Display terminal management system

Abstract

This invention provides a display terminal management system that appropriately selects the display terminal that should have its display image changed from among multiple display terminals, depending on the situation, and rewrites the display image. [Solution] A display terminal management system comprising multiple electronic paper and an electronic paper management device for managing the rewriting of display images on the multiple electronic paper, wherein the electronic paper management device comprises a communication unit 21 that transmits image data for rewriting display images to the multiple electronic paper and receives the remaining battery level from the multiple electronic paper, and a control unit 20 that controls the communication unit 21, wherein the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is an electronic paper whose display image should be changed based on the remaining battery level and the power consumption required for rewriting the display image, and if there is an electronic paper whose display image should be changed, it causes the electronic paper to transmit image data for rewriting the display image to the communication unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a display terminal management system, and more particularly to a display terminal management system that manages the rewriting of display images of a plurality of display terminals.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a management system for power management and rewriting of a plurality of wireless display terminals equipped with solar cells and batteries is known. As such a management system, for example, a solar cell for changing the content displayed on a display unit and a battery for charging power are provided, and based on first information related to the power available at each display terminal, a wireless display terminal management system that transmits a command regarding content change to any one of a plurality of wireless display terminals is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, an electronic paper is known as a display terminal that can be rewritten many times and has low power consumption (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Generally, an electronic paper displays a display image based on image data acquired from an external server on a display unit. Although the power consumption during image display of an electronic paper is almost zero, when changing the display content of an image, it consumes power for processes such as acquisition of image data from an external server and rewriting of the display image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional wireless display terminal management systems, the content of the display image on each wireless display terminal is fixed, and it is not possible to flexibly change the content of the display image according to the situation. Therefore, there is a risk of power shortages depending on the circumstances.

[0006] This disclosure has been made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and its purpose is to provide a display terminal management system that, depending on the situation, more appropriately selects the display terminal from among multiple display terminals that should have its display image changed and rewrites the display image. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure provides a display terminal management system comprising a plurality of display terminals and a display terminal management device for managing the rewriting of display images of the plurality of display terminals, wherein each of the plurality of display terminals comprises a communication unit for sending and receiving various data with the display terminal management device, a display unit for displaying an image based on image data received from the display terminal management device by rewriting the display image, a battery for supplying power to each part of the display terminal, and a control unit for controlling the communication unit, the display unit and the battery, wherein the display terminal management device comprises a device communication unit for transmitting image data for rewriting the display images to the plurality of display terminals and receiving the remaining battery level from the plurality of display terminals, and a device control unit for controlling the device communication unit, wherein the device control unit determines whether there is a display terminal whose display image should be changed based on the remaining battery level and the power consumption required for rewriting the display image, and if there is a display terminal whose display image should be changed, causes the display terminal to transmit the image data for rewriting the display image to the communication unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, a display terminal management system can be realized that determines whether there is a display terminal whose display image needs to be changed based on the remaining battery level of the display terminal and the power consumption required to rewrite the display image, and if there is a display terminal whose display image needs to be changed, it sends image data for rewriting the display image to the display terminal, thereby enabling the selection of the display terminal whose display image needs to be changed from among multiple display terminals more appropriately than before, depending on the situation, and rewriting the display image. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows the schematic configuration of the electronic paper management system in this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of an electronic paper and electronic paper management device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the electronic paper management device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how to calculate the expected battery level after the minimum display period for an e-paper display. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for determining the priority of the electronic paper display. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation of electronic paper and electronic paper management device in a store. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the implementation of the electronic paper management system. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the attention level of an electronic paper according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of setting the attention level of the electronic paper according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Furthermore, preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described.

[0011] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, the "display terminal" can be any terminal or device such as an electronic paper, a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, an electronic blackboard, an information display, a personal computer, etc., as long as it can display an image.

[0012] The "display terminal management device" is connected to the display terminal and an external server via a wireless or wired network, acquires image data for rewriting the display image from the external server, and transmits it to the display terminal as necessary for rewriting.

[0013] The "battery that supplies power to each part of the display terminal" may be charged by a solar cell included in the display terminal.

