Dynamic balloon display device and method for use thereof

• US 9,636,596 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deeplocal, Inc. (WPP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Deeplocal, Inc. (WPP PLC)
• Inventors: Baltus, Gregory D., Martin, Nathan Michael, Pegula, Matthew A., Schwerin, Michael B., Lacey, Justin C., Miller, Patrick, Olshenske, Zachary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LETT, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/808,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20160104432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 345473
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1033 Inflation devices or methods for inflating balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/06 by aeroplanes, airships, balloons, or kites
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

A balloon display device configured to create displays representative of digital images. The device may comprise a processor configured to transmit instructions for creating the display to a display panel, which comprises one or more balloon boxes. Each balloon box may comprise at least one balloon coupled to a pneumatic control. An electronic control can be configured to receive instructions for turning on or off specified valves to inflate or deflate the balloon. An associated method may comprise converting a digital image into readable instructions for creating a balloon display. The instructions, which may comprise commands for inflating or deflating a balloon, may then be transmitted to the display device and executed to create the display.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one processor configured for generating and transmitting multiple sets of instructions for creating a plurality of different balloon displays representative of different digital images by re-inflating a plurality of balloons; and

a balloon display panel operably coupled to the processor wherein the balloon display panel further comprises a plurality of balloons, where each balloon is operably connected to at least one balloon box, and wherein each balloon box further comprises;

at least one pneumatic control operably coupled to each balloon, wherein the pneumatic control comprises at least one valve, and

at least one electronic control, wherein each electronic control is configured to receive the sets of instructions from the processor and cause at least one pneumatic control to execute the instructions to thereby create the plurality of different balloon displays, wherein the instructions further comprise commands for turning on or off at least one specified valve which results in inflating, deflating, or maintaining the inflation of at least one corresponding balloon.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a means for delivering at least one compressed gas to each pneumatic control.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the pneumatic control further comprises at least one orifice.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the pneumatic control further comprises at least one manifold.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pneumatic control further comprises at least one air regulator.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the pneumatic control further comprises at least one receiver.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the pneumatic control further comprises at least one pressure gauge.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one air compressor.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic control further comprises at least one microprocessor.

10. A method comprising:

converting one or more digital images into one or more sets of readable instructions for creating a plurality of different balloon displays representative of the digital images by re-inflating a plurality of balloons, wherein each set of instructions further comprise at least one command for turning on or off at least one specified valve which results in inflating, deflating, or maintaining the inflation of at least one corresponding balloon and wherein converting the digital image further;

comprises converting the digital image into a specified number of pixels wherein each pixel corresponds to at least one balloon of the balloon display device, and

assessing the intensity of each pixel to thereby determine the diameter of each balloon in the balloon display device required to create the balloon display;

transmitting the instructions to a balloon display device; and

executing the instructions to create the plurality of different balloon displays.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the commands further comprise timing components.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying at least one pre-processing technique to the digital image.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the instructions further comprise a plurality of instruction sets, each instruction set corresponding to at least one location of the balloon display.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the digital image is generated by a third party user.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

accessing the digital image,

evaluating the digital image, and

determining whether or not to create a balloon display representative of the digital image.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising generating at least one of a digital image and a video of the balloon display.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

converting at least one of the digital image and the video into at least one animated GIF, and transmitting the animated GIF to a third party user.

18. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium in operable communication with the processor, wherein the storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform the following;

convert one or more digital images into one or more sets of readable instructions for creating a plurality of different balloon displays representative of the digital images by re-inflating a plurality of balloons, wherein each set of instructions further comprise commands for turning on or off at least one specified valve which results in inflating, deflating, or maintaining the inflation of at least one corresponding balloon and wherein converting the digital image further;

comprises converting the digital image into a specified number of pixels wherein each pixel corresponds to at least one balloon of the balloon display device, and assessing the intensity of each pixel to thereby determine the diameter of each balloon in the balloon display device required to create the balloon display;

transmit the instructions to the balloon display device; and

execute the instructions to create the balloon display.