Apparatus for secure display, interactive delivery of product information and charging of battery-operated hand held electronic devices

Abstract

Security apparatus is provided for the display of battery operated hand-held electronic devices. It includes a electronic recoiler device that combines the function of tethering the displayed devices while at the same time providing the power required by each of the displayed devices by means of a continuous electrical connection from a power supply to each displayed device. It also provides wire and wireless alarm functions, as well as visual perpetrator identification. The apparatus also provides specific product information and comparative product information to the potential customer by visual and audible means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to security apparatus for the commercial display and charging of battery powered, hand-held electronic devices, the alarming of such devices against pilferage, and the transmission of information about such devices in a commercial sales setting, as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is an environmental view depicting a man examining a battery operated, hand-held electronic device attached to the security apparatus of present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the device engaging means of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is an isometric view showing the tie-box assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along line 2B-2B of FIG. 2 showing the daughterboard within the daughterboard support plugged into the tie-box card edge connector;

FIG. 2C is a view of the interior and the exterior of the top part of a daughterboard housing containing a daughterboard;

FIG. 2D is an exploded view of the top and bottom of the daughterboard housing, the tie-box, tie-box cover and tie-box pad;

FIG. 2E is an exploded perspective view of the upper and lower sections of the clamping means used in conjunction with the tie-box assembly;

FIG. 3 is partial cut-a-way view of the support of the security display apparatus of the present invention, showing the disposition of the electronic recoiler device;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the recoiler exploded from its housing, showing electrical connections to the base of the device engaging means, as well as the electrical cords connecting the device to the alarm system and power source;

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the recoiler showing the spring-actuated retractor mechanism, daughter printed circuit board, electrical plugs connecting to the daughterboard, electrical connections to the retractor spring and tether mechanism, and electrical leads to a power source and an alarm system;

FIG. 6 is a side cross sectional view of the display apparatus depicting the actuation of alarm systems and security camera when the tethering means that connects to a hand-held device engaging means is severed or disconnected;

FIG. 7 is a block flow diagram depicting the functions of the motherboard which control the display device; and

FIG. 8 is a block wiring diagram of the security display apparatus of the present invention.

Claims

1. Display apparatus for a battery operated, hand-held, electronic device comprising a support, means for engaging the device, a spring-loaded recoiler situated in said support, a tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said recoiler, said recoiler normally causing said tether to urge the device towards a given position relative to said support, an alarm, means for sensing the cutting of said tether and for energizing said alarm in response thereto, video display means and means for actuating said video display means in response to the movement of the device away from said given position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a flash media player associated with said video display means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising speaker means associated with said video display means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising indicator means, said indicator means being operably connected to said sensing means and energized thereby in response to the cutting of said tether.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second spring-loaded recoiler and a second tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said second recoiler.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sensing means senses the cutting of one or both of said tethers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising wireless signaling means actuated by said sensing means for sending a signal to a remote location indicating the cutting of said tether.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for selecting a message for display on said display means.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for charging the battery of the device.

10. Display apparatus for first and second hand-held, battery-operated electronic devices comprising a support, and associated with each of the devices: means for engaging the device, spring-loaded recoiler situated in said support, a tether having one end attached to said device engaging means for that device and a second end attached to said recoiler, said recoiler normally causing said tether to urge the device towards a given position relative to said support, an alarm, means for sensing the cutting of said tether and for energizing said alarm in response thereto, display means and means for actuating said display means to display a message associated with the device in response to the movement of that device away from said given position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a flash media player associated with said display means.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising speaker means associated with said display means.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising indicator means, said indicator means being operably connected to said sensing means and energized thereby in response to the cutting of said tether.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a second spring-loaded recoiler and a second tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said second recoiler.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising counter means associated with the tether attached to each device, and means for actuating each of said counter means in response to the movement of the device attached to the tether associated with that counter means.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising wireless signaling means actuated by said sensing means for sending a signal to a remote location indicating the cutting of said tether.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for selecting a message for display on said display means.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for charging the battery of the device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein a different message is associated with each device.

