Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR USE ON HORIZONTAL
OR NON-HORIZONTAL SURFACES
[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. ~ 119(e) of U.S.
provisional application serial no. 60/526,271 filed December 3, 2003. Further,
this
application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application serial no.
10/454,631,
filed June 5, 2003, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. ~ 119(e) of U.S.
provisional application 60/385,579 filed June 5, 2002. Application serial no.
10/454,631 is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application serial
no.l0/438,923,
filed May 16, 2003, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. ~ 119(e) of U.S.
provisional application 60/378,070, filed May 16, 2002. Application serial no.
10/438,923 is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application serial no.
10/285,639,
filed November 1, 2002, which is a continuation of application serial no.
10/137,357, filed May 3, 2002, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 6,507,285 on
January
14, 2003. Application serial no. 10/137,357 is a continuation of application
serial
no. 09/767,846, filed January 24, 2001, and issued as U.S. Patent No.
6,417,778 on
July 9, 2002. Application serial no. 09/767,846 is a continuation of
application
serial no. 09/418,752, filed October 15, 1999, and now abandoned. Application
serial no. 09/418,752 is a continuation-in-part of application serial no.
09/304,051,
filed May 4, 1999, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 6,219,876 on April 24,2001.
Moreover, this application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application
serial
no. 10/759,167, filed January 20, 2004, which claims the benefit under 35
U.S.C. ~
119(e) of U.S. provisional application serial no. 60/441,408, filed January
22, 2003.
Application serial no. 10/759,167 is a continuation-in-part of co-pending
application
serial no. 10/682,435, filed October 10, 2003 which claims the benefit under
35
U.S.C. ~ 119(e) of U.S. provisional applications identified as follows:
application
serial no. 60/418,626, filed October 12, 2002; application serial no.
60/428,387, filed
November 19, 2002; and application serial no. 60/429,044, filed November 22,
2002. Application serial no. 10/682,435 is a continuation-in-part of co-
pending
application serial no. 10/438,923, filed May 16, 2003. Each of the above-
identified
applications and patents is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
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Background
[0002] United States Patent 6,417,778 to Blum et al., which is fully
incorporated
herein by reference, describes an electronic display device associated with a
floor,
that enables conveying information via dynamic images and text. The present
disclosure relates to various novel and advantageous features of such an
electronic
display device.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0003] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of components of a multi-panel display system
and associated control electronics according to embodiments of the present
invention;
[0004] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of components of a partly assembled
mufti-panel display system and associated control electronics according to
embodiments of the present invention;
[0005] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a more fully assembled mufti-panel
display system according to embodiments of the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another example of a more fully
assembled mufti-panel display system according to embodiments of the present
invention;
[0007] FIG. 5 shows a side elevation view with some perspective of a display
system according to embodiments of the present invention; and
[0008] FIGs. 6A and 6B show an example of mounting devices for a display
system according to embodiments of the present invention.
Detailed description
[0009) Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display system
comprising
an electronic display device housed within a supporting fixture, where the
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supporting fixture may be capable of being arranged on a substantially
horizontal
surface such as a floor and walked over, or of being mounted on a non-
horizontal
surface, including a substantially vertical surface such as a wall. To this
end, the
electronic display device and supporting fixture may be thin and lightweight,
while
also being durable and shock resistant. Control electronics for the display
device
may be arranged in such a way that space is conserved.
[0010] More specifically, a display system according to embodiments of the
present invention may comprise an electronic display device, and a supporting
fixture to house the electronic display device. The supporting fixture may
include a
1o protective covering to cover the electronic display device, a support
framework to
support the protective covering, an outer shell comprising a plurality of
surfaces
bordering the protective covering, and a base. The base, the protective
covering and
the outer shell may substantially enclose the electronic display device
therein. The
supporting fixture may be adapted to be arranged on a substantially horizontal
surface and walked over while protecting the electronic display device from
damage,
and further comprise a mounting device to mount the supporting fixture and
electronic display device to a non-horizontal surface, such as a wall.
[0011 ] Embodiments of the present invention further relate to a thin display
system
for placement on a floor, the display system comprising an electronic display
device
2o covered by a protective transparent or partly transparent covering and
bordered by
sloping surfaces tapering to a thin edge, the display system capable of being
walked
over, the sloping surfaces and thin edge to reduce the likelihood of a person
tripping
over the display system.
