WO2000003377A1

WO2000003377A1 - Mobile display unit

Info

Publication number: WO2000003377A1
Application number: PCT/GB1999/002185
Authority: WO
Inventors: Danny Stijelja
Original assignee: Danny Stijelja
Priority date: 1998-07-09
Filing date: 1999-07-08
Publication date: 2000-01-20
Also published as: GB2336707A; GB2336707B; GB9814938D0

Abstract

A mobile display unit comprises a display element such as a liquid crystal display together with a power source and control unit arranged to supply signals to the display unit to cause the display unit to display a changing or moving image. Preferably, the mobile display unit includes a body harness to allow it to be carried by a single operator and the power source is formed by a number of rechargeable batteries carried on the body harness.

Description

MOBILE DISPLAY UNIT This invention relates to a mobile display unit and particularly to an individually carried mobile display unit.

The use of individually carried advertising displays has been common for many years. Typically, such displays are of the type generally known as a sandwich board in which the user carries front and back boards joined by straps which allow the boards to be carried over the users shoulders, the front and back boards carrying posters, typically posters of advertising text. Although sandwich board displays of this type are still used they suffer from a number of disadvantages.

Firstly, the visual impact of a sandwich board and its ability to draw the attention of passers by is extremely limited. Secondly, it . is only possible to change the display material by replacing the posters carried on the display boards or sticking new posters over the existing posters. As a result changing the displayed material is inconvenient and in practice the displayed material can only be changed at quite long intervals, for example daily.

It has been proposed to provide sandwich boards with a framework supporting further display boards mounted above the users head in order to provide additional display area and raise the displayed material above head height to that it is more visible from a distance, particularly in a crowd. It has also been suggested that lights should be provided on or behind the display boards to back illuminate the displayed material or that flashing lights could be mounted on the display unit, both uses of lights being intended to increase the visual impact of the display and draw attention.

However, it has been found in practice that the increased visual impact of such increased height and illuminated displays is noc sufficient to compensate for the increased cost of the display unit and the increased difficulty of use due to the additional bulk and weight of the display unit.

Further, such increased height or illuminated displays still suffer from the problem that it is time consuming and inconvenient to change the displayed material.

This invention is intended to provide a mobile display unit overcoming these problems, at least in part.

This invention provides a mobile display unit comprising a display element, a control unit and a power source, the control unit being arranged to supply signals to the display unit to cause the display unit to display a changing or moving image.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a display unit according to -the invention in use, and

Figure 2 shows a rear view of a display unit according to the invention in use. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the display unit 1 is formed by a substantially rectangular double sided display screen unit 2. The double sided display screen unit 2 has a padded webbing body harness 3 attached to the lower half of its front face so that an operator 4 can securely carry the display unit by wearing the body harness 3.

The body harness 3 comprises shoulder straps 3a, a waist belt 3b and padding (not shown) between the double sided screen unit 2 and the back of the operator 4. The harness 3 is adjustable similarly to a convention rucksack harness to ensure that the display unit 1 can be comfortably, securely and safely carried.

This arrangement leaves the operator' s arms free and does not interfere with the normal walking motion.

The double sided screen unit 2 is substantially rectangular with rounded corners for safety and mounts a first front liquid crystal display (LCD) screen 5 on its front surface and a second rear liquid crystal display (LCD) screen 6 on its rear surface.

To provide the maximum display area for maximum visual impact the rear LCD screen 5 covers most of the rear surface of the double sided screen unit 2 while the front liquid crystal display screen 5 covers only the part of the double sided screen unit 2 above the operators head.

The front and rear liquid crystal display screens 5 and 6 can display mixtures or sequences of moving or changing images including animation and moving, scrolling or changing text under the control of a control unit (not shown) situated in the lower part of the double sided screen unit 2. The control unit generates electrical signals which drive the front and rear liquid crystal display screens 5 and 6 from data held in a data storage unit (not shown) also located in the double sided screen unit 2. The data storage unit contains data specifying the images and text to be displayed together with timing and sequencing instructions to control changes in the displayed images. In order to allow sequencing and changes of imaging to be properly controlled the control unit includes an internal clock.

The control unit and data storage unit are preferably contained within the double sided screen unit 2 for protection and to minimise the amount of vibration they are subjected to when the operator 4 is walking. The control unit and data storage unit are placed as close as possible to the bottom of the double sided screen unit 2 in order to lower the centre of gravity of the double sided screen unit 2. Further, the lower part of the front face of the double sided screen unit 2 is a convenient location for electronic components because it is the only large flat area of the double sided screen unit 2 which does not bear any liquid crystal screens. A power supply for the display unit 1 is provided by six battery packs 7 attached to the waist belt 3b of the padded harness 3. Power from these battery packs 7 is carried by wires concealed inside the waist belt 3b and shoulder straps 3a to the double sided screen unit 2 for distribution to the liquid crystal display screens 5 and 6 and other electronic components as required. It is preferred to mount the battery packs 7 on the waist belt because batteries are relatively heavy and placing this weight on the waist belt 3b of the harness will make it more comfortable for the operator to carry the display unit 1._.. This arrangement and number of batteries is convenient but other arrangements and numbers could of course be used. For example, further batteries could be placed on or within the double sided screen unit 2 or attached to other parts of the harness 3.

