Patent ID: 7409310

Claim:
A distributed computing system, including: a plurality of base units, each base unit including a processor; a plurality of displays wherein each of the base units is connected with a corresponding display, and wherein a corresponding base unit and the corresponding display are connected such that image information from the base unit can be displayed on a panel of the display; wherein each of the plurality of displays includes a processor, a memory and a sensor system which are communicatively coupled with each other; wherein the connection between each base unit and its corresponding display provides for operational data communication between each display and its corresponding base unit; wherein the sensor system of the display and the processor of the display operate to cooperatively sense operational characteristics of the display, and store corresponding operational data of the display in the memory of the display, and the processor of the display operates to transmit the operational data for the display to the processor of the corresponding base unit; wherein the processor of the base unit is operable to receive the operational data transmitted by the processor of the display; wherein each of the base units is coupled to a network; an administrative computer is coupled to the network; and wherein the processor of each of the base units is operable to transmit operational data through the network to the administrative computer.