(0012] Embodiments of the present invention still further relate to a thin
display
system for placement on a floor, the display system comprising an electronic
display
device substantially enclosed within a protective transparent or partly
transparent
covering and a thin outer shell and base, the electronic display device being
substantially centrally located with respect to the outer shell, control
electronics for
the electronic display device being arranged about a periphery of the
electronic
display device and housed within the outer shell and base.
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[0013] As noted above, an electronic display device associated with a floor
has
been previously disclosed. More specifically, U.S. 6,417,778 discloses a
system for
electronically conveying information via an electronic display device
associated
with a floor. The electronic display device may incorporate a modifiable
electronic
display surface presenting for example, a liquid crystal display. The display
could
be connected to a computer and a computer generated image could be displayed
on
the display. Thus, the image displayed on the display could be modified by
generating a different computer image and displaying that computer image on
the
display. The display could be associated with a base portion of a floor
covering,
such as included within a recess thereof, or could be included on a bottom
surface,
facing upward, of an insert portion of the floor covering. Alternatively, the
display
could be integrally formed with either of the base portion or the insert
portion. The
modifiable display could utilize a plurality of different graphics that can be
displayed in any of a variety of manners on the display. For example, the
graphics
could be displayed in a generally fixed position on the display or could
scroll across
the display, with both exemplary methodologies displaying multiple graphics
either
individually or in combination.
[0014] Other alternatives for modifying graphics displayed on the floor
covering
include using light emitting polymers to create, and thus change, the
graphics. The
light emitting polymers can be either applied to, attached to, or woven into
the floor
covering. The light emitting polymers may be utilized on any portion of floor
covering, for example, on either the base portion or the insert portion, or on
any
other portion of the different embodiments for the floor covering. Light
emitting
polymers are known and described in U.S. Patents 5,945,502, 5,869,350, and
5,571,626, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0015] Other options for a display are to use electronic ink or electric
paper.
Electric paper is available from Xerox and is described in U.S. Patents
5,723,204,
5,604,027, 4,126,854, and 4,143,103, which are incorporated herein by
reference in
their entirety. Electric paper employs thousands of tiny, electrically charged
beads,
called Gyricon, each about the width of a human hair, to create pixels. The
two-tone
beads are embedded inside a liquid-filled plastic sheeting that forms the
surface of
the paper. Each bead, half black, half white, gyrates in response to an
electric field.
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Whether the beads are black- or white-side up determines the image. Because
there's no need to refresh the image, and because the screen isn't backlit,
electric
paper uses only a fraction of the power used by conventional electronic
displays.
Electromagnetic styluses and printer-like devices can be used for getting
images
onto the paper.
[0016] Electronic ink is available from E Ink Corp., at 45 Spinelli Pl.,
Cambridge,
MA 02138. Electronic ink uses a microencapsulated micromechanical display
system. Tiny microcapsules are captured between two sheets of plastic to
create
pixels. Alternatively, the capsules may be sprayed on a surface. The result is
a
1o flexible display material. The tiny capsules are transparent and contain a
mixture of
dark ink and white paint chips. An electric charge is passed through the
capsules.
Depending on the electrostatic charge, the paint chips float at the top or
rest on the
bottom of each capsule. When the paint chips float at the top, the surface
appears
white. When they rest at the bottom, and thus under the ink, the surface
appears
black. Each of the two states is stable: black or white. A transparent
electromagnetic grid laid over the sheet's surface controls the shape of the
image.
The display may be wirelessly connected to, for example, a computer and thus,
the
World Wide Web by utilizing, for example, a Motorola paging system. Text on
all
displays, if multiple displays are used, can be changed at once by a single
editor,
through a Web page.
[0017] A floor display system as disclosed above may be used in places where
there
is foot traffic or other (for example, wheeled shopping cart) traffic, such as
entryways to stores, public buildings or homes. In such environments, strong
forces
may be imparted to the floor display system by the foot traffic or other
traffic.
Techniques for suitably protecting the electronic display device from damage
due to
such forces and other factors have been disclosed. The techniques include
using a
tough, durable protective material such as tempered glass or plastic to cover
the
electronic display device. More sophisticated protective structures have also
been
disclosed. For example, U.S. Patent Application 10/454,631, which is fully
3o incorporated herein by reference, describes a modular protective structure
for an
electronic display device associated with a floor.
