Screen-Smart Device Interaction (SSI) is fairly new technology developed as a sub-branch of
Digital Signage
Digital signage is a segment of electronic signage. Digital displays use technologies such as LCD, LED, projection and e-paper to display digital images, video, web pages, weather data, restaurant menus, or text. They can be found in publi ...
.
It differs from the
Second screen configuration. The latter typically has the first screen being a big screen and the second screen being the smaller screen of a cellphone. Where the small screen cannot affect or control the big screen. The small screen is often used to provide supplementary data on the content of the big screen. In contrast, SSI is distinguished by the small screen being able to change the flow of information or content on the big screen.
The big screen shows an identifier of its computer network address. Often, the network is the Internet. The identifier might be in a barcode that is part of the image on the big screen. The mobile device scans the barcode, decodes it and queries a server. The server controls the big screen. When the server gets the query, it extracts the identifier of the big screen. The server can alter the mobile device screen and the big screen in a
feedback loop
Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...
.
The user of the mobile device can pick buttons in its web page to change the big screen. The mobile device functions as a
remote control
In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such as ...
. The advantage is the decoupling of specific hardware requirements for the pair of the mobile device and the big screen. If the mobile device is a cellphone, it only needs a camera and wireless Internet access.
If the big screen shows a browser, then there are paired web pages. One for the small screen, one for the big screen. Microsoft calls this the "Companion Web". In general, the pages in the pair are different. The page for the big screen is essentially a digital poster. It does not need any buttons or selectable links. It can have large graphics. The large screen can be assumed to be on a wired connection, giving it large bandwidth. The small screen page is optimised for low bandwidth across a wireless connection.
SSI is gradually becoming a standard for Digital Signage Implementation, seeking to expand the traditional capabilities of this technology, adopting the modern Internet and 'Connected Devices' concepts. It is related to
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory Modality (human–computer interaction), modalities, including visual, Hearing, auditory, hap ...
and the
Internet of Things
The Internet of things (IoT) describes physical objects (or groups of such objects) with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other com ...
.
Interactive Digital Signage might be a growth engine for traditional digital signage. Interactive capabilities are gaining increasing attention by retailers, clinics, hotels/restaurants/bars, and other venues that provide service to a 'captive audience'.
Muzzley is a trend in present technology that lets a user in any connected network access the Digital Signage screen using the smartphone. In this scenario, the smartphone keeps adapting its interface according to the experience that the user is having. Muzzley integrates with all the major digital signage manufacturers as well as traditional applications made in standard developing languages as javascript, java, node.js, flash / Action Script and others.
In general, Screen-Smart device Interaction is a set of mobile, networking, signal processing, software and hardware technologies that allows users with
mobile devices
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
(typically cellphones) to connect (using
QR,
URL or any other novel method) to a public screen and interact, control or acquire its content for emerging applications like effective outdoor advertising, event information distributions, out-of-home gaming, etc. These technologies lets users in any venue use smart mobile devices to answer a poll/survey/quiz, win coupons and even participate in a game.
This Image is a schematic description of SSI implementation:
[Green Valley Media - scans the QR code, his mobile device will open an HTML page that will ... control your designated digital Signag]
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Screen-smart device interaction
Signage