[0014] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, when there are a plurality of display terminals for which the display image should be changed, the device control unit may cause the communication unit to transmit the image data for rewriting the display image to the plurality of display terminals based on a predetermined priority order.

[0015] In this way, when there are a plurality of display terminals for which the display image should be changed, based on a predetermined priority order, image data for rewriting the display image is transmitted to the plurality of display terminals, so that a display terminal management system can be realized that appropriately selects a display terminal for which the display image should be changed from among the plurality of display terminals according to the situation and rewrites the display image more appropriately than before.

[0016] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, the device control unit may determine the priority order based on at least one of the remaining amount of the battery, the power consumption required for rewriting the display image, the predicted value of the remaining amount of the battery after a predetermined display period of the display image, the predetermined attention level of the display terminal, and the importance determined based on customer demands.

[0017] By doing so, based on at least one of the predetermined importance indicators such as the remaining battery level, the power consumption required to rewrite the display image, the predicted value of the remaining battery level after a predetermined display period of the display image, the predetermined attention level of the display terminal, and the customer's requests, it is possible to realize a display terminal management system that more appropriately selects, according to the situation, the display terminal for which the display image should be changed from among a plurality of display terminals and rewrites the display image.

[0018] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, the attention level may be set based on the content of the image data and the installation position of the display terminal.

[0019] By doing so, since the attention level is set based on the content of the image data and the installation position of the display terminal, it is possible to realize a display terminal management system that more appropriately selects, according to the situation, the display terminal for which the display image should be changed from among a plurality of display terminals and rewrites the display image.

[0020] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, the device control unit may cause the communication unit to transmit the image data for rewriting the display image to a predetermined number of the display terminals among the plurality of display terminals with the highest priority according to the customer's requests.

[0021] By doing so, for a predetermined number of display terminals among the plurality of display terminals with the highest priority according to the customer's requests, the image data for rewriting the display image is transmitted, so it is possible to realize a display terminal management system that more appropriately selects, according to the situation, the display terminal for which the display image should be changed from among a plurality of display terminals and rewrites the display image.

[0022] In the display terminal management system according to this disclosure, the display terminal management device may further include a device storage unit that stores a schedule for rewriting the display image, and the device control unit may determine whether to rewrite the display image to the display terminal via the communication unit based on the schedule.

[0023] By referring to the schedule, for example, if it's time to download and display a limited-time advertisement such as a collaboration, the system will determine that the displayed image should be rewritten on the viewing device. On the other hand, for display terminals where an advertisement is currently being shown, it has been determined that the displayed image should not be rewritten on those terminals until the end of the advertisement's display period.

[0024] In this way, based on the schedule for rewriting the displayed image, the communication unit determines whether or not to rewrite the displayed image for the display terminal. This enables a display terminal management system that, depending on the situation, more appropriately selects the display terminal whose displayed image should be changed from among multiple display terminals and rewrites the displayed image accordingly.

[0025] In the display terminal management system described herein, the display terminal may be an electronic paper display.

[0026] In this way, it is possible to realize a display terminal management system that can select the appropriate electronic paper from among multiple electronic paper displays to change the display image, and rewrite the display image more appropriately than before, depending on the situation.

[0027] The following details of this disclosure will be illustrated with drawings. The following description is illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0028] [Embodiment 1] <Configuration of electronic paper management system 100> Next, based on Figure 1, an electronic paper management system 100 will be described as an example of a display terminal management system in this disclosure. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the electronic paper management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the electronic paper management system 100 consists of multiple electronic paper displays 1A to 1E (hereinafter collectively referred to as electronic paper 1) connected via a wireless network 4, an electronic paper management device 2, and a server 3.

[0030] <Configuration of Electronic Paper 1> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the electronic paper 1 and electronic paper management device 2 shown in Figure 1.

[0031] The electronic paper 1 comprises a control unit 10, a communication unit 11, an image processing unit 12, an image signal output unit 13, a touch panel 14, a battery 15, a solar cell 16, and a storage unit 17. The following describes each component of the electronic paper 1.

[0032] The control unit 10 comprehensively controls the electronic paper 1 and consists of at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit), at least one SoC (System on a Chip), at least one RAM (Random Access Memory), at least one ROM (Read-only memory), at least one control circuit, various interface circuits, etc.

