Display devices, information processing devices, signage devices, image processing devices, and display device systems

Abstract

To display and distribute information corresponding to individual attributes in a state in which a network is disconnected at the time of disaster.SOLUTION: In a display device system including an information terminal and a display device capable of communicating with the information terminal, the information terminal includes an operation reception part for receiving an input of shared information having information of items to be shared with other users by a user, and a direct communication part for transmitting the shared information to the display device by inter-terminal direct communication. The display device includes a direct communication part for receiving the shared information from the information terminal by the inter-terminal direct communication, a storage part for storing the received shared information, a determination part for determining the items that are sharable on the basis of setting information about sharability information set by the user, and a display control part for displaying the shared information of the items determined to be sharable by the determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device, an information processing device, a signage device, an image processing device, and a display device system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a technology for posting or distributing publicity information and disaster information on a display device called a digital bulletin board or digital signage via the Internet or the like has become widespread. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for distributing content to be distributed simultaneously to a digital bulletin board and an information terminal owned by an individual when the network is disconnected during a disaster. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for distributing posted information on a digital bulletin board to an individual's information terminal. Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for transmitting disaster information and the like to a digital signage and an individual's information terminal using stored electric power when commercial power is lost during a disaster.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, in the conventional technology, it has been impossible to display and distribute information according to individual attributes in a state where the network is disconnected during a disaster.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention aims to display and distribute information according to individual attributes in a state where the network is disconnected during a disaster in view of the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a display device system comprising an information terminal and a display device capable of communicating with the information terminal, wherein the information terminal includes an operation reception unit that receives input of shared information having information of items to be shared with other users by a user, and a direct communication unit that transmits the shared information to the display device via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, and the display device includes a direct communication unit that receives the shared information from the information terminal via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, a storage unit that stores the received shared information, a determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on setting information regarding shareability set by the user, and a display control unit that displays the shared information of the items that the determination unit has determined to be shareable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to embodiments of the present invention, information tailored to individual attributes can be displayed and distributed even when the network is disconnected during a disaster. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a management terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a configuration diagram of a functional block in a display device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to information storage processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]This figure shows an example of an audio signal in direct terminal-to-terminal communication using sound waves according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to information display processing in a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of safety information, including settings (whether or not information can be shared) related to information sharing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of an external view (normal operation) of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of an external view of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention (during a disaster). [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a flowchart relating to information sharing processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of settings (sharing scope) related to information sharing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system using a wide-area network according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of a sequence relating to information display and distribution processing using a wide-area network according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system using an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the display device, information processing device, signage device, image processing device, and display device system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009] [First Embodiment] <System Overview> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device system 1 includes, for example, a management terminal device 5 connected to a communication network 3 such as the Internet, a display device 2, and an information terminal 4 such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. In the normal operation shown in display device system 1a, the management terminal device 5 distributes content information to be displayed on the display device 2 via the communication network 3. The display device 2 receives the content information distributed from the management terminal device 5 and displays it on the screen of the display device 2. The information terminal 4, similar to the display device 2, can also receive content information distributed from the management terminal device 5 via the communication network 3 and display it on the screen of the information terminal 4. Furthermore, the information terminal 4 can also receive content information from the display device 2 through direct terminal-to-terminal communication such as short-range wireless communication or communication using sound waves (details will be described later).

[0010] On the other hand, in the event of a disaster as shown in the display device system 1b, the management terminal device 5, the display device 2, and the information terminals 4 (4a, 4b) become unable to communicate via the communication network 3. At this point, the display device 2 switches from receiving information via the communication network 3 to receiving information via direct terminal-to-terminal communication with the information terminals 4, etc. This allows, for example, information terminal 4a to transmit shared information such as user safety information to the display device 2 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, and the display device 2 can store the received information in its storage device and display it on its screen. Furthermore, for example, the display device 2 can also distribute the stored information to information terminal 4b via direct terminal-to-terminal communication. Here, by transmitting information including personal attributes to the display device 2, the display device 2 can display information tailored to the personal attributes. For example, for multiple items in safety information, the information terminal 4, based on the user's pre-set sharing permission information, displays only the information for items that the user has permitted to share. The display device 2 can also distribute information tailored to personal attributes. For example, the display device 2 distributes information only to information terminals 4 that are capable of receiving information, based on pre-configured information about the distribution range where information sharing is possible.

[0011] Note that the system configuration of the display device system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example. The communication network 3 may include a connection section by wireless communication such as mobile communication or wireless LAN. Also, the number of management terminal devices 5, display devices 2, and information terminals 4 included in the display device system 1 may be any number. Further, the display device 2 may be an information processing device, a signage device, an image forming device, or an image processing device having equivalent communication functions and display functions.

