# US 11,443,340 B2 · Method and digital signage player for managing distributed digital signage content

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,443,340 B2
- Document ID: US11443340B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/086,584
- Filed: 2020-11-02
- Published: 2021-02-18
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-25
- Assignees: Broadsign Serv Inc.
- Applicants: Broadsign Serv Inc.
- Inventors: Bryan Mongeau
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443340B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0264: {based upon schedule}
- G09F 7/00: Signs, name or number plates, letters, numerals, or symbols (vehicle registration number plates B60R13/10); Panels or boards (show-cards G09F1/00; indicating arrangements for variable information G09F9/00, G09F11/00; illuminated signs G09F13/00; boards for notices or posters G09F15/00)
- G09F 9/30: in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00)
- G09G 5/12: Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
- G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports
- G09G 2370/022: Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
- G09G 2380/06: Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
- H04L 12/18: for broadcast or conference {, e.g. multicast}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method and digital signage player for managing display of a distributed digital signage content. The digital signage player stores the distributed digital signage content, and a local placement target for the distributed digital signage content. The digital signage player displays the distributed digital signage content in accordance with the local placement target. The digital signage player exchanges messages with a neighbor digital signage player, for increasing the local placement target of the distributed digital signage content at the request of the neighbor digital signage player. The neighbor digital signage player also displays the distributed digital signage content in accordance with its own placement target, which needs to be decreased. The digital signage player ultimately increases the local placement target of the distributed digital signage content based on the messages exchanged with the neighbor digital signage player.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for managing distributed digital signage content, comprising
storing in a memory of a digital signage player:
a distributed digital signage content,
a distributed digital signage content identifier for identifying the distributed digital signal content, and
a local placement target for the distributed digital signage content;
displaying by a processing unit of the digital signage player the distributed digital signage content on a display of the digital signage player in accordance with the local placement target;
determining by the processing unit of the digital signage player that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player;
transmitting by the processing unit of the digital signage player via a communication interface of the digital signage player a request to a neighbor digital signage player for decreasing a neighbor placement target for the distributed digital signage content, the request comprising the distributed digital signage content identifier, the distributed digital signage content being displayed on a display of the neighbor digital signage player in accordance with the neighbor placement target;
receiving by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface of the digital signage player a response to the request from the neighbor digital signage player, the response to the request comprising a proposed increase value of the local placement target;
increasing by the processing unit of the digital signage player the local placement target based on the proposed increase value of the local placement target received from the neighbor digital signage player; and
transmitting by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface of the digital signage player a confirmation of the increase of the local placement target to the neighbor digital signage player.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the local placement target comprises a frequency of display of the distributed digital signage content.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface the distributed digital signage content, the distributed digital signage content identifier, and an initial value for the local placement target from a digital signage server; and
storing by the processing unit of the digital signage player the received distributed digital signage content, the received distributed digital signage content identifier, and the received initial value for the local placement target in the memory.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving by a digital signage server the distributed digital signage content and a global placement target for the distributed digital signage content;
determining by a processing unit of the digital signage server the distributed digital signage content identifier, and an initial value of the local placement target based at least on the received global placement target;
transmitting to the digital signage player by the processing unit of the digital signage server the distributed digital signage content, the determined distributed digital signage content identifier and the determined initial value for the local placement target; and
storing by the processing unit of the digital signage player the received distributed digital signage content, the received distributed digital signage content identifier and the received initial value for the local placement target in the memory of the digital signage player.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determination by the processing unit of the digital signage player that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player is triggered by a failure of the digital signage player.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the processing unit of the digital signage player transmits via the communication interface a request to a plurality of neighbor digital signage players for decreasing neighbor placement targets for the distributed digital signage content.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions deliverable via an electronically-readable media such as storage media and communication links, the instructions when executed by a processing unit of a digital signage player providing for managing distributed digital signage content by:
storing in a memory of the digital signage player:
a distributed digital signage content,
a distributed digital signage content identifier for identifying the distributed digital signal content, and
a local placement target for the distributed digital signage content;
displaying by the processing unit of the digital signage player the distributed digital signage content on a display of the digital signage player in accordance with the local placement target;
determining by the processing unit of the digital signage player that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player;
transmitting by the processing unit of the digital signage player via a communication interface of the digital signage player a request to a neighbor digital signage player for decreasing a neighbor placement target for the distributed digital signage content, the request comprising the distributed digital signage content identifier, the distributed digital signage content being displayed on a display of the neighbor digital signage player in accordance with the neighbor placement target;
receiving by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface of the digital signage player a response to the request from the neighbor digital signage player, the response to the request comprising a proposed increase value of the local placement target;
increasing by the processing unit of the digital signage player the local placement target based on the proposed increase value of the local placement target received from the neighbor digital signage player; and
transmitting by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface of the digital signage player a confirmation of the increase of the local placement target to the neighbor digital signage player.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the local placement target comprises a frequency of display of the distributed digital signage content.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing unit of the digital signage player further effect:
receiving by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface the distributed digital signage content, the distributed digital signage content identifier, and an initial value for the local placement target from a digital signage server; and
storing by the processing unit of the digital signage player the received distributed digital signage content, the received distributed digital signage content identifier, and the received initial value for the local placement target in the memory.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the determination by the processing unit of the digital signage player that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player is triggered by a failure of the digital signage player.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing unit of the digital signage player further effect:
transmitting by the processing unit of the digital signage player via the communication interface a request to a plurality of neighbor digital signage players for decreasing neighbor placement targets for the distributed digital signage content.

### Claim 12

A digital signage player adapted for managing distributed digital signage content, comprising:
a communication interface;
memory for storing:
a distributed digital signage content,
a distributed digital signage content identifier for identifying the distributed digital signal content, and
a local placement target for the distributed digital signage content;
a display for displaying the distributed digital signage content; and
a processing unit for:
displaying the distributed digital signage content on the display in accordance with the local placement target;
determining that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player;
transmitting via the communication interface a request to a neighbor digital signage player for decreasing a neighbor placement target for the distributed digital signage content, the request comprising the distributed digital signage content identifier, the distributed digital signage content being displayed on a display of the neighbor digital signage player in accordance with the neighbor placement target;
receiving via the communication interface a response to the request from the neighbor digital signage player, the response to the request comprising a proposed increase value of the local placement target;
increasing the local placement target based on the proposed increase value of the local placement target received from the neighbor digital signage player; and
transmitting via the communication interface a confirmation of the increase of the local placement target to the neighbor digital signage player.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The digital signage player of claim 12, wherein the local placement target comprises a frequency of display of the distributed digital signage content.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The digital signage player of claim 12, wherein the processing unit:
receives the distributed digital signage content, the distributed digital signage content identifier, and an initial value for the local placement target from a digital signage server via the communication interface, and
stores the received distributed digital signage content, the received distributed digital signage content identifier, and the received initial value for the local placement target in the memory.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The digital signage player of claim 12, wherein the determination by the processing unit of the digital signage player that the local placement target needs to be increased based on operating conditions of the digital signage player is triggered by a failure of the digital signage player.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The digital signage player of claim 12, wherein the processing unit of the digital signage player transmits via the communication interface a request to a plurality of neighbor digital signage players for decreasing neighbor placement targets for the distributed digital signage content.