Information display shelter

• US 8,011,140 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Durham
• Original Assignee: Steven Durham
• Inventors: Durham, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian E
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHAN, BETH A
• Application Number:
  US12/044,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 52/73, 52/74, 52/28, 521/733, 135/90, 135/20.1, 135/21, 248/122.1, 136/244, 136/245, 136/251, 136/291
• US Class Current: 52/73
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/025 in the form of an overhead canopy, e.g. carports

Abstract

An information display shelter includes at least a canopy, a supporting structure, a receiving device, and a signaling path. The canopy includes a display area on at least one surface thereof. The supporting structure is connected to and supports the canopy over a sheltered area defined by a width and a length of a parking space. The supporting structure is configured so as to permit substantially unobstructed access to the sheltered area and viewing of the display area. The receiving device is operable to receive and process a signal including images to be displayed. The signaling path couples the receiving device to the canopy and facilitates communication of the images to the canopy for display in the display area.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electrically powered interactive canopy system and for providing and distributing less obtrusive interactive overhead advertisements in a parking lot, comprising:

providing an improved more efficient interactive information display shelter system, comprising

a solid canopy display shelter system, comprising a horizontally configured overhead interactive canopy comprising at least one overhead interactive display panel, where each said overhead interactive display panel is placed over a respective parking space,

a supporting structure connected to and supporting said at least one overhead interactive display panel over its respective parking space so as to permit less obtrusive overhead interactivity with said display panel and so as to block light from overhead lighting sources, such that consumers in each said parking space can safely access and interact with the respective at least one overhead interactive display panel for that parking space and the overhead interactive canopy provides improved consumer viewing and interactivity with said at least one overhead interactive display panel,

at least a one way receiving device operable to receive and process a signal including information to be displayed via the at least one overhead interactive display panel,

a computer network to facilitate advertisements via each said at least one overhead interactive display panel,

a server database to store interactive advertisements for distribution to each said at least one overhead interactive display panel,

at least a one way signaling path coupling the receiving device to the interactive canopy, and further providing wireless i-casted interactive advertisements to consumers of the interactive canopy,

apparatus facilitating communication of information to the canopy for display with and through each said at least one overhead interactive display panel such that consumers can interact and communicate through various hand gesture interfaces, VUI and GUI devices in order to access interactively displayed and wirelessly transmitted Internet web portal advertisements via said interactive canopy, and

wherein at least one said at least one interactive display panels is tiltable for better consumer advertisement viewing; and

providing a source of electrical power for the electrically powered interactive canopy system and method for providing and distributing less obtrusive interactive overhead advertisements in a parking lot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the placement of an electrical transparent solar panel, placed inside the interactive display panel, further provides less obstructive viewing of the canopy during the day and further provides an included source of electrical power.

2. A method for providing a less obtrusive, safer, electrically powered consumer interactive canopy display and shelter system and for using same, comprising:

providing an electrically powered consumer interactive canopy display and shelter system, comprising

a horizontally configured overhead, non-continuous interspersed interactive canopy that is unobtrusively configured so as to provide a safer, consumer accessible overhead interactive canopy that displays advertisements,

a supporting structure connected to and supporting the interactive canopy over a sheltered area, the supporting structure configured so as to permit access to the sheltered area,

wherein the supporting structure is connected to and supports the downward facing, horizontally configured interactive canopy over a parking space area, thereby reducing overhead lighting obstructivites from above the canopy without significantly obstructing overhead consumer interactivity with the canopy,

a computer to network interactive canopy advertisements to said interactive canopy and other interactive canopies, and

apparatus for providing wirelessly transmitted interactive advertisements to a consumer of the overhead interactive canopy, such that said consumer can interact with said interactive canopy in place over said consumer'"'"'s parking space in a parking lot through consumer hand gesture interfaces, VUI, and GUI devices; and

providing a source of electrical power for the less obtrusive, safer, electrically powered consumer interactive canopy display and shelter system and method for using same.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the placement of electrical transparent photovoltaic panel, making up a section of the interactive canopy, further provides safer viewing of the canopy at night, when exposed to an overhead outdoor parking lot light source and further provides an included source of electrical power.