[0012] <Hardware Configuration Example (Display Device)> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 204, a network I / F 205, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 206, and a wide area network I / F 207.

[0013] Among these, the CPU 201 controls the operation of the entire display device 2. The ROM 202 stores programs used for driving the CPU 201 such as the CPU 201 and IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201. The SSD 204 stores various data such as programs for the display device. The network I / F 205 controls Internet communication. The wide area network I / F 207 controls wide area network communication such as LoRa. The external device connection I / F 206 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The external devices in this case are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 230 and external devices (microphone 240, speaker 250, camera 260).

[0014] In addition, the display device 2 includes a capture device 211, a GPU 212, a display controller 213, a contact sensor 214, a sensor controller 215, an electronic pen controller 216, a short-range communication circuit 219, an antenna 219a of the short-range communication circuit 219, a power switch 222, and selection switches 223.

[0015] Among these, the capture device 211 displays video information as a still image or a moving image on the display of an external PC (Personal Computer) 270. The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 212 is a semiconductor chip specialized in handling graphics. The display controller 213 controls and manages screen display to output the output image from the GPU 212 to the display 280 or the like. The contact sensor 214 detects that an electronic pen 290, the user's hand H, etc. have contacted the display 280. The sensor controller 215 controls the processing of the contact sensor 214. The contact sensor 214 performs coordinate input and coordinate detection by an infrared blocking method. This method of coordinate input and coordinate detection is such that two light emitting and receiving devices installed at both upper ends of the display 280 emit a plurality of infrared rays parallel to the display 280, and the light is reflected by a reflection member provided around the display 280 and returns on the same optical path as the optical path of the light emitted by the light receiving element. The contact sensor 214 outputs the IDs of the infrared rays emitted by the two light emitting and receiving devices blocked by an object to the sensor controller 215, and the sensor controller 215 identifies the coordinate position that is the contact position of the object. The electronic pen controller 216 determines the presence or absence of pen tip touch and pen butt touch on the display 280 by communicating with the electronic pen 290. The short-range communication circuit 219 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The power switch 222 is a switch for switching the ON / OFF of the power of the display device 2. The selection switches 223 are, for example, a group of switches for adjusting the brightness and color tone of the display of the display 280.

[0016] Furthermore, the display device 2 is equipped with a bus line 210. The bus line 210 is an address bus, data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component, such as the CPU 201 shown in Figure 2.

[0017] Furthermore, the contact sensor 214 is not limited to the infrared blocking method. Various detection means may be used, such as a capacitive touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting changes in capacitance, a resistive touch panel that identifies the contact position by voltage changes between two opposing resistive films, or an electromagnetic induction touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting electromagnetic induction caused by contact between an object and the display. In addition, the electronic pen controller 216 may be configured to determine whether or not there is touch not only at the tip and end of the electronic pen 290, but also at the part of the electronic pen 290 held by the user or other parts of the electronic pen.

[0018] <Example Hardware Configuration (Information Terminal)> Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the information terminal 4 includes a CPU 401, ROM 402, RAM 403, EEPROM 404, CMOS sensor 405, image sensor I / F 406, acceleration / direction sensor 407, media I / F 409, and GPS receiver 411.

[0019] Of these, the CPU 401 controls the operation of the entire information terminal 4. The ROM 402 stores programs used to drive the CPU 401, such as the CPU 401 and IPL. The RAM 403 is used as the work area for the CPU 401. The EEPROM 404 reads or writes various data, such as programs for the information terminal 4, according to the control of the CPU 401. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 405 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) according to the control of the CPU 401 to obtain image data. Note that it may be an imaging means such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor instead of a CMOS sensor. The image sensor I / F 406 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 405. The acceleration / direction sensor 407 is a type of sensor such as an electronic magnetic compass, gyrocompass, or acceleration sensor that detects the Earth's magnetic field. The media I / F 409 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to or from the recording medium 408, such as flash memory. The GPS receiver 411 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

[0020] Furthermore, the information terminal 4 is equipped with a long-range communication circuit 412, a CMOS sensor 413, an image sensor interface 414, a microphone 415, a speaker 416, an audio input / output interface 417, a display 418, an external device connection interface 419, a short-range communication circuit 420, an antenna 420a for the short-range communication circuit 420, and a touch panel 421.

