JP4858802B2 - Information display system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information display system in which a plurality of information display devices are connected via a network, and an information display device constituting the system.

  Such an information display device is used in various scenes such as a building wall such as a building, a boarding place such as a bus or a train, a station premises, an indoor or a factory facility (such as displaying a line status on a production line). . Further, the display content displayed by the information display device is not fixed, but changes depending on the situation. For example, when displaying news on the wall of a building, it is necessary to update the display data every time new news is sent. For indoor information display devices, when a disaster such as a fire or earthquake occurs Needs to switch to the related information display. In addition, the information display device is not used alone, and there are cases where it is required to link display contents with many other information display devices. For example, in a production line in a factory, when trouble occurs in a certain line, it is necessary to notify the fact to other lines.

  An information display system using such an information display device has a configuration as shown in FIG. Information display apparatuses 100A, 100B, 100C,... And base station 101 are connected via a network. The network is configured by, for example, a serial communication network such as RS232C or a LAN. Here, when the display data switching request signal is received by one information display device 100A among the large number of information display devices 100, the information display device 100A changes the display content based on this (S1). Further, the information display device 100A transmits a signal indicating that the switching request signal has been received to the base station 101 (S2). In response, the base station 101 transmits a switching request signal to the other information display apparatuses 100B, 100C,... To change the display content (S3). As described above, when the display content is switched in one information display device 100A among the plurality of information display devices 100, the display content of the other information display devices 100B, 100C,. Is switched.

JP 2000-83026 A

  In the system configuration shown in FIG. 5, since the information display device is controlled mainly by the base station, when the display content is changed on a certain information display device, information to that effect must be sent to the base station. Had to be sent. Therefore, it is necessary to once transmit information to the base station, and a time lag until a change in display content is reflected on other information display devices is likely to occur. Further, when the base station loses its function due to a disaster or the like, the information display device cannot be controlled.

  Further, although not related to display data, Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system for distributing a program. This communication system is a system in which a network monitoring device and a number of network devices are connected via a network. When changing the program, the network monitoring device designates a specific network device and transfers the program, and the network device further transfers the program to an adjacent network device. Therefore, since information (program) is always transmitted from a network monitoring device (corresponding to a base station in FIG. 5) as a starting point, the above-described problems cannot be solved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the problem is that the display content can be changed in a short time, and there is no need to depend on the base station when changing the display content, and It is to provide an information display device.

In order to solve the above problems, an information communication system according to the present invention provides:
An information display system in which a plurality of information display devices are connected via a network,
This information display device
Display switching accepting means for accepting a display data switching request signal;
Display switching means for switching the display based on the switching request signal;
Based on the switching request signal, a switching notification means for notifying other information display devices of switching of display data is provided.

  The operation and effect of the information display system having this configuration will be described. When a display data switching request signal is received by a specific information display device among a plurality of information display devices connected via a network, the display contents of the information display device are switched accordingly. Further, a display means for notifying other information display devices of switching of display data is provided. By receiving this notification, the display contents of other information display devices can be switched. Therefore, since it is possible to perform display content switching control directly between information display devices without using a base station, the time lag until the display of another information display device is switched can be shortened. Further, since there is no need to go through the base station, even if the base station stops functioning, the display switching control is not impaired. Furthermore, it is possible to have a network configuration with only an information display device without a base station. As a result, the display content can be changed in a short time, and an information display system that does not need to depend on the base station when changing the display content can be provided.

In order to solve the above problems, another information display system according to the present invention is as follows.
An information display system in which a plurality of information display devices and base stations are connected via a network,
This information display device
Display switching accepting means for accepting a display data switching request signal;
Display switching means for switching the display based on the switching request signal;
Based on the switching request signal, the information processing apparatus includes switching notification means for notifying other information display devices and / or base stations of switching of display data.

  The operation and effect of the information display system having this configuration will be described. This system includes a base station in addition to a plurality of information display devices. When the switching request signal is received, as described above, the display data switching notification can be sent directly to another information display device. Therefore, since it is not always necessary to go through the base station, even if the base station stops functioning, the display switching control is not impaired. As a result, the display content can be changed in a short time, and an information display system that does not need to depend on the base station when changing the display content can be provided.

In order to solve the above problems, an information display device according to the present invention provides:
Display switching accepting means for accepting a display data switching request signal;
Display switching means for switching the display based on the switching request signal;
It is characterized by comprising switching notification means for transmitting a display data switching notification signal to other information display devices based on the switching request signal.

