Remote control electronic display system

• US 8,330,613 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• 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
• Application Number:
  US12/116,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 one or more images of a product or service on a display panel and enhancing the image of the product or service displayed thereon, sad display system comprising:

i) at least one display sign comprising;

a) an outer housing and

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

ii) a computer means in proximity to said housing and dedicated to the operation of the at least one display sign, said computer means operating on the basis of a series of sequential programmed instructions at a predetermined time or on a real time basis, sad computer means A) controlling the image presented on said display panel, B) being capable of altering the direction and manner in which the image is generated on the display panel, D) being capable of providing enhancement of any computer generated effects to an image on the display panel to thereby enhance or modify the image displayed on said display panel, and E) being capable of providing animation to the image of a displayed product or service to increase consumer appeal to the displayed product or service.

2. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that computer means is a dedicated computer means dedicated to the operation of the display system and for operation as a stand alone computer means.

3. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that said computer means is a dedicated computer means.

4. The display system claim 1 further characterized in that each display sign is located in a position so as to orient the display panel to be observed by a plurality of observers.

5. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that certain of said housings are mounted on stands which have 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 on the display panel.

6. The display system of claim 1 comprising a self-contained computer operated processing means associated with said display sign for generating a plurality of displays from electronic signals containing information relating to the displays and memory means associated with said processing means and storing information delivered in digital signal format as digital signals and allowing the digital signals to be reconverted to visible images which are displayed at one or more selected ones of said display panels, 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.

7. The display system of claim 6 further characterized in that said computer operated processing means is capable of receiving electronic signal containing information relating to the displays from a remote source the information from the remote source and controlling the display of that information as displays on the display pane 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.

8. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that said system further comprises:

receiving means for receiving electronic signals transmitted to the display system from a remote source and which are representative of a plurality of displays to be displayed on one or more of the display panels.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said display signs are readily transportable and completely self-contained and positionable at a generally fixed location for operation at that fixed location.

10. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that said display system comprises a plurality of display signs each of which is locatable at a substantial distance from a signal generating means at a remote source which generates signals capable of being converted to images to be displayed by the display sign, whereby each said display sign is operable as a self-contained unit independently of any networking for generation of displays.

11. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that said display panel comprises a flat panel high resolution display screen.

12. The display system of claim 1 further characterized in that the 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.

13. The display system of claim 1 wherein the images are displayed as a succession of images.