[0021] Of these, the long-range communication circuit 412 is a circuit that communicates with other devices via the communication network 3. The CMOS sensor 413 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data according to the control of the CPU 401. The image sensor interface 414 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 413. The microphone 415 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into electrical signals. The speaker 416 is a built-in circuit that converts electrical signals into physical vibrations to produce sound such as music and speech. The sound input / output interface 417 is a circuit that processes the input and output of sound signals between the microphone 415 and the speaker 416 according to the control of the CPU 401. The display 418 is a type of display means such as liquid crystal or organic EL (electroluminescence) that displays images of the subject and various icons. The external device connection interface 419 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 420 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 421 is a type of input means that allows the user to operate the information terminal 4 by pressing the display 418.

[0022] Furthermore, the information terminal 4 is equipped with a bus line 410. The bus line 410 is an address bus, data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component, such as the CPU 401 shown in Figure 3.

[0023] <Example Hardware Configuration (Management Terminal Device)> Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a management terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the management terminal device 5 is built by a computer and includes a CPU 501, ROM 502, RAM 503, HD (Hard Disk) 504, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, display 506, external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, network I / F 509, bus line 510, keyboard 511, pointing device 512, DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and media I / F 516.

[0024] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire management terminal device 5. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as IPL. The RAM 503 is used as the work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data to the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as cursors, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, external devices include, for example, a microphone 521, a speaker 522, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and a printer. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the internet. The wide-area network I / F 520 is an interface for data communication using a wide-area network such as LoRa. Bus line 510 is an address bus, data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component, such as the CPU 501 shown in Figure 4.

[0025] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys used for inputting characters, numbers, or various instructions. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means used for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting processing targets, moving the cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls the reading or writing of various data to the DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW drive 514 is not limited to DVD-RW, but may also be DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to the recording medium 515, such as flash memory.

[0026] <Example Hardware Configuration (Image Forming Apparatus)> Figure 5 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the image forming apparatus 9 (or referred to as MFP, Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer) includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, a network interface 950, a wide-area network interface 951, and an external connection device interface 952.

[0027] Of these, the controller 910 includes the main components of the computer: the CPU 901, system memory (MEM-P) 902, northbridge (NB) 903, southbridge (SB) 904, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, local memory (MEM-C) 907, HDD controller 908, and HD 909, with the NB 903 and ASIC 906 connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0028] Of these, the CPU 901 controls the entire image forming apparatus 9. The NB 903 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, SB 904, and AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, as well as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master and an AGP target.

[0029] MEM-P902 consists of ROM902a, which is a memory for storing programs and data that realize the various functions of the controller 910, and RAM902b, which is used for program and data deployment and drawing during memory printing. The programs stored in RAM902b may be configured to be provided as installable or executable files recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0030] SB904 is a bridge for connecting NB903 to PCI devices and peripheral devices. ASIC906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD908, and MEM-C907, respectively. This ASIC906 consists of a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that performs data transfer via PCI bus 922 between the scanner unit 931 and the printer unit 932. Note that the ASIC906 may also be connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface.

[0031] The short-range communication circuit 920 includes a card reader 920a for reading user authentication information stored on an IC card or the like.

[0032] The control panel 940 has a touch panel 940a and a numeric keypad 940b that accept user input. The touch panel 940a also displays content information received via a network or the like, or application screens executed by the image forming apparatus 9.

[0033] Network I / F950 is an interface for data communication using the internet. Wide Area Network I / F951 is an interface for data communication using wide area networks such as LoRa. External Connection Device I / F952 is an interface for connecting external devices such as microphone 953 and speaker 954.

[0034] <About the features> Figure 6 shows an example of a configuration diagram of a functional block in a display device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device 2 includes a communication unit 20, a wide-area communication unit 21, a direct communication unit 22, a display control unit 23, an authentication unit 24, and a determination unit 25. Each of these units is a function or means realized by the CPU 201 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the display device 2. The storage unit 26 can be realized by a storage device such as an SSD 204 in the display device 2.

[0035] The communication unit 20 is a communication function of the display device 2, and it sends and receives information with the management terminal device 5 and other devices via a communication network 3 such as the Internet. The communication unit 20 also detects communication interruptions due to disasters or other reasons, and switches from communication via the communication network 3 to direct terminal-to-terminal communication via the direct communication unit 22, or communication via the wide-area network 7 via the wide-area communication unit 21.

[0036] The wide-area communication unit 21 is a communication function of the display device 2, which transmits and receives information with the management terminal device 5 and other devices via the wide-area network 7. Details of the wide-area network 7 will be described later.

