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.

1 - 7 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       8 . A display apparatus capable of generating a display from electronic signals generated and transmitted to said apparatus from a remote source, said display apparatus being operable at any of a plurality of fixed locations and comprising: 
 a) an outer housing having an interior compartment;    b) a relatively thin high resolution display panel on said housing and being observable to a group of viewers; and    c) self-contained computer controlled processor means associated with said housing and receiving electronic signals from a remote source, said electronic signals containing data representative of the displays to be generated, said processor means causing generation of displays in the display panel based on the signals received from the remote source.    
   
   
       9 . The display apparatus of  claim 8  further characterized in that said display apparatus is self-contained, is able to generate a plurality of different displays stored in a storage associated with said processor means and is able to present said displays sequentially.  
   
   
       10 . The display apparatus of  claim 8  further characterized in that said display panel is a plasma operated display screen.  
   
   
       11  The display apparatus of  claim 8  further characterized in that said housing is provided with internal ventilating means to control heat generation by providing for heat dissipation and to reduce condensation which might form therein.  
   
   
       12  The display apparatus 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 apparatus 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 apparatus 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 apparatus 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 a spaced apart relationship from said display panel and provides an air gap therebetween.  
   
   
       16  The display apparatus 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 hosing to said support plate and prevent unauthorized access to said housing.  
   
   
       17  A display system for generating a display on a display apparatus and capable of enhancing the image of the product or service which may be displayed thereon, said display system comprising: 
 a) and outer housing;    b) a display paned on said housing and being observable to a viewer; and    c) a computer means in proximity of said housing dedicated to the operation of the display system, said computer means operating on the basis of a series of sequential programmed instructions at a predetermined time or on a real time basis and controlling the display presented on said display panel, said computer means capable of altering the direction and manner in which a display is generated on the display panel as well as providing computer generated effects to the display to be presented on the display panel.    
   
   
       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 apparatus from a remote source, said process comprising: 
 a) providing a stand-alone, self-contained display apparatus having a high resolution display panel and a dedicated computer processor means associated with said display panel at a generally fixed location such that said display panel has viewing accessibility,    b) generating a display at a remote source and converting the display as generated to equivalent digital electronic signals representative of said display;    c) transmitting said electronic signals to a the dedicated computer processor means of said display apparatus; and    d) causing the presentation of a display on said display panel based on the transmitted electronic signals.    
   
   
       20  The process of  claim 19  further characterized in that the display is generated, in whole or in part, by scanning of pre-generated material to obtain an image therefrom and saving that image in electonic form.  
   
   
       21  The process of  claim 19  further characterized in that the display is presented with wide angle viewing such that a group of people can readily and easily view the display panel from a wide array of viewing angles.  
   
   
       22  The display system of  claim 17  further characterized in the display presented on the diplay panel is a promotional display and the display apparatus further comprises means for enabling live interaction between the viewer and the promoter.  
   
   
       23  The display system of  claim 22  further characterized in that said live interaction is telephonic communication.  
   
   
       24  A display apparatus for presenting a display in the form of successively displayed images at a generally fixed location, said display apparatus comprising: 
 a) an electronically operable flat panel display panel with wide angle viewing for displaying said successively displayed images which may comprise advertising and other information;    b) self-contained computer operated processing means associated with said display apparatus for generating the display from electronic signals containing information relating to the images and which electronic signals are received from a remote source; and    c) memory means associated with said display apparatus and forming part of said processing means for storing the electonic signals received from the remote source in the form of digital data and allowing the digital data to be reconverted to visible images which are displayed on the display panel of the display apparatus, said memory means being capable of storing a large number of different displays which may be presented at time selected periods independently of external electronic signals from a remote source.    
   
   
       25  The display apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising receiving means for receiving the electronic signals from the remote source.  
   
   
       26  The display apparatus of  claim 24  further characterized in that said display apparatus is readily transportable and completely self-contained and positionable at a generally fixed location for operation at that fixed location.  
   
   
       27  The display apparatus of  claim 24  further characterized in that said display apparatus is locatable at a substantial distance from a signal generating means at the remote source and is operable as a self-contained unit, independent of any networking in relation to the generation of the displays.  
   
   
       28  The display apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising means for sequencing a plurality of displays for presentation on the display panel, said displays being stored on the memory means of the display apparatus.  
   
   
       29  The display apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising means in the display apparatus and associated with the processing means for holding a plurality of displays in the form of digitial signals for ultimate presentation on said display panel and presentation of said displays at any of a plurality of time selected periods.  
   
   
       30  The display apparatus of claims  24  further characterized in that said display panel comprises a flat panel high resolution plasma operated screen.  
   
   
       31  A method for generating a plurality of individual displays at a remote source and electronically transmitting the displays to a readily transportable display apparatus located at a substantial distance from the remote source for presentation, said method comprising: 
 a) generating a plurality of displays at a display generating source with each display in the form of or capable of presentation as at least one visual image;    b) if not already in electronic form, converting the visual images to corresponding electronic signals at the display generating device;    c) transmitting sequentially, collectively or at different times, the electronic signals representative of the images to a self-contained computer processing means associated with the display apparatus;    d) storing the electronic signals in the form of digitial signals in a mermory means associated with said computer processing means; and    e) causing said computer processor means to access the stored digital signals and process the same so as to effectuate the presentation of the visual image on a display panel associated with said display apparatus.    
   
   
       32  The method of  claim 31  further characterized in that said method comprises automatically controlling at the display apparatus the time and sequence of each display to be presented.  
   
   
       33  The method of  claim 32  further characterized in that said display apparatus is operable without the need for electronic signal networking, such that the display apparatus operates as a self-contained and stand alone unit.  
   
   
       34  The method of  claim 31  further characterized in that one or more displays stored on the memory means or the time and sequence of the displays to be presented may be changed from a remote source.  
   
   
       35  The method of  claim 31  further characterized in that one or more displays stored on the memory means or the time and sequence of the displays to be presented may be changed at the display apparatus.