Update A Digital Sign, By Texting It
June 2, 2023 by Dave Haynes
Orlando-based software and services provider Xpodigital has developed an interesting, and patented, capability for quickly revising announcements and calls to action on networked screens around a venue, using text messaging.
The company, which has been around forever and mainly focused on the business events sector, has developed what it calls Text-to-Screen technology.
To change out a text overlay on a message up on a big LCD or LED display, a user can pull out his or her phone and send SMS messages to the platform using specified commands related to, I think, an HTML5 file.
There are, of course, other ways of changing messages on the spot, versus sitting down at a desktop. There are dedicated smartphone apps, like what Samsung has for prosumer TVs. There are CMS platforms that have a mobile UX as an option, and desktop UXs that open and run on a small phone screen. I am even aware of a company – Local Business Patriots – that enables updates via email.
Text messaging, however, is super common and simple. The trade off is that the capability is limited to changing words on a screen. It’s not anything close to control of the screen, player or content schedule.
Nonetheless, it’s interesting. You can see in this Linkedin video how a message gets changed out on the spot, via texting.
Hmm. With Intuiface’s web triggers support, we’ve been offering IFTTT and Zapier integrations for years, enabling users to trigger any change – not just text changes – in a running Intuiface experience by sending a text message. (IFTTT and Zapier are both services that integrate independent web applications and connect them through automated workflows. SMS is just one of the thousands of applications that can be integrated with Intuiface – or with any other application compatible with those services.) I couldn’t find Xpodigital’s patent, but I’d be very curious to know its scope. Patents can be very narrow, I suppose…..
Updating screens easily is an important use-case in many cases. We’ve done projects in the past using SMS (none currently). I’d be very interested in finding the patent and reading what it says as it seems quite odd they would get a broad patent for using tech that has been available for a long time. Kudos to them though.
Local Business Patriots here!
We actually offer both email and text message based signage.
Our solution includes images, videos, and scrolling banners. Most of our clients use text messaging.
Each TV gets its own and secure email address.
This account can receive both emails and SMS messages.
Only approved addresses and phone numbers are allowed to update the screen.
For images and videos:
Text the message “TV Slideshow” with attachments and these items are added to a full screen slideshow presentation.
Sending additional messages adds the new attachments to the existing signage presentation.
Text the words “Delete Slideshow” to the TV and it does just that, it deletes all of items that are being displayed. You are now ready to start fresh.
For the top of screen scrolling banner:
Text the word “TV Scroll” and everything typed after those trigger words becomes the scrolling banner. Including emojis!
To change the scrolling banner just send a new text message or email.
To remove the banner just text message or email “Delete Scroll” and it goes away until a new message is sent.
Simple as that!
1 email address and 4 trigger words to remember.
Latency is approximately 3 minutes for multimedia files and 1 minute for the scrolling marquee.
We offer simple digital signage that very affordable and is ridiculously easy to update.
People seem to like that.
Sincerely,
Paul Wheeler
Owner / Founder
Local Business Patriots
mr.paulwheeler@gmail.com
636-368-7705