Forty-eight by fourteen foot outdoor billboard to be illuminated using only two lighting assemblies
DCFirst Claim
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1. A billboard comprising:
- a support structure;
a display surface mounted on the support structure, the display surface having visual media content displayed thereon, the visual media content comprising a picture and/or text, wherein the display surface has a width of forty-eight feet along an upper edge and a lower edge of the display surface and a height of fourteen feet along a left side edge and a right side edge of the display surface, the display surface comprising a first portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the left side edge and a second portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the right side edge, the first and second portions together extending from the left side edge to the right side edge;
a walkway attached to the support structure adjacent the lower edge of the display surface, wherein an uppermost surface of the walkway is vertically spaced at a distance lower than the lower edge of the display surface;
a first lighting assembly that includes a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a first plurality of optical elements, the first plurality of LEDs being thermally coupled to a first heat sink, wherein the LEDs of the first plurality of LEDs are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including a plurality of LEDs mounted so that all of the LEDs of the first lighting assembly are arranged in a common orientation, and wherein each optical element of the first plurality of optical elements is disposed over only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the first portion of the display surface, wherein the first lighting assembly is attached to the walkway and all of the LEDs of the first lighting assembly are mounted in a single assembly; and
a second lighting assembly that includes a second plurality of LEDs and a second plurality of optical elements, the second plurality of LEDs being thermally coupled to a second heat sink, wherein the LEDs of the second plurality of LEDs are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including a plurality of LEDs mounted so that all of the LEDs of the second lighting assembly are arranged in a common orientation, and wherein each optical element of the second plurality of optical elements is disposed over only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the second portion of the display surface, wherein the second lighting assembly is attached to the walkway at a location laterally spaced from the first lighting assembly and all of the LEDs of the second lighting assembly are mounted in a single assembly, wherein the display surface can be illuminated using only the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly so that the visual media content can be viewed without additional light.
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Abstract
A forty-eight foot wide outdoor billboard can be illuminated at night using only two lighting assemblies. First and second areas of a display surface of the billboard are simultaneously illuminated by emitting light from a number of LEDs mounted in a common plane and redirecting the light toward the display surface using a plurality of optical elements. Each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED and includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light toward the first area of the display surface so that visual media content of the display surface is visible without any additional light.
170 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A billboard comprising:
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a support structure; a display surface mounted on the support structure, the display surface having visual media content displayed thereon, the visual media content comprising a picture and/or text, wherein the display surface has a width of forty-eight feet along an upper edge and a lower edge of the display surface and a height of fourteen feet along a left side edge and a right side edge of the display surface, the display surface comprising a first portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the left side edge and a second portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the right side edge, the first and second portions together extending from the left side edge to the right side edge; a walkway attached to the support structure adjacent the lower edge of the display surface, wherein an uppermost surface of the walkway is vertically spaced at a distance lower than the lower edge of the display surface; a first lighting assembly that includes a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a first plurality of optical elements, the first plurality of LEDs being thermally coupled to a first heat sink, wherein the LEDs of the first plurality of LEDs are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including a plurality of LEDs mounted so that all of the LEDs of the first lighting assembly are arranged in a common orientation, and wherein each optical element of the first plurality of optical elements is disposed over only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the first portion of the display surface, wherein the first lighting assembly is attached to the walkway and all of the LEDs of the first lighting assembly are mounted in a single assembly; and a second lighting assembly that includes a second plurality of LEDs and a second plurality of optical elements, the second plurality of LEDs being thermally coupled to a second heat sink, wherein the LEDs of the second plurality of LEDs are arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including a plurality of LEDs mounted so that all of the LEDs of the second lighting assembly are arranged in a common orientation, and wherein each optical element of the second plurality of optical elements is disposed over only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the second portion of the display surface, wherein the second lighting assembly is attached to the walkway at a location laterally spaced from the first lighting assembly and all of the LEDs of the second lighting assembly are mounted in a single assembly, wherein the display surface can be illuminated using only the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly so that the visual media content can be viewed without additional light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A billboard comprising:
