Abstract:
An electronic communication display system is at least partially disposed on a computer readable medium and is configured for transmitting data corresponding to media to a remote client location where the media is displayed. The electronic communication display system comprises an electronic poster display board for displaying media and a client server that is configured to transmit the data to the electronic poster display board. A main web server, which may be configured to communicate with the client server for transmission of the data thereto, compiles sets of posters in electronic form which are selected through the client server. A method of communication is also presented.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to employee communication programs, and, more particularly, to an electronic communication display system for publishing employee communications.  
           [0002]    Conventional business communication programs have typically included providing a bulletin board upon which printed material, e.g., posters including photographs, artwork, designs and/or slogans, and messages which pertain to a client&#39;s business are displayed. Topics which may be the subject of business communications include employee communications involving safety, quality, teamwork, morale and self-motivation. For example, since safety is an important consideration in most working environments, a poster with a slogan such as using prudence in a potentially dangerous situation may be displayed for impressing upon employees an employer&#39;s requirement for observing on-the-job safety. Other examples of representative employee communications include messages such as news releases made by a client and messages for boosting employee morale such as those involving employee activities.  
           [0003]    In conventional systems to which the invention relates, the posters and messages may be developed by graphic designers by hand or on a computer aided design system. Typically, they are printed as a large communication display and then sent to a client where the communication display may be mounted onto a bulletin board. The bulletin board may be relatively sophisticated and creatively organized for efficiency and visual attention such as a three-panel bulletin board on the order of 26 inches (66 centimeters) by 63 inches (160 centimeters). For conventional systems to which the invention relates, the posters are typically regularly replaced by manual means depending on corporate goals, news of interest and employee activities.  
           [0004]    At regular time intervals, such as once a month, clients may select new posters and messages and/or the new posters and messages are automatically selected, printed and shipped periodically to each client. Because of the large number and variety of clients and the specific requirements for certain users, there are significant inefficiencies associated with selecting, printing and shipping the employee communications. Also, achievement of a high degree of customization and selectivity is economically problematic.  
           [0005]    Accordingly, it is desired to provide an efficient system which overcomes many of the deficiencies of prior art systems and services.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Briefly stated, the invention in a preferred form is an electronic communication display system which is at least partially disposed on a computer readable medium and is configured for transmitting data corresponding to media to a remote client location where the media is displayed. The electronic communication display system comprises an electronic poster display board for displaying media, and a client computer server which receives data corresponding to the media for the electronic poster display board. A web server capable of communicating with the client server for transmission of data thereto is also provided. The web server along with an application server communicating with the web server formulates the data for the ultimate transmission to the client server.  
           [0007]    At its most fundamental configuration, the electronic communication display system comprises two computers. The main server stores, sorts and keeps track of each client&#39;s order. It also receives the news, weather and sports information and reformats it for client use. Each remote location of the system has a “client” computer which is hooked up to the Internet and to a flat panel display device. This computer checks, via Internet, with the main server on a regular basis and retrieves the correct assortment of materials in electronic form. It then displays them on the flat panel display. The display may also include regularly updated news, weather and sports information.  
           [0008]    In one particular embodiment of the invention, the client server has a web browser configured in kiosk mode for display of the media. The web browser may contain a plurality of channels wherein each of the channels contains an electronic poster or an electronic message.  
           [0009]    Another preferred form of the invention involves a method of providing a customized poster service to a plurality of remote locations and comprises the steps of: generating a poster kit containing at least one electronic poster and/or electronic message for each client or subscriber selecting posters and/or messages by the client from the remote location; providing an electronic poster display board at each location; and communicating each selected poster and/or message over the Internet to each electronic poster display board for display of the least one electronic poster and/or electronic message.  
           [0010]    An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic communication display system capable of electronically transferring business communications from a primary location to a plurality of remote locations.  
           [0011]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic communication display system which enhances customization and increases the variety of materials available for selection.  
