Method and apparatus for connecting a network of electronic signs

摘要

A method and apparatus allows owners of electronic signs, such as retailers, real estate owners, other space owners, and content providers, such as advertisers, entertainment producers, event promoters, visual artists, and the general community to participate in an open content network, in which electronic signs are universally uniquely identified and then added to a network in a distributed fashion, after which content is selectively downloaded to the electronic signs. The times at which the content is presented are determined collaboratively by the owners of the electronic signs and the content providers. A mechanism that verifies whether the content is actually presented on the electronic signs is also disclosed.

主权项

1. A content distribution method, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of electronic signs distributed among a plurality of locations; providing each electronic sign with a universal, unique identifier, wherein each electronic sign is associated with an owning entity; selectively downloading content published by any of a plurality of content providers to said electronic signs; said owners of said electronic signs and said content providers collaboratively determining what content is downloaded to said electronic signs and times at which said content is presented on said electronic signs; and providing a set of functions for managing at least one electronic sign from among said plurality of electronic signs and content presented on said electronic signs, wherein said set of functions is presented via a Web interface which is provided to owners of electronic signs and content providers to access said set of functions, wherein said Web interface configured to perform the steps of: registering and managing at least one electronic sign from among said plurality of electronic signs in a content network, wherein each electronic sign is registered using its unique identifier; and registering content providers and uploading electronic content from said content providers to a server, wherein content uploaded to said server is targeted to one or more electronic signs based on any or all of said registration information for the electronic signs and said owners of said electronic signs selecting and approving content to be presented on their electronic signs.