SCREEN SYSTEM FOR USE ON HORIZONTAL OR NON-HORIZONTAL SURFACES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. patent 6,417,778 issued to Blura et al. , which is fully incorporated by reference herein describes an electronic display device associated with a floor, which allows information to be conveyed via dynamic images and text. The present disclosure is concerned with several novel and advantageous aspeof such electronic display device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a plan view of components of a multi-panel display system and associated electronic control components according to embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of components of a partially assembled multi-panel display system and associated electronic control components, according to embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a multi-panel display system more fully assembled according to embodiments of the present invention; Ref .: 173535 Figure 4 shows a perspective view of another example of a more completely assembled multi-panel display system, according to embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a side elevational view with some perspective of a screen system according to embodiments of the present invention; and Figures 6A and 6B show an example of mounting devices for a screen system according to embodiments of the present invention. invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Modalities of the present invention are concerned with a display system comprising an electronic display device housed within a support accessory, wherein the support accessory may be capable of being arranged on a substantially horizontal surface such as a floor and can be walked on or it can be mounted on a non-horizontal surface, in which a substantially vertical surface such as a wall is included. For this purpose, the electronic display device and support accessory may be thin and light in weight, while also being durable and shock-resistant. Electronic control components for the display device can be arranged in such a way that space is conserved. More specifically, a display system according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise an electronic display device and a support accessory for housing the electronic display device. The support accessory may include a protective cover for covering the electronic display device, a support structure for supporting the protective cover, an outer cover comprising a plurality of surfaces bordering the protective cover and a base. The base, protective cover and outer cover can substantially enclose the electronic display device therein. The support fixture may be suitable for being arranged on a substantially horizontal surface and for walking on it, while protecting the electronic display device from damage and further comprising a mounting device for mounting the fixture and display device electronic to a non-horizontal surface such as a wall. Modalities of the present invention are also concerned with a thin screen system for laying on a floor, the screen system comprises an electronic screen device covered by a transparent or partially transparent protective cover and bordered by inclined surfaces that are tapered to an edge thin, the screen system is apt to be stepped on, inclined surfaces and thin edge reduce the likelihood of a person falling on the screen system. Modes of the present invention are still further concerned with a thin screen system for laying on a floor, the display system comprises an electronic display device substantially enclosed within a transparent or partially transparent protective cover and a thin outer cover and base, the electronic display device is located substantially central with respect to the outer cover, the electronic components of control for the electronic display device are arranged around a periphery of the electronic display device and housed within the outer cover and base. As indicated above, an electronic display device associated with a floor has been previously disclosed. More specifically, U.S. Patent 6,417,778 discloses a system for electronically transporting information via an electronic display device associated with a floor. The electronic display device may incorporate a modifiable electronic display surface having, for example, a liquid crystal display. The screen could be connected to a computer and a computer generated image could be displayed on the screen. Thus, the image shown on the screen could be modified by generating a different computer image and displaying that computer image on the screen. The screen could be associated with a base portion and a floor covering, such as included within a recess thereof or it could be included on a bottom surface, facing upwards, of an insertion portion of the floor covering . Alternatively, the screen could be formed integrally with either one of the base portion or the insertion portion. The modifiable screen could use a plurality of different graphics that can be displayed in any one of a variety of ways on the screen. For example, the graphics could be displayed in a fixed position on the screen or they could move across the screen, both exemplary methodologies show multiple graphics, either individually or in combination. Other alternatives for modifying the graphics shown on the floor covering include using light-emitting polymers to create and thus change the graphics. The light-emitting polymers can be applied to or fabrics to the floor covering. The light emitting polymers may be used on any floor covering portion, for example, either on the base portion or insertion 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 5,571626, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Other options for a screen are using electronic ink or electrical paper. Electric paper is available from Xerox and is described in US 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 uses thousands of small, electrically charged beads called Gyricon, each about the width of a human hair, to create pixels. The two-tone pearls are embedded into a plastic laminate filled with liquid that forms the surface of the paper. Each pearl, half black, half white, rotates in response to an electric field. If the pearls are on the black side or white side up, determine the image. Because there is no need to renew the image