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[0018] As described in 10/454,631, an electronic display assembly may comprise
a
plurality of display modules. A coherent display may be presented on the
plurality
of display modules. That is, while individual display modules may present only
fragments of a display, in the aggregate the plurality of display modules may
present
a complete or unified display. On the other hand, each of the modules could be
configured to display unrelated images and/or text.
[0019] More specifically, a display module may be an electronic display device
incorporating any display technology, including those disclosed herein, and
others
not specifically disclosed. A display module may be configured to
electronically
display graphical images and alphanumeric data in either a static (not moving
or
changing) or dynamic (e.g., scrolling or otherwise moving or changing) format.
More specifically, a display module may be coupled by wired or wireless means
to a
controller and modifiable via the controller to display any content chosen by
a user.
For example, a display module may be coupled to the controller via a display
driver
circuit such as a video graphics adapter card. The controller may include any
kind
of electronic logic circuit, for example, a general microprocessor
configurable with
software, or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). A driver of a
display
module may be integrated with the controller or built into an ASIC. The
controller
may also be in the form of a single board computer with a processor and memory
and with one or more display driving circuits built onto the board, as well as
wireless components for communicating with the outside world or for loading
data
into memory. The controller may be coupled to a storage medium, which could be
any form of medium suitable for short or long tem storage of digital data,
including
RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), flash or other non-
volatile solid-state electronic storage, EEPROM (electronically erasable and
programmable read only memory), or magnetic and/or optical disk storage. The
storage medium may store, for example, control software for execution by the
controller and video content of choice for display, under the control of the
control
software, by a display module.
[0020] As further described in 10/454,631, display modules of an assembly may
be
arranged within separate protective enclosures comprising a bottom member, a
top
member, and vertical supports or sidewalk. In embodiments, elements of the
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protective enclosures may be common to the display modules; for example, the
protective enclosures may have a common top member, bottom member, and one or
more common sidewalk. In other embodiments, each display module may have a
separate protective enclosure with a distinct bottom member, top member and
sidewalls. According to alternative embodiments, separate protective
enclosures
with distinct top and bottom members and vertical supports could be provided
for
each display module. A volume between the top member and display module may
be provided. The vertical supports and bottom members of the protective
enclosures
could be made from materials including, for example, plastic, metal, glass or
wood.
to (0021] Advantages of the modular structures as described in 10/454,631
include
that the structures provide excellent protection for the display modules from
pressures and impacts applied to the assembly, at least in part because the
pressures
and impacts are shared by a system of vertical supports distributed across the
assembly. Thus, the pressures and impacts are not concentrated in any
particular
spot, but are instead distributed and diffused among the various members
forming
the protective enclosures. This effect may be further enhanced by increasing
the
degree of segmentation, i.e., increasing the number of display modules and
associated protective enclosures within the same overall area. Increasing the
degree
of segmentation of the display assembly could enable the display assembly to
be
constructed to be more thin. Generally, a thinner display assembly is
desirable since
this creates less obstruction to traffic and may be more lightweight.
Increasing
segmentation could allow vertical supports of the protective enclosures to be
made
shorter, and the top member or members to be made thinner.
[0022] In embodiments as described in 10/454,631, vertical supports may be
utilized where the vertical supports do not extend continuously across the
display
area as beams. Instead, columns may used as vertical supports, as opposed to
continuous beams. This kind of construction could be more economical with
materials. In still further embodiments, the display modules may have
apertures
formed therein configured to receive vertical supports. The vertical supports
could
3o be any kind of projection configured to be received within a corresponding
aperture
in a display module. When received within apertures of a display module, the
vertical supports may project beyond an upper surface of the display module to
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support a top protective member of a protective enclosure and provide a volume
of
space between the top member and the module, as described above. A protective
structure utilizing features as described in the preceding may allow for a
substantially thin top member or members for a protective enclosure or
enclosures of
the display assembly, since the structure provides for distributed vertical
supports
for the top member across the assembly as described above. Moreover, such a
structure could be used with a single or unitary display device as opposed to
modular display devices.
[0023] U.S. 10/682,435, which is fully incorporated herein by reference,
discloses
lightweight control electronics for driving a display of a display element
layer in a
thin, flexible display system. The control electronics may be housed within a
thin,
lightweight flexible frame, laterally to the display element layer
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of at least a portion of a display system 100
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display system 100
may
comprise one or more flat display panels 1 Ol . The system 100 may further
comprise
control electronics 102 coupled to the display panels 101 via a connector 103.
Connector 103 is intended to represent one or more connections that could be
both
wired and wireless. The connector 103 may be used to send control signals and
to
drive image data to the panels 101 from the control electronics 102, which may
include image drivers. The control electronics 102 may be formed, for example,
as a
single board computer.
[0025] Furthermore, the display panels 101 may include any of the features and
properties of the display modules described in 10/454,631 or others of
applications
incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, the control electronics 102 may
include
any of the features and properties of the controller described in 10/454,631
or others
of applications incorporated herein by reference
[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control electronics 102 may be laterally
arranged with respect to (i.e., to one or more sides of) the display panels
101. The
display panels 101 and the control electronics 102 may be disposed so as to
lie in
substantially the same plane, and may both be thin and flat. By contrast, the
control
electronics of conventional display systems are typically placed behind the
display
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panel and thus the combination of the display and the control electronics
tends to be
somewhat bulky.
(0027] As noted, the arrangement of FIG. 1 need not include a plurality of
panels
101 but could instead comprise only a single or unitary display panel coupled
to
control electronics. However, "tiling" a plurality of panels 101 as
illustrated in
FIG.1 advantageously permits a thin support structure to be formed as part of
a
durable, lightweight supporting fixture as described earlier. More
specifically, a
supporting fixture according to embodiments of the present invention may
comprise
thin support members 104a, 104b arranged between the display panels 101, and a
1o perimeter portion 104c around a perimeter of the display panels 101. As
illustrated,
members 104a and 104b are transverse or perpendicular with respect to each
other,
and perimeter portion 104c outlines a rectangle, but other geometries are
possible.
For example, the support members 104a, 104b or portions thereof could be
parallel,
could be at angles other than 90° with respect to each other, or could
be curved or
include curved portions. Moreover, the perimeter portion 104c could define
other
shapes than a rectangle, such as curved or angular shapes. The support members
104a, 104b and perimeter portion 104c may in combination provide a support
framework for one or more transparent or translucent protective coverings. The
covering or coverings may be formed from a durable material such as tempered
glass or plastic. As will be better seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the perimeter
portion 104c
may be formed as part of an outer protective shell.
[0028] Like other embodiments of an electronic display device associated with
a
floor as described herein, the display panel or panels 101 and associated
supporting
fixture comprising support framework 104a, 104b, 104c may be used in places
where there is foot traffic or other (for example, wheeled shopping cart)
traffic, such
as entryways to stores, public buildings or homes. Accordingly, the supporting
fixture may be sturdy and durable enough that it may be repeatedly stepped on,
walked over, or have a wheeled shopping cart or other rolling or sliding
object
traverse it, with negligible adverse effect to it or the display panel or
panels that it
houses. To this end, an electronic display device and associated supporting
fixture
according to embodiments of the present invention may include any of the
structures
described in 10/454,631.
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[0029] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a partly assembled display system
according to embodiments of the present invention, including an electronic
display
device comprising four display panels 101 according to embodiments of the
present
invention. The display panels may sit or rest on or be affixed to a base 201.
Control
electronics 102 may be laterally arranged with respect to the display panels
101 and
may also sit or rest on or be affixed to the base 201. FIG. f shows a
perspective
view of a more fully assembled display system 100 according to embodiments of
the
present invention, comprising four display panels 101 housed within a
supporting
fixture including support framework 104a, 104b, 104c and a clear or
translucent
protective covering 301 supported by the support framework 104a, 104b, 104c.
In
embodiments each display panel or groups of display panels could have separate
protective covers.
[0030] An outer protective shell 310 comprises surfaces 302. The perimeter
portion 104c may be formed as an inner edge of the outer protective shell 310.
Surfaces 302 bordering the display panels 101 may be inclined surfaces that
slope
downward. For example, the surfaces 302 may begin at a level that is
approximately
equal to a level of a top surface of the supporting fixture, which could be a
top or
outer surface of the protective covering 301, and slope downward to an outer
edge,
so that the entire perimeter of the display system 100 presents an inclined
surface to
a person approaching the display system 100. Such a structure may make the
display system easier to cross over, either by a person walking over the floor
display
system, or by a wheeled shopping cart, for example, if the display system is
placed
in the aisles of a commercial establishment. However, other configurations are
possible for the bordering surfaces 302. For example, they need not begin to
slope
at a top level of the supporting fixture, but could begin to slope at a
different level.
The bordering surfaces 302 could include multiple different slopes, for
example.
The outer shell 310 comprising the bordering surfaces 302 may cover the
control
electronics 102 and be fastened to the base 201. In view of the foregoing, a
supporting fixture for a thin electronic display device according to
embodiments of
the present invention may include the protective covering 301, the outer shell
310
comprising the bordering surfaces 302, the support framework 104a, 104b, 104c,
and the base 201.
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[0031 ] The display system 100 may further include an external power supply
module 303 connected to the control electronics 102 by a power cable 304. In
embodiments, additional data lines may be included with the power cable 304
and
accessible via the power supply module 303.
[0032] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment according to the present
invention.
The display system 100 of FIG. 4 comprises an electronic display device
including
two display panels 101, and a supporting fixture including a protective
covering 301,
supported by support framework 104a or 104b (depending on perspective) and
104c,
bordering surfaces 302, and a base 201 (not visible because covered).
[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates possible dimensions of a display system 100
according to
embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side elevation view that
includes
some perspective. An outer edge SO1 of a bordering surface 302 of a protective
covering 301 is in the foreground of FIG. S. Several U.S. coins are propped up
next
to the edge 501 to illustrate scale. The coins include a U.S. quarter 502, two
U.S.
nickels 503, and a U.S. dime 504.
[0034] In embodiments, a thickest part of the display system 100 (i.e., a
shortest
distance from a top surface of the protective covering 301 to a bottom surface
of the
base 201 ) is from 0.3 to 1 inch thick, and preferably between 0.5 to 0.7
inches thick.
A thickness of an outer edge 501 is less than 0.1 inch and is preferably
between 0.02
2o and 0.08 inches. As noted, a bordering surface 302 may slope downward from
a
level that is approximately equal to a top level of the protective covering
301 to an
outer edge 501. In embodiments, this slope may occur over a distance of
between 6
and 12 inches, and preferably over a distance of between 8 and 10 inches.
[0035] As noted earlier, in addition to being capable of being walked over
when
placed on a floor, embodiments of the present invention may further be capable
of
being mounted on a non-horizontal surface, such as a wall. FIGs. 6A and 6b
show,
respectively for a two-panel system (see FIG. 4) and a four-panel system (see
FIG.
3), a bottom surface of a base 201 of a display system 100, i.e., a surface
that would
be in contact with a floor if the display system 100 were arranged so that the
display
3o panels faced upwardly for viewing. As illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B,
embodiments
of the present invention may further comprise a device or devices for
attachment or
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mounting to a non-horizontal surface. The device or devices for attachment or
mounting of the display system 100 to a non-horizontal surface may be included
in
the supporting fixture of the electronic display device, and be adapted, for
example,
to engage a projection from a non-horizontal surface. For example, a mounting
loop
601 could be coupled to or formed integrally with the base 201, at or on an
outer
edge 201.1 thereof. Or, for example, a hole or recess 602 could be formed in
the
base 201. The mounting loop 601 or hole/recess 602 could be brought into
engagement with, for example, a hook or other projection on a wall, whereby
the
supporting fixture and electronic display device could be suspended with the
electronic display device facing outwardly for viewing. The invention is not
limited, however, to a mounting loop and/or hole/recess. Any device for
attaching,
mounting, suspending or the like, a supporting fixture and electronic display
device
to a non-horizontal surface is within the scope of the present invention. For
example, attachment or mounting devices associated with a supporting fixture
could
include a hook or hooks, hook-and-loop fasteners such as Velcro~, magnets,
pins,
bolts, screws and the like, and associated structures formed on or coupled to
the
supporting fixture, holding receptacles, brackets and the like fastenable to a
wall and
designed to receive the supporting fixture, et cetera. The attachment or
mounting
devices need not be associated with the base 201, but could also be coupled to
or
formed on other parts of the supporting fixture, such as outwardly or upwardly
facing structures/surfaces like the bordering surfaces 302.
[0036] Embodiments of the present invention may further include any of the
features or properties of the applications incorporated herein by reference.
For
example, embodiments of the present invention may include or be associated
with an
audio device, a sensing device for sensing the presence of persons and
performing
an action in response, variable image orientation, and interactive features
including
providing product information in response to customer queries. Embodiments of
the
present invention may further be capable of wired or wireless communication
with a
network.
(0037] Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically
illustrated
and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications
and
variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and
within the
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purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended
scope
of the invention.
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