Patent ID: 8081267

Claim:
A protectively enclosed flat panel display device viewable from outside the enclosure, comprising: a protective enclosure substantially impervious to liquid ingress under ambient conditions encountered in an outdoor environment, the protective enclosure comprising: a rigid bezel defining a periphery of the protective enclosure, the rigid bezel characterized by a front bezel surface having a first opening and the rigid bezel further characterized by a second opening substantially opposite the first opening, a substantially transparent front cover coupled to the front bezel surface and covering the first opening, and a rear cover assembly coupled to the rigid bezel and covering the second opening, at least a portion of the rear cover assembly comprising a heat sink portion, the rear cover assembly further including a cable entry; a flat panel display device disposed within the enclosure such that the display area of the display device is substantially aligned with the first opening; a heat pipe assembly having a first attachment portion coupled to the display device, and a second attachment portion coupled to the rear cover assembly; a thermal control unit disposed within the enclosure and electrically coupled to a power source, the thermal control unit including a temperature sensor; and at least one thermal control device disposed at least partially within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the thermal control unit, the at least one thermal control device controllable by the thermal control unit to modulate an internal temperature within the enclosure.