Abstract:
A modular combination video and static display menuboard provides a display surface partially occupied by a compact LCD screen, the remainder of which is filled with a conventional backlight and frame for holding photographic and similar films for display. A self-contained video source allows the module to be freely interchanged with conventional backlighting modules without the need for special wiring or routing of video signal.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to backlit menuboards, and more particularly, to a menuboard system that may provide for video animated displays.  
         [0002]     Particularly in fast food restaurants, there may be one or more menuboards presenting the restaurant menu and the prices of the menu items offered for sale. Typically, these menuboards consist of a number of display panels showing photographic reproductions of the items offered for sale together with prices and descriptions. Quite often, these menuboards have backlighting to illuminate the translucent photographs, letters, and numbers from behind. Lamps for the backlighting may be contained in a housing behind the display panel. Ordinarily, a number of menuboards are assembled into a system providing a continuous display, for example, spanning a wall behind the service counter.  
         [0003]     Some restaurants now provide menuboard systems incorporating video displays, such as CRT, flat panel LCD or plasma panel displays. These video displays may be connected to a remote video player to display animated pictures of food or other advertising subject matter in conjunction with menu descriptions and prices, the latter which may be incorporated into the video presentation or may be displayed in conventional menuboards nearby.  
         [0004]     Such video menuboard systems can be quite expensive because of the large size of the video displays needed to match the size of the adjacent menuboards and because of the cost of wiring the necessary video signals as well as power to the menuboard system. For small restaurant owners, adding video to a menuboard system may be a significant burden requiring substantial remodeling and/or a new menuboard system appropriate for video. Video menuboards may also add costs in the preparation of special video programming featuring the restaurant&#39;s products.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a convenient and cost effective way to add animation/video to a menuboard system. In the invention, a smaller video display is visually integrated in a single housing with conventional static display elements holding photographs, letters and numbers. Matched backlighting creates the visual impression of a much larger panel whose static portion provides the necessary size and resolution to display menu descriptions and prices without adversely affecting the impact of the animated graphics.  
         [0006]     The combined static and animated display may be added as a modular building block to other static menuboards to provide a menuboard system that permits animation/video to be added incrementally, on a custom basis, without the need for substantial upfront investment simply by replacing one of the housings.  
         [0007]     Specifically then, in one embodiment the present invention provides a modular menuboard system having at least one display housing with a backlight and a support frame over substantially the entire front face of the display housing to hold static display elements in front of the backlight, and further having at least one second display housing also having a backlight and a support frame for static display elements, but where the static elements cover only a portion of the backlight, and an LCD panel covers the remaining portion of the backlight. Rear facing mounting elements on the housings hold the housings to a set of wall supports, for example, horizontal tracks, and a series of electrical jumpers may extend between the housings to provide for sequential electrical connection among backlights.  
         [0008]     It is thus one object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for a modular menuboard system allowing incremental addition of animation/video capabilities.  
         [0009]     It is a further object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for the aesthetic appeal of large displays with relatively lower cost video components.  
         [0010]     The backlight may provide an identical color of light to the static display elements and the LCD screen.  
         [0011]     Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide the illusion of a single large video display having a portion dedicated to static information.  
         [0012]     The first and second portions of the housing dividing the static and video sections may be opposed along the longest dimension of the housing with the longest dimension of the LCD panel along the second longest dimension of the housing.  
         [0013]     Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a display panel having a similar aspect ratio to standard video panels when formed partially of a video panel and partially of a static backlit section.  
         [0014]     The first and second portions may be upper and lower portions of the housing with the second element in a lower portion of the housing.  
         [0015]     Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to place the video animation in a dominant upper portion of the housing visible from a greater distance and the text and menu items in a lower position for better visibility to closer customers.  
         [0016]     The first portion may be substantially half of the housing.  
         [0017]     Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for an aesthetic balance between animation/video and static text.  
         [0018]     The invention may include a solid-state video player fitting within the housing.  
         [0019]     Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to eliminate the need for expensive external wiring of video cable.  
         [0020]     An opening may be included in the housing accessible when the housing is mounted on a wall to provide media to the solid-state video player.  
         [0021]     It is thus an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow regular updating of the video material without removal of the housing.  
         [0022]     The video player may provide an Internet connection, for example, a wireless connection to the solid-state video player.  
         [0023]     Thus it is an object of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow for remote updating of the animation/video without the need for dedicated video cabling.  
         [0024]     These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a menuboard system of the present invention having two housings mounted to abut on common horizontal mounting tracks, one housing holding a video and static backlit display, and the other housing being a standard static backlit display; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the components of the video and static backlit display of  FIG. 1  showing jumpers for daisy-chain connection of the housings and backlights and an internal solid-state video unit accessible from the bottom of the housing. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a menuboard system  10  of the present invention may provide for one or more housings  12  and  14 , being the preferred embodiment, generally rectangular cabinets having front faces  16  displaying menu information. Each of the housings  12  and  14  may be attached to a pair of parallel horizontal rails  24  such as is described in U.S. co-pending application Ser. No. 11/170,580 filed Jun. 29, 2005, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and hereby incorporated by reference. Housings  12  and  14  may be horizontally positioned along the parallel horizontal rails  24  and individually removed and assembled to those rails  24  which may be cut to a length to support multiple housings  12  and/or  14 .  