and because the screen is not backlit, the electrical paper uses only a fraction of the energy used by conventional electronic displays. Electromagnetic pens and printer-like devices can be used to obtain images on paper. Electronic ink is available from E Ink Corp., at 45 Spinelli Pl. , Cambridge, MA 02138. Electronic ink uses a microencapsulated micromechanical screen system. The small microcapsules are captured between two sheets of plastic to create pixels. Alternatively, the capsules can be atomized on a surface. The result is a flexible screen material. The small capsules are transparent and contain a mixture of dark ink and white paint fragments. An electrical charge is passed through the capsules. Depending on the electrostatic charge, the paint fragments float overhead or rest on the bottom of each capsule. When the fragments of paint float on top, the surface appears white. When they rest on 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 lying on the surface of the sheet controls the shape of the image. The screen can be connected wirelessly for example to a computer and thus also to the Internet when using, for example, a radiolocation system from Motorola. Text on all screens, if multiple screens are used, can be changed at the same time by a single editor, through a web page. A floor screen system as disclosed above can be used in places where there is foot traffic or other traffic (for example, wheeled shopping carts), such as entrances to warehouses, public buildings or houses. In such environments, strong forces can be imparted to the floor screen system by foot traffic or other traffic. Techniques have also been disclosed to properly protect the electronic display device from damage due to such forces and other factors. Techniques include using a durable hard protective material, such as tempered glass or plastic to cover the electronic display device. More sophisticated structures have also been revealed. For example, US patent application 10 / 454,631, which is fully incorporated herein by reference, discloses a modular protective structure for an electronic display device associated with a floor. As described in 10 / 454,631, an electronic display assembly may comprise a plurality of display modules. A coherent screen can be presented on the plurality of display modules. That is, as individual screen modules can present only fragments of a screen, in the aggregate of the plurality of screen modules they can present a complete or unified screen. On the other hand, each of the modules could be configured to display unrelated images and / or text. 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 can be configured to electronically display graphic images and alphanumeric data in either a static (non-mobile or non-changing) or dynamic (e.g., scrolling or otherwise moving or shifting) format. More specifically, a screen module can be coupled by wire or wireless means to a controller and can be modified 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 unit circuit such as a video graphics adapter card. The controller can include any kind of electronic logic circuit, for example, a configurable general microprocessor with programming elements or an ASIC (specific integrated circuit; of the application) . A unit of a graphic module can be integrated with the controller or integrated into an ASIC. The controller can also be in the form of a single dashboard computer with a processor and memory and with one or more display unit circuits integrated into the dashboard, also as wireless components to communicate with the outside world or to load data into memory. The controller can be coupled to a storage medium, which could be any form of medium suitable for short or long-term storage of digital data, which include RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory). , flash memory or other non-volatile solid state electronic storage, EEPROM (erasable and electronically programmable read only memory) or magnetic and / or optical disk storage. The storage medium can store, for example, control programming elements for execution by the controller and video content of choice for display, under the control of the control programming elements, by means of a display module. As further described in 10 / 454,631, the display modules of a set can be arranged within separate protective enclosures comprising a lower element, an upper element and vertical side walls or supports. In modalities, the elements of the protective envelopes may be common to the display modules; for example, the protective envelopes may have a common top element, bottom element and one or more common side walls. In other embodiments, each display module may have a separate protective envelope with a lower element, upper element and different side walls. According to alternative embodiments, separate protective enclosures with upper and lower elements and different vertical supports for each display module could be provided. A volume could be provided between the top element and the screen module. The vertical supports and lower elements of the protective enclosures could be made of materials which include, for example, plastic, metal, glass or wood. Advantages of the modular structures as described in 10 / 454,631 include that the structures provide excellent protection for the display modules of 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 throughout the set. Thus, the pressures and impacts are not concentrated at any particular point, but instead are distributed and spread among the various elements that form the protective envelopes. This effect can be further improved by increasing the degree of segmentation, that is, increasing the number of associated display modules and protective envelopes within the same global area. The increase in the degree of segmentation of the screen set could allow the screen set to be built to be thinner. In general, a thinner screen assembly is desirable because this creates less traffic obstruction and may be lighter. Increasing the segmentation could allow vertical supports of the protective envelopes to be made shorter and the upper element or elements to be fabricated thinner. In modalities as described in 10 / 454,631, vertical supports may be used, where the vertical supports do not extend continuously through the screen area as beams. Instead of