[0033] The control unit 10 monitors and controls all loads, including detection by each sensor and the touch panel 14, in order to control the operation of the entire electronic paper 1.

[0034] The communication unit 11 is the part that sends and receives various data to and from the electronic paper management device 2 via the network 4. For example, the communication unit 11 communicates with the electronic paper management device 2, receives image data from the electronic paper management device 2, and also transmits the remaining battery level of the electronic paper management device 2.

[0035] The image processing unit 12 is the part that converts image data into appropriate electrical signals and processes them to make them suitable for output such as enlargement and reduction.

[0036] The image signal output unit 13 is the part that outputs the image signal to be output to the display unit 141.

[0037] The touch panel 14 includes a display unit 141 and an operation unit 142. Furthermore, the electronic paper 1 may not have a touch panel function and may only have a mechanical operating unit 142.

[0038] The display unit 141 is the part that displays various types of information. The display unit 141 includes color particles (not shown) that move when a predetermined writing voltage is applied from the battery 15. The color particles are, for example, charged organic or inorganic particles, and a predetermined display image is displayed on the display unit 141 by performing electrophoresis, moving and rotating in a dispersion liquid (not shown) in response to a writing voltage applied between two electrodes (not shown).

[0039] Furthermore, the display method of the display unit 141 is not limited to electrophoresis; for example, it may be a particle rotation method that rotates charged particles or a magnetophoresis method that moves particles using magnetism, or it may use liquid crystal or EL elements.

[0040] The operation unit 142 consists of a touch panel and displays display images based on image data acquired from the electronic paper management device 2, and receives commands from the user via the touch panel.

[0041] The battery 15 is the part that supplies power to each component of the electronic paper 1.

[0042] The solar cell 16 is the part that charges power to the battery 15.

[0043] The memory unit 17 is an element or storage medium that stores information and control programs necessary to realize the various functions of the electronic paper 1. For example, semiconductor elements such as RAM and ROM, storage media such as hard disks, flash memory units, and SSDs (Solid State Drives) are used.

[0044] Furthermore, the data may be stored in different devices, such as a hard disk drive for the data storage area and a flash memory unit for the program storage area.

[0045] <Configuration of Electronic Paper Management Device 2> As shown in Figure 2, the electronic paper management device 2 comprises a control unit 20, a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a touch panel 23. The following describes each component of the electronic paper management device 2.

[0046] The control unit 20 comprehensively controls the electronic paper management device 2 and consists of at least one CPU, at least one SoC, at least one RAM, at least one ROM, at least one control circuit, various interface circuits, etc.

[0047] The control unit 20 monitors and controls all loads, including detection by each sensor and the touch panel 24, in order to control the operation of the entire electronic paper management device 2.

[0048] The communication unit 21 is the part that sends and receives various data to and from the electronic paper 1 and the server 3 via the network 4.

[0049] The communication unit 21 communicates with the electronic paper 1, transmits image data, and receives the remaining charge of the battery 15.

[0050] The communication unit 21 communicates with the server 3 to obtain image data of the advertisement to be output to the electronic paper 1 and the period during which the advertisement will be displayed, as well as weather information (especially the outside temperature T).

[0051] The memory unit 22 is an element or storage medium that stores information and control programs necessary to realize the various functions of the electronic paper management device 2. For example, semiconductor elements such as RAM and ROM, storage media such as hard disks, flash memory units, and SSDs are used.

[0052] Furthermore, the data may be stored in different devices, such as a hard disk drive for the data storage area and a flash memory unit for the program storage area.

[0053] The memory unit 22 stores the image data of the advertisement to be output to the electronic paper 1, the schedule of its display period, and the remaining battery level E of the electronic paper 1's battery 15.

[0054] The touch panel 23 includes a display unit 231 and an operation unit 232. Furthermore, the electronic paper management device 2 may not have a touch panel function and may only have a mechanical operating unit 232.

[0055] The display unit 231 is the part that displays various types of information. The display unit 231 is composed of, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, or an EL display, and is a display device such as a monitor or line display for displaying electronic data such as processing status by the operating system or application software. The control unit 20 displays the operation and status of the electronic paper management device 2 through the display unit 231.

