Real-estate sign support assembly

• US 9,443,454 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glow Post, LLC
• Original Assignee: Glow Post, LLC
• Inventors: Treece, Justin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, CASSANDRA HOPE
• Application Number:
  US14/806,274
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/18 Edge-illuminated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/0006 planar structures comprising one or more panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2007/1873 characterised by the type of sign
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/222 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/18 Means for attaching signs, plates, panels, or boards to a supporting structure

Abstract

A horizontal cross-arm assembly is disclosed having a housing with an external surface, the housing defining a horizontal cross-arm operably configured to support a real-estate sign thereunder. A plurality of color-changing light-sources are disposed within an interior cavity defined by the external surface of the housing, the plurality of color-changing light-sources operable to emit a colored light through the external surface of the housing. At least one controller is communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources, the controller operably configured to change a color of at least one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources from a first color to a second color, different from the first color.

Claims

1. A real-estate sign assembly comprising:

a real-estate sign;

a transparent horizontal cross-arm including;

a transparent housing having a transparent external surface, the transparent housing defining a transparent horizontal cross-arm body operably configured to support the real-estate sign thereunder;

a plurality of color-changing light-sources disposed within an interior cavity defined by the transparent external surface of the housing, the plurality of color-changing light-sources operable to emit a colored light through the transparent external surface of the transparent housing; and

at least one controller communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources, the at least one controller operably configured to change a color of at least one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources from a first color to a second color, different from the first color; and

a vertical post with an upper portion, the transparent horizontal cross-arm coupled to and supporting the real-estate sign thereunder and transversely attached to the upper portion of the vertical post so as to form the real-estate sign assembly.

2. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of color-changing light-sources includes an LED.

3. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of color-changing light-sources includes a first LED operable to emit a red light, a second LED operable to emit a green light, and a third LED operable to emit a blue light, each of the first LED, the second LED, and the third LED communicatively coupled to a microcontroller operably configured to control colored light emissions of the first LED, the second LED, and the third LED to vary an output color produced by the color-changing light-source.

4. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the at least one controller is operably configured to change colors of the plurality of color-changing light-sources according to a predetermined color changing pattern stored on a non-transitory memory of the at least one controller.

5. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

the predetermined color changing pattern includes emitting colored lights from the plurality of color-changing light-sources such that at least one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources produces a color different than another color simultaneously produced by another one of the plurality of color-changing light-sources.

6. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the transparent external surface of the transparent housing is of an acrylic material.

7. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the vertical post is oriented substantially perpendicular to the transparent horizontal cross-arm.

8. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the transparent housing is formed as an elongated rectangular shape.

9. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the transparent housing substantially encloses the plurality of color-changing light-sources within the interior cavity.

10. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of color-changing light-sources are arranged on a light-supporting substrate spaced-apart from one another in an array.

11. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of color-changing light-sources are supported on a light-supporting strip.

12. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a light-supporting substrate supporting the plurality of color-changing light-sources; and

a support member supporting the light-supporting substrate.

13. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the transparent external surface of the transparent housing is of a light-diffusing material.

14. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a battery electrically coupled to the plurality of color-changing light-sources and a light sensor, the light sensor operable to detect daylight and automatically turn off power to the plurality of color-changing light-sources as a result of detecting daylight.

15. The real-estate sign assembly in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a near-field communication device disposed on the transparent external surface of the transparent housing and operable to transmit data wirelessly to an NFC-enabled electronic mobile device within an extremely close communication range to cause the NFC-enabled electronic mobile device to access a website corresponding to a real-estate location at which the real-estate sign is displayed.

16. A real-estate sign support assembly comprising:

a real-estate sign;

a transparent horizontal cross-arm operably configured to support the real-estate sign, the transparent horizontal cross-arm having an external surface that is entirely transparent, the external surface defining a transparent housing body, the transparent housing body substantially enclosing;

a plurality of light-sources operable to emit a light through the external surface of the transparent housing body; and

a vertical post with an upper portion, the transparent horizontal cross-arm coupled to and supporting the real-estate sign thereunder and transversely attached to the upper portion of the vertical post so as to form the real-estate sign assembly.

17. The real-estate sign support assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

the vertical post is oriented substantially perpendicular to the transparent horizontal cross-arm.

18. The real-estate sign support assembly in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

a battery electrically coupled to the plurality of color-changing light-sources; and

a light sensor, the light sensor operable to detect daylight and automatically turn off power to the plurality of color-changing light-sources as a result of detecting daylight.

19. The real-estate sign support assembly in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

a near-field communication device disposed on the external surface and operable to transmit data wirelessly to an NFC-enabled electronic mobile device within an extremely close communication range to cause the NFC-enabled electronic mobile device to access a website corresponding to a real-estate location at which the real-estate sign is displayed.

20. The real-estate sign support assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

each of the plurality of light-sources is a color-changing light-source having;

a first LED operable to emit a red light;

a second LED operable to emit a green light;

a third LED operable to emit a blue light; and

a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the first LED, the second LED, and the third LED, the microcontroller operably configured to change a color produced by the color-changing light-source by controlling the emissions of the red, green, and blue lights.