           [0012]    A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric communication display system which allows for substantially instantaneous transmission of selected materials to a remote location. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0013]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and drawings wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a representative embodiment of an electronic communication display system in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram for an administrative portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram for a subscriber portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a schematic annotated diagram of a representative electronic poster display board for use with the embodiment of FIG. 1; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a representative screen which a subscriber may use in connection with the electronic communication system of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]    An electronic communication display system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated generally at  10 . The electronic communication display system  10  provides for the transmission of client communications for display as media such as posters including designs and/or slogans and messages from a primary location for display at one or more remote client locations. As discussed above, the subject matter of the business communications may involve safety, quality, teamwork, morale, self motivation, client news releases, employee activities and others.  
         [0020]    The term “media” as used herein is intended to include all forms of visual communication including graphics, written and printed text along with photographs, visual works and artistic material developed for display alone or therewith.  
         [0021]    The electronic communication display system  10  comprises a primary or administrative server system  12  located at a primary location and a multiplicity of client or subscriber communication and display systems  14 ,  114 ,  214  located at each remote client location. The client communication and display system  14  communicates with the main or administrative server system  12  via the Internet  16 .  
         [0022]    The administrative server system  12  is comprises a computer  13  which is configured to function as a first web server  18 , a second web server  20 , a data base server  22 , and an application server  26 . While the administrative server system  12  is described in terms of several services and server functions, a single computer  13  may provide all functions and incorporate all described services. The computer  13  may be any commercially available server such as that manufactured and marketed by the Compaq Corporation and may be connected to the Internet  16  via line  28  in a well known manner. The first web server  18  is configured to be accessible by one or more client work stations as more fully described hereafter for modifying the content of the employee communication.  
         [0023]    The second web server  20  may be similar to web server  18  although modified to communicate via communication line  29  with one or more client servers discussed in more detail below. It will be understood that while two web servers  18  and  20  are provided, one web server performing both functions may be employed instead.  
         [0024]    The data base server  22  stores client information such as client identification, client routing location and client media data such as poster kits developed by a work station  24  and as modified by the application server  26  as discussed below. Numerous work stations  24  may be employed  
         [0025]    Each work station  24  is configured so that a graphic designer may develop electronic posters and collect the posters together into kits which may contain, for example, collections of electronic posters and messages for a particular client. The media is created at the workstation  24 , using software such as Adobe Photoshop™ or Adobe Illustrator™. The posters are then sent to work station  18  where they are sorted by edition and client. The work station  24  communicates with the data base server  22  represented by communication line  30  in order to transmit various electronic posters, etc., which are developed at the work station  24 , to the data base server. The electronic posters are converted into an appropriate format for transmission over the Internet  16 , such as file transfer protocol (FTP), and then stored before transfer to a client communication and display system  14 , as discussed in more detail below. FTP is employed to obtain news, weather and sports data. Otherwise, in house file transmission is over local networks.  
         [0026]    The coordination and communication with computer  13  is functionally identical in FIG. 1. The application server  26  communicates with both the first and second web servers  18 ,  20  represented by communication lines  32  and  34  and with the data base server  22  via communication line  36 . The application server  26  provides coordination between the web servers  18  and  20  and access to the electronic poster kits contained in data base server  22 . The application server  18  includes application software which tracks and distributes content according to client order entry procedures and as modified by subscribers during the subscription period.  
         [0027]    The client communication and display system  14  comprises a computer  15  which includes a client workstation  38 , a client server  42 , and an electronic poster display board  40 . The client workstation  38  communicates with the web server  18  via communication lines  28  and  44  and the Internet  16 . The client workstation  38  preferably comprises a web browser sold under the trademark EXPLORER by the Microsoft Corporation of Redman, Wash. Optionally, other web browsers, such as that sold under the trademark NETSCAPE by the Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif. may be employed. The client work station  38  interactively communicates with a web server  18  in order to transmit client or subscriber input, for example to, modify an electronic poster kit and receive an updated description of the electronic poster kit. Such interactive communication can be as frequent as described by the client.  
         [0028]    The electronic poster display board  40  may be any suitably large display board but is preferably a flat panel gas plasma display, such as that manufactured and sold by the Sony corporation of Japan.  
