Digital display devices having communication capabilities
View Patent ↗A digital display device having two or more displays that are coupled at angles to each other for displaying content associated with multiple sets of sources of content is described herein. Each display has one or more display regions in which content is displayed. A first display region on one display may be merged with a second display region on the same or a different display to form a merged display region in which content is displayed. The displays may be touch-sensitive. Display regions may be merged by, for example, receiving a first touch from a user of a first touch-sensitive display region and a second touch of a second touch-sensitive display region. In some embodiments, the digital display device has the form of a cube with six displays.
1. A digital display device having a plurality of interconnected faces, each face having one or more display regions for the display of content from at least one source of content, the digital display device comprising:
a plurality of touch-sensitive interconnected faces, each of the plurality of interconnected faces being oriented at an angle with respect to an adjacent face and each of the interconnected faces having one or more display regions for the display of content;
a communication component configured to receive signals from a telecommunications network,
wherein the signals contain content associated with at least one source of content;
a selection component configured to receive signals from a user touching a first of the display regions, and touching a second of the display regions on the plurality of interconnected faces, to form a merged display region;
a merge component configured to define a merged display region as a combination of the touched first and second display regions;
a storage component configured to store:
definitions of one or more merged display regions;
associations between a source of content and a display region on one of the plurality of interconnected faces; and
associations between a source of content and a merged display region; and
a routing component coupled to the communication component, the storage component, and the plurality of interconnected faces, the routing component:
analyzing received content to identify a source of the received content;
accessing the storage component to determine a display region or a merged display region associated with the identified source of the received content; and
routing the received content to the determined display region or determined merged display region for display.
2. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of interconnected faces is a square and wherein all of the plurality of interconnected faces form the shape of a cube.
3. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of interconnected faces form the shape of a triangle when viewed from a plane that is perpendicular to a plane of a display region.
4. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein adjacent interconnected faces are interconnected with a hinge.
5. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein adjacent interconnected faces have a fixed interconnection.
6. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second display regions are selected from the same interconnected face.
7. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the first display region is selected from a first interconnected face and the second display region is selected from a second interconnected face.
8. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the merged display region is further defined by a user selection of a third display region from the plurality of interconnected faces.
9. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein an association is stored between a single source of content and all of the display regions on the two or more interconnected faces.
10. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of interconnected faces, an association is stored between a source of content and all of the display regions of the interconnected face.
11. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the received content includes at least one of a still image, a moving image, and text.
12. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the received content includes a status message of a user associated with the source of the received content.
13. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the received content includes a web feed.
14. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications network is a wireless network.
15. The digital display device of claim 1 , wherein the merged display region is further defined by all of the display regions on an interconnected face, and wherein the merged display region displays content associated with a single individual.
16. The digital display device of claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer configured to detect a movement of the digital display device, wherein when the accelerometer detects a movement, at least one association between a source of content and a display region on one of the plurality of interconnected faces is changed.
17. A method performed by a digital display device having multiple touch-sensitive interconnected faces, wherein each face has one or more display regions for the display of content from at least one source of content, the method comprising:
receiving signals from a telecommunications network,
wherein the signals contain content associated with at least one source of content;
receiving signals from a user touching a first of the display regions, and touching a second of the display regions, on the plurality of interconnected faces to form a merged display region;
defining a merged display region as a combination of the touched first and second display regions;
storing at least:
definitions of one or more merged display regions;
associations between a source of content and a display region on one of the multiple interconnected faces; and
associations between a source of content and a merged display region;
analyzing received content to identify a source of the received content;
determining a display region or a merged display region associated with the identified source of the received content; and
routing the received content to the determined display region or determined merged display region for display by the display device.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing code, which when executed by at least one data processing device, causes a digital display device having multiple interconnected faces, wherein each face has one or more display regions, to display content from at least one source of content, comprising:
receiving signals from a telecommunications network,
wherein the signals contain content associated with at least one source of content;
receiving signals from a user touching a first of the display regions and touching a second of the display regions on the plurality of interconnected faces to form a merged display region;
defining a merged display region as a combination of the touched first and second display regions;
storing at least:
definitions of one or more merged display regions;
associations between a source of content and a display region on one of the multiple interconnected faces of the display device; and
associations between a source of content and a merged display region;
analyzing received content to identify a source of the received content;
determining a display region or a merged display region associated with the identified source of the received content; and
routing the received content to the determined display region or determined merged display region for display by the display device.