AU2006100107B4

AU2006100107B4 - A novel advertising display

Info

Publication number: AU2006100107B4
Application number: AU2006100107A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Steve Merheb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-08
Filing date: 2006-02-13
Publication date: 2006-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-13
Also published as: AU2006100107A4

Description

Our Ref: 12652981 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

SORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant(s): Steve MERHEB 14 Prince Street, Granville, New South Wales 2142,

AUSTRALIA

Address for Service: Invention Title: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 "A novel advertising display" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -1- A NOVEL ADVERTISING DISPLAY Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of electronic displays, and in particular, electronic displays used for mobile advertising purposes.

Background of the Invention Electronic displays are often mounted on to trucks and trailers so that they can be transported about whilst advertisements are played on them thereby increasing public exposure to the advertisements.

It is often the case that, such electronic display may simply include a TV set which is placed up against a window of the truck or trailer with little or nothing to anchor the display into place. This can be quite hazardous for a passenger in the truck or trailer given that when the truck comes to a sudden halt, the display may tend to be dislodged from its position so as to result in injury to the passenger.

In other cases, electronic displays often tend to be bulky and may occupy a great deal of space in the truck and/or trailer such that it is difficult to concurrently utilise any remaining space in the truck and/or trailer for other purposes for instance, for transporting merchandise Summary of the Invention The present invention seeks to alleviate at least one of the problems associated with the above-described prior art.

-2- The present invention involves several different broad forms. Embodiments of the invention may include one or any combination of the different broad forms herein described.

In a first broad form, the present invention provides a body panel adapted for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including an interior, and the body panel including: a recess and an opening disposed in a relatively outward side of the body panel; and an electronic display mounted at least partially within the recess of the body panel whereby, the electronic display faces outwardly of the vehicle interior so as to be viewable from outside of the vehicle via the opening in the body panel.

Preferably, the body panel includes a door adapted for use with the vehicle.

Preferably, the electronic display includes at least one of: an LCD display; or (ii) a plasma screen display.

Preferably, the present invention includes a protective screen disposed across the opening.

Typically, the protective screen which may be fitted across the door opening so as to protect the electronic display disposed therein from vandalism.

Typically, the protective screen may include a transparent material such as perspex or glass. Typically, the glass may include tempered glass so as to alleviate the risk of injury to a passenger in the vehicle should the protective screen be caused to break in an accident.

Preferably, the protective screen includes a glare-reducing layer.

Preferably, the present invention includes a means of mounting the electronic display within the body panel recess. Preferably, the means of mounting the electronic display within the door recess may include one or more fasteners, brackets or the like. For instance a series of brackets may be screwed into place around the body panel so as to hold the electronic display in position against the body panel opening. Preferably the at least one fastening bracket may be selectively adjustable so that, advantageously, a range of electronic displays of varying thickness may potentially be accommodated within the body panel recess as required by a user.

The means of mounting the electronic display within the body panel may further, or alternatively, include a fitting plate which is adapted to provide a buffer between the electronic display and the body panel opening. Advantageously, the fitting plate may include a pliable material so as to be adapted to accommodate a range of electronic display dimensions. Typically, the fitting plate may include a sheet of material having an outer periphery and an aperture. Typically, when fitted to the body panel, the outer periphery may snugly fit around a peripheral rim of the body panel opening, whilst the inner periphery may be adapted to snugly engage with the electronic display.

Preferably, the electronic display may be interfaced with at least one of a CD player or DVD player mounted within the vehicle. The interface may include a wireless communication link for instance, based on BluetoothM an/dor Wi-FiTM protocols. Conveniently, advertisements which are pre-recorded on a DVD, may be played using the DVD player and viewed on the electronic display by virtue of the wireless link.

It would be appreciated that In certain embodiments of the present invention, the electronic display may be operably interfaced with any suitable analog and/or digital media player device(s) such as a VHS Tape player, an mp3 player, and/or -4computer hard-drive which may typically have advertisements recorded on them for playback on the electronic display.

It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the present invention disclosed herein seeks to provide several advantages. For instance, by housing the display at least partially within the door of the vehicle, space within the vehicle interior may be better utilised for alternative purposes such as storing/transporting merchandise or passengers. A further advantage may be that, in comparison to prior art techniques, the electronic display when housed with the door may alleviate the risk of injury to a passenger who may other wise be injured by an unsecured electronic display placed in the passenger compartment.