3. A method for providing an improved, safer, advertisement and consumer incentivized electrically powered interactive information display shelter canopy system and for using same, comprising:

providing a less obtrusive advertisement and consumer incentivized electrically powered interactive information display shelter canopy system canopy system, comprising

an electrically powered consumer interactive unobtrusively configured downward facing interactive advertising canopy located over a parking space, said interactive advertising canopy is solidly configured so as to block light from over head light pole lighting, thus improving and significantly improving consumer interactivity with the interactive advertising canopy,

a supporting structure connected to and supporting the interactive advertising canopy over a sheltered area,

internet gateway-portal equipment that can showcase and transmit wireless interactive advertisements, and

apparatus providing and allowing consumers to interact with displayed and wirelessly transmitted interactive advertising canopy advertisements sent and communicated through hand gesture interfaces, GUI, and VUI communication means and devices, so that a consumer is able to fully interact with overhead unobtrusively displayed and wirelessly transmitted interactive canopy advertisements on said interactive advertising canopy;

providing a source of electrical power for the advertisement and consumer incentivized electrically powered interactive information display shelter canopy system and method for using same; and

showcasing, displaying and transmitting incentivized i-casted interactive advertisements that consumers benefit from, by interacting, acknowledging and responding to the i-casted interactive advertisements, in exchange for free or discounted products and services that advertisers and the interactive advertising canopy may offer to consumers of the interactive advertising canopy.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein placement of an electrical transparent photovoltaic panel, placed above the interactive advertising canopy, further provides less obtrusive interactive canopy advertising light, at night, and further provides an included source of electrical power.

4. A method for providing an improved, safer, advertising based incentivized interactive information display shelter system and for using same, comprising:

providing an improved advertising based incentivized interactive information display shelter system, comprising

an electrically powered unobtrusively placed overhead interactive canopy including at least one unobtrusive horizontally configured overhead interactive canopy display panel,

a supporting structure connected to and supporting the overhead interactive canopy over a parking space area,

wherein the overhead interactive canopy provides unobtrusive consumer viewing of, and interactivity with, the interactive canopy over a parking space while a consumer is parked in said space, enabling the consumer to interact safely with interactive canopy advertisements,

at least a one way receiving device operable to receive and process a signal including information to be displayed via the interactive canopy,

at least a one way signaling path facilitating communication of wireless interactive advertisements that consumer hand gesture interfaces, GUI and VUI means and devices can interact through to interact with the shelters i-casted advertisements, as a consumer sits in a parked car under the canopy, such that at least one of;

the shelter can display interne based advertisements,

the shelter can broadcast wireless Internet web portal advertisements from its gateway portal equipment to consumer user interfaces,

an advertiser that showcases interactive advertisements from the interactive shelter canopy can further provide consumers with discounted incentivized products and services that the canopy displays and broadcasts to consumers,

the interactive advertisements that are displayed and broadcast to consumers are i-cast incentivized wireless advertisements that consumers of the interactive shelter can interact and benefit from in the form of product and service discounts,

consumers can opt-into and interact with the interactive advertisements displayed and wirelessly distributed to consumers of the interactive canopy by accessing the retailers store website,

consumers can opt-into and interact with the interactive advertisements displayed and wirelessly distributed to consumers of the interactive canopy by accessing the shelters website,

consumers can opt-into and interact with the interactive advertisements displayed and wirelessly distributed to consumers of the interactive canopy by accessing the advertisers website,

consumer further benefit from the interactive shelters wireless transmissions as they can interact with the interactive canopy advertisements in the comfort of their own car shaded by the interactive canopy located over a commercial mall parking space, and

in exchange for consumers interacting with and through various incentivized products and services that are i-casted interactive advertisements, the consumer benefits from interacting with the incentivized advertisements, which promote discounted and free products and services that the advertisers of the canopy may offer to consumers of the interactive shelter, when they interact with the interactive incentivized advertisements; and

providing a source of electrical power for the improved, safer, advertising based incentivized interactive information display shelter system and method for using same.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein placement of an electrical transparent photovoltaic panel, integrated into the canopy, further promotes safer artificial canopy lighting and further provides an included source of electrical power.