20. Display apparatus for a battery operated, hand-held, electronic device comprising a support, means for engaging the device, a spring-loaded recoiler situated in said support, a tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said recoiler, said recoiler normally causing said tether to urge the device towards a given position relative to said support, a camera means, means for sensing the cutting of said tether and for actuating said camera in response thereto, display means and means for actuating said display means in response to the movement of the device away from said given position.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising audible alarm means and means for sensing the cutting of said tether and actuating said audible alarm means in response thereto.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a second spring-loaded recoiler and a second tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said second recoiler.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said sensing means senses the cutting of one or both of said tethers.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising wireless signaling means actuated by said sensing means for sending a signal to a remote location indicating the cutting of said tether.

25. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is situated in a room with an exit and further comprising means associated with the device for actuating an alarm when the device passes through said exit.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising means for selecting a message for display on said display means.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising means for charging the battery of the device.

28. The device of claim 20 further comprising counter means and means for actuating said counter means in response to the movement of the device from the given position.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a second device, means for engaging the second device and means for actuating said display means in response to the movement of the second device from said given position.

30. Display apparatus for a batter operated, hand-held, electronic device comprising a support, means for engaging the device, a spring-loaded recoiler situated in said support, one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said recoiler, said recoiler normally causing said tether to urge the device towards a given position relative to said support, counter means and means for actuating said counter means in response to the movement of the device away from said given position.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising an alarm, means for sensing the cutting of said tether and energizing said alarm in response thereto.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising display means and means for actuating said display means in response to the movement of the device away from said given position.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a flash media player associated with said display means.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising speaker means associated with said display means.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising indicator means, said indicator means being operably connected to said sensing means and energized thereby in response to the cutting of said tether.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a second spring-loaded recoiler and a second tether having one end attached to said device engaging means and a second end attached to said second recoiler.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said sensing means senses the cutting of one or both of said tethers.

38. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising wireless signaling means actuated by said sensing means for sending a signal to a remote location indicating the cutting of said tether.

39. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising means for selecting a message for display on said display means.

40. Display apparatus for a battery operated, hand-held, electronic device, the device being powered by at least one battery, said apparatus comprising a support, means for engaging the device, means for providing power to maintain the at least one battery of the device in a charged condition, power level sensing means for detecting a change in the level of power provided by said power providing means and alarm signal transmission means responsive to said power level sensing means for generating an alarm signal when a change in the power level is sensed.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising a spring-loaded recoiler comprising two separate electrically conductive springs, a tether having two electrically conductive strands, one end of said tether being attached to said device engaging means with the electrically conductive strands of the tether electrically connected to said power level sensing means and a second end attached to said recoiler, with each electrically conductive strand connected to a separate one of said electrically conductive springs of said recoiler.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said power level sensing means senses the cutting of at least one of the electrically conductive strands of said tether and generates an alarm signal in response thereto.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said power providing means normally provides DC power having appropriate polarity to the device and wherein said DC power is transmitted through the springs of the recoiler and through the electrically conductive strands of the tether to the device.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for preventing transmission of DC power of inappropriate polarity to the recoiler.

45. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising display means and means for actuating said display means in response to the movement of the device relative to the support.

46. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising display means for displaying information relating to the device and a flash media player associated with said display means.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 further comprising speaker means associated with said display means.

48. The apparatus of claim 40 further including indicator means, said indicator means being operably connected to said power level sensing means and being activated thereby in response to the cutting of at least one of the electrically conductive strands of the tether.

49. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising counter means associated with said recoiler and means for actuating said the counter means in response to the movement of the device attached to the tether associated with said recoiler.

50. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising wireless signaling means actuated by said power level sensing means for sending a signal to a remote location indicating the cutting of at least one of the electrically conductive strands of the tether.

51. The apparatus of claim 40 for use with a second battery operated, hand-held, electronic device further comprising display means and means for selecting a message for display on said display means

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein a different message is associated with each device.

53. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising camera means and means for actuating said camera means and for transmitting a pixilated image from said camera means to a remote monitor, in response to said power level sensing means sensing the cutting of at least one of the electrically conductive strands of the tether.