Abstract:
A display device for use with a mattress in a showroom environment for presenting information regarding the mattress to a person. The display device comprises a base and standard extending generally upwardly from the base and including an upper display portion. The base is selectively placeable in association with the mattress whereby information concerning the asserted mattress will be visible to a customer considering the mattress. The stand includes a media player on the display portion for presenting product information regarding the mattress. The display stand includes a sensor in electronic communication with the media player. The sensor activates the media player responsive to the approach of a person to the digital display stand.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the digital display stand for mattresses in a showroom environment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mattresses are displayed in showrooms during the sale and distribution from the mattress manufacturer to the consumer. First of all, mattress manufacturers may display mattresses in wholesale showrooms so that retailers can get an idea of how the mattress will look in their own retail showrooms. In retail showrooms, display mattresses are arranged on the retail floor so that the prospective purchaser can peruse the various types of mattresses offered by that retailer. In each situation, marketing and/or technical features of the mattresses are communicated to the customer via signage, labels or a personal communication between the sales representative and the customer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Applicant has determined that current methods of communicating product information in mattress showrooms to customers have limited effectiveness. Signs and labels, for example, are limited in terms of content, and also in visual impact on the customer. Any particular signage is effective only for one style of mattress, therefore, there must be signage stored for each different mattress offered for sale. Any change in information (style, price, etc.) about a particular mattress requires a change in the signage. Sales representatives may be busy with other customers, and cannot always devote time to present information to the other customers or otherwise facilitate the decision to purchase a mattress. Further, some customers may prefer evaluating mattresses without the help of a sales representative. Thus, there is a need for an improved way to communicate information about a mattress to a prospective customer. The inventors have recognized this need, and developed an improvement in display devices for mattresses for use in showrooms, and a system for displaying product information regarding a mattress to a person. In particular, a digital display device has been developed that is used with mattress sets in a showroom environment. 
     According to an illustrated embodiment of the invention, the display device may be in the form of a stand that includes a base and a generally vertical wall or standard extending generally upwardly from the base, and an upper display portion. The base is selectively placeable beneath, beside, or in association with a mattress so that the wall is proximate the end of the mattress. The device includes a media player on the display portion for presenting selectively changeable product information regarding the mattress to a person approaching the mattress. The display device also includes a sensor in electronic communication with the media player. The sensor activates the media player responsive to the approach of a person to the digital display stand. 
     While the device described above is one approach to presenting product information, other stands or devices used at the mattress site in conjunction with the mattress is also a possibility. 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, a system has been developed for selectively presenting product information regarding a mattress to a person in a showroom environment. The system includes a showroom, one or more mattresses arranged in the showroom, and a display device or devices. Each display device includes a base and a generally vertical wall or standard extending generally upwardly from the base, and an upper display portion. A media player is on the display portion for presenting selectively changeable product information regarding the mattress to a person approaching the device. The device includes a sensor in electronic communication with the media player which activates the media player responsive to the approach of a person to the display device. The display device is selectively placeable near a mattress, or alternatively, on the mattress so that the wall is proximate the mattress side and the upper display portion is in the field of view of the person approaching the mattress. 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a digital display devices used with or on mattresses in a showroom. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are front and side views of a digital display device. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are side views of exemplary embodiments of a digital display devices used with a mattress. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, which, of course, is limited only by the claims below. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, modifications, and improvements are within the scope of the present invention. 
     According to common practice, the various features of the drawings discussed below are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features and elements in the drawings may be expanded or reduced to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  10  including a showroom  20  with plurality of mattresses  30  arranged therein and at least one display device  50  in association with one or more of the mattresses. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , an exemplary display device  50  may be a stand that includes the media player  70  for presenting selectively changeable information (also referred to herein as content or video content) to a person that approaches the display device. A “showroom” refers to a space used by mattress manufacturers to display new mattresses to their own customers, such as mattress retailers, or to retailers generally. In addition, a showroom includes retail showrooms where consumers come to purchase mattresses. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show an exemplary device  50  of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the device  50  may be a display stand that includes a base  52  and a generally vertical standard  54  extending generally upwardly from the base  52 . In an embodiment, the base  52  may be a generally horizontal member. The standard may be a wall, leg, post, panel, member or other structure. The standard  54  includes an upper display portion  56  shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  angled over and extending at least partially over the base  52 . In a preferred embodiment, the upper display portion  56  is positioned at about a 45 degree angle with respect to a line parallel to the base  52  and orthogonal to the standard  54 . However, the upper display portion  56  may have any angle which allows a person to readily view content displayed on the media player  70 . Accordingly, the upper display portion  56  may continue upwardly without any angle at all and remain generally perpendicular to the base  52 . 
