Field retrofit kit for converting a static billboard into a dynamic electronic billboard, and methods of retrofitting and using same

• US 9,330,583 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTI Media LLC
• Original Assignee: ADTI Media LLC
• Inventors: Cox, David Franklin, Frederick, James Warren, van Doorn, John, Carlson, Arne E, Romano, Richard J
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/844,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,144 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/3026 Video wall, i.e. stackable semiconductor matrix display modules video wall control systems G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An electronic billboard generally includes a plurality of hand mountable structural frames mounted to the poster panels of an existing in field non electronic static billboard; the hand mountable structural frames being laid out in an array; and where individual ones of the hand mountable structural frames are configured in a further array of structural bay members adapted to receive therein display modules with dual LED display panels; a plurality of preformed power and data harnesses electrically and mechanically coupled between individual ones of the bays and a universal power and data distribution system coupled to the harnesses for providing data and direct current low voltage to the display modules to facilitate the conversion of the distributed data display information into visible radiant energy which is displayed by the electronic billboard.

Claims

1. An electronic billboard, comprising;

a plurality of hand mountable structural frames arranged in an array of structural bay members arranged in pairs of columns;

said plurality of hand mountable structural frames each being mountable by a backside surface thereof to a frontside surface of a plurality of poster panels for helping to provide natural airflow cooling to a plurality of display modules, each individual display module having dual light emitting diode panels, each individual one of the light emitting diode panels being coupled electrically and mechanically to a preformed power and data wiring harness arrangement to facilitate providing the light emitting diode panels with low voltage direct current power rectified from a source of universal high voltage alternating current power and to further facilitate providing the light emitting diode panels with streaming data to facilitate the display of changeable image and text information on the electronic billboard;

wherein each individual structural frame is generally rectangular in shape having a greater longitudinal length than lateral length and includes a primary wall structure; and

wherein each individual structural frame has a plurality of weight reduction cutout portions distributed in said primary wall structure to facilitate a sufficient structural frame weight reduction for its hand placement on said plurality of poster panels but not a sufficient structural weight reduction to subject said structural frame to break under a wind load force of no greater than 100 pounds per square foot.

2. The electronic billboard according to claim 1, wherein each structural bay member is dimensioned for receiving therein an individual one of said plurality of display modules;

wherein each individual one of said plurality of display modules includes a right side display panel and a left side display panel; and

each structural bay member has a long X axis dimension, an intermediate Y axis dimension and a shorter Z axis dimension.

3. The electronic billboard according to claim 2, wherein said right side display panel and said left side display panel, each includes a 512×

512×

512 red, green and blue light emitting diode area to form 512 pixels on said right side display panel and 512 pixels on said left side display panel.

4. The electronic billboard according to claim 3, wherein the generally rectangular shape of each individual structural frame is defined by a top wall structure, a bottom wall structure, a left side wall structure and a right side wall structure;

wherein each structural bay member is generally rectangular in shape having a greater lateral length than longitudinal length; and

wherein each individual one of said plurality of structural frames further includes a plurality of spaced apart elongate cooling vent structures to facilitate providing the structural frame with a plurality of natural air flow paths for natural air cooling of individual ones of said plurality of display modules.

5. The electronic billboard according to claim 4, wherein each individual one of said plurality of spaced apart elongate cooling vent structures extends from said bottom wall structure to said top wall structure;

wherein said bottom wall structure, and said top wall structure, include a plurality of chimney vent slots for receiving removably therein individual ones of perforated chimney vent covers.

6. The electronic billboard according to claim 4, wherein said bottom wall structure and said top wall structure each are adapted to receive a plurality of perforated chimney vent covers to facilitate air flow along said cooling vent structures and to substantially prevent insects and small animals from finding ingress into a void space formed between abutting surfaces of said plurality of structural frames and said plurality of poster panels.

7. The electronic billboard according to claim 6, wherein said right side wall, said left side wall, said bottom wall and said top wall are each provided with at least one bee stop slot dimensioned for receiving therein a bee stop cover, said bee stop cover substantially preventing bee-like insects from infesting and nesting within an interior area of the structural frame.

8. The electronic billboard according to claim 7, wherein said right side wall includes a plurality of alignment slots each being dimensioned for receiving therein a plurality of corresponding side wall alignment tabs to facilitate left to right alignment of said plurality of structural frames.

9. The electronic billboard according to claim 8, wherein said side wall tabs are spaced apart from one another and each extends perpendicularly outwardly from said left side wall.

10. The electronic billboard according to claim 9, wherein said bottom wall includes a plurality of alignment slots each being dimensioned for receiving therein a top wall alignment tab to further facilitate bottom to top alignment of said plurality of structural frames;

wherein said top wall alignment tabs are spaced apart and extend perpendicularly outwardly from said top wall.

11. The electronic billboard according to claim 10, wherein each individual structural bay member is subdivided into a plurality of display panel receiving areas including a right side receiving area and a left side receiving area.

12. The electronic billboard according to claim 11, wherein each individual structural bay member includes a daughter board alignment structure, said daughter board alignment structure being disposed between said left side display panel area and said right side display panel area.

13. The electronic billboard according to claim 12, wherein each individual structural bay member further includes a plurality of latch receiving protuberance structures, said protuberance structures being arranged to orient a plurality of display module latches in a plurality of different X and Y axis orientations to facilitate establishing a display module latching pattern to substantially prevent display panel dislodgement from an associated structural bay member during wind load forces of not greater than 100 pounds per square foot as defined by a municipal code.

14. The electronic billboard according to claim 13, wherein each individual one of said plurality of structural frames includes a plurality of groups of spaced apart outwardly projecting hook like harness wiring guides for defining harness wiring paths within the individual structural frame for facilitating providing power and data to said right side display panel and said left side display panel.

15. The electronic billboard according to claim 14, wherein each individual one of said plurality of structural frames includes a plurality of wire harness node locator structures for receiving thereon over mold structures associated with a data and power harnesses to help secure the data and power harnesses to the structural frame and to protect the power and data harnesses from accidental damage during installation of said display modules.

16. The electronic billboard according to claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of power and data harnesses electrically and mechanically coupled between individual ones of said plurality of hand mountable structural frames and at least one utility box coupled to said plurality of power and data harnesses;

said at least one utility box disposed on a rear side of said plurality of poster panels for distributing data and power from a universal source of electrical energy;

wherein said at least one utility box is adapted to rectify said universal source of electrical energy to a source of low voltage constant current power and to control a stream of data for distribution to individual ones of the plurality of display modules; and

wherein each individual structural bay member has disposed therein at least one display module to facilitate the conversion of the stream of data into visible radiant energy which is displayed by the electronic billboard.

17. The electronic billboard according to claim 4, wherein said primary wall has a long Y axis dimension, an intermediate X axis dimension, and a shorter Z axis dimension and is circumscribed by said top wall structure, said bottom wall structure, said left side wall structure, and said right wall structure.