Proximity sensor display assembly and method

• US 20070222771A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GFX International, Inc. (The IMAGINE Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: GFX International, Inc. (The IMAGINE Group LLC)
• Inventors: Brask, Kenneth, Antennora, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/386,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222771A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to a multimedia display equipped with a proximity sensor. The display is made of a device equipped with a proximity sensor and a computing device to better create and manage multimedia presentations. The display allows owners to insert a panel equipped with an LCD screen inside an enclosure with an opening in either a landscape or portrait orientation. Owners may use their computers to prepare, manage, and store audio and visual information. The display allows owners to better customize and use the device by using known computing, cabling, and display technology in conjunction with a robust enclosure. Finally, the display allows owners to rotate the LCD screen from a portrait orientation to a landscape orientation, or vice versa.

Claims

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

an electronic display device having a display surface;

a proximity sensor having a sensor output;

an enclosure adapted to house the display surface, and the proximity sensor, the enclosure comprising;

a first opening sized to provide a view of the display surface from outside the enclosure when the display surface is mounted in the enclosure; and

a second opening sized to provide access to the outside of the enclosure to the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor is mounted in the enclosure; and

a power supply operatively coupled to the display device, and the proximity sensor to power the display device, and the proximity sensor.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic display assembly further comprises at least one speaker;

wherein the power supply is operatively coupled to power the at least one speaker; and

wherein the enclosure is further adapted to house the at least one speaker and provide access to the outside of the enclosure to the at least one speaker via a third opening.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a control panel, wherein the proximity sensor is mounted to the control panel, and wherein the control panel is mounted in the enclosure such that the second opening is aligned with the proximity sensor.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 2, further comprising a control panel, wherein the proximity sensor and the at least one speaker are mounted to the control panel, and wherein the control panel is mounted in the enclosure such that the second opening is aligned with the proximity sensor and the third opening is aligned with the at least one speaker.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the display device is mounted in the enclosure in a landscape orientation.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the display device is mounted in the enclosure in a portrait orientation.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the display device is mounted in the enclosure in a non portrait and a non landscape orientation.

8. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor output is operatively coupled to a source of visual data, wherein the source provides the display device with visual data upon receiving proximity sensing information from the sensor output.

9. The electronic display assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor output is operatively coupled to a source of visual data and audio data, wherein the source provides the display device with visual data and the at least one speaker with audio data upon receiving proximity sensing information from the sensor output.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 9, wherein the source of visual data and the audio data is a computing device.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 10, wherein the computing device includes a connector port adapted to receive the sensor output.

12. The electronic display assembly of claim 11, wherein the connector port is a universal serial bus (USB) port.

13. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a DC power supply.

14. The electronic display assembly of claim 2, wherein the power supply is a DC power supply.

15. An electronic display system comprising:

a computing device having stored therein visual data, the computing device including a trigger input, and a visual data output;

an electronic display device having a video data storage operatively coupled to the visual data output;

a proximity sensor having a sensor output operatively coupled to the trigger input;

and a power supply operatively coupled to the display device, and the proximity sensor to power the display device, and the proximity sensor;

wherein the display device receives visual data from the visual data storage upon the computing device receiving a proximity sensing data from the trigger input.

18. The electronic display system of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises software stored therein, the software being configurable to provide selective visual data from the stored visual data upon receiving the proximity sensing data from the trigger input.

20. The electronic display system, of claim 15, further comprising an enclosure adapted to house the display device, and the proximity sensor, the enclosure comprising:

a first opening sized to provide a view of the display surface from outside the enclosure when the display device is mounted in the enclosure; and

a second opening sized to provide access to the outside of the enclosure to the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor is mounted in the enclosure.

21. The electronic display assembly of claim 15, wherein the trigger input is set to engage if motion is detected within a configurable distance ranging from approximately 6 inches to approximately 15 feet of the proximity sensor.

23. The electronic display assembly of claim 15, wherein the power supply is a DC power supply.

16. An electronic display system comprising:

a computing device having stored therein visual data and audio data, the computing device including a trigger input, a visual data output, and an audio data output;

an electronic display device having a video data storage operatively coupled to the visual data output;

at least one speaker having an audio data storage operatively couple to the audio data output;

a proximity sensor having a sensor output operatively couple to the trigger input; and

a power supply operatively couple to the display device, the at least one speaker, and the proximity sensor to power the display device, the at least one speaker, and the proximity sensor;

wherein the display device receives visual data from the visual data storage and the at least one speaker receives audio data from the audio data storage upon the computing device receiving a proximity sensing data from the trigger input.