     The device may be formed into the desired shape so that when placed in association with the mattress, a person approaching the mattress can readily observe the media player thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the base, standard and upper display portion are integrally formed. In other embodiments, the device may comprise separate pieces that are combined by known methods, fasteners, or interlocking joints, and the like. 
     The device, and in particular, the base, standard and upper display portion, may be formed of plastic, metallic alloys (e.g., steel, aluminum, sheet metal), wood based materials or a composite material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , the display stand device  50  may also include a removable sign  80  (shown on standard  54 ) with additional information regarding the mattress  30  thereon. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the display device  50  includes a media player  70 , a sensor  72  and various programmable control buttons  74  in electronic communication with the media player  70 . The control buttons  74  may be used to program the presentation of the selectively changeable product information on the media player. 
     As shown in the Figures, the media player  70  is located at or on the upper display portion  56 . The media player presents selectively changeable product information to a person that approaches the display device  50 . For example, the sensor activates the media player when a person approaches the display device  50  as will be discussed below. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the display device  50  includes a housing  60  that holds the media player  70  therein. The upper display portion  56  has an opening  59  (shown in  FIG. 2B ) that extends between the front  57  and rear  58  surface thereof. The housing  60  is secured to the upper display portion  56  at the opening  59  so that the media player is exposed on the upper display portion  56 . In an embodiment, the media player&#39;s front surface is generally co-planar with the front surface  57  of the upper display portion  56 . The media player however, may be just below or raised above the front surface  57 . 
     The media player may be any device that displays selectively changeable video content, presentations, images, or any other audio, video or audio/visual content. The media player  70  may play file formats including, but not limited to, MPEG, JPEG, MJPEG, DVIZ, XVIS, AVI or DVD and HDDVD formats. The media player may display HD formats in 480p, 480i, 720p, 1080p, 1080i or 1086, or other formats. The media player  70  displays content stored in a computer memory in the player  70 , in a removable computer memory, received via a cable (e.g., HDMI, ethernet, coaxial, videos, AIV, etc.), or received wirelessly over a communications network. In such an embodiment, the media player may include a transmitter/antenna for receiving the wireless signal. The media player may be battery powered, or use a conventional power cord  76  (shown in  FIG. 2B ) for connection to an external power source. In one embodiment, the media player is an LCD screen that includes a processor for displaying content on the LCD screen, e.g., FlashView OpenFrame LCD, Model no. FV0F7-L1, available from Industrial Image Inc. In other embodiments, a touch screen may used to allow a person to control and/or program the content of the presentation in the media player  70 . 
     The sensor  72  may be any type of sensor that can activate the media player  70  responsive to the approach of a person. In one embodiment, sensor  72  is a motion sensor that detects the presence of an object or activity within a prescribed range. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor  72  detects movement within about three (3) feet from the device. However, other sensors may be used that have range greater than three (3) feet from the device. In use, the motion sensor may be a passive pyroelectric infrared sensor. For example, an infrared source, such as a human body, can enter the field of view and emit infrared energy towards the motion sensor. The motion sensor receives the infrared source and sends a signal to the media player  70 . A passive infrared sensor is shown in  FIG. 2A . In alternate embodiments, however, other sensors such as ultrasonic or microwave sensors may be used for motion detection. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , a wire housing  62  begins proximate the housing  60  on the display stand  50  and extends down the rear side of the standard  54  toward the base  52 . The wire housing  62  routes and protects various wires emanating from the media player  70 , e.g., power cords, ethernet cables, coaxial cable, A/V cables, S-video cables, HDMI wires, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the wire housing may be a hook and loop fastener casing. For example, VELCRO brand fasteners may be used to contain and protect the wires, In other embodiments, the wire housing  62  may be some other structure for protecting the wires. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , several exemplary implementations of the present invention are shown. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A , the display stand  50  is placed between the components of a mattress set so that the base  52  slides beneath the mattress and above the box spring. The standard  54  may be adjacent the mattress  30  while the upper display portion  56  and media player  70  extend over the top of the mattress  30 . In an embodiments, the standard extends upwardly from the base a distance that is greater than or about equal to the thickness of a mattress. Turning now to  FIG. 3B , the display device  150  is shown with the base  152  resting on the floor associated with the mattress  130 . Therefore, the display device  150  is not required to be connected or touching the mattresses  130 . Rather, in another embodiment, the display device  150  may be proximate or near the general area of the mattress in a showroom. For example, the device may be placed on the mattress. In other alternative embodiments, the standard including the media player and sensor may be placed on furniture in association with the mattress. 
     Although the present invention has been described with exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.