[0056] The operation unit 232 is an interface for operating the electronic paper management device 2 and is the part that receives commands from the user via the touch panel.

[0057] <Processing by Electronic Paper Management Device 2> Next, the processing of the electronic paper management device 2 will be explained based on Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the electronic paper management device 2 in Figure 1.

[0058] In step S1 of Figure 3, the control unit 20 of the electronic paper management device 2 controls the communication unit 21 to obtain the battery level E of the battery 15 from the electronic paper 1, and also to obtain weather information (especially the outside temperature T) from the server 3 (step S1).

[0059] Next, in step S2, the control unit 20 refers to the schedule of the advertisement's publication period stored in the storage unit 22 and determines whether or not it is outside the advertisement's publication period (step S2).

[0060] If it is outside the advertising period (if the determination in step S2 is Yes), in step S3, the control unit 20 determines whether the remaining battery charge E is greater than the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting (step S3).

[0061] If the remaining battery charge E is greater than the power consumption Er during rewriting (if the determination in step S3 is Yes), in step S4, the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a task to be posted (step S4).

[0062] Tasks that should be posted here include, for example, when it's time to download and post limited-time advertisements, such as collaboration ads, from server 3.

[0063] If there are tasks to be posted (if the determination in step S4 is Yes), in step S7, the control unit 20 performs the advertisement posting / modification process (step S7). Details regarding the advertising placement and modification process will be explained later in the description of Figure 5.

[0064] On the other hand, if there are no tasks to list (the determination in step S4 is No), in step S5, the control unit 20 determines whether the outside temperature T is higher than 20°C (step S5).

[0065] If the outside temperature T is higher than 20°C (if the determination in step S5 is Yes), in step S7, the control unit 20 performs the advertisement placement / modification process.

[0066] This way, you can change the advertisement to something appropriate depending on the temperature, such as changing it to an ice cream advertisement on a hot day.

[0067] On the other hand, if the ambient temperature T is 20°C or lower (if the determination in step S5 is No), in step S6, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the ambient temperature T is lower than 5°C (step S6).

[0068] If the outside temperature T is lower than 5°C (if the determination in step S6 is Yes), in step S7, the control unit 20 performs the advertisement placement / modification process.

[0069] This way, you can change the advertisement to something appropriate for the temperature, such as changing it to an advertisement for oden (Japanese hot pot) on a cold day.

[0070] On the other hand, if the outside temperature T is 5°C or higher (if the determination in step S6 is No), in step S8, the control unit 20 predicts the date on which the electronic paper 1 can be rewritten (step S8).

[0071] Furthermore, in step S2, if the advertisement is still being displayed (if the determination in step S2 is No), or in step S3, if the remaining battery level E is less than or equal to the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting (if the determination in step S3 is No), the control unit 20 also predicts the date on which the electronic paper 1 can be rewritten (step S8).

[0072] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how to calculate the expected battery level after the minimum display period of the electronic paper 1 in Figure 1.

[0073] As shown in Figure 4, the expected battery level after the minimum listing period Ef is obtained by subtracting the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting from the battery level E before rewriting, and then adding the daily charge amount Ec multiplied by the minimum listing period Ed to the battery level after rewriting.

[0074] The above calculation formula can be written as follows: Estimated battery level after the minimum listing period: Ef = E - Er + Ec × d

[0075] Note that the daily charge amount Ec varies depending on the amount of sunshine, so it is determined by referring to past sunshine data.

[0076] Furthermore, regarding the prediction of the rewritable date of the electronic paper 1 in step S8 of Figure 3, an example of how to calculate the number of days until the electronic paper 1 becomes rewritable is as follows. (Rewritable power - Current remaining power) ÷ Average daily charge amount = Number of days until rewritable date

[0077] Furthermore, as an additional calculation element, changes in power generation may be predicted from factors such as the amount of sunshine in the weather forecast. For example, if the amount of sunshine until the rewriteable date (calculated based on weather forecasts, etc.) is 1.1 times longer than average, the average daily charge amount will also be multiplied by 1.1 for calculation purposes.

