System for providing displays in an outdoors retail area of a retail store

• US 20030224783A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gregory Marshall Ruddell
• Original Assignee: Gregory Marshall Ruddell
• Inventors: Ruddell, Gregory Marshall
• Application Number:
  US10/434,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20030224783A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

A system for providing displays to consumers in an outdoor retail area of a retail store. The system includes an antenna for receiving signals. A control unit connected is communicatively coupled to the antenna to receive the signals and to generate display signals from the signals. A display is mounted proximate a retail station. The display receives the display signals from the control unit and provides a display to consumers. A display communications path communicatively couples the display to the control unit. The display communications path is external to a retail communications path connecting a retail station in the outdoor area to the retail store.

Claims

1. A system for providing displays to consumers in an outdoor retail area of a retail store comprising:

an antenna for receiving signals;

a control unit communicatively coupled to said antenna to receive said signals and to generate display signals from said signals;

a display mounted proximate a retail station that receives said signals from said control unit and provides a display to consumers; and

a display communications path that communicatively couples said display to said control unit wherein said display communications path is external to a retail communications path connecting said retail station to said retail store.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said retail store is a gasoline station and said retail station is a fuel pump.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said antenna is proximate said outdoor retail area.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said antenna is mounted atop a canopy covering said outdoor retail area.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a retail interface mounted proximate said retail station for receiving purchase information from a user; and

a second communications path communicatively connecting said retail interface to said control unit, wherein said control unit transmits said retail information via said antenna.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said display is mounted in a position that is substantially perpendicular to a line of sight of a consumer using said retail station.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said display mounted in a position that allows a consumer to view said display from a line of sight that has a range of substantially ninety degrees with respect to a surface of said display twenty degrees to substantially one hundred and twenty degrees with respect to a surface of said display.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a power line in said communications path for providing power from said control unit to said display.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an uninterruptible power supply in said control unit that provides power to said display and said control unit.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a distribution amplifier in said control unit.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of displays including said display, wherein each of said plurality of displays is affixed proximate one of a plurality of retail stations; and

a plurality of display communications paths including said display communications path, wherein each of said plurality of display communications paths connects a one of said plurality of displays to said control unit.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said distribution amplifier generates display signals for each of said plurality of displays.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said display signals include video signals and audio signals.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said distribution amplifier is a twisted pair distribution amplifier.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each of said plurality of displays comprise:

a twisted pair receiver.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of displays further comprise:

a monitor; and

an audio speaker.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said twisted pair receiver splits said display signals into audio and video signals, transmits said audio signals to said audio speaker, and transmits said video signals to said monitor.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said control unit further comprises:

a processing unit;

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

receive signals from said antenna; and

convert said signals to display signals; and

a media readable by said processing unit that stores said instructions.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

determine whether said signals include an address of said control, and

converting said signals to display signals responsive to a determination that said address of said control unit is included in said signals.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

store said display signals in a memory connected to said processing unit.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

transmit said display signals to said display at a specified time.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

activate and deactivate said display at specified times.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said control comprises:

a circuit breaker connected to a power supply of said display.

24. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a network control unit remote from said gasoline station that transmits said signals received by said antenna.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said network control unit comprises:

a processing unit;

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

transmit said signals; and

a media readable by said processing unit that stores said instructions.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said instructions further comprising:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

insert an address of said control unit into said signals.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said address is an Internet Protocol address.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

generate said signals from broadcast content.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said instructions further comprise:

instructions for directing said processing unit to;

insert timing and slot information for signals from said broadcast content.

30. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of displays including said display, wherein each of said plurality of displays is affixed proximate one of a plurality of retail stations; and

a plurality of display communications paths including said display communications path, wherein each of said plurality of display communications paths connects a one of said plurality of displays to said control unit and is external to said retail communications paths connecting said plurality of retail stations to said retail store.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said display signals include video signals and audio signals.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein each of said plurality of displays further comprise:

a monitor; and

an audio speaker.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said display receiver splits said display signals into audio and video signals, transmits said audio signals to said audio speaker, and transmits said video signals to said monitor.

