Proof of play for images displayed at electronic displays

A system for providing proof of play information, said system comprising:

• a plurality of electronic display assemblies, each comprising:
• an electronic display configured to display content items, wherein each of the content items comprise one or more images, wherein at least some of the content items comprise static content items, each of said static content items comprising a single one of the images;
• a media player;
• a unit controller comprising one or more electronic storage device and one or more processors, wherein said unit controller is electronically interposed between the media player and the electronic display, wherein said unit controller comprises a proof of play module configured to record electronic image data transmitted from the media player to the electronic display;
• and
• a network connectivity device;
• one or more databases configured to store the electronic image data received from the plurality of electronic display assemblies by way of the network connectivity devices, and
• a second proof of play module associated with the one or more databases;
• wherein at least one of the proof of play modules is configured to consecutively generate a plurality of consistent CRC codes for each of the static content items displayed at a respective one of the electronic displays of a respective one of the plurality of electronic display assemblies, and determine a duration of play for each of the static content items from the CRC codes by identifying a first time CRC code of the plurality of consistent CRC codes is generated for a respective one of the static content items and a last time the CRC code of the plurality of consistent CRC codes is generated for the respective one of the static content items, and recording a duration between the first time and the last time as a duration of play for the respective one of the static content items.

A method for providing proof of play information for static content items displayed at electronic display assemblies, said method comprising the steps of:

• consecutively generating a plurality of consistent CRC codes from data regarding each of the static content items transmitted from a media player of a respective one of the electronic display assemblies to an electronic display of the respective one of the electronic display assemblies at a proof of play module provided at a unit controller, said unit controller comprising one or more electronic storage device and one or more processors, wherein said unit controller is interposed between the media player and the electronic display of the respective one of the electronic display assemblies;
• determining a duration of play for each of the static content items by:
• recording a first time one of the plurality of consistent CRC codes is generated in a given instance as a start time;
• recording a last time the one of the plurality of consistent CRC is generated in the given instance as an end time;
• and
• deriving an elapsed time between the start time and the end time;
• transmitting each not immediately repeated one of the plurality of consistent CRC codes (“content CRC codes”) from each of the electronic display assemblies to a database comprising a plurality of play count entries, each associated with a stored CRC code;
• increasing each of the plurality of play count entries associated with a respective one of the stored CRC codes matching a respective one of the content CRC codes received by one unit for each instance the respective one of the content CRC codes is received at the database;
• and
• storing the duration of play at the database in association with a matching one of the stored CRC codes.