[0037] The direct communication unit 22 is a communication function of the display device 2, and transmits and receives information by performing direct terminal-to-terminal communication with the information terminal 4 using short-range wireless communication, optical communication, and sound wave communication (details will be described later). The direct communication unit 22 also detects the transmission of information requests from the information terminal 4 through direct terminal-to-terminal communication.

[0038] The display control unit 23 displays public information, disaster information, safety information, etc., on the display 280 of the display device 2.

[0039] The authentication unit 24 performs authentication of users accessing the display device 2 from the information terminal 4 or management terminal device 5, etc. User authentication is performed, for example, based on whether the user ID and password received from the information terminal 4 or management terminal device 5 at the time of access match the information held.

[0040] The determination unit 25 determines, based on pre-configured information sharing settings, whether it is possible to share information such as safety information, that is, whether it is possible to display the information on the display of the display device 2 or to distribute the information to an information terminal 4 used by another user.

[0041] The memory unit 26 stores information such as public relations information, disaster information, safety status information, and personal attribute settings information related to information sharing in its storage device. The memory unit 26 also detects whether or not it has stored information such as safety status information received from the information terminal 4.

[0042] The information terminal 4 includes a communication unit 30, a direct communication unit 31, an operation reception unit 32, and a display control unit 33. Each of these units is a function or means realized by the CPU 401 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed on the information terminal 4. The storage unit 34 can be realized by a storage device such as an EEPROM 404 in the information terminal 4.

[0043] The communication unit 30 is a communication function of the information terminal 4, and it transmits and receives information with the management terminal device 5, etc., via a communication network 3 such as the Internet.

[0044] The direct communication unit 31 is a communication function of the information terminal 4, and transmits and receives information by performing direct terminal-to-terminal communication with the display device 2 using short-range wireless communication, optical communication, and sound wave communication (details will be described later).

[0045] The operation reception unit 32 receives user operations such as text input and button presses via the touch panel 421 of the information terminal 4.

[0046] The display control unit 33 displays the received disaster information, safety information, etc., on the display 418 of the information terminal 4.

[0047] The memory unit 34 stores public relations information, disaster information, safety information, and personal attribute setting information related to information sharing in the memory device.

[0048] The management terminal device 5 includes a communication unit 10, a wide-area communication unit 11, an operation reception unit 12, and a display control unit 13. Each of these units is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the management terminal device 5. The storage unit 14 can be realized by a storage device such as the HD 504 of the management terminal device 5.

[0049] The communication unit 10 is a communication function of the management terminal device 5, and it transmits and receives information with the display device 2 and information terminal 4, etc., via a communication network 3 such as the Internet.

[0050] The wide-area communication unit 11 is a communication function of the management terminal device 5, and it transmits and receives information with the display device 2 and other devices via the wide-area network 7. Details of the wide-area network 7 will be described later.

[0051] The operation reception unit 12 accepts user operations such as text input and button presses via the keyboard and pointing device of the management terminal device 5.

[0052] When the display control unit 13 accesses the display device 2, it displays the management screen and other information on the display 506 of the management terminal device 5.

[0053] The memory unit 14 stores public relations information, disaster information, safety information, and personal attribute setting information related to information sharing in its storage device.

[0054] <Information storage processing in display devices> Figure 7 shows an example of a flowchart relating to information storage processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this flowchart, when a disaster occurs as shown in Figure 1, the display device 2 in the display device system 1b receives safety information from the information terminal 4 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication and stores the received safety information. The processing of each step in Figure 7 will be described below.

[0055] Step S50: If the communication unit 20 of the display device 2 detects that communication in the communication network 3 has been interrupted due to a disaster or the like, it proceeds to step S51; otherwise, it continues the communication interruption detection process.

[0056] Step S51: The direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 enables the reception of information from the information terminal 4 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication. Normally, from the standpoint of preventing tampering, it is desirable to enable only the transmission of information via direct terminal-to-terminal communication and disable the reception of information. For this reason, after detecting that communication in the communication network 3 has been disconnected, the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 switches from receiving information from the communication network 3 to receiving information via direct terminal-to-terminal communication by the direct communication unit 22. Short-range wireless communication, optical communication, and sound wave communication can be used as means of direct terminal-to-terminal communication. Short-range wireless communication can be used with technologies such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, and NFC (Near Field Communication) to enable communication up to a range of several tens of meters. Optical communication can be enabled by using a dedicated transmitter and receiver. Sound wave communication can be enabled by using the microphone and speaker of the display device 2 and the information terminal 4 to perform communication using sound waves. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of an audio signal in direct terminal-to-terminal communication using sound waves according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 8, the vertical axis represents the volume (intensity) of the audio signal calculated by converting the sound waves emitted from the speaker of the information terminal 4 to the frequency domain using a Fourier transform, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency of the audio signal. Here, the low-frequency region contains the ambient noise audio signal 120, and the high-frequency region contains the audio signal 121 containing the transmitted information sent by the information terminal 4. By transmitting information using sound waves with a higher frequency than the ambient noise, it is possible to reduce the influence of ambient noise, but in order to allow the user to perceive the transmission of information, sound waves with frequencies in the audible range may also be used. Let's return to Figure 7 for further explanation.