Typically, the present invention may include an independent power supply separate to that of the vehicle battery. This may be preferable given that where the electronic display may be played when the vehicle is stationary, and in such circumstances, the vehicle battery may be drained.

In a second broad form, the present invention provides a vehicle including: a vehicle interior; a body panel having a recess and an opening disposed in a relatively outward side of the body panel; and an electronic display mounted at least partially within the recess of the body panel whereby, the electronic display faces outwardly of the vehicle interior so as to be viewable from outside of the vehicle via the opening in the body panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment thereof, described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 depicts a first embodiment of the present invention mounted to a vehicle; Figure 2 depicts a magnified view of a section of the door to which the electronic display is mounted. The view is taken from within the door looking outwardly of the door opening; Figure 3 shows a magnified view of a section of the door to which the electronic display is mounted. The view is taken from outside of the vehicle looking inwardly of the door opening; Figure 4 shows a cut-away top view of a door of the first embodiment; Figure 5 depicts a block diagram of an LCD display and speakers interfaced with a DVD/CD player of the vehicle.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention Various aspects of a first embodiment of the present invention are shown in Figs.

1 to 5, and will be described in further detail below.

A vehicle is provided including a door having a relatively inward side a relatively outward side an internal door recess The door also includes an opening (2d) disposed in the relatively outward side (2b) of the door An LCD display is mounted within the door recess (2c) with peripheral edges of the LCD display abutting against the relatively outward side (2b) around the opening (2d) of door The LCD display faces outwardly of the door recess The LCD display is releasably secured into position relative to the door opening (2d) by several screen fasteners The screen fasteners include Lshaped pieces which, after the LCD screen is placed up against the relatively outward side (2b) of the door are screwed into inside place from within the door recess (2c) at various points around the periphery of the door opening so as to brace the LCD against the door opening The screen fasteners are able to be adjustably tightened so as to conveniently accommodate a range of possible LCD display dimensions which may be mounted securely within the door The door includes a pair of speakers which are also mounted within the door recess (2c) on either side of the LCD display It would be appreciated that the speakers can be mounted using a similar arrangement as described for mounting the LCD display within the door recess The relatively outward side (2b) of the door also includes side openings (6a,6b) which are adapted to allow sound from the speakers to be projected outwardly from the door recess (2c).

The LCD display and speakers are interfaced with a DVD/CD player (8) installed within the passenger compartment of the vehicle Figure 5 depicts an example block diagram of the interconnection between the DVD/CD player the LCD display speakers and an independent power supply The DVD/CD player is interfaced with the LCD display and speakers using a WI-FI enabled communication link The speakers and LCD display are powered by a stand-alone power supply (12) which is separate to that of the vehicle power supply ie. a typically 12 volt battery (14) which is used to power the DVD/CD player. This arrangement is shown broadly in the block diagram of Fig. The first embodiment also includes a protective screen (10) which covers the LCD display from outside of the vehicle The protective screen (10) includes a tempered glass screen (11 a) and a metallic periphery (11 The tempered glass -7is oriented to overlay the door opening (2d) whilst the metallic periphery (11 b) lies flush against an outwardly-facing surface of the relative-outward side (2b) of the door so as to securely enclose the LCD display within the door recess In this embodiment, the tempered glass also includes a glare-reducing layer of material. The metallic periphery (11 b) also includes a pair of openings (1 d, le) which allow sound from the speakers to pass through the protective screen in use.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described without departing from the scope of the invention. All such variations and modification which become apparent to persons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps and features, referred or indicated in the specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims

1. A body panel adapted for use with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes an interior, and the body panel includes: a recess and an opening disposed in a relatively outward side of the body panel; and an electronic display mounted at least partially within the recess of the body panel whereby, the electronic display is arranged to face outwardly of the vehicle interior so as to be viewable from outside of the vehicle via the opening in the body panel.

2. A body panel as claimed in claim 1 including a door adapted for use with the vehicle.

3. A body panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a means of adjustably accommodating and securing a range of electronic displays having varying dimensions.

4. A body panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a protective screen adapted to overlay the door opening whereby the electronic display is able to be securely enclosed within the door recess, and, the protective screen including at least one of: a transparent material; a tempered glass material; a material adapted to alleviate glare. A body panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a media player adapted for playing a video on the electronic display via at least one of: a wireless communication link; and a hard-wired communication link.