[0078] The purpose of using the rewritable date on e-paper 1 is to display a message to the user (for example, a convenience store manager or other user / administrator of e-paper 1) indicating that the battery level of all e-paper 1 displays in the store is low and that rewriting is not possible, along with the expected rewritable date, when the user is trying to set up a new advertisement.

[0079] Subsequently, the control unit 20 loops through the processes described in steps S1 to S8.

[0080] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for determining the priority of the electronic paper 1 in Figure 1. Furthermore, the initial priority value for each e-paper 1 is set to 0. The higher the priority number, the higher the priority of that e-paper 1.

[0081] In step S11 of Figure 5, the control unit 20 of the electronic paper management system 2 determines whether the battery level E of the electronic paper 1's battery 15 is at its maximum value (i.e., fully charged) (step S11).

[0082] If the battery level E is at its maximum value (if the determination in step S11 is Yes), in step S12, the control unit 20 adds 1 to the priority (step S12). Subsequently, the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S13.

[0083] On the other hand, if the remaining battery charge E is less than the maximum value (if the determination in step S11 is No), the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S13.

[0084] Next, in step S13, the control unit 20 determines whether the expected remaining battery capacity Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting (step S13).

[0085] If the expected remaining battery level Ef after the minimum listing period is greater than the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting (if the determination in step S13 is Yes), in step S14, the control unit 20 adds 1 to the priority (step S14). Subsequently, the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S15.

[0086] On the other hand, if the expected remaining battery level Ef after the minimum listing period is less than or equal to the power consumption Er at the time of rewriting (i.e., the determination in step S13 is No), the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S15.

[0087] Next, in step S15, the control unit 20 determines whether the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the current battery level E (step S15).

[0088] If the expected battery level Ef after the minimum listing period is greater than the current battery level E (if the determination in step S15 is Yes), in step S16, the control unit 20 adds 1 to the priority (step S16). Subsequently, the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S17.

[0089] On the other hand, if the expected battery level Ef after the minimum listing period is less than or equal to the current battery level E (i.e., if the determination in step S15 is No), the control unit 20 performs the determination in step S17.

[0090] Next, in step S17, the control unit 20 determines whether the level of attention given to the electronic paper 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined level of importance (step S17).

[0091] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation of the electronic paper 1 and electronic paper management device 2 shown in Figure 1 within a store.

[0092] As shown in Figure 6, five electronic paper displays 1A to 1E and an electronic paper management device 2 are installed in various locations within the store. The attention level of each display is pre-set to a value from 0 to 4, depending on how much attention it receives from customers within the store.

[0093] In the example in Figure 6, the attention level of the e-paper 1A installed at the cash register counter is set to 4. The attention level of the e-paper 1B installed on the side inside the entrance is set to 1, and the attention level of the e-paper 1C installed outside the entrance is set to 3. The attention level of the e-paper 1D installed near the restroom at the back of the store is set to 2, and the attention level of the e-paper 1E installed in the corner furthest from the store entrance is set to 0.

[0094] On the other hand, importance is a value set according to the customer's preferences. For example, if the importance level is set to 3, then e-paper 1 with an importance level of 3 or higher (in the example in Figure 6, e-paper 1C with an importance level of 3 and e-paper 1A with an importance level of 4) will have a higher priority than the other e-paper 1s.

[0095] In step S17 of Figure 5, if the attention level of the electronic paper 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined importance level (if the determination in step S17 is Yes), in step S18, the control unit 20 adds 1 to the priority level (step S18).

[0096] The control unit 20 loops through steps S11 to S18 for each electronic paper 1. In other words, if there is another electronic paper 1 that requires priority determination after the processing in step S18 is completed, the control unit 20 returns to the determination in step S11. Furthermore, if the level of attention given to the electronic paper 1 is below a predetermined level of importance (i.e., the determination in step S17 is No), the control unit 20 returns to the determination in step S11.

[0097] On the other hand, if priority determination processing is performed for all electronic paper 1, in step S19, the control unit 20 rewrites the electronic paper 1 in order of priority.

