WO2016116740A1

WO2016116740A1 - A mobile display unit

Info

Publication number: WO2016116740A1
Application number: PCT/GB2016/050109
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Wood
Original assignee: Parity Computers Ltd
Priority date: 2015-01-20
Filing date: 2016-01-19
Publication date: 2016-07-28
Also published as: GB2534371A; GB201500919D0

Abstract

A mobile information display cart is provided. The cart (1) comprising an electronic display screen (2) connected to conveyance means (3) by an extendable support, said support configured to enable the screen to be extended away from the conveyance means (3) so as to increase the visibility of the screen (2).

Description

A MOBILE DISPLAY UNIT

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to mobile display boards and in particular mobile travel information displays suitable for deployment in airports, train stations and other transport hubs (e.g. ferry/bus terminals).

Background of the Invention

Travel information displays, such as arrival/departure boards, provide an important service in airports and train stations were they inform passengers about each and every planes or train scheduled to arrive at or depart from the passengers' location. Typically such travel information displays are also used to inform passengers of changes to the schedule, such as delays and cancellations. On other occasions travel boards are also used to display other information relating to their journey such as security information (e.g. laptops to have 20% charge if going to USA etc ..) or even individual passenger information and offers directly relating to their journey. Due to the important role performed by travel information displays in transport hubs such airports and train stations they are usually located in the large open halls or foyers where there is space for passengers to congregate.

During times of normal service the positioning of the travel information displays in these central locations is sufficient to supply the information needs of the

passengers.

However, problems can arise when there is disruption at the airport/station which results in delays to departing planes or trains. During disruptions that delay departures the normal flow of passengers in and out of an airport/station can be severely affected, which in turn leads to a large build-up of passengers waiting to take their planed journey.

Additionally mobile information would prove useful is where the travel terminal is undergoing temporary layout changes due to building work or other improvements. As the numbers of passengers increase they are forced to wait in areas of the airport/station that are away from the main travel information displays. This can lead to passengers missing their plane or train when they are unaware of the most up to date departure information for their journey. Overcrowding problems can be exacerbated further by passengers constantly moving back and forth between their waiting area and the travel information displays to check the latest flight information.

Although transport hubs are provided with public announcement systems that provide latest travel information such systems are far from perfect and it is not uncommon for passengers to mishear or even completely fail to hear information on their journey.

Summary of the Invention

In view of the above identified problems there is a need for improved travel information display systems. The present invention provides a mobile travel information display cart comprising an electronic display screen connected to conveyance means by an extendable support, said support configured to enable the screen to be extended away from the conveyance means so as to increase the visibility of the screen.

By mounting an electronic display screen, which is capable of presenting travel information, on a cart it is possible to set up impromptu travel information displays at locations in an transport hub(e.g. airport or train station) away from the main travel information displays (i.e. arrival/departure boards).

In this way additional travel information displays can be deployed to anywhere in the building during times of disruption or indeed just times when the airport/station is very busy. This provides the airport/station operators with a large amount of flexibility during times of overcrowding, for example.

It will be appreciated that in order to allow the mobile travel information display cart of the present invention quickly and easily around a transport hub the design of the cