Patent Application
20250014486
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The disclosure relates to street address displays and more particularly pertains to a new street address display for facilitating identification of structures. The present invention discloses a street address on display panels and which incorporates communication features.
The prior art relates to street address display, which comprise illuminated street address displays that are solar powered and remote controlled. What is lacking in the prior art is a street address display comprising a microphone and speaker, along with a remote controller, which enables two-way communication between an operator, such as a homeowner, and a user, such as a delivery agent.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a display unit and a remote controller. The display unit comprises a housing, which defines an interior space. A pair of display panels is positioned on the housing. A power module, a transceiver, and a microprocessor are attached to the housing and are positioned in the interior space. The display panels display indicia, corresponding to a street address of the structure. The microprocessor is operationally engaged to the power module, the transceiver, and the display panels and thus is enabled to selectively actuate display panels so that the street address is visible to a user from a street upon which the structure is sited. The remote controller is in communicative engagement with the microprocessor and is configured to wirelessly control at least one operational parameter of the display unit.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a system comprising a structure to which a display unit, as described above, is attached. A remote controller of the assembly is in communicative engagement with the microprocessor of the display unit and is configured to wirelessly control at least one operational parameter of the display unit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The housing 16 is configured for attachment in a variety of ways. A plurality of threaded apertures 25 is provided in the housing 16. Each threaded aperture 25 is positioned adjacent to a corner 27 of the housing 16 along a lateral side 29 of the housing 16. A fastener 26 is insertable through a flange 31 of an L-shaped bracket 33 to attach the bracket 33 to the housing 16. A second flange 35 of the bracket 33 has an aperture 37 for use of another fastener 26 to attach the housing 16 to the structure 22. The bracket 33 can be turned such that the second flange 35 is aligned with a back face 28 of the housing 16, a top face 54 of the housing 16, or a front face 42 of the housing 16. A threaded hole 43 is provided on a bottom 45 of the housing 16. The threaded hole 43 can be engaged by another fastener 26 or directly to a complementarily threaded top of a post. A U-shaped bracket 49 can be attached to the housing 16 using the threaded hole 43. Each section 51 of the bracket 49 may have a hole 53 to provide for various connections to an extrinsic structure using the bracket 49 and fasteners 26. The bracket 49 can also be used with the threaded apertures 25 for spacing the housing 16 from the structure 22 if desired.
A power module 32, a transceiver 36, and a microprocessor 38 are attached to the housing 16 and are positioned in the interior space 18. Respective display panels 15 are positioned on the front face 42 and the back face 28. Each display panel 15 can display indicia 40 of a house/address number. The indicia 40 may alternately show a name, words, or other pictures, if desired. The microprocessor 38 is operationally engaged to the power module 32, the transceiver 36, and the display panels 15 and thus is enabled to selectively actuate the display panels 15 to display the indicia 40 so that the street address is visible to a user from a street upon which the structure 22 is sited. The front face 42 is shown in
The power module 32 comprises a battery 50, which is rechargeable and accessible through a battery cover 59. The battery cover 59 may include a lock 61 to restrict access to the battery 50. A solar panel 52 is attached to the top face 54 of the housing 16 and is operationally engaged to the battery 50. The solar panel 52 is configured to convert electromagnetic radiation to direct current to charge the battery 50. The present invention also anticipates the power module 32 comprising a connection to an electrical circuit of the structure 22.
The solar panel 52 may be attached to the housing 16 directly in a fixed position of alternatively by means of a solar panel port 58 and a power cable 64. The power cable 64 may further operationally engage the solar panel 52 and the microprocessor 38. The power cable 64 is selectively positionable relative to the housing 16 so that the solar panel 52 is selectively positionable spaced from the housing 16. The housing 16 and the solar panel 52 thus are mountable to the structure 22 in a variety of configurations, two of which are shown in
A photodetector 70 is attached to the housing 16 and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The photodetector 70 is configured to detect light and to signal the microprocessor 38, enabling the microprocessor 38 to selectively actuate the display panels 15 at a predetermined level of brightness when the photodetector 70 detects a specified level of light. Thus, the street address is visible at night, dusk, dawn, heavy cloud cover, and the like, but the battery 50 is not depleted by powering of the display panels 15 at a level not warranted given the amount of ambient light. The present invention is anticipated to be useful to users, such as delivery agents, for whom rapid identification of street addresses facilitates completion of their work in a timely manner.
A speaker 72 is attached to the housing 16, is positioned in the interior space 18, and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. A microphone 74 is attached to the housing 16 and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The microphone 74 and the speaker 72 enable two-way communication between an operator, such as a homeowner, and the user. The display unit 12 also may comprise a camera 76, which is attached to the housing 16 and which is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The camera 76 is configured to capture an image of the user, enabling the microprocessor 38 to relay the image to the operator via the transceiver 36. The present invention anticipates the camera 76 capturing video images for transmission to the remote controller 14, allowing the operator to view events proximate to the camera 76. Further, a motion sensor 77 may be provided on the housing 16 and operationally coupled to the microprocessor 38 to either actuate or brighten the display panels 15 when motion is detected.
A notification switch 78 is attached to the housing 16 and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The notification switch 78 is configured to be switched by the user to notify the operator, via the remote controller 14, of the user's presence.
A data storage module 82 attached to the housing 16, is positioned in the interior space 18, and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The data storage module 82 is configured to store communications between the operator and the user, as well as images captured by the camera 76. A port 84 is attached to the housing 16 and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38. The port 84 is configured to engage a plug 86 of a data transfer cable 88 to allow for transfer of files from the data storage module 82 to the electronic device 48 of the operator.
The present invention also anticipates a power switch 90 attached to the housing 16 and operationally engaged to the microprocessor 38 and to the battery 50, allowing the operator to manually power on and to power off the display unit 12.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a system 92 comprising a structure 22 to which a display unit 12, as described above, is attached. A remote controller 14 of the assembly 92 is in communicative engagement with a microprocessor 38 of the display unit 12 and is configured to wirelessly control at least one operational parameter of the display unit 12.
In use, the housing 16 is mounted to the structure 22 so that it is viewable from the street. The display panels 15 display the indicia 40 so that the street address is visible to a user from the street. The operator and the user can converse via the microphone 74, the speaker 72, and the remote controller 14.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