[0098] Subsequently, in step S20, the control unit 20 obtains the remaining battery level of each electronic paper 1's battery 15 and stores it in the storage unit 22 (step S20), and then terminates the process.

[0099] (One example) Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the implementation of the electronic paper management system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0100] In the example in Figure 7, the attention level of electronic paper 1 is set to the same as in Figure 6, and its importance level is assumed to be 3. Furthermore, advertisements are already being displayed on the e-paper 1B.

[0101] The battery level E of e-paper 1E is below the power consumption Er during rewriting, indicating a power shortage, while the battery level E of e-paper 1C is assumed to be fully charged. The battery level E for the other e-paper models 1A, 1B, and 1D is considered to be in a state of low power but not fully charged. Furthermore, the expected remaining battery level Ef of the electronic paper 1A after the minimum display period is assumed to be less than or equal to the power consumption Er during rewriting, and the remaining battery level E is assumed to be greater than or equal to the expected remaining battery level Ef after the minimum display period. Furthermore, the estimated battery level Ef after the minimum display period for e-paper 1C and 1D is assumed to be greater than the power consumption Er during rewriting, and the actual battery level E is assumed to be less than the estimated battery level Ef after the minimum display period.

[0102] For electronic paper 1B, based on the determination in step S2 of Figure 3, the advertisement is still within its advertising period, so no advertisement modification process is performed.

[0103] For the electronic paper 1E, based on the determination in step S3 of Figure 3, its battery level E is less than or equal to the power consumption Er during rewriting, indicating a power shortage; therefore, the advertisement display / modification process will not be performed.

[0104] For electronic paper displays 1A, 1C, and 1D, the priority is determined according to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0105] For e-paper 1A, the battery level E is not fully charged (judgment in step S11 in Figure 5 is No), the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is less than or equal to the power consumption Er during rewriting (judgment in step S13 is No), and the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is less than or equal to the current battery level E (judgment in step S15 is No). However, since the attention level is 4 and the importance level is 3 or higher (judgment in step S17 is Yes), the priority is 1.

[0106] Regarding the e-paper 1C, the battery level E is fully charged (judgment in step S11 in Figure 5 is Yes), the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the power consumption Er during rewriting (judgment in step S13 is Yes), and the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the current battery level E (judgment in step S15 is Yes). Also, the attention level is 3 and the importance level is 3 or higher (judgment in step S17 is Yes), so the priority is 4.

[0107] Regarding the e-paper 1D, the battery level E is not fully charged (judgment in step S11 in Figure 5 is No), the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the power consumption Er during rewriting (judgment in step S13 is Yes), and the expected battery level Ef after the minimum display period is greater than the current battery level E (judgment in step S15 is Yes). However, since the attention level is 2 and is less important than 3 (judgment in step S17 is No), the priority is 2.

[0108] As a result, the displayed images are rewritten in the following order: e-paper 1C (priority 4), e-paper 1D (priority 2), and e-paper 1A (priority 1). Furthermore, if the number of devices displaying a specified advertisement is limited to only two due to customer requests or other reasons, the display images on the e-paper 1C and 1D will be rewritten.

[0109] In this way, based on the remaining battery level of the electronic paper 1 and the power consumption required to rewrite the display image, it is determined whether or not there is an electronic paper 1 whose display image should be changed. If there is an electronic paper 1 whose display image should be changed, image data for rewriting the display image is sent to the electronic paper 1. This enables the electronic paper management system 100 to select the electronic paper 1 whose display image should be changed from among multiple electronic paper 1s more appropriately than before, depending on the situation, and rewrite the display image.

[0110] [Embodiment 2] Next, an electronic paper management system 100 according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure will be described based on Figures 8 and 9.

[0111] In the electronic paper management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure, a key feature is that the level of attention given to the electronic paper 1 is set in advance according to its installation location within the store. On the other hand, the electronic paper management system 100 according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure is characterized in that the attention level setting of the electronic paper 1 changes according to the content of the advertisement.

[0112] The general configuration of the electronic paper management system 100, electronic paper 1, and electronic paper management device 2 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 (Figures 1 and 2), so a description will be omitted.

