Electronic billboard with telephone call-in control

• US 5,848,129 A
• Filed: 11/05/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Earl Baker
• Original Assignee: Earl Baker
• Inventors: Baker, Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/743,297
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 455/18, 455/49, 455/67, 455/70, 455/345, 455/158.4, 455/186.1, 455/500, 348/383, 348/744, 381/5
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A conventional billboard for displaying a visual message is combined with a communication system for enabling a message related to the message displayed by the billboard to be transmitted from the billboard to passengers of automotive vehicles driving by said billboard. The communication system includes a transmitter located at the billboard and connected to an external telephone line. A telephone unit, disposed at a remote business office, supplies the related message over the telephone line to the transmitter. Receivers, located in individual automotive vehicles, receive the transmitted message. The transmitter includes a recorder for recording the related message received from the telephone unit and a control unit for controlling recording and playback of that message.

Claims

1. In combination, an electrified billboard including permanent signage thereon including electrical lamps for illuminating the signage on the billboard and an electrical system for providing electrical power to said lamps, and a communication system for enabling messages to be transmitted form said billboard to passengers of automotive vehicles driving by said billboard, said communication system including:

transmitter means, connected to said electrical system at said billboard, so as to be supplied with electrical power from said electrical system and connected to an external telephone line, for transmitting a message for reception by automotive vehicles driving by said billboard in a predetermined direction;

at least one telephone unit, disposed at a location remote from said billboard and connected to said transmitter means through said telephone line, for supplying a message over said external telephone line to said transmitter means for transmission by said transmitter means, said telephone unit including a touch tone handset; and

a plurality of receiver means each located in an individual automotive vehicle for receiving a message transmitted by said transmitter means when the corresponding automobile vehicle drives by said billboard, said transmitter means including recorder means for recording a message received from said telephone unit and control means for receiving touch tone control signals from said touch tone handset of said telephone unit over said telephone line and for decoding said touch tone control signals to first determine whether said control signals include an access code and, if an access code is included, controlling recording and playback of a message recorded by said recorder means responsive to further decoded touch tone control signals received from said touch tone handset of said telephone unit over said telephone line, said transmitter means including a transmitter and said handset of said telephone unit generating an additional control signal for controlling activation of said transmitter to cause transmission of a said related message, said handset comprising a dedicated record button and a dedicated playback button for generating said control signals for controlling recording and playback of a message, and said receiver means each comprising an electronic compass and a receiver controlled by signals from said transmitter means so as to ensure that the receiver receives and plays a said related message at the beginning of said related message and an electronic compass for providing tuning of the receiver to a preselected frequency based on the direction of travel of the vehicle, each said receiver further including a dedicated repeat button controlled by an occupant of the corresponding vehicle for providing for repeating of a said related message after said related message has first been played.