Fire Department (Crazy) Idea HELP

[logann2292]

Okay, this idea I have is likely a long shot, but I know if it can be done, someone here will know how. In a nutshell, I'm the tech admin at the firehouse, and at the firehouse we have a standard laptop (operates only as a MCT, or Mobile Communications Terminal) mirroring its display to a television/external monitor (well...a mix of several televisions and monitors). I want to know if, given an event occurs on the laptop, it would be possible to force the televisions/monitors to switch to the input that mirrors the laptop connected to it.

Example: I'm watching the ball game on the television, which is being provided by my cable company on Input 1; a house fire "alert" on the laptop comes in through our internet-based dispatch, and the TV i'm watching switches to Input 2, which is the mirrored "alert" information on the laptop.

The Laptop is a Toughbook 31. Currently, a short VGA cable connects the laptop to a powered converter with 3 ethernet outputs. Those long ethernet cables run to the same-styled powered converter mounted on the back of a television in another room, which is connected to the television via HDMI or VGA. Basically: Toughbook 31 - VGA - Convertor - Ethernet - Convertor - VGA OR HDMI - Television OR Monitor.

The dispatch program we use is called VisualMCT by Sungard. I've included a picture below. Ignore the circles/arrows, I pulled it from a manual. The program plays a "tone" when we receive an alert, and these tones can be pulled from custom audio files. Not sure if this helps. (forgot to mention the laptop is aux-cabled to a speaker in the station so we can all hear it) Computer is Win7, but don't sweat this I can upgrade whenever. Computer monitors and TV's are relatively new. If this is only possible with a model-specific TV, I'll buy a new TV. Don't sweat the small details, just trying (for now) to figure out if this is even possible and how one would go about it.

Thank you for your ideas, and don't be afraid to talk in complex terms, I'll be fine. Added bonus: instead of/in addition to the alert triggering a change of TV input and mirroring the laptop screen, if said TV was turned off, and could be triggered on, I'll make sure you get some sweet fire department merch or something. PS sorry if this is absolutely absurd. Don't hesitate to insult my intelligence if this is that far off the wall.

www.lebanonvfd.org/content/links/image/mct.png

 

[Ralston18]

Not at all absurb and it should be very possible.

Two key things are needed:

1) Some capturable flag or event with respect to an Alert's occurence. The Status field value may be a good source for the flag.

2) Some software that then "wakes" the target TV and switches its image to the desired alert video source.

I do not think that the TV can be totally "off" but there may be some viable "Wake on LAN" configuration if the TV has that feature.

Overall the Toughbook running VisualMCT would need to monitor the VisualMCT for some change relevant to the alert. Crude: maybe the tone file being opened or accessed. Not truly sure what that flag might be but start by asking Sungard. All you need is some process or service starting up at the time of the alert - any flag/system change at all.

Then you might be able use Powershell, Visual Basic,.... whatever to change your display(s) as necessary.

Not sure about how much you can do behind the scenes per se but if the alert window that you want to see would be running minimized.

Then all you would really need to do (understated I am sure) is to detect that flag, minimize the baseball window, and maximize the alert window on the desired TV/Monitor.

Start by contacting Sungard. Identify the "flag" or possible "flags". Recommend just only RO access to the flag - no changes possible.

Likewise determine how much you can control windows your monitors/TVs/display via Powershell or other software. Maybe use extended/duplicate screens in some manner. Minimizing and maximizing could be easier.

Just seems to me that your requirement is probably not at all uncommon. Remember some financial marketing software years ago that did the same if some stock hit a designated level or moved + or - some amount. Popped up on the monitor accordingly.

And having the flexibility to get what you need is a real plus in your favor. The process can be more direct and simple versus some cumbersome cludge of hardware and software.

Could be fun little project. If I get a chance may see if I can get Powershell to change my monitor window based on some event: incoming email maybe.

Googled some and found this link:

http/codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/117103/batch-powershell-script-that-toggles-the-minimized-state-of-a-window

There are other similar links showing other ways to do much the same.

Again start with Sungard. May be no need to re-invent the wheel.

 

[Alabalcho]

Changing channels on TV connected over (what seems to be) VGA and HDMI extenders is going to be a challenge. Modern TVs support this over HDMI (so that when you turn the DVD player, it can switch the TV to the its input).

This would be a good project for IoT (I0nternet of the Things. A credit-size computer like Raspberry Pi, with infrared transmitter placed in front of the TV, will work, with only task to be solved is how to send command to it to switch channels (or for RPi to pull that off your MCT).

On your next visit to local high school, check with their clubs - they might be interested in that. The hardware, per TV, should be no more than $50. If you can run signal wires to the TV from the central station, you could make this with even less powerful hardware like Arduino, monitoring for closed contact on a pin, and firing infra-red "Change channel" for that particular TV.