IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,645,029
Granted Patent B2
US 11,645,029 · App. 17/974,361 · Granted May 9, 2023

Systems and methods for remotely monitoring electronic displays

Inventors: Elliot Newnham (Alpharetta, GA); Brock Bearchell (Alpharetta, GA); William Dunn (Alpharetta, GA)
Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
G06F3/14H04L43/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,645,029
App. No.
17/974,361
Granted
May 9, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for remotely monitoring display assemblies are provided. Each of the electronic display assemblies includes sensors in electronic communication with a controller, which is in electronic communication with a network communication device. At a monitoring center, different customer identifiers are associated with different portions of data, a particular customer identifier is received from a customer device, the portions of the data associated with the particular customer identifier are identified for transmission to the customer device, and one or more user displays are generated with the identified data.

Claims (86)

1. A system for remotely monitoring electronic display assemblies, said system

comprising:

the electronic display assemblies, each comprising a controller, sensors in electronic communication with the controller, and a network communication device in electronic communication with the controller; and

a monitoring center comprising one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure one or more processors to:

receive, from the electronic display assemblies, data regarding operations of the electronic display assemblies;

associate different customer identifiers with different portions of said data;

receive a particular customer identifier from a customer device;

identify the portions of the data associated with the particular customer identifier for transmission to the customer device; and

generate one or more user displays with the identified data at the customer device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the sensors comprise temperature sensors and ambient light sensors.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

said data comprises fan speed, ambient temperature readings, internal temperature readings, ambient light levels, backlight levels, and power consumption information for the electronic display assemblies.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to generate time dependent graphs of the data; and

said one or more user displays comprise said time dependent graphs.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

association of said different customer identifiers with said different portions of said data received at said monitoring center from said electronic display assemblies, reception of said particular customer identifier from a customer device, and identification of the portions of the data associated with the particular customer identifier for transmission to the customer device is undertaken using micro-services.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

each of the display assemblies is configured for utilization by different customers; and

at least some of the data received from each respective one of the display assemblies is associated with different ones of the customer identifiers.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

the data is electronically compartmentalized at said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices by the customer identifiers; and

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to receive and verify login information from the customer device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least some of the data received from at least one of the display assemblies is associated with different ones of the customer identifiers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to cause all of the portions of the data assigned the particular one of the customer identifiers to be summarized into a summary report; and

said one or more user displays comprise said summary report.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to:

receive user input from said customer device identifying a particular one of the electronic display assemblies; and

filter said identified data to further identify said data associated with said particular one of the electronic display assemblies; and

at least one of said one or more user displays consists of said further identified data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said data comprises geographic information stored in association with identifying information for each of said electronic display assemblies; and

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to:

receive user input from said customer device identifying a geographic region;

filter said identified data to further identify said data associated with said geographic region; and

at least one of said one or more user displays consists of said further identified data.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least some of said one or more user displays comprise interface components which permit a user to enter operating instructions for the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier; and

said one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprise additional software instructions, which when executed, configure said one or more processors to:

receive operating instructions for one or more of the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier by way of said interface components; and

transmit said operating instructions to the one or more of the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

said operation instructions comprise one or more of fan speed instructions and backlight level instructions for the one or more of the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

each of said electronic display assemblies comprise a liquid crystal type display placed within a ruggedized housing;

said monitoring center comprises a dedicated physical facility remote from the display assemblies; and

the data comprises operational status information for each of said electronic display assemblies provided in substantially real time.

15. A method for remotely monitoring electronic display assemblies, said method

comprising:

electronically receiving, at controllers of the electronic display assemblies from sensors of the electronic display assemblies, data regarding operational conditions of the electronic display assemblies;

electronically transmitting said data by way of network communication devices at said electronic display assemblies to a remote monitoring center;

electronically associating different customer identifiers with different portions of data received at the remote monitoring center from the electronic display assemblies, wherein at least some of the data received from each respective one of the display assemblies is associated with different ones of the customer identifiers;

electronically receiving, at the remote monitoring center, a particular customer identifier from a customer device;

electronically identifying the portions of the data associated with the particular customer identifier for transmission to the customer device; and

electronically generating, at the customer device, one or more user displays comprising at least some of the identified data.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving and verifying, at the remote monitoring center, login information from the customer device;

summarizing, by way of said remote monitoring center, all of the identified data into a summary report; and

presenting the summary report at the customer device.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the data comprises fan speed, ambient temperature readings, internal temperature readings, ambient light levels, backlight levels, and power consumption information for the electronic display assemblies;

the one or more user displays comprise time dependent graphs generated from the identified data; and

the sensors comprise one or more of temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and ambient light sensors.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving, at the remote monitoring center, updated operating instructions;

transmitting, by way of the remote monitoring center, said updated operating instructions to each of the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier; and

implementing, at the electronic display assemblies associated with the particular customer identifier, the operating instructions.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

electronically associating each of the electronic display assemblies with a geographic location;

receiving, from the customer device, a particular geographic location; and

filtering said identified data by said particular geographic location.

20. A system for remotely monitoring electronic display assemblies, said system

comprising:

the electronic display assemblies, each configured for utilization by different customers and comprising a controller, sensors in electronic communication with the controller, and a network communication device in electronic communication with the controller, wherein at least one of the electronic display assemblies comprises a touch screen; and

a network operations center, remote from the electronic display assemblies, and comprising one or more non-transitory electronic storage devices comprising software instructions, which when executed, configure one or more processors to:

receive, from each of the electronic display assemblies, data regarding operations of each of the electronic display assemblies;

associate different customer identifiers with different portions of said data such that at least some of the portions of the data received from each respective one of the display assemblies is associated with different ones of the customer identifiers;

receive a particular customer identifier from a customer device;

identify the portions of the data associated with the particular customer identifier for transmission to the customer device;

generate one or more user displays with the identified data, said one or more user displays comprising, at least one summary report, at least one time dependent graph developed from the identified data, and at least one input area;

monitoring touch screen inputs data of the at least one of the electronic display assemblies to determine user preferences; and

reporting the touch screen inputs data at the network operations center.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2023
From: NEWNHAM, ELLIOT; BEARCHELL, BROCK; DUNN, WILLIAM
To: MANUFACTURING RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 062612/0434 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation In Part 17893253 · Aug 23, 2022
Continuation 17548698 · Dec 13, 2021
Continuation 17134634 · Dec 28, 2020
Continuation 16508877 · Jul 11, 2019
Provisional Application 62697016 · Jul 12, 2018
Related Publication 20230048815A1 · Feb 16, 2023
Cited By (7)
US 12,307,875 US 12,333,200 US 12,393,241 US 12,400,613 US 12,480,833 US 12,682,798 US 12,730,339