         [0029]    The client server  38  receives electronic poster kits (or media) in the form of data in a particular format, as discussed above, for display on the electronic poster display board  40 . The client server  38  is illustrated as being connected to the electronic poster display board  40  by a communication line  46 . It will be appreciated that the computer  15  may be located on a housing supporting the electronic poster display board  40  but is preferably separated some distance therefrom. In any event, the client server  38  communicates with the web server  18  via communication lines  29  and  44  and the Internet  16 . The client server  38  preferably comprises a web browser, such as discussed above, which is configured, in a kiosk mode whereby the browser receives the data from the web server  18  and generates a continuous display. In particular, it will be understood that a number of channels of the web browser may be used in order to simultaneously display various elements of the poster kit for varying amounts of time. An example of the foregoing is discussed below.  
         [0030]    Referring now also to FIG. 4, the client server  38  communicates electronic poster kits to the electronic poster display board  40  for display thereof. Preferably, the electronic poster display board may comprise a plurality of sections for displaying different materials. For example, four separate sections  50 ,  52 ,  54  and  56  may be provided—each of which may be functioning simultaneously and at different update times and periods. Each section may sequentially display varying messages and/or posters, slogans, etc. For example, in section  50  an electronic poster  58  may be displayed fifteen (15) minutes and then switch to a custom executive poster  62 . Section  52  may concurrently include an employee message  64 , then switch to a Good Will Motivator™ media  66  thereafter switch to a management suggested letter  60  and. The relative timing may also be selected. For example, messages  64  and  66  may alternate every fifteen (15) minutes and may start seven and one half (7.5) minutes after the poster  58  is initially displayed in section  50 . Section  54  may display any news and announcements such as news headlines, sports scores and local 3 or 5 day weather forecasts. The display may include media such as a client&#39;s name or trademark, etc. as illustrated at  70 , which may be permanently affixed thereto. It will be appreciated that each of the communications lines  28 ,  29 ,  44  and  48  may comprise, for example, telephone, satellite or wireless hook up.  
       OPERATION  
       [0031]    With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , using work station  24  a graphic artist creates a work which is compiled into a poster kit including a collection of electronic posters in a data format, as discussed above, that is suitable for transmission over the Internet as shown in box  72 . The electronic posters are cataloged electronically via the workstation  24  and stored in the data base server  18 . See box  74 .  
         [0032]    The application server  18  and work station  24  function to group electronic posters. The posters may also be compiled into posters kits arranged by, for example, a particular client or client group such as retail clients or manufacturing clients. See box  76 . For example, the subscribers of systems  14  and  114  may have access only to one set of poster kits while the subscriber of systems  214  has access only to a different set of posters. The application server is also configured to indicate the last time and date that revisions or updates have been made to the poster kits.  
         [0033]    Each subscriber may modify these kits as will be more fully described hereafter. Once the kits are established, the client may select the specific electronic posters for display on the electronic communication display  40 . Thereafter, the client server  38  communicates the electronic posters to the electronic communication display  40  as described above for display thereof. See box  80 . The subscriber can query through the web browser to determine the latest times and dates of poster kit changes.  
         [0034]    The client may also modify the client&#39;s poster kit as follows. Using a client workstation  38 , the client contacts the web server  18  (see box  82  and  84 ) and logs onto the web server  18 . After checking for proper password and client ID, (see  86 ), the client views the current kit contents at  88 . The client may then choose between different options. The client may search for posters by topic, for exmple, posters with themes such as safety, attitude, cooperation, etc. The client may remove any unwanted electronic posters or other content at  90 . The client may also search, using the application server  18 , to select a particular poster or posters and add each selected poster to the poster kit at  92 ,  94  and  96 . The client may have access to various screens such as screen  200  (FIG. 5) to facilitate the search and selection. Optionally, the client may design its own electronic poster content within the application or simply provide electronic material for display all of which may be added to the poster kit at  98  and  100 . Once a client has completed the modification, the electronic poster kit will be made available by the application server  18 . Accordingly, when the client server  14  polls the web server  18 , new media data is downloaded for display on the electronic communication display  40  which is represented at box  102 .  
         [0035]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather it is intended to cover all of the various modifications and equivalent arrangements including within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.