The battery packs 7 are detachable so that a depleted battery pack 7 can be simply removed and replaced with fully charged battery pack 7 so that the display unit 1 can be operated with only very short breaks for battery packs 7 replacement rather than being out of service while all the batteries are recharged. Preferably, the control unit monitors the charging level of the battery packs 7 and is able to control the power demands made on the individual battery packs 7 by the display unit 1 so that electrical power is taken first from the battery packs on the left hand side of the operator 4. When these are discharged power is taken from the battery packs 7 on the right hand side of the operator 4 and vice versa. This allows the display unit 1 to be kept in continuous operation by alternately replacing the battery packs 7 on each side at regular intervals. In order to maximise the operating time of unit 1 between recharging or battery replacement, photocells could be provided on free surfaces of the display unit 1 or other recharging systems such as movement driven generators could be employed. In order to allow the information and images displayed to be easily and quickly changed and especially in order to allow them to be changed to react immediately to changing events, the data held in the data storage unit can be changed and updated without taking the display unit 1 out of operation.

The double sided screen unit 2 has an infra-red data receiving element 8 mounted on its front surface so that instructions and new data to update the image or text information or sequencing and timing information within the data storage unit can be remotely updated by infra-red data transmission. This can be carried out as required using a hand held directional unit or alternatively could be carried out by a beacon as and when the display unit 1 moved within the beacon's area of effect. An infra-red data transmitter 9 is also provided on the double sided screen unit 2 to allow receipt of instructions and data to be acknowledged.

In practice, although the transmission of text by infra-red means is relatively swift, transmitting sufficient data to allow the display of multicolored animated images and text in different fonts, colours and sizes may take too long to be conveniently carried out in this way. Accordingly, the data storage unit comprises a large amount of image and text data and the remotely transmitted instructions simply provide data identifying which of the pre-stored images and text are to be displayed and in what combinations and orders. Conveniently, the data storage unit comprises a solid state random access memory, a solid state read only memory or a CD-ROM unit or a combination thereof. If a CD-ROM or a solid state ROM is used it is preferred that it is possible to remove the ROM unit or CD-ROM from the double sided display unit 2 and replace it in order to allow periodic updating of the available library of displayable images and texts.

A key pad 10 is provided on one of the shoulder straps 3a to allow the operator 4 to directly input text for display or to directly control selection of the text or images to be displayed. The double sided display unit 2 should be made as lightly as possible, compatable with ensuring that it retains sufficient structural strength. A preferred material for the structure of the double sided display unit 2 is carbon fibre to allow a large but strong and rigid unit to be formed without excessive weight.

It is primarily intended that the unit be used to display advertising material, however the display unit -is not limited by the type of text or images to be displayed and could be used to provide public information, news and current affairs information, public announcements or entertainment if desired.

Using currently available technologies the use of liquid crystal displays for the display screens 5 and 6 is preferred, however other forms of illuminated display able to show moving text, graphics and images such as light emitting diodes or cathode ray tubes could be used.

An additional display could be provided as part of the unit 1 in a location visible to the operator 4 in order to provide information regarding operation of the unit 1 such as battery charging levels and proper operation. Such a display could also be used in conduction with the keyboard 10 to allow a selection of images or text to be displayed from a series of menu screens. Preferably, a pair of miniature operator visible displays are provided and supplied with the same signals as the front and rear display screens 5 and 6 in order to allow the operator to oversee proper operation of the unit 1 and to ensure that the text or images being displayed is not inappropriate for the operators current location or in view of outside events. In the event that the operator feels that the displayed text or images are inappropriate they could be changed using the keyboard 10, or, unit 1 could be temporarily shut down. The ability to display moving and changing text, graphics and images dramatically increases the visual impact of the display and generates public interest in the information displayed. Further, as explained above the text, graphics and images displayed can be quickly and simply changed as required.

Because the display screens 5 and 6 project above the operators head height the additional visual impact of further display screens mounted at chest height in a traditional sandwich board manner would be minimal. Although such additional display scrg ns could be provided it is believed that normally the extra weight, bulk and cost penalties will be greater than the value they will add to the display unit. In particular, the main limitation of the system will generally be the length of operating time between battery replacement and although the use of power efficient electronic parts will be used to extend the operating time between battery replacement for as long as possible, ultimately the limit on operating time is the weight of batteries which can be carried by the operator. Adding additional display surfaces will both increase power consumption and reduce the weight of batteries which can be carried, thus dramatically reducing operating time between battery replacement.

In the preferred embodiment the display unit is carried by a human operator. It would of course be possible to mount the display unit 1 on a driven, accompanied or remote controlled vehicle or even upon a self directing robotic vehicle. Such a vehicle could of course travel on water or in the air instead of on the ground.

The above description is purely exemplary and will be realised by the person skilled in the art* that numerous alternatives and changes could be made to the present invention in addition to those described above.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A mobile display unit adapted to be carried by a single operator and comprising two display elements, a control unit and a power source, the control unit being arranged to supply signals to the display elements to cause the display elements to display changing or moving images, the two display elements being arranged so that, when carried by an operator, the display elements are arranged with one display element facing forward and one facing backwards, at least part of one of the display elements being located above the operator' s head height .

2. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage unit, in which the control unit derives the signals from data stored in the storage unit.

3. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 2 , and further comprising means to input data to the storage unit.

4. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 3, in which the means to input data is a keypad carried on the unit.

5. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the means to input data includes a data receiver for receiving data from a remote source.

6. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 5 in which the data receiver is an infra-red data receiver.

7. A mobile display unit as claimed in any preceding claim in which the unit includes a body harness .

8. A mobile display unit as claimed in claim 7 in which the power source comprises a plurality of rechargeable batteries carried on the body harness.

9. A mobile display unit as claimed in any preceding claim in which, when carried by an operator, the display elements are located behind the operator and at least part of the forward facing display element is located above the operator ' s head.

10. A mobile display unit substantially as shown in or as described with reference to the accompanying figures.