[0057] Step S52: If the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 receives safety information from the information terminal 4 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, it transitions the process to step S53; otherwise, it transitions the process to step S50. Here, the authentication unit 24 of the display device 2 may perform authentication of the user using the information terminal 4 before receiving safety information from the information terminal 4, and only receive safety information from the information terminal 4 if authentication is successful. User authentication is performed, for example, based on whether the user ID and password received from the information terminal 4 match the information held. When the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 receives safety information, the direct communication unit 31 of the information terminal 4 may send only the information of items that can be shared in the safety information, or it may send information indicating whether each item can be shared or not.

[0058] Step S53: The storage unit 26 of the display device 2 stores the information received from the information terminal 4 in the storage device of the display device 2.

[0059] As the above process demonstrates, in the display device system 1, when the communication network 3, such as the internet, is disconnected due to a disaster or the like, the display device 2 can receive information such as safety status information from the information terminal 4 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication and store the received information.

[0060] <Information display processing in display devices> Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart relating to information display processing in a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this flowchart, when a disaster occurs as shown in Figure 1, the display device 2 in the display device system 1b displays safety information stored in the flowchart of Figure 7 based on personal attributes. The processing of each step in Figure 9 will be described below.

[0061] Step S60: If the storage unit 26 of the display device 2 detects that it has stored the safety information received from the information terminal 4, it proceeds to step S61; otherwise, it continues the safety information detection process.

[0062] Step S61: The determination unit 25 of the display device 2 determines whether there is any information that can be displayed based on the personal attribute information contained in the safety information received from the information terminal 4. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of safety information including settings (sharing permission) related to information sharing according to an embodiment of the present invention. The safety information 100 in Figure 10 has the items of user ID 101, question 102, status 103, and sharing permission 104.

[0063] User ID 101 is an identifier that identifies the user, and ID stands for Identification.

[0064] Question 102 is information that identifies the type of question in the safety information. The questions in the safety information include things like, "Are you injured?"

[0065] Status 103 is the information the user enters in response to question 102. For example, in response to the question "Are you injured?", if the user is not injured, the status will be "No problem".

[0066] The shareability status 104 indicates whether or not sharing is possible, for example, by displaying the information set in status 103 on the display device 2. "○" indicates that sharing is possible, and "×" indicates that sharing is not possible.

[0067] The determination unit 25 of the display device 2 determines that there is information that can be displayed if there is information that can be shared (information where the shareability status 104 is "○") in the safety information 100. Let's return to Figure 9 for further explanation.

[0068] Step S62: The display control unit 23 of the display device 2 displays the safety information that the determination unit 25 determined to be shareable in step S61 on the display 280 of the display device 2. Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams showing examples of the external appearance of the display device in normal conditions and during a disaster, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The external appearance 80 of the display device in normal conditions in Figure 11 includes a display unit 81 corresponding to the display 280 of the display device 2 and a display area 84 for posting notices. Furthermore, the display unit 81 has a public relations information display area 82 and a public relations information display area 83, which are areas for displaying public relations information. Also, the external appearance 90 of the display device in disaster conditions in Figure 12 includes a display unit 91 corresponding to the display 280 of the display device 2 and a display area 94 for posting notices. Furthermore, the display unit 91 has a disaster information display area 92 and a disaster information display area 93, which are areas for displaying disaster information, and a safety information display area 95, which is an area for displaying safety information. The display control unit 23 of the display device 2 displays the safety information that the determination unit 25 has determined to be shareable in the safety information display area 95. Let's return to Figure 9 for further explanation.

[0069] As the above process demonstrates, in the event of a disaster, the display device system 1b allows the display device 2 to display safety information based on information regarding sharing permissions pre-set by the user; in other words, it enables the display of information tailored to individual attributes.

[0070] <Information sharing processing in display devices> Figure 13 shows an example of a flowchart relating to information sharing processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this flowchart, when a disaster occurs as shown in Figure 1, the display device 2 in the display device system 1b shares safety information with other information terminals based on personal attributes. The processing of each step in Figure 13 will be described below.