  The operation and effect of the information display device is as described above, and it is possible to change the display content in a short time and provide an information display device that does not need to depend on the base station when changing the display content. be able to.

In the present invention, display switching receiving means for receiving a display data switching notification signal from another information display device or base station,
It is preferable to include the display switching unit that switches the display based on the reception of the switching notification signal.

  As described earlier, the display data switching notification signal is transmitted from the information display device to the other information display device. Conversely, when the display data switching notification signal is received from the other information display device, Based on this, the display content can be changed. That is, display data can be switched in a short time without going through a base station (without providing a base station).

In the present invention, display data storage means for storing a plurality of display data in association with an identification code,
An identification code extraction means for extracting the identification code included in the received switching notification means;
It is preferable that the display switching means for displaying display data corresponding to the extracted identification code is provided.

  When notifying other information display devices of switching, it is possible to transmit an identification code instead of transmitting display data itself. The information display device that has received the identification code may store display data corresponding to the identification code, extract display data associated with the received identification code, and change the display content based on the extracted display data. it can. Thereby, the communication amount between information display apparatuses can be reduced.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to transmit display data to be displayed by another information display device when the switching notification means notifies the switching of display data.

  When switching display data, display data to be displayed on another information display device may also be transmitted. In this case, the display data can all be set to be the same, or display data whose display contents change for each information display device may be transmitted, depending on the purpose for which the information display device is used. Can be set as appropriate.

  In the present invention, when notifying other information display devices and / or base stations, the priority notification setting means for setting the priority order for notification is provided, and the switching notification means includes the set priority order It is preferable to perform notification according to

  By setting the priority order, it is possible to transmit a switching notification signal only to a necessary portion, and information can be transmitted efficiently.

  The highest priority notification destination according to the present invention is preferably a base station. For example, when managing information display devices connected to a network by a base station, if the base station is set as a priority order, the processing after the display content is changed can be performed efficiently. For example, when displaying disaster occurrence information, it is possible to smoothly proceed with measures against disasters by first transmitting the information to the base station.

  The switch notification means according to the present invention preferably notifies the notification destination of the next priority when notification to the highest priority notification destination is not possible. As a result, the switching notification signal can be reliably transmitted to either the information display device connected to the network or the base station (provided that a base station is provided). Even if the base station (assuming that the priority is the highest priority) is not functioning, it is possible to transmit a switching notification signal to another information display device (second priority), Changes can be made.

  In the present invention, the switching request signal is preferably a signal from an externally connected sensor and / or an external manual changeover switch. For example, when a sensor is provided at an appropriate location of a facility in a factory to monitor the operation status of the facility, a switching request signal can be transmitted in accordance with the detection signal of the sensor. When an abnormality is detected by the sensor, the occurrence of the abnormality can be notified by displaying the abnormality information on each information display device. As for the sensor, various types of sensors can be used depending on the purpose. In addition, a switch request signal can be sent manually by an external manual switch.

  A preferred embodiment of an information display system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the system.

<System configuration>
In FIG. 1, a large number of information display apparatuses 1A, 1B, 1C... And a base station 2 are connected via a network. The information display device 1 includes a display panel using matrix LEDs, for example, and can perform various displays based on display data. The information display device 1 is not limited to those using LEDs, and various types of display panels can be used. Even when LEDs are used, the information display device 1 may not be a matrix system. The information display device 1 is used in various scenes such as a building wall such as a building, a boarding place such as a bus or a train, a station premises, an indoor facility, or a facility in a factory (such as displaying the line status on a production line). . The number of information display devices 1 connected via the network is not limited to a specific number.

  As a network form, a serial communication network such as RS232C or RS485C, a LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark), the Internet, or the like can be used. Further, it does not matter whether it is wired or wireless, and it may be a network combining wired and wireless. When performing data communication, a packet communication network such as DoPa (registered trademark) can be used. By using packet communication, the communication line can be used efficiently.

  The base station 2 can be configured by a server and manages each information display device 1 connected to the network. For example, information about the installation location, model, monitoring of whether or not each information display device 1 is operating normally, and display contents are collectively managed.

<System functions>
Next, functions of the information display system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The functions shown in FIG. 2 can be constructed by an appropriate combination of hardware and software. The function of the information display device 1 will be described first, but since all the information display devices 1 have the same function, only one information display device 1 will be described, and description of the other information display devices 1 will be omitted. . The display switching receiving means 10 has a function of receiving a display data switching request signal. The switching request signal can be received via the input operation unit 11 and its interface 11a. Examples of the input operation unit 11 include a keyboard and a mouse, which can directly input display data and can also input via a memory medium such as a compact flash (registered trademark). The display data can be composed of text data such as characters and symbols, but is not limited to this.