34. A method for providing displays to consumers in an outdoor retail area of a retail store comprising:

providing an antenna for receiving signals;

providing a control unit connected to communicatively coupled to said antenna to receive said signals and to generate display signals from said signals;

mounting a display proximate a retail station that receives said signals from said control unit and provides a display to consumers; and

communicatively coupling said display to said control unit via a display communications path wherein said display communications path is external to a retail communications path connecting said retail station to said retail store.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said retail store is a gasoline station and said retail station is a fuel pump.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said antenna is proximate said outdoor retail area.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

mounting said antenna atop a canopy covering said outdoor retail area.

38. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

mounting a retail interface proximate said retail station for receiving purchase information from a user; and

communicatively connecting said retail interface to said control unit, via a second communications path external to said retail communications path wherein said control unit transmits said retail information via said antenna.

39. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

mounting said display in a position that is approximately perpendicular to a line of sight of a consumer using said retail station.

40. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

mounting said display in a position that allows a consumer to view said display from a line of sight that has a range of substantially ninety degrees with respect to a surface of said display twenty degrees to substantially one hundred and twenty degrees with respect to a surface of said display.

41. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

providing power from said control unit to said display via a power line in said communications.

42. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

providing an uninterruptible power supply in said control unit that provides power to said display and said control unit.

43. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

providing a distribution amplifier in said control unit.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

affixing each of a plurality of displays including said display proximate to one of a plurality of retail stations; and

communicatively coupling each of said plurality of display to said control unit via a one of a plurality of display communications paths including said display communications path, wherein each of said plurality of display communications paths connects a one of said plurality of displays to said control unit and is external to said retail communications path.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising:

generating display signals for each of said plurality of displays in said distribution amplifier.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said display signals include video signals and audio signals.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein said distribution amplifier is a twisted pair distribution amplifier.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

providing a twisted pair receiver in each of said plurality displays.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said step of mounting each of said plurality of displays further comprises:

mounting a monitor for each of said plurality of display proximate said one of said plurality of retail stations; and

mounting an audio speaker for each of said plurality of display proximate said one of said plurality of receivers.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising:

splitting said display signals into audio and video signals with said receiver;

transmitting said audio signals to said audio speaker; and

transmitting said video signals to said monitor.

51. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

receiving signals from said antenna in said control unit; and

converting said signals to display signals in said control unit.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said instructions further comprising:

determining whether said signals include an address of said control, and

converting said signals to display signals responsive to a determination that said address of said control unit is included in said signals.

53. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

storing said display signals in a memory connected to said control unit.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising:

transmitting said display signals from said control unit to said display at a specified time.

55. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

activating and deactivating said display at specified times with said control unit.

56. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

connecting a circuit breaker between a power supply and said display.

57. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

transmitting said signals from a network control unit remote from said retail store to said antenna.

58. The system of claim 57 further comprising:

inserting an address of said control unit into said signals in said network control unit.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein said address is an Internet Protocol address.

60. The method of claim 59 further comprising:

generating said signals from broadcast content in said network control unit.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

inserting timing and slot information into signals from said broadcast content in said network control unit.

62. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

affixing each of a plurality of displays including said display, proximate one of a plurality of retail stations; and

communicatively coupling each of said plurality of displays to said control unit via a one of a plurality of display communications paths including said display communications path, wherein each of said plurality of display communications paths connects a one of said plurality of displays to said control unit and is external to said retail communications paths connecting said plurality of retail stations to said retail store.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein said display signals include video signals and audio signals.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the step of affixing each of said plurality of displays further comprise:

mounting a monitor proximate one of said plurality of retail stations; and

mounting an audio speaker proximate said one of said plurality of retail stations.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein said display receiver splits said display signals into audio and video signals, transmits said audio signals to said audio speaker, and transmits said video signals to said monitor.

66. A system for providing electronic displays in an outdoor fueling area of a retail store comprising:

a display affixed to a support proximate a fuel pump; and

a control unit communicatively coupled to said display that provides display signals to said display.