[0071] Step S70: If the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 detects the transmission of an information request from the information terminal 4 via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, it transitions the process to step S71; otherwise, it continues the information request detection process. Here, the authentication unit 24 of the display device 2 may, after receiving the information request from the information terminal 4, perform authentication of the user using the information terminal 4, and only if authentication is successful, transition the process to step S71. User authentication is performed, for example, based on whether the user ID and password received from the information terminal 4 match the information held.

[0072] Step S71: If the storage unit 26 of the display device 2 detects that safety information received from the information terminal 4 is stored, it proceeds to step S72; otherwise, it terminates communication with the information terminal 4 and proceeds to step S70. At this point, before terminating communication with the information terminal 4, the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 may send a message to the information terminal 4 notifying that there is no safety information.

[0073] Step S72: The determination unit 25 of the display device 2 determines, based on the pre-set information sharing settings, whether or not there is safety information that can be shared with the user using the information terminal 4 during communication. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of information sharing settings (sharing range) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The setting information 110 in Figure 14 includes the items of group 111, user ID 112, safety information 113, and sharing range 114.

[0074] Group 111 is the group (family, etc.) to which the user belongs.

[0075] User ID 112, like User ID 101 in Figure 10, is an identifier that identifies the user.

[0076] Safety Information 113 is safety information entered by the user; "〇" indicates that the user is safe, and "-" indicates that no information has been entered.

[0077] The sharing range 114 specifies the range within which the safety information 113 can be shared. "Public" indicates that it can be shared with all groups (no restrictions on the sharing range), while "Family only" indicates that it can only be shared with one's own family.

[0078] The determination unit 25 of the display device 2 refers to the setting information 110 and, if there is safety information that can be shared with the user using the information terminal 4, proceeds to step S73; otherwise, proceeds to step S70. At this point, when proceeding to step S70, the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 may send a message to the information terminal 4 notifying that there is no safety information that can be shared.

[0079] Step S72: The direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 transmits the safety information, which has been determined to be shareable, to the direct communication unit 31 of the information terminal 4. Alternatively, the display control unit 23 of the display device 2 displays the safety information, which has been determined to be shareable, on the display.

[0080] As the above process demonstrates, in the display device system 1, the display device 2 can share safety information that can be shared with users of the information terminal 4 based on information regarding a pre-set sharing range; in other words, it can display or distribute information tailored to individual attributes.

[0081] <Information distribution using a wide-area network> Figure 15 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system using a wide-area network according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the display device system 1c shown in Figure 15, if the communication network 3 becomes unavailable in the event of a disaster, disaster information, safety information, etc., are distributed using the wide-area network 7, which is a network independent of the communication network 3. The wide-area network 7 is a network called LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), such as LoRa, which covers a wide area with low power, and wireless communication is possible in a range of several hundred meters to several kilometers. The management terminal device 5 connects to the wide-area network 7 via the wide-area network gateway 6 and performs the distribution of disaster information, etc., and settings related to personal attributes at the time of distribution to the display devices 2 (2a, 2b).

[0082] Figure 16 shows an example of a sequence relating to information display and distribution processing using a wide-area network according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this sequence, the display device system 1c in Figure 15 distributes user safety information of information terminal 4a to information terminal 4b of a remote user via display devices 2a and 2b connected to the wide-area network 7.

[0083] Step S40: When the system is functioning normally and can connect to the communication network 3, the operation reception unit 12 of the management terminal device 5 accepts an operation from the administrator to set personal attribute settings on the display device 2a. Here, personal attribute settings refer to information sharing information such as information on whether or not the safety information items shown in Figures 10 and 14 can be shared, and information on the scope of sharing in which safety information can be shared. The communication unit 10 of the management terminal device 5 transmits the personal attribute setting information set by the administrator to the communication unit 20 of the display device 2a. Alternatively, based on an operation from the administrator, the communication unit 10 of the management terminal device 5 may transmit personal attribute setting information stored in the storage unit 14. The storage unit 26 of the display device 2a stores the received personal attribute setting information.

[0084] Step S41: The same process as in step S40 is performed on the display device 2b.

[0085] Subsequently, a disaster occurs, rendering communication network 3 unusable, but wide-area network 7 remains available.