[0113] The processing of the electronic paper management device 2 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 (Figure 3), so its explanation is omitted. Similarly, the process for determining the priority of the electronic paper 1 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 (Figure 5), so its explanation is omitted.

[0114] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the level of attention of the electronic paper 1 according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. When displaying advertisements in the food and beverage category, as shown in Figure 8, the attention level of the electronic paper 1A installed near the food and beverage area is set to 4, and the attention level of the electronic paper 1E is set to 3. On the other hand, the attention level of e-paper 1B, which is installed away from the food and beverage area, is set to 1, the attention level of e-paper 1C is set to 2, and the attention level of e-paper 1D is set to 0.

[0115] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of setting the attention level of the electronic paper 1 according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. When displaying entertainment-related advertisements, as shown in Figure 9, the attention level of e-paper 1B, located near the daily necessities section, is set to 3, the attention level of e-paper 1C is set to 4, and the attention level of e-paper 1D is set to 2. Meanwhile, the attention level of e-paper 1A, which is installed away from the daily necessities section, is set to 1, and the attention level of e-paper 1E is set to 0.

[0116] In this way, the level of attention is set not only based on the installation location of the electronic paper 1, but also on the content of the advertisement. This makes it possible to realize an electronic paper management system 100 that can more appropriately select the electronic paper 1 whose display image should be changed from among multiple electronic paper 1s, and rewrite the display image, depending on the situation.

[0117] Preferred embodiments of this invention include combinations of any of the above-described embodiments. In addition to the embodiments described above, various modifications of this invention are possible. These modifications should not be considered outside the scope of this invention. This invention should include the meaning of equivalence to the claims and all variations within that scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1: Electronic paper, 2: Electronic paper management device, 3: Server, 4: Network, 10,20: Control unit, 11,21: Communication unit, 12: Image processing unit, 13: Image signal output unit, 14,23: Touch panel, 15: Battery, 16: Solar cell, 17,22: Memory unit, 100: Electronic paper management system, 141,231: Display unit, 142,232: Operation unit, d: Minimum display period, E: Battery level, Ec: Daily charge amount, Ef: Battery level after display period, Er: Power consumption, T: Ambient temperature

Claims

1. A display terminal management system comprising multiple display terminals and a display terminal management device for managing the rewriting of display images on the multiple display terminals, Each of the plurality of display terminals comprises a communication unit that sends and receives various data with the display terminal management device, a display unit that displays an image based on image data received from the display terminal management device by rewriting the display image, a battery that supplies power to each part of the display terminal, and a control unit that controls the communication unit, the display unit and the battery. The display terminal management device comprises a device communication unit that transmits image data for rewriting the display image to the plurality of display terminals and receives the remaining battery level from the plurality of display terminals, and a device control unit that controls the device communication unit. The display terminal management system is characterized in that the device control unit determines whether or not there is a display terminal whose display image should be changed based on the remaining battery charge and the power consumption required to rewrite the display image, and if there is a display terminal whose display image should be changed, it causes the communication unit to transmit the image data for rewriting the display image to the display terminal.

2. The display terminal management system according to claim 1, wherein, when there are multiple display terminals whose display images should be changed, the device control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the image data for rewriting the display images to the multiple display terminals based on a predetermined priority order.

3. The display terminal management system according to claim 2, wherein the device control unit determines the priority based on at least one indicator from among the remaining battery level, the power consumption required to rewrite the display image, the estimated remaining battery level after a predetermined display period of the display image, a predetermined level of attention to the display terminal, and a predetermined level of importance based on customer requests.

4. The display terminal management system according to claim 3, wherein the attention level is set based on the content of the image data and the installation position of the display terminal.

5. The display terminal management system according to claim 2, wherein the device control unit causes the communication unit to transmit the image data for rewriting the display image to a predetermined number of the display terminals among the plurality of display terminals with high priority, according to the customer's request.

6. The display terminal management device further comprises a device storage unit that stores a schedule for rewriting the display image, The display terminal management system according to claim 1, wherein the device control unit prevents the communication unit from transmitting the image data for rewriting the display image to the display terminal that should not have the display image rewritten based on the schedule.

7. The display terminal management system according to claim 1, wherein the display terminal is electronic paper.

Images