Kiosk controller that retrieves content from servers and then pushes the retrieved content to a kiosk in the order specified in a run list

An apparatus for sharing content data with a kiosk computer through a network, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of content servers interfaced with the network, each of the content servers having content data stored at a content identification code;
• an intermediate server interfaced with the network that controls the kiosk computer, the intermediate server having a location name and having a local storage device, the local storage device storing a run list comprising a first content identification code and at least one sequential content identification code stored in a predetermined order;
• a kiosk computer interfaced with the network;
• a control program loaded on the intermediate server such that the intermediate server prevents the kiosk computer from directly accessing the content server, the control program directing said intermediate server to:
• receive information identifying the content servers from which the content data should be retrieved;
• retrieve the content data from the content server;
• automatically transmit the content data to the kiosk computer and consistently refresh a screen display of the kiosk computer.

A method for showing computer data with kiosk computers through a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• interfacing a plurality of content servers, an intermediate server and a kiosk computer with a network, each content server having content data;
• and
• directing, under control of a program stored in the intermediate server, the intermediate server to:
• retrieve a run list from a run list storage device, wherein the run list represents a sequential order of content data associated with the content servers that is to be sent to the kiosk computer,
• retrieve content data from each one of the content servers according to the run list, and
• automatically transmit the retrieved content data to the kiosk computer in the sequential order, allowing a predetermined time period to pass between each transmission of the retrieved content.

An apparatus for sharing data through a network between a kiosk computer and a plurality of content servers, each content server having content data, the apparatus comprising:

• an intermediate server interfaced with the network that controls the kiosk computer;
• and
• a control program loaded on the intermediate server such that the intermediate server prevents the kiosk computer from directly accessing the plurality of content servers, the control program operationally controlling the intermediate server to:
• retrieve a run list from a run list storage device, wherein the run list represents a sequential order of content data associated with the content servers that is to be sent to the kiosk computer,
• retrieve the content data from each one of the content servers according to the run list;
• and
• automatically transmit the retrieved content data to the kiosk computer in the sequential order, allowing a predetermined time period to pass between each transmission of the retrieved content data.