17. The electronic display system of claim 16, wherein the computing device comprises software stored therein, the software being configurable to provide selective visual data from the stored visual data and selective audio data from the stored audio data upon receiving the proximity sensing data from the trigger input.

19. The electronic display system, of claim 16, further comprising an enclosure adapted to house the display device, the proximity sensor, and the at least one speaker, the enclosure comprising:

a first opening sized to provide a view of the display surface from outside the enclosure when the display device is mounted in the enclosure;

a second opening sized to provide access to the outside of the enclosure to the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor is mounted in the enclosure; and

a third opening sized to provide access to the at least one speaker to the outside of the enclosure when the at least one speaker is mounted in the enclosure.

22. The electronic display assembly of claim 16, wherein the trigger input is set to engage if motion is detected within a configurable distance ranging from approximately 6 inches to approximately 15 feet of the proximity sensor.

24. The electronic display assembly of claim 19, wherein the electronic display device further includes a cover bezel equipped with a series of corner tabs and a center opening, the center opening sized to provide access to the display surface, and the enclosure further comprising a series of corner openings arranged to allow the corner tabs to be inserted in the associated corner openings in order to mount the cover bezel to the enclosure.

25. The electronic display assembly of claim 24, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the cover bezel is mounted in the enclosure in a landscape orientation.

26. The electronic display assembly of claim 24, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the cover bezel is mounted in the enclosure in a portrait orientation.

27. The electronic display assembly of claim 24, wherein the first opening of the enclosure is sized to provide a view of the display surface when the cover bezel is mounted in the enclosure in a non portrait and a non landscape orientation.

29. The method of providing display of visual data and audible transmission of audio data of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

housing the display device, the proximity sensor, and the at least one speaker in an enclosure, the step of housing the display device comprising;

mounting the display device in the enclosure at a first opening of the enclosure, the first opening sized to provide a view of a display surface of the display device from outside the enclosure;

mounting the proximity sensor in the enclosure at a second opening sized to provide access to the outside of the enclosure to the proximity sensor; and

mounting the at least one speaker at a third opening sized to provide transmission of audio information from the at least one speaker to the outside of the enclosure.

28. A method of providing display of visual data and audible transmission of audio data comprising the steps of:

sensing an object in proximity of a display assembly using a proximity sensor, the display assembly having an enclosure, the enclosure housing a display device, at least one speaker, and the proximity sensor;

sending a proximity sensing signal to a computing device responsive to sensing the object in proximity of the display device assembly, the computing device receiving the proximity sensing signal;

sending visual data from the computing device to the display device responsive to the computing device receiving the proximity sensing signal;

sending audio data from the computing device to the at least one speaker responsive to the computing device receiving the proximity sensing signal; and

displaying the visual data with the display device and audibly transmitting the audio data with the at least one speaker.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the first opening is sized for mounting of the display device in a landscape orientation.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the first opening is sized for mounting of the display device in a portrait orientation.

32. The method of claim 28, the sending of video information to the display device comprising configuring a software stored on the computing device to send a selected video information stored on the computer, wherein the software selects the selected video information for sending to the display device responsive to the computing device receiving the proximity sensing signal.

33. The method of claim 28, the sending of audio information to the display device comprising configuring a software stored on the computing device to send a selected audio information stored on the computer, wherein the software selects the selected audio information for sending to the at least one speaker responsive to the computing device receiving the proximity sensing signal.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising powering the display device, the proximity sensor, and the at least one speaker with a power supply.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the power supply is a DC power supply.

36. A method of transforming a landscape oriented display assembly into a portrait oriented assembly or vice versa, the method comprising the steps of:

using an electronic display assembly comprising an enclosure, and a cover bezel each in the landscape orientation, the cover bezel including corner tabs inserted in a series of associated corner openings in the enclosure;

removing the enclosure from the cover bezel;

using a second enclosure adapted for the portrait orientation with a series of associated corner openings in the enclosure;

rotating by ninety degrees the cover bezel;

placing the second enclosure over the cover bezel by inserting the tabs of the cover bezel within the associated corner openings in the enclosure.