  It is also possible to accept a switching request signal via the sensor 12 and its interface 12a. For example, when the sensor 12 is used to monitor the operating status of facilities and equipment in the factory, the sensor 12 can detect that some abnormal phenomenon has occurred. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected from the output signal from the sensor 12, a switching request signal is transmitted to display that abnormality. It is also possible to send a switch request signal by manual operation of the external manual switch 9.

  When the display switching receiving means 10 receives a switching request signal, the display switching means 13 changes the display content accordingly. The display is performed by the display panel 14. Display data to be displayed on the display panel 14 is stored in the display data memory 16. The switch notification means 15 has a function of generating a display data switch notification signal for another information display device 1 when the display content is changed based on the switch request signal as described above. The switching notification signal is transmitted to the network via the transmission / reception unit 17, and the signal is transmitted to the other information display device 1. When transmitting a switching notification signal to another information display device 1, the display data itself can be transmitted together, or an identification code described later can be transmitted so that the display data is not transmitted. it can.

  The display switching receiving unit 18 has a function of receiving a switching notification signal from another information display device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 17. When the switching notification signal is received, when the display data is also received, the display switching means 13 can switch the display contents based on this. Further, when a switching notification signal is received, an identification code is included, and display data may not be received. In that case, the identification code extraction means 19 extracts the identification code, and the display data corresponding to the identification code is extracted from the display data storage means 20 and displayed. That is, when the contents to be displayed are determined in advance, a plurality of display data can be associated with the identification code to create a database, and specific display data can be extracted based on the identification code. In the present invention, the display data itself may be transmitted to another information display device 1 or an identification code may be transmitted. Moreover, you may use both appropriately depending on the case. In addition, about an identification code, it can be comprised by appropriate combinations, such as a numerical value, a character, a code | symbol, and it is not limited to specific data.

  When the display content is changed by receiving a switching notification signal from another information display device 1, the completion signal transmitting unit 21 transmits a switching completion signal indicating that the display change is completed via the transmission / reception unit 17. Transmit to station 2.

  Next, the function of the base station 2 will be briefly described. When a switching notification signal is transmitted from one information display device 1 to another information display device 1, the display switching reception unit 30 receives the same switching notification signal via the transmission / reception unit 31. Even if the base station 2 receives this switching notification signal, the base station 2 does not transmit a signal for switching the display data to the other information display device 1. The completion signal receiving unit 32 receives a switching completion signal transmitted from the information display device 1 that has received the switching notification signal.

  The base station 2 can monitor whether or not data communication is normally performed between the information display devices 1 by receiving such a switching notification signal and a switching completion signal. Further, the fact that such communication has been performed is stored in the management database 33 as a communication history. In addition to the communication history, the management database 33 stores the installation location, model, display content, and the like of each information display device 1. Data can be read out and displayed on a monitor as necessary.

  The switching notification means 34 is similar to the function of the switching notification means 15 provided in the information display device 1, and transmits a switching notification signal for changing the display contents of each information display device 1 from the base station 2. You can also.

<Operation flowchart>
Next, the operation when the display contents are changed in the system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. An operation example in the case of transmitting a switching notification signal from the information display device 1A to the other information display devices 1B and 1C will be described. First, in the information display device 1A, it is determined whether or not a switching request signal has been input (# 1) (S11). When there is an input, the switching request signal is received by the display switching receiving means 10, and the display on the display panel 14 of the information display device 1A is switched (# 2). Further, the information display device 1A transmits a switching notification signal to the other information display devices 1B and 1C (# 3) (S12).

  In the other information display devices 1B and 1C, when the switching notification signal is received by the display switching receiving unit 18, the display content is switched by the display switching unit 13 (# 4, 5). When the display is switched, the completion signal transmission means 21 transmits a completion signal (# 6). Regarding the switching of the display contents, as already described, the display data itself may be transmitted, or an identification code may be transmitted and the corresponding display data may be extracted and displayed.

  The display switching receiving means 30 of the base station 2 receives the switching notification signal transmitted from the information display device 1A (# 11) (S13). Thereby, the base station 2 can recognize that the display content is about to be changed. Further, the completion signal transmitted from the information display devices 1B and 1C is received by the completion signal receiving means 32 (# 12) (S14). Based on the received signal, it is confirmed whether the communication state between the information display devices 1 is normally performed (# 13), and the communication history between the information display devices 1 is stored in the management database 33. (# 14).

