Intelligent display for processing video and metadata streams

Abstract

A two-tier display infrastructure switching architecture and associated method interconnects a plurality of network-enabled display devices. A video streaming switch is capable of receiving a video stream from a first network-enabled display device and forwarding the video stream to a second network-enabled display device. An access control service is capable of controlling access rights of each of the first and second network-enabled display devices to transfer video streams stream through the video streaming switch.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A network-enabled display device for receiving and processing a video stream and a metadata stream in parallel from a client device, comprising:
 a screen for displaying one or more media posts from one or more client devices connected to the network-enabled display device;   a local network display module for receiving, from the one or more client devices, a video stream and a metadata stream pair and converting the video stream to a composite image comprising the one or more media posts; and   a processing unit for receiving the metadata stream and controlling the network-enabled display device based on metadata in the metadata stream.   
     
     
         20 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit further comprises a display analytic database module for processing and storing the metadata. 
     
     
         21 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 20 , wherein the metadata further comprises a number of client devices connected to the network-enabled display device. 
     
     
         22 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 20 , wherein the metadata further comprises a spatial location of the client device streaming the metadata. 
     
     
         23 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 20 , wherein the metadata further comprises a login name of a user accessing the client device. 
     
     
         24 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 20 , wherein the metadata from one or the one or more client devices further comprises at least one of a length of content in an associated video stream, a revision history of the content of the associated video stream and a platform of the client device sending the associated video stream. 
     
     
         25 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 20 , further comprising display analytics communication module for connecting the display analytic database module to a global analytics communication module over a network. 
     
     
         26 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 25 , wherein the global analytics communication module communicates with a plurality of display analytics communication modules in a plurality of network-enabled display devices. 
     
     
         27 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 25 , wherein the global analytics communication module is further coupled to a global usage database statistical information related to the plurality of network-enabled display devices. 
     
     
         28 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more client devices are assigned to a moderator or a guest class, and the processing unit further controls the network-enabled display device to forward a connection attempt from a guest client device to a moderator client device based on the metadata from the guest client device. 
     
     
         29 . The network-enabled display device of  claim 28 , wherein the processing unit further forwards the metadata to the moderator client device and receives an accept/reject indication in response. 
     
     
         30 . A method for receiving and processing a video stream and a metadata stream in parallel from a client device by a network-enabled display device, comprising:
 connecting to one or more client devices over a network;   receiving, from each of the one or more client devices over a network, a video stream and a metadata stream pair;   converting video streams to a composite image comprising one or more media posts for display on the network-enabled display device;   processing metadata from metadata streams and controlling the network-enabled display device based on metadata.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further the step of processing further comprises:
 capturing, and storing within a display analytic database, a number of client devices connected to the network-enabled display device over time and then reporting that information on demand over a network;   measuring, and storing within the display analytic database, display activity over time based upon one or more of: a number of different video streams transmitted to the display device over time, a number of control signals transmitted to a display to modify its appearance and layout, and a number of connections and disconnection;   reporting, on demand, certain information from the display analytic database over a network.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining, and storing within the display analytic database, information of a number and a reason for each failed connection; and   determining, and storing within the display analytic database, information of a number and a reason for failed new stream requests.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of:
 capturing and storing, within the display analytic database, information about the geographical location of a user.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising certain information from the display analytic database with information from a display analytic database in a plurality of network-enabled display devices. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the metadata further comprises a spatial location of the client device streaming the metadata. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the metadata further comprises a login name of a user accessing the client device. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the metadata from one or the one or more client devices further comprises at least one of a length of content in an associated video stream, a revision history of the content of the associated video stream and a platform of the client device sending the associated video stream. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the step of connecting further comprises:
 displaying video streams on a network-enabled display device by a first client device authenticated as a moderator;   receiving, within the network-enabled display device, a connection attempt from a second client device;   receiving, within the network-enabled display device, metadata associated with the second client device;   forwarding a connection request including the metadata to the first client device;   receiving, in response to the connection request and display of the metadata to the first client device, an accept/reject indication; and   transmitting an accept connection signal to the second client device when the accept/reject indication indicates accept; and   transmitting a reject connection signal to the second client device when the accept/reject indication indicates reject.