Remote control electronic display system

• US 7,369,058 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ActiveLight Incorporated (Electrograph Investment Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Locke International Trust
• Inventors: Gothard, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/874,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.47, 340/815.49, 340/693.5
• 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 system for generating an image on a display member and allowing for enhancing the image which is 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 computer means in proximity to said housing and dedicated only to the operation of said display system, said computer means operating on the basis of a series of sequential programmed instructions at a predetermined time or on a real time basis, said computer means controlling the image presented on said display panel, said computer means capable of altering the manner in which a display is generated on the screen and capable of providing computer generated effects on a display on the display panel and thereby modify the image displayed on said display panel.

2. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that system is a display sign and 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.

3. A display apparatus for generating a display in the form of successively displayed images at a generally fixed location, said display apparatus comprising:

a) an electronically operable flat display panel with wide angle viewing for displaying such successively displayed images;

b) self-contained computer operated processing means associated with said display apparatus for generating a plurality of displays from electronic signals containing information relating to the displays and which signals are delivered from a remote source;

c) memory means associated with said display apparatus 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 displayed at the display panel, thereby enabling the displays to be presented 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; and

d) said computer operated processing means receiving the information from the remote source and controlling the display of that information as displays on the display panel and also controlling the generation of displays on the display panel which are stored in the memory means, and said computer also being operable independently for operating as a stand alone computer and as a means for accessing the internet through the world wide web.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that receiving means is provided in association with said display apparatus for receiving electronic signals transmitted to the display apparatus from the remote source and which are representative of the plurality of displays at the display apparatus.

5. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that said display apparatus is readily transportable and completely self-contained and positionable at a generally fixed location for operation at that fixed location.

6. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that said display apparatus is locatable at a substantial distance from a signal generating means at said remote source which generates signals capable of being converted to images which are displayed at the display apparatus, so that said display apparatus is operable as a self-contained unit independently of any networking for generation of displays.

7. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises means in said display apparatus for sequencing a plurality of sequential displays which are generated at a remote source and transmitted to said display apparatus and which are re-generated from the stored electronic signals and displayed at the display apparatus.

8. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises means in the display apparatus and associated with the processing means for holding a plurality of displays in the form of digital signals for ultimate presentation on said display panel and presentation of said displays at any of a plurality of time selected periods.

9. The display apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that said display panel comprises a flat panel high resolution plasma operated screen.

10. A method for generating a plurality of displays at a display generating remote source and electronically transmitting the displays to a readily transportable display apparatus located at a substantial distance from the remote source for presentation at the display apparatus, said method comprising:

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

b) converting the visual images to corresponding electronic signals at the display generating remote source;

c) transmitting the electronic signals to a self-contained computer processing means associated with the display apparatus;

d) storing the electronic signals representative of the images in the form of digital signals in a memory means associated with said computer processing means and which is also associated with the display apparatus;

e) positioning the display apparatus at a fixed location for operation at that fixed location for a display of the images on a display panel forming part of the display apparatus;

f) re-converting the digital signals into corresponding visual images and displaying same on the display apparatus thereby enabling the images to be presented on a large screen format; and

g) operating the computer processing means to cause the generation of visual displays from the remote source and which are presented on the display panel and controlling the generation of displays which are stored in the memory means, said computer processing means also being operated independently as a stand alone computer and for also accessing the internet through the world wide web.

11. The method of generating the displays of claim 10 further characterized in that said method comprises automatically controlling at the display apparatus the time of a particular display which is regenerated at the display apparatus.

12. The method for generating the displays of claim 11 further characterized in that said display apparatus is operable without need for electronic signal networking, such that the display apparatus operates as a self-contained and stand alone unit.

13. The method for generating the displays of claim 10 further characterized in that the images are fixed and non-continuous.

14. The method for generating the displays of claim 12 further characterized in that the method comprises sequentially transmitting said plurality of displays from said remote source to said display apparatus in the form of digital signals and storing the digital signals representative of those displays at said memory means in said display apparatus, and providing display generating signals at said processing means for sequentially displaying said individual displays.

15. A self-contained display apparatus capable of generating a display from electronic signals generated and transmitted to said apparatus from a remote source, said display apparatus comprising:

a) an outer housing being locatable at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

b) a relatively thin high resolution 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 being operable with said display panel, said processor means receiving digital electronic signals from a remote source and which contain data related to the displays to be generated, said processor means also causing generation of a plurality of different displays on the display panel based on the digital signals received from the remote source for presentation of the displays;

d) storage means operatively connected to said processor means to receive and store the different displays so that they are sequentially displayable; and

e) said computer operated processing means receiving the information from the remote source and controlling the display of that information as visual displays on the display panel and also controlling the generation of displays on the display panel which are stored in the memory means, and said computer also being operable independently for operating as a stand alone computer and as a means for accessing the internet through the world wide web.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15 further characterized in that said relatively thin high resolution panel is a plasma operated display panel and is protected by a transparent cover plate.

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

a) an outer housing being locatable at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

b) a relatively thin high resolution 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 being operable with said display panel, said processor means receiving digital electronic signals from a remote source and which signals contain data related to the displays to be generated, said processor means also causing generation of displays on the display panel based on the digital signals received from the remote source for presentation of the displays; and

d) internal ventilating means in said housing to control heat generation by providing for heat dissipation and to reduce any condensation formed therein.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17 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.

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

a) an outer housing being locatable at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

b) a relatively thin high resolution 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 being operable with said display panel, said processor means receiving digital electronic signals from a remote source and which signals contain data related to the displays to be generated, said processor means also causing generation of displays on the display panel based on the digital signals received from the remote source for presentation of the displays; and

d) a self-contained power supply is associated with an interior compartment of said housing for operating said processor means.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19 further characterized in that said processor means contains a memory with size sufficient large to contain information necessary to sequentially display a plurality of stored displays.

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

a) an outer housing being locatable at any of a plurality of fixed locations;

b) a relatively thin high resolution 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 being operable with said display panel, said processor means receiving digital electronic signals from a remote source and which signals contain data related to the displays to be generated, said processor means also causing generation of displays on the display panel based on the digital signals received from the remote source for presentation of the displays;

d) means associated with said housing to maintain said housing on a back support plate;

e) said support plate having an outward projection which extends into said housing; and

f) 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.

22. A process for generating a display on an image display apparatus from signals from a remote source, said process comprising:

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

b) generating a display at a remote location from a plurality of sources including scanning of pre-generated material to obtain an individual image therefrom;

c) converting the display as generated to equivalent digital electronic signals representative of a plurality of said individual images;

d) transmitting said electronic signals to a dedicated processor in association with said display member and operating said display member;

e) causing generating of a plurality of individual successively presented images on said display member based on the transmitted electronic signals; and

f) positioning the display device at a generally fixed location for displaying of such images.

23. The process for generating a display of an image of claim 22 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.

24. A display system for generating an image on a display member and allowing for enhancing the image which is 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 dedicated computer means in proximity of said housing and dedicated only to the operation of a display system comprising said display panel, said computer means operating on the basis of a series of sequential programmed instructions at a predetermined time or on a real time basis, said computer means controlling the image presented on said display panel, said computer means capable of altering the manner in which a display is generated on the screen and capable of providing computer generated effects on a display on the display panel and thereby modify the image displayed on said display panel; and

d) means for enabling live interaction between users of images on the display panel.

25. The display system of claim 24 further characterized in that said live interaction is telephonic communication.