  In the above flow, the case where the display content is changed by the information display device 1A has been described, but the switching notification means 34 provided in the base station 2 transmits a switching notification signal to each information display device 1 to display the display content. May be switched (S15). Further, instead of the information display device 1A, another information display device 1B or 1C may transmit the switching notification signal (S16).

  In addition, when a switching notification signal is transmitted, it is not transmitted to all other information display devices 1 but to a specific information display device 1 (one or a plurality). Good. Further, it may be possible to individually set to which information display device 1 the switch notification signal is transmitted according to the display content.

<Notification priority setting>
Next, a configuration example in which priority order is set and a switching notification signal is transmitted will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In this embodiment, priority order setting means 25 is provided, and the priority order can be set to a transmission destination that transmits a switching notification signal for switching display contents. In the example of FIG. 4, the base station 2 is set at the first priority, the information display device 1B is set at the second position, and the information display apparatus 1C is set at the third position. According to this setting, when display switching is performed in the information display device 1A, the switching notification signal is transmitted to the base station 2 with the first priority and the information display device 1 with the second priority or lower. Will not be sent. To the base station 2, the display content is switched in the information display device 1 </ b> A, and data regarding the switched display content is transmitted.

  Communication confirmation means 26 is provided to confirm whether or not the transmission of the switching notification signal has been performed normally. If the transmission to the transmission destination with the highest priority is not successfully performed, a switching notification signal is transmitted to the transmission destination with the second highest priority. When some trouble occurs in the transmission destination base station 2 or the information display device 1 and transmission is not possible, the switching notification signal is transmitted to the lower priority transmission destination, so the switching notification signal is reliably transmitted. be able to. It should be noted that a plurality of transmission destinations with the same priority may be set instead of one. For example, the base station 2 and the information display device 1C may be set as the transmission destination with the highest priority. The priority order setting table is arbitrarily rewritable.

  What has been described so far is a configuration example in which the base station 2 is provided, but since the communication for changing the display contents can be performed only by the information display device 1, a system in which the base station 2 is not provided. It can also be configured.

<Effect>
According to the information communication system of the present invention, a base station for controlling the information display device is not necessarily required, so that the system configuration can be simplified. Since direct control can be performed between the information display devices, display of other information display devices can be switched at an early timing. Even if a base station is provided, it is not necessary to transmit data for changing display contents from the base station, and the configuration of the base station can be reduced. Furthermore, even if a trouble occurs in the base station when the base station is provided, communication between the information display devices can be performed, so that there is no problem with switching the display.

Schematic diagram showing an overview of the information display system Block diagram showing functions of information display system Flow chart showing the operation when switching display Functional block diagram showing another embodiment of the information display device The figure which shows the structure of the information display system which concerns on a prior art

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A, 1B, 1C Information display device 2 Base station 9 External manual changeover switch 10 Display change acceptance means 11 Input operation unit 12 Sensor 13 Display change means 14 Display panel 15 Change notification means 18 Display change reception means 19 Identification code extraction means 20 display data storage means 21 completion signal transmission means 25 priority order setting means 26 communication confirmation means 30 display switching reception means 32 completion signal reception means 33 management database 34 switching notification means

Claims (3)

An information display system in which a plurality of information display devices and base stations are connected via a network,
The information display device includes:
Display switching accepting means for accepting a display data switching request signal;
Based on the switching request signal received by the display switching receiving means, switching notification means for transmitting a display data switching notification signal to the other information display device and the base station,
Display switching receiving means for receiving the switching notification signal transmitted from the other information display device;
Display switching means for switching display when the switching request signal is received by the display switching receiving means, and when the switching notification signal is received by the display switching receiving means;
Completion signal transmission means for transmitting a switching completion signal to the base station when display switching is completed based on the switching notification signal transmitted from the other information display device,
The base station
In-base station display switching receiving means for receiving the switching notification signal;
A completion signal receiving means for receiving the switching completion signal;
A management database for storing the switching notification signal received by the base station display switching receiving means and the switching completion signal received by the completion signal receiving means as a communication history ;
Furthermore, the information display device comprises:
Priority order setting means for setting the priority order of the transmission destination of the switching notification signal,
The information display system , wherein the switching notification unit transmits the switching notification signal to a transmission destination determined according to the priority set by the priority setting unit . The information display system according to claim 1 , wherein the priority order setting unit sets the base station to the highest priority order as a transmission destination of the switching notification signal. 3. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the switching notification unit transmits the switching notification signal to a transmission destination having the next priority when the highest priority transmission destination cannot be notified.

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