[0086] Step S42: The operation reception unit 32 of the information terminal 4a receives an operation by the user to input safety information (information similar to status 103 in Figure 10) and an operation to send a request to the display device 2a to transmit the input safety information. Here, the operation reception unit 32 may also receive an operation by the user to select an item of safety information to transmit, or an operation to input information regarding whether the safety information item can be shared (information similar to whether it can be shared 104 in Figure 10). The direct communication unit 31 of the information terminal 4a sends a message requesting the transmission of safety information to the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2a using the aforementioned direct terminal-to-terminal communication such as sound wave communication. The message to be transmitted includes the safety information entered by the user and may also include information regarding whether it can be shared.

[0087] Step S43: The storage unit 26 of the display device 2a stores the received safety information in its storage device. The authentication unit 24 of the display device 2a may also perform authentication of the user using the information terminal 4a when it receives a request to send safety information from the information terminal 4a. User authentication is performed, for example, based on whether the user ID and password received from the information terminal 4a match the information stored.

[0088] Step S44: The determination unit 25 of the display device 2a determines whether the received safety information includes safety information that can be shared, based on the setting information regarding sharing eligibility. The setting information regarding sharing eligibility may be the information set in step S40, or it may be the information contained in the received message. The determination unit 25 may also determine that it is shareable only if the sharing range of the safety information of the relevant user is not restricted in the setting regarding the sharing range set in step S40 (for example, only if the sharing range 114 in Figure 14 is "publicly available"). If the safety information includes information that can be shared, the display control unit 23 of the display device 2a displays the shareable safety information on the display.

[0089] Step S45: The wide-area communication unit 21 of the display device 2a transmits the received safety information to the wide-area communication unit 21 of the display device 2b via the wide-area network 7. Here, the wide-area communication unit 21 of the display device 2a may also transmit information regarding the shareability of the message received in step S42 along with the safety information.

[0090] Step S46: The storage unit 26 of the display device 2b stores the received information (safety information and information regarding whether or not it can be shared) in the storage device.

[0091] Step S47: The determination unit 25 of the display device 2b determines whether the received safety information includes safety information that can be shared, based on the setting information regarding sharing eligibility. The setting information regarding sharing eligibility may be the information set in step S41 or the information received in step S46. The determination unit 25 may also determine that the information can be shared only if the sharing range of the safety information of the relevant user is not restricted in the setting regarding the sharing range set in step S41 (for example, only if the sharing range 114 in Figure 14 is "publicly available"). If the received safety information includes safety information that can be shared, the display control unit 23 of the display device 2b displays the shareable safety information on the display.

[0092] Step S48: The operation reception unit 32 of the information terminal 4b receives an operation from the user to send a request to the display device 2b to receive safety information. The direct communication unit 31 of the information terminal 4b sends a message requesting the receipt of safety information to the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2b using the aforementioned direct terminal-to-terminal communication such as sound wave communication. At this point, the authentication unit 24 of the display device 2b may perform authentication of the user using the information terminal 4b. User authentication is performed, for example, based on whether the user ID and password received from the information terminal 4b match the information held.

[0093] Step S49: The determination unit 25 of the display device 2b determines, based on the setting information regarding the sharing range, whether the safety information stored in step S46 can be shared with the user of the information terminal 4b. For example, the determination unit 25 determines that sharing is possible if the sharing range of the safety information is limited to within the family, and the user of the information terminal 4a that sent the safety information and the user of the information terminal 4b that receives the safety information are the same family. If it is determined that the safety information can be shared, the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2b transmits the safety information to the direct communication unit 31 of the information terminal 4b.

[0094] As the above process demonstrates, the display device system 1c can, in the event of a disaster, distribute and display safety information to the display device 2 and information terminal 4 located at a remote location, based on the settings of personal attributes related to information sharing.

[0095] Furthermore, the setting process for personal attribute settings performed on the display device 2 via the communication network 3 in steps S40 and S41 before the disaster occurs may be performed similarly via the wide-area network 7 after the disaster occurs. In addition, disaster information may be distributed and displayed on the display device 2 from the management terminal device 5 after the disaster occurs.

[0096] <Information distribution using image forming apparatus> Figure 17 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a display device system using an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device system 1d in Figure 17 includes image forming apparatuses 9a and 9b having copying and scanning functions, which are installed in each store 8a and 8b such as a convenience store. Here, instead of the display devices 2a and 2b in the display device system 1c of Figure 16, it is possible to perform the same display and distribution processing of safety information by utilizing image forming apparatuses located in stores such as convenience stores within the range where the wide area network 7 is available. Furthermore, the image forming apparatuses 9a and 9b in Figure 17 are capable of communication on the wide area network 7, direct terminal-to-terminal communication with information terminals 4a and 4b, storage of received information, and display of information, similar to the display devices 2a and 2b in Figure 16.