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a support structure; a display surface mounted on the support structure, the display surface having visual media content displayed thereon, the visual media content comprising a picture and/or text, wherein the display surface has a width of forty-eight feet along an upper edge and a lower edge of the display surface and a height of fourteen feet along a left side edge and a right side edge of the display surface, the display surface comprising a first area extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the left side edge and a second area extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the right side edge, the first and second areas together extending from the left side edge to the right side edge; a first lighting assembly directed toward the display surface, wherein the first lighting assembly comprises; a first carrier; a first lighting unit secured to the first carrier, the first lighting unit comprising a single planar circuit board, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the first lighting unit is configured to direct light across the first area of the display surface; a second lighting unit secured to the first carrier, the second lighting unit comprising only a single planar circuit board, a plurality of LEDs attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the second lighting unit is configured to direct light across the first area of the display surface; and a third lighting unit secured to the first carrier, the third lighting unit comprising only a single planar circuit board, a plurality of LEDs attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the third lighting unit is configured to direct light across the first area of the display surface; and a second lighting assembly directed toward the display surface, wherein the second lighting assembly comprises; a second carrier; a fourth lighting unit secured to the second carrier, the fourth lighting unit comprising only a single planar circuit board, a plurality of LEDs attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the fourth lighting unit is configured to direct light across the second area of the display surface; a fifth lighting unit secured to the second carrier, the fifth lighting unit comprising only a single planar circuit board, a plurality of LEDs attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the fifth lighting unit is configured to direct light across the second area of the display surface; and a sixth lighting unit secured to the second carrier, the sixth lighting unit comprising only a single planar circuit board, a plurality of LEDs attached to the single planar circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element is disposed over only one associated LED, wherein the sixth lighting unit is configured to direct light across the second area of the display surface; wherein the display surface can be illuminated using only the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly so that the visual media content can be viewed without any light other than light from the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A billboard comprising:
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a support structure; a display surface mounted on the support structure, the display surface having a width of forty-eight feet along an upper edge and a lower edge of the display surface and a height of fourteen feet along a left side edge and a right side edge of the display surface, the display surface comprising a first portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the left side edge and a second portion extending from the lower edge to the upper edge adjacent the right side edge, the first and second portions together extending from the left side edge to the right side edge; a first lighting assembly including a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a first row and a second row, the first lighting assembly also including a first plurality of optical elements arranged in the first row and the second row over the plurality of LEDs such that each optical element overlies only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct light from the first plurality of LEDs across the first portion of the display surface; and a second lighting assembly including a second plurality of LEDs arranged in a first row and a second row, the second lighting assembly also including a second plurality of optical elements arranged in the first row and the second row over the second plurality of LEDs such that each optical element overlies only one associated LED, the optical elements each including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct light from the second plurality of LEDs across the second portion of the display surface; wherein the first lighting assembly is mounted at a first location, and wherein the second lighting assembly is mounted at a second location, wherein the first location is laterally spaced from the second location along the width of the display surface; and wherein the display surface of the billboard can be illuminated using only the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly so that visual media content on the display surface can be viewed without additional lighting. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of illuminating a forty-eight by fourteen foot outdoor billboard using only two lighting assemblies, wherein the billboard comprises a display surface having visual media content displayed thereon, the visual media content comprising a picture and/or text, wherein the display surface has a width of forty-eight feet along an upper edge and a lower edge of the display surface and a height of fourteen feet along a left side edge and a right side edge of the display surface, the display surface comprising a first area extending from the lower edge to the upper edge near the left side edge and a second area extending from the lower edge to the upper edge near the right side edge, the first and second areas together extending from the left side edge to the right side edge, the method comprising:
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illuminating the first area of the display surface by emitting light from a first plurality of LEDs mounted in a common plane in a first assembly and redirecting the light across the first area using a first plurality of optical elements, each optical element being disposed over only one associated LED and including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the first area of the display surface so that the visual media content of the first area is visible without any additional light; and at the same time, illuminating the second area of the display surface by emitting light from a second plurality of LEDs mounted in a common plane in a second assembly and redirecting the light across the second area using a second plurality of optical elements, each optical element being disposed over only one associated LED and including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion arranged to direct the light across the second area of the display surface so that the visual media content of the second area is visible without any additional light. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification