Remote control electronic display system

• US 6,384,736 B1
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ActiveLight Incorporated (Electrograph Investment Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AD Media Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Gothard, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/295,894
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/518.47, 340/815.49, 340/815.6, 340/539, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 405/41, 406/24, 409/02, 404/46, 345/328, 345/1, 345/2, 345/60-72
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2742 having filaments of varied shape or size on same mounting surface

Abstract

A remotely controlled electronic display sign which operates with a plasma display and which provides for humidity and heat control and the like allowing the sign to be used in various environments. The sign is essentially self-contained and includes those components necessary for enabling a display of desired material from a remote control source or one located at the sign. A controller in or associated with the sign is accessible either electrically, or through satellite transmission or other wireless transmission from the remote source which allows the display of the sign to be changed at will. Thus, an operator at a remote source may, with the aid of a pre-prepared graphic design, transmit that design to the controller at or associated with the sign for display of that graphic information and potentially with sound.

Claims

1. A display sign capable of generating a display from electronic signals generated and transmitted to said sign from a remote source, said display sign comprising:

a) an outer housing having an interior compartment and being operated at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

b) a relatively thin high definition and high resolution plasma operated display panel on said housing and being observable to a group of viewers;

c) self-contained computer controlled processor means associated with said housing and receiving electronic signals from a remote source representative of the displays to be generated, said processor means causing generation of displays in the display panel based on the signals received from the remote source for display of advertising information and other information which may be related to products or services.

2. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that said display sign is self-contained to be able to generate a plurality of different displays stored in a storage of said processor means and said displays are static and which may be sequentially displayable.

3. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that said display panel comprises a support mounted relatively thin flat panel plasma operated display screen.

4. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that said housing is provided with internal ventilating means to control heat generation by providing for heat dissipation and to reduce condensation which might form therein.

5. The display sign of claim 4 further characterized in that means is provided on the rear of said housing to mount the housing to a fixed support without placing undue stress on the display panel.

6. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that a self-contained power supply is located in the interior compartment of said housing for operating said processor means.

7. The display sign of claim 6 further characterized in that said processor means contains a memory with size sufficiently large to contain all of the information necessary to sequentially display a plurality of stored displays.

8. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that a protective transparent cover plate extends over said display panel and spacer means holds said cover plate in spaced apart relationship from said display panel and provides an air gap therebetween.

9. The display sign of claim 1 further characterized in that said housing is maintained on a back support plate, said support plate having an outward projection which extends into said housing, said projection being located to receive a backing pin extending through a side wall of said housing and into said projection to secure said housing to said support plate and prevent unauthorized access to said housing.

10. A display system for generating a display on a display sign and enhancing the image of a product or service which may be displayed thereon, said display system comprising:

a) an outer housing;

b) a display panel on said housing and being observable to a viewer; and

c) a software driven computer means in said housing and controlling the display presented on said display panel, said processor means capable of altering the direction and manner in which a display is generated on the screen and addressing pixels of said display panel with X and Y coordinate digital signals based on a software program operating said computer means, said computer means also being capable of providing enhancement of any display on the display panel and thereby enhance the image of any product or service displayed on said display panel, said computer means being also capable of providing animation to a displayed product or service to increase consumer appeal to the displayed product or service.

11. The display system of claim 10 further characterized in that said housing is mounted on a stand which has shelf space for holding a product of the type being displayed on said display panel or printed information on a product or service of the type being displayed thereon.

15. The display system of claim 10 further characterized in that said display system comprises means for enabling live interaction between a potential purchaser and an offeror for such product or service.

16. The display system of claim 15 further characterized in that said live interaction is telephonic communication.

12. A process for generating a display on a display sign from a remote source, said process comprising:

a) providing a relatively flat panel plasma operated display member having a high resolution display screen at a location having viewing accessibility;

b) generating a display at a remote source and converting the display as generated to equivalent electronic signals representative of a plurality of individual static displays;

c) transmitting said electronic signals to a dedicated processor at said display member and operating said display member;

d) causing generation of a plurality of individual static displays on said display member based on the transmitted electronic signals; and

e) positioning the display at a generally fixed location for displaying of advertising or other information to a group of people simultaneously without need for electronic networking.