[0097] <Variation> In step S52 of Figure 7, the safety information received by the direct communication unit 22 of the display device 2 may include audio data received by the microphone of the voice spoken by the user of the information terminal 4. Here, the audio data may be audio data input by the user through the microphone of the information terminal 4, or audio data input to the microphone of the display device 2 may be added to the safety information received from the information terminal 4. Furthermore, in step S62 of Figure 9, when the display device 2 displays the safety information, it plays the audio data included in the safety information through its speaker. Alternatively, in step S73 of Figure 13, after sharing the safety information with the information terminal 4, when the safety information is displayed on the information terminal 4, it plays the audio data included in the safety information through its speaker. This makes it possible to provide the safety information to visually impaired users or their family members who are visually impaired.

[0098] Although several embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] For example, the example of the functional block configuration diagram in Figure 6 is divided according to its main function in order to facilitate understanding of the processing performed by the display device system 1, display device 2, information terminal 4, and management terminal device 5. The present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of the units. The processing in the display device system 1 can be further divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, it is possible to divide the processing units so that each unit includes even more processing.

[0100] Furthermore, each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0101] Furthermore, the described apparatus represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the display system 1 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network or shared memory, and perform the processing disclosed herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d Display System 2, 2a, 2b display device 3. Communication Network 4, 4a, 4b Information terminals 5. Management terminal device 6. Wide Area Network Gateway 7. Wide-area network 9, 9a, 9b Image forming device 10, 20, 30 Communications Department 11, 21 Wide Area Communications Department 12, 32 Operation reception section 13 23, 33 Display Control Unit 14, 26, 34 storage section 22, 31 Direct Communications Department 24 Authentication Department 25 Judgment Department [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0103] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-147320 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-225612 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-033183

Claims

1. A display device system comprising an information terminal and a display device capable of communicating with the information terminal, The aforementioned information terminal is An operation reception unit that accepts input of shared information containing information about items that a user wants to share with other users, A direct communication unit that transmits the shared information to the display device via direct communication between terminals, It has, The aforementioned display device is A direct communication unit that receives the shared information from the information terminal via direct communication between terminals, A storage unit that stores the received shared information, A determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on the setting information regarding sharing permissions set by the user, A display control unit that displays the shared information for the items that the determination unit has determined can be shared, A display device system having the following features.

2. The aforementioned display device is The system further includes a wide-area communication unit that receives the shared information from other display devices, The determination unit determines, based on predetermined setting information regarding the sharing scope, whether the shared information can be shared with the other user. The display device system according to claim 1, wherein the direct communication unit transmits the shared information to the information terminal of the other user that the determination unit has determined to be shareable.

3. The display device system according to claim 2, wherein the wide-area communication unit transmits the shared information to all other display devices within the range of the wide-area network used by the wide-area communication unit.

4. The display device system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the direct communication between terminals by the direct communication unit is one of short-range wireless communication, optical communication, or sound wave communication.

5. The display device system according to claim 1, wherein the shared information is the user's safety status information.

6. The display device system according to claim 1, wherein the shared information includes voice spoken by the user.

7. A display device capable of communicating with an information terminal, A direct communication unit that receives shared information from the information terminal via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, which has information on items that the user of the information terminal shares with other users. A storage unit that stores the received shared information, A determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on the setting information regarding sharing permissions set by the user, A display control unit that displays the shared information for the items that the determination unit has determined can be shared, A display device.

8. An information processing device capable of communicating with an information terminal, A direct communication unit that receives shared information from the information terminal via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, which has information on items that the user of the information terminal shares with other users. A storage unit that stores the received shared information, A determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on the setting information regarding sharing permissions set by the user, A display control unit that displays the shared information for the items that the determination unit has determined can be shared, An information processing device having

9. A signage device capable of communicating with information terminals, A direct communication unit that receives shared information from the information terminal via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, which has information on items that the user of the information terminal shares with other users. A storage unit that stores the received shared information, A determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on the setting information regarding sharing permissions set by the user, A display control unit that displays the shared information for the items that the determination unit has determined can be shared, A signage device having [a certain feature].

10. An image processing device capable of communicating with an information terminal, A direct communication unit that receives shared information containing item information for the user of the aforementioned information terminal to share with other users via direct terminal-to-terminal communication, A storage unit that stores the received shared information, A determination unit that determines the items that can be shared based on the setting information regarding sharing permissions set by the user, A display control unit that displays the shared information for the items that the determination unit has determined can be shared, An image processing device having

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