Remote control electronic display system

Abstract

A remotely controlled electronic display sign which operates with a plasma display and which provides for humidity and heat control and the like allowing the sign to be used in various environments. The sign is essentially self-contained and includes those components necessary for enabling a display of desired material from a remote control source or one located at the sign. A controller in or associated with the sign is accessible either electrically, or through satellite transmission or other wireless transmission from the remote source which allows the display of the sign to be changed at will. Thus, an operator at a remote source may, with the aid of a pre-prepared graphic design, transmit that design to the controller at or associated with the sign for display of that graphic information and potentially with sound.

Having thus described our invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . A display system for generating a display at a display sign from a remote source, said display system comprising: 
 a) a display sign having a high resolution flat display panel;    b) processing means in said display sign for generating a display on said display panel from signals transmitted from a remote source;    c) display generating means at the remote source for generating a display in the form of an electrical signal capable of being transmitted; and    d) means at the remote source for transmitting electrical signals representative of that display to the processor means at the display sign.    
     
     
         2 . The display system of  claim 1  further characterized in that said display sign is self-contained to be able to generate a plurality of different displays stored in a storage of said processing means.  
     
     
         3 .The display system of  claim 2  further characterized in that said display panel is a plasma operated display screen.  
     
     
         4 . The display system of  claim 1  further characterized in that said display generating means comprises a computer means for generating a display and transmitting electrical signals representative of said display over an electrical conductor or by non-electrical conductor means.  
     
     
         5 . The display system of  claim 4  further characterized in that said computer means at said remote source receives input signals over the world wide web which are used to generate a display.  
     
     
         6 . The display system of  claim 1  further characterized in that said display generating means comprises means for scanning a copy of a document and means for introducing additional input based on manual actuation of an operator to alter the document, and a computer means at said remote source to aid in transmitting electrical signals representative of the generated image to the display sign.  
     
     
         7 . The display system of  claim 2  further characterized in that said processing means comprises a storage capable of storing a plurality of differing images to be presented and a sequencing means to cause sequential display of certain of said images.  
     
     
         8 . A display sign capable of generating a display based on electrical signals from a remote source, said display sign comprising: 
 a) an outer housing;    b) a high resolution display panel on said housing and being observable to a viewer;    c) processor means within said housing and receiving an electrical signal from a remote source representative of the display to be generated, said processor means causing generation of that display on the display panel based on the signal received from the remote source.    
     
     
         9 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that said display sign is self-contained to be able to generate a plurality of different displays stored in a storage of said processor means.  
     
     
         10 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that said display panel is a plasma operated display screen.  
     
     
         11 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that said housing is provided with internal ventilating means to control heat generation and to reduce condensation which might therein form.  
     
     
         12 . The display sign of  claim 11  further characterized in that said ventilating means comprises air inlet means and separate air outlet means and separate fan means for moving air through said housing.  
     
     
         13 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that said display panel forms part of a self-contained computer controlled flat panel display screen assembly.  
     
     
         14 . The display sign of  claim 13  further characterized in that said processor means contains a memory with size sufficiently large to contain all of the information necessary to sequentially display a plurality of stored displays.  
     
     
         15 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that a protective transparent cover plate extends over said display panel and spacer means holds said cover plate in spaced apart relationship from said display panel and provides an air gap therebetween.  
     
     
         16 . The display sign of  claim 8  further characterized in that said housing is maintained on a back support plate, said support plate having an outward projection which extends into said housing, said projection being located to receive a backing pin extending through a side wall of said housing and into said projection to secure said housing to said support plate and prevent unauthorized access to said housing.  
     
     
         17 . A display system for generating a display on a display sign and enhancing the image of the product or service which may be displayed thereon, said display system comprising: 
 a) an outer housing;    b) a display panel on said housing and being observable to a viewer; and    c) a processor means in said housing and controlling the display presented on said display panel, said processor means capable of altering the direction and manner in which a display is generated on the screen and to provide animation to a display product or service to increase consumer appeal to the displayed product or service.    
     
     
         18 . The display system of  claim 17  further characterized in that said housing is mounted on a stand which has shelf space for holding a product of the type being displayed on said display panel.  
     
     
         19 . A process for generating a display on a display sign from a remote source, said process comprising: 
 a) providing a display panel having a high resolution display screen at a location having viewing accessibility;    b) generating a display at a remote source and converting the display as generated to equivalent electrical signals;    c) transmitting said electrical signals to a processor at said display panel and operating said display panel; and    d) causing generation of a display on said display panel based on the transmitted electrical signals.    
     
     
         20 . The process for operating a display of  claim 19  further characterized in that said process comprises generating the display from a plurality of sources including scanning of pre-generated material to obtain an image therefrom.