13. The process for generating a display of claim 12 further characterized in that said process comprises generating the display from a plurality of sources including scanning of pre-generated material to obtain an image therefrom and generating the electronic signals therefrom.

14. The process for generating a display of claim 12 further characterized in that said process comprises presenting wide angle viewing with said display member, such that a group of people can readily and easily view the display member from a wide array of viewing angles.

17. A display sign for generating a display in the form of individual fixed images at a location, said display sign comprising:

a) an electronically operable relatively flat panel display member with wide angle viewing almost independent of angle of view by an individual for displaying of advertising and other information to a large group of people simultaneously at a public facility;

b) self-contained and dedicated computer operated processing means in said display sign for generating a plurality of individual sequentially presented displays from electronic signals representative of the plurality of displays and which are delivered from a remote source; and

c) memory means in said display sign forming part of said processing means and storing information delivered from a remote source in digital signal format as digital signals and allowing the digital signals to be reconverted to visible images which are statically displayed one at a time at the display sign enabling advertising and other information to be presented for promotion of products or services on a large screen format, and where a large number of different displays are storable in said memory means and displayed at time selected periods independently of external electronic signals from a remote source.

18. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that receiving means is provided at said display sign for receiving transmitted electronic signals representative of the plurality of displays from the remote source to the display sign.

19. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that said display sign is readily transportable and completely self-contained and positionable at a generally fixed location for operation at that fixed location.

20. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that said display sign is locatable at a substantial distance from a display generating means at said remote source so that said display sign is operable as a self-contained unit independently of any networking for generation of displays.

21. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that said system comprises means in said display sign for sequencing a plurality of sequential displays which are generated at a remote source and transmitted to said display sign and which are re-generated from the stored electronic signals and displayed at the display sign.

22. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that said system comprises means in the display sign and associated with the processing means for holding a plurality of displays in the form of digital signals for ultimate presentation on said display member and presentation of said displays at any of a plurality of time selected periods.

23. The display sign of claim 17 further characterized in that said display member comprises a flat panel high resolution plasma operated screen.

24. A method for generating a plurality of individual displays at a remote source which are capable of being successively generated and electronically transmitting the displays to a readily transportable display sign located at a substantial distance from the remote source for presentation, said method comprising:

a) electronically generating a plurality of displays at a remote source with each in the form of a visual image;

b) converting the visual image to corresponding electronic signals at the remote site;

c) storing the electronic signals in a temporary storage at the remote site for ultimate transmission to the display sign;

d) transmitting the electronic signals to a self-contained and dedicated computer processing means at the display sign and located in the display sign;

e) storing the fixed images of the displays in the form of digital signals in a memory means forming part of said processing means and which also forms part of the display sign;

f) positioning the display sign at a fixed location for operation at that fixed location for a display of advertising and other information to a group of people simultaneously at a public facility; and

g) re-generating the display from the digital signals and displaying same on the display sign enabling the advertising and other information to be presented for promotion of products and services on a large screen format.

25. The method for generating the display of claim 24 further characterized in that said method comprises automatically controlling at the display sign the time of each display and the particular display which is regenerated at the display sign.

26. The method for generating the display of claim 25 further characterized in that said display sign is operable without need for electronic signal networking, such that the display sign operates as a self-contained and stand alone unit.

27. The method for generating the display of claim 24 further characterized in that the images are fixed and non-continuous.

28. The method for generating the display of claim 26 further characterized in that the method comprises sequentially transmitting said plurality of displays from said remote source to said display sign and storing the digital signals at said memory means in said display sign, and providing display generating signals at said processing means for sequentially displaying said individual displays.

