visible. In this context reference is made, for example, to US 5 434 626, with which information on the settings of the set can be displayed in the scaled-down image, US 5 386 238, with which a message can be displayed in the scaled-down image, and US 5 008 750, with which teletext information can be displayed in the small image, which is the size of a quadrant. All of these known systems have the disadvantage that the area of the screen which is taken up by the teletext information is at the expense of the area which ought to be available for complete displaying of the video image. In other words, by displaying video information and teletext information simultaneously part of the video information is in fact lost. Furthermore, systems have already been disclosed with which an attempt has been made to divide the entire available screen into segments in such a way that a scaled-down, but complete, video image can be displayed within each segment. In this context reference is made to US 5 485 221 , in which the whole screen is divided into four segments, each suitable for displaying a scaled-down complete video image or for displaying a teletext page, GB 2 222 051, in which a scaled-down normal video image and a scaled-down normal teletext screen can be displayed by "reducing" both the video signals and the teletext pages into two seg- ments side by side, WO 9607270, in which the complete image is divided into three segments, each of which can independently be filled with a video image or teletext information, and US 4 991 012, in which virtually the entire screen area can be used and video images with the normal length/width ratios can be displayed by rotation of the position of the image through 90°. With all of the above-mentioned systems, the user determines what information appears on the screen. In contrast to this, with the system according to the present invention the first centre determines what teletext information will be displayed and the second centre determines which video images will be displayed. Detailed description of the invention The invention will be explained in more detail below with refer- ence to the appended figures. Figure 1 illustrates a possible embodiment of a system according to the invention, with the aid of a block diagram. Figure 2 shows, diagrammatically, the screen of a monitor belonging to a system according to the invention. The system illustrated in Figure 1 with the aid of a block diagram is, for example, intended to provide information to rail passengers at various stations, it being possible for each of these stations to have one or more platforms. A number of monitors are installed in each station in a location such that said monitors can easily be seen by the passenger. A suitable location in this context is a location at some height above the platform, such that the passengers waiting on said platform can easily see the screen of the monitor or monitors. The station 10 in Figure 1 is equipped with six screens 12a, 12b, .... , which are linked via a local network 14 to a teletext insertion unit 16. Another station 20 is provided with six monitors 22a, 22b, ..., which are connected via a local network 24 to a teletext insertion unit 26. A further station 30 provided with nine monitors 32a, 32b, ... , which are linked by a local network 34 to the teletext insertion unit 36, is illustrated in the figure. All teletext insertion units 16, 26, 36 are linked via a further communication network 44 to a centre 40, where video images are generated, for example in the form of a series of stationary images or in the form of normal moving video images. The teletext insertion unit 16 is also connected via the line 46 to a centre 42a, from where teletext information is generated. The tele- text insertion units 26 and 36 are linked via a network 48 to another teletext centre 42b, from where teletext information is generated. Figure 2 shows, diagrammatically, a view of the screen of one of the monitors 12x, 22x or 32x. In Figure 2 the monitor is indicated in its entirety by 50. Video information is displayed in the upper area 52 of the screen and teletext information is displayed in the lower area 54 of the screen. The two areas are separated from one another by a dividing line 56. As has been stated, video information is generated and stored in the centre 40. Said video information is supplied to the network 44 at the desired points in time and, via said network, is transmitted to the teletext insertion units 16, 26, 36. Teletext information is generated in the centres 42a and 42b and transmitted via the link 46 and, respectively, via the network 48 to the insertion units 16, 26 and 36. In said insertion units 16, 26 and 36 the video information is combined with the teletext information in a manner known per se. The composite video signal is supplied to the local networks 14, 24 and 34. In this way each monitor receives a composite video signal and uses this signal to present an image with the aid of known overlay techniques, as is shown diagrammatically in Figure 2. The video information, originating from the centre 40, is displayed in the upper area 52 of the screen and the teletext information, originating from either the centre 42a or the centre 42b, is displayed in the lower area 54 of the screen. With this procedure, the teletext information can consist of information relating to the arrival and departure of the trains on various platforms plus infor- mation on any delays and the like. The video information can consist of series of images, each of which is stationary for a brief time, or of normal video information, for example in the form of commercial information on companies or image information on the railways, but also any news broadcasts, which may or may not be in alphanumeric form. The centre 40 transmits this video information on predetermined channels and each of the monitors in a station must be tuned to receive said information on the appropriate channel. It is not necessary for all monitors to be tuned to the same channel. For example, it can be preferable, as desired by those supplying the commercial information, to present passengers on one platform, waiting for a departure in one direction, with different commercial information to that presented to passengers on another platform, waiting for a departure in the other direction. In such a case the monitors on the one platform will be switched to a channel different from the channel to which the monitors on the other platform are switched. The teletext information can also vary per monitor. In particular, each monitor or each group of monitors can be preset to its/their own teletext page. All monitors above a certain platform display the same teletext information, whilst the monitors above another platform display different teletext information suited to that platform. If two parts of a platform are used for different departure purposes, each part of the platform can then be provided with its own monitor and the tele- text information can also be suited to this. In the example in Figure 1 , station 10 is provided with teletext information by the centre 42a, which, for example, receives its information from a local traffic management centre. The stations 20 and 30 receive teletext information via the centre 42b, which, in turn, receives its information from another local traffic management centre. It will be clear that the centres 42a and 42b can also be combined in a single centre which, for example receives information from a main traffic management centre. In order to prevent problems in practice, there are a number of aspects which preferably have to be implemented in such a system: 1 ) Preferably, any remote control features must be disabled to prevent a user of the system from being able to change the tuning of a specific monitor with the aid of a simple remote control unit. If it is desired to maintain the remote control feature, it is then preferable to use special, for example coded, remote control units for this. 2) Preferably, the channel selectors and teletext page selectors must be designed such that the monitor is automatically set to the desired channel and is automatically set to the desired teletext page when it is switched on.

Claims: Claims 1. System for providing service-related information to users of the service concerned, which system is provided with: - a number of monitors with screens installed in locations accessible to the users of the service, on which screens the service- related information can be rendered visible, a centre where the service-related information is generated, and a communication network, via which network the monitors are linked to the centre, characterised in that the system is further provided with: a second centre for generation of further information in the form of video images, which video images are fed to the monitors via the communication network, wherein the service-related information in the form of teletext information arranged in teletext pages is generated and is combined with the video images to give a composite video signal on the communication network, - the monitors are subdivided into groups made up of one or more monitors, and in each group the monitors are tuned to a teletext page which is different for each group, the service-related information on the relevant teletext page is displayed on each screen in a first area of the screen and the video images are displayed in a second area of the screen. 2. System according to Claim 1 , characterised in that use is made of an overlay technique, known per se, for displaying the teletext pages, the service-related information taking up only a predetermined first area of the screen and the teletext page being transparent over the remaining second area of the screen, so that the video images in the said second area of the screen are visible. 3. System according to Claim 2, characterised in that the video images are generated in a format such that the whole of the video picture can be rendered visible in the said second area of the screen. ****

Inventors: VISSER NICOLAAS REINIER, VISSER, NICOLAAS, REINIER
Applicants: TEEMS ANTON RUDOLF V D, VISSER NICOLAAS REINIER, VAN DER TEEMS, ANTON, RUDOLF, VISSER, NICOLAAS, REINIER
Application year: 1998
Main classification: H04N7
IPC codes: H04N7