         [0028]     In an example menuboard system  10 , housing  14  may provide at its front face  16 , a transparent front panel  18  behind which may be supported static display elements including pictures  20  and text and numbers  22  describing menu items. As is understood in the art, the static display elements are normally transparent or translucent film (henceforth both termed “translucent”), such as photographic film.  
         [0029]     The static display elements are removably supported by a frame (not shown) and illuminated by a backlight (also not shown) per conventional design or as described below. Construction of backlit menuboards is known in the art and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,470 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and hereby incorporated by reference.  
         [0030]     Under a preferred mounting orientation, the housing  14  presents a longest dimension  26  as its vertical height and a second longest dimension  28  as its horizontal width.  
         [0031]     Housing  12  has similar outward dimensions as housing  14  to be generally indistinguishable in outline. Housing  12 , however, has a front face  16  divided into a lower static display portion  30  and an upper video portion  32 . The lower static display portion  30  presents pictures  20  and text and numbers  22 , per the housing  14 , whereas the video portion  32  provides for the video display of animated product information. In the preferred embodiment, static display portion  30  and video portions  32 , each occupy approximately one-half the longest dimension  26  of the housing  12 .  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the video portion  32  of the front face  16  of the housing  12  is occupied by an liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel  34  arranged so that its largest dimension is aligned and commensurate with the horizontal width of the housing  12 , and its second largest dimension is arranged along the vertical height of the housing  12 .  
         [0033]     Positioned behind the LCD panel  34  is a backlight unit  36  being a transparent panel providing an internally clear light guide  38  flanked on its upper and lower edges by cold cathode fluorescent tubes  40  which introduce light through the edges of the light guide  38  to be emitted from a front face of the light guide  38  toward the LCD panel  34 . The light guide  38  may include reflective patterns or channels on its rear face to provide a more even illumination pattern.  
         [0034]     A second backlight unit  42  of similar construction to backlight unit  36  is positioned in the lower static display portion  30 . Instead of an LCD panel  34 , a frame  46  is placed in front of backlight units  42  for receiving static display elements  48  of pictures  20  and text and numbers  22  described above. Backlight unit  42  also provides for a light guide  44  flanked on its edges by cold cathode fluorescent tubes  40  of the same intensity and color as those used with backlight unit  36 .  
         [0035]     Gaps between the backlight unit  36  and  42  may be covered with black strips of light absorbing material so as to preserve the illusion of a single display surface partitioned by video-generated masks. Accordingly, the viewer of light from the backlight units  36  and  42  perceives generally a uniform, continuous area of illumination as modified by the LCD panel  34  and the static display elements of pictures  20  and text and numbers  22  extending over substantially the entire front face  16  of the housing  12 . In an alternative embodiment, a single backlight unit  36  may be used extending behind the entire height of the housing  12  enhancing the illusion of a single static display element.  
         [0036]     A clear plastic or glass cover (not shown) may fit over the LCD panel  34  and frame  46 , hinged to the front of the housing  12  to permit replacement of static display elements  48 .  
         [0037]     The LCD panel  34  may connect to a solid state video player  50  being an electronic computer storing, in solid state memory, video that may be looped and played to the LCD panel  34 . The solid-state video player  50  may be wholly contained in the housing  12  so as to present no additional video wiring requirements to the user. The solid state video player may receive a memory card  52  having pre-stored video programming or alternatively, other media readers  54  such as optical disk readers or a wireless module  56  may be provided, the latter providing a communication to the Internet to receive streamed video or downloaded video over the Internet on a regular basis. For the use of a memory card  52  or other media readers  54 , an opening  60  is provided in the lower surface of the housing  12  optionally covered by a removable door to allow changing of the video program without the need to remove the housing  12  from the wall and parallel horizontal rails  24 .  
         [0038]     Generally, because the housing  12  provides a distinct static display portion  30  and a video portion  32 , prices and menu item descriptions need not be incorporated into the video program increasing its useful life (against changes in menu and prices) and allowing a common set of video programs to be produced and distributed to a variety of users having different specific menus. This significantly decreases the cost of video programming.  
         [0039]     Power for a cold cathode fluorescent tube driver  62 , that provides power to the cold cathode fluorescent tubes  40 , and for the video player  50  may be obtained through an internal power bus  64  connecting to left and right sockets  66  and  68  exposed on the backs of the housings  12  and  14 . The sockets  66  and  68  allow power to be provided to adjacent housings  12  or  14  through jumpers  70  from a single power outlet at one end of the parallel horizontal rails  24 , eliminating the need for through-wall wiring or costly rewiring when the number of housings  12  or  14  are changed or a housing  12  is added.  
         [0040]     Hooks for attaching housings  12  and  14  to the parallel horizontal rails  24 , covers for the parallel horizontal rails  24  that also provide cable ways for the jumpers  70 , are all described in the above-referenced co-pending application Ser. No. 11/170,580, hereby incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the housings  12  and  14  may be mounted on a serpentine track supported not necessarily on a wall as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/170,692 filed Jun. 29, 2005, hereby incorporated by reference.  
         [0041]     Thus, referring again to  FIG. 1 , it will be understood that rails  24  may be mounted and populated entirely with housings  14  connected one to another to share power and eliminate the need for custom wiring. At the store owner&#39;s desire, any given housing  14  may be removed and replaced with a housing  12  providing for a self-contained video display.  
         [0042]     It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.