Apparatuses for displaying information on vehicles

• US 6,812,851 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VERT Inc.
• Original Assignee: VERT Inc.
• Inventors: Platsidakis, Michael, Dukach, Semyon, Harkavy, Brad, Mankins, Matt W. D., Fridman, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/751,664
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/815.4, 340/468, 340/479, 340/691.6, 340/539.1, 340/693.3, 345/212, 307/10.1, 386/125, 386/464, 405/46
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/042 the advertising matter being fixed on the roof of the vehicles

Abstract

A system for publicly displaying messages can comprise an automotive vehicle having an automotive electrical system including an ignition system and a generator and a publicly visible electronic display; video drive circuitry for generating images (which can include advertisements) on the display; display-power circuitry for receiving power from the vehicle'"'"'s automotive electrical system, supplying that power to the display, and automatically reducing the power supplied to the display after the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off. The display-power circuitry can automatically increase power to the display when the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned back on. A computer can control the images on the display and the display-power circuitry can automatically reduce power to the display independently of whether the computer is operating. A system for publicly displaying messages can also comprise an automotive vehicle having a publicly visible electronic display; a computer for showing various messages (which can include advertisements) on the display; an input device which can be used by an occupant of the vehicle to generate one or more emergency signals; and a connection supplying such emergency signals to the computer. The computer can respond to the emergency signal by showing an emergency message on the display. A radio can be connected to the computer to supply information to the computer about messages to be displayed and to respond to the generation of an emergency signal by sending an emergency message to a remote electronic system.

Claims

1. A system for publicly display messages comprising:

(a) an automotive vehicle having an automotive electrical system including an ignition system and a generator for generating electricity when the vehicles ignition system is on; and

(b) the following elements carried by the vehicle;

(1) a publicly visible electronic backlit display including one or more backlights;

(2) video drive circuitry for generating signals to cause images to be shown on said display; and

(3) display-power circuitry for receiving power from the vehicle'"'"'s automotive electrical system and supplying that power to said one or more backlights, and for automatically reducing said power supplied to said one or more backlights after the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off and for turning said backlights off at a time after the ignition is shut off.

2. A system for publicly displaying messages comprising:

(a) an automotive vehicle having,an automotive electrical system including an ignition system and a generator for generating electricity when the vehicles ignition system is on, and;

(b) the following elements carried by the vehicle;

(1) a publicly visible electronic display;

(2) video drive circuitry for generating signals to cause images to be shown on said display, wherein said computer is programmed to shut down more than a certain time after said ignition is shut off; and

(3) display-power circuitry for receiving power from the vehicle'"'"'s automotive electrical system and supplying that power to said display, and for automatically reducing said power supplied to said display after the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off whether or not said computer is operating and without turning off said computer.

3. The system as in claim 2, further including circuitry carried by said vehicle that provides power to the computer to turn it back on once the ignition is turned back on.