this, columns can be 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 openings formed therein configured to receive vertical supports. The vertical supports could be any kind of projection configured to be received within a corresponding aperture in a display module. When they are received inside openings of a display module, the vertical supports can be projected beyond a top surface of the display module to support an upper protective element of a protective enclosure and provide a volume of space between the upper element and the module, as described above. A protective structure using elements as described above may allow a substantially thin upper element or elements for a protective shell or envelopes of the screen assembly, since the structure provides vertical supports distributed to the upper element through the assembly as described above. . In addition, such a structure could be used with a single screen device or unitary screen device, as opposed to modular screen devices. United States patent application 10 / 682,435 which is incorporated herein by reference discloses lightweight electronic control components for operating a screen of a screen element layer in a thin flexible screen system. The electronic control components can be housed within a thin, flexible flexible frame, laterally to the layer of the screen element. Figure 1 shows a plan view of at least a portion of a screen system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display system 100 may comprise one or more flat screen panels 101. The system 100 may further comprise electronic control components 102 coupled to the display panels 101 via a connector 103. The connector 103 is designed to represent one or more connections which could be both wired or wireless. The connector 103 may be used to send control signals and to drive image data to the panels 101 from the electronic control components 102, which may include image actuators. The electronic control components 102 can be formed, for example, as a single dashboard computer. In addition, the display panels may include any feature and property of the display modules described in 10 / 454,631 and other applications incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, the electronic control components 102 may include any feature or property of the controller described in 10 / 454,631 or other applications incorporated herein by reference. As illustrated in Figure 1, the electronic control components 102 may be disposed laterally with respect to (i.e., one or more sides of) the display panels 101. The display panels 101 and the electronic control components 102 they can be arranged to fall substantially in the same plane and both can be thin and flat. In contrast, the electronic control components of conventional screen systems are commonly placed behind the screen panel and thus the combination of the screen and the electronic control components tend to be somewhat bulky. As indicated, the arrangement of Figure 1 need not include a plurality of panels 10 but could instead comprise only a unitary screen panel coupled to the electronic control components. However, the "stacking" of a plurality of panels 101 as illustrated in Figure 1 advantageously allows a thin support structure to be formed as part of a light weight support accessory as described above. More specifically, a support accessory according to embodiments of the present invention may comprise thin support elements 104a, 104b disposed between the display panels 101 and a perimeter portion 104c around a perimeter of the display panels 101. As shown in FIG. illustrated, the elements 104a and 104b are transverse or perpendicular to each other and the perimeter portion 104c outlines a rectangle, but other geometries are possible. For example, the support elements 104a, 104 or portions thereof could be parallel, they could be at different angles to 90 ° to each other or they could be curved or include curved portions. In addition, the perimeter portion 104c could define other shapes than a rectangle, such as curved or angular shapes. The support elements 104a, 10b and the perimeter portion 104c can in combination provide a support structure for one or more more transparent or translucent protective covers. The cover or covers can be formed of a durable material such as tempered glass or plastic. As will be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the perimeter portion 104c may be formed as part of an outer protective cover. As other embodiments of an electronic display device associated with a floor as described herein, the display panel or panels 101 and associated support accessory comprising support structure 104a, 104b, 104c can be used in places where there is foot traffic or other traffic (for example, shopping carts with wheels), such as entrances to warehouses, public buildings or houses. Thus, the support accessory can be strong and durable enough that it can be stepped on repeatedly, that one can walk on it, with negligible adverse effect on it or on the panel or screen panels it houses. For this purpose, an electronic display device and associated support accessory according to embodiments of the present invention may include any of the structures described in 10 / 454,631.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a screen system partially assembled according to embodiments of the present invention, which includes an electronic display device comprising four display panels 101 according to embodiments of the present invention. The display panels may be seated or reposed on or fixed to a base 201. The electronic control components 102 may be disposed laterally with respect to the display panels 101 and may also be seated or reposed on or fixed to the base 201. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a display system 100 more fully assembled in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, comprising four display panels 101 housed within a support fixture including the support frame 104a, 104b , 104c and a clear or translucent protective cover 301 supported by the support structure 104a, 104b, 104c. In modalities, each screen panel or groups of screen panels may have separate protective covers. An outer protective cover 310 comprises surfaces 302. The perimeter portion 104c can be formed as an inner edge of the outer protective cover 310. The surfaces 302 bordering the display panels 101 can be inclined surfaces sloping downward. For example, the surfaces 302 may begin at a level that is approximately equal to a level of a top surface of the support fixture, which could be an upper surface or outer surface of the protective cover 301 and sloping downward to an outer edge, in such a way that the entire perimeter of the screen system 100 presents a sloping surface to a person approaching the screen system 100. Such a structure could make the screen system easier to cross, either by a person walking on the screen. Floor display system or a wheeled shopping cart, for example, if the display system is placed on the islands of a commercial establishment. However, other configurations are possible for the edge surfaces 302. For example, they do not need to begin to tilt to a higher level of the support fixture, but they could begin to tilt to a different level. Edge surfaces 302 could include multiple different slopes, for example. The outer cover 310 comprising the edge surfaces 302 can cover the electronic control components 102 and be secured to the base 201. In view of the foregoing, a support accessory for an electronic display device according to embodiments of the present invention it may include protective cover 301, outer cover 310 comprising edge surfaces 302, support structure 104a, 104b, 104c and base 201. Screen system 100 may further include an external power supply module 303 connected to the electronic control components 102 via a power cable 304. In embodiments, additional data lines can be included with the power cable 304 and accessible via the power supply module 303. Figure 4 shows an alternative mode of agreement with the present invention. The display system 100 of Figure 4 comprises an electronic display device that includes two display panels 101 and a support accessory including a protective cover 301, supported by the support structure 104a or 104b (depending on the perspective) and 104, edge surfaces 302 and a base 201 (not visible because it is covered). Figure 5 illustrates possible dimensions of a screen system 100 according to embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 is a side elevational view including some perspective. An outer edge 501 of an edge surface 302 of a protective cover 301 is in the front of FIG. 5. Various US coins are shown proximate the edge 501 to illustrate the scale. The currencies include a quarter of US $ 502, two US nickels 503 and one US dollar 504. In embodiments, a thicker part of screen system 100 (ie, a shorter distance from an upper surface of protective cover 301 to a lower surface of base 201) is 0.762 cm (0.3 inches) to 2.54 cm (1 inch) thick and preferably between 1.27 cm (0.5 inches) to 1.78 cm (0.7 inches) thick. The thickness of the outer edge 501 is less than 0.25 cm (0.1 inch) and is preferably between 0.051 cm (0.02 inch) and 0.20 cm (0.08 inch). As indicated, an edge surface 302 can be tilted down from a level that is approximately equal to a top level of the protective cover 301 to an outer edge 501. In embodiments, this slope can occur in a distance of between 15 cm (6 inches) and 12 inches (30 cm) and preferably at a distance of 20 cm (8 inches) and 25 cm (10 inches). As indicated above, in addition to being able to be stepped on when placed on a floor, embodiments of the present invention can also be apt to be mounted on a non-horizontal surface, such as a wall. Figures 6A and 6b show, respectively for a two-panel system (see Figure 4) and a four-panel system (see Figure 3), a bottom surface of a base 201 of a screen system 100, this is a surface that would be in contact with a floor if the screen system 100 were arranged in such a way that the screen panels were facing upwards for viewing. As illustrated in Figures 6A and 6B, embodiments of the present invention may further comprise a device or devices for attachment or assembly to a non-horizontal surface. The device or devices for attachment or assembly of the screen system 100 to a non-horizontal surface may be included in the support accessory of the electronic display device and be suitable for example to be coupled with a projection of a non-horizontal surface. For example, a mounting loop 601 could be coupled to or integrally formed with the base 201 at or on an outer edge 201.1 thereof. Otherwise, for example, a hole or recess 602 could be formed in the base 201. The mounting loop 610 or hole / recess 602 could be put into engagement with for example a hook or other projection on a wall, by which the support fixture and the electronic display device could be suspended with the electronic display device facing outward for observation. The invention is not, however, limited to a mounting loop and / or hole / recess. Any device for attachment, assembly, suspension or the like, a support fixture and electronic display device to a non-horizontal surface is within the scope of the present invention. For example, attaching or mounting devices associated with a support accessory could include a hook or hooks, hook and loop fasteners such as Velero®, magnets, pins, bolts, screws and the like and associated structures formed on or attached to the accessory. of support, holding receptacles, clamps and the like, which can be fastened to a wall and designed to receive the support accessory, etc. Attachment or assembly devices need not be associated with the base 201, but could also be coupled to or formed on other parts of the support accessory, such as structures / surfaces facing outwardly or upward, such as edge surfaces 302. Modes of the present invention may further include any of the elements 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, detection device for detecting the presence of persons and performing an action in response, variable image orientation and interactive elements that include providing product information in response to customer questions. Modes of the present invention may also be capable of wired or wireless communication with a network. Various embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and / or specifically described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the foregoing teachings and within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention proposed. It is noted that, in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.