29. A display system for generating a display on a display sign and enhancing the image of the product or service which may be displayed thereon, said display system comprising:

a) an outer housing;

b) a display panel on said housing and being observable to a viewer;

c) a software driver computer means in said housing and controlling the display presented on said display panel, said computer means capable of altering the direction and manner in which a display is generated on the screen and to provide enhancement of any display on the display panel and thereby enhance the image of any product or service displayed on said display panel, said means also capable of providing animation to a displayed product or service to increase consumer appeal to the displayed product or service; and

d) means for enabling live interaction between a potential purchaser and an offeror for each product or service.

30. The display system of claim 29 further characterized in that said live interaction is telephonic communication.

31. The display system of claim 29 further characterized in that said computer means comprises a memory means for storing information delivered form a remote source.

32. A display system for generating a display on a display sign and enhancing the image of a product or service which may be displayed thereon, said display system comprising:

a) an outer housing;

b) a display panel on said housing and being observable to a viewer; and

c) a dedicated software driven computer means in very close proximity to said housing for controlling the display presented on said display panel, and being sufficiently spaced from the display panel in this very close proximity to avoid being affected by heat generation of said display panel, said computer means capable of altering the direction and manner in which a display is generated on the screen and addressing pixels of said display panel with X and Y coordinate digital signals based on a software program operating said computer means, said computer means also being capable of providing enhancement of any display on the display panel and thereby enhance the image of any product or service displayed on said display panel, said computer means being also capable of providing animation to a displayed product or service to increase consumer appeal to the displayed product or service.

33. The display system of claim 32 further characterized in that said display panel is a high definition and high resolution plasma operated display panel.

34. A combination support stand and display sign construction wherein said sign provides a display from electronic signals generated and transmitted to said sign from a remote source, said combination comprising:

a) an upstanding support stand having means for supporting a display sign;

b) an outer housing having an interior compartment and being operated at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

c) a relatively thin high definition and high resolution display panel on said housing and being observable to a group of viewers;

d) self-contained computer controlled processor means associated with said housing and receiving electronic signals from a remote source representative of the displays to be generated, said processor means causing generation of displays in the display panel based on the signals received from the remote source for display of advertising information and other information which may be related to products or services; and

e) said computer controlled processor means being located in one of said interior compartment or mounted on said stand.

35. The display sign of claim 34 further characterized in that said display sign is self-contained to be able to generate a plurality of different displays stored in a storage of said processor means and said displays are static and which may be sequentially displayable.

36. The display sign of claim 34 further characterized in that said display panel comprises a support mounted relatively thin flat panel plasma operated display screen.

37. The display sign of claim 34 further characterized in that means is provided on the rear of said housing and on an upstanding post of said stand to mount the housing to said stand without placing undue stress on the display panel.

38. A display sign for generating a display in the form of individual fixed images at a display, said display sign comprising:

a) an electronically operable relatively flat panel display member with wide angle viewing almost independent of angle of view by an individual for displaying of advertising and other information to a large group of people simultaneously at a public facility;

b) dedicated software operated computer means in associated with and in close proximity to said display sign for generating a plurality of individual sequentially presented displays from electronic signals representative of the plurality of displays and which are delivered from a remote source; and

c) memory means in said display sign forming part of said computer means and storing information delivered from a remote source in digital signal format as digital signals and allowing the digital signals to be reconverted to visible images which are displayed one at a time at the display sign enabling advertising and other information to be presented for promotion of products or services on a large screen format, and where a large number of different displays are storable in said memory means and displayed at time selected periods independently of external electronic signals from a remote source.

39. The display sign of claim 38 further characterized in that said display sign is readily transportable and completely self-contained and positionable at a generally fixed location for operation at that fixed location.

40. The display sign of claim 38 further characterized in that said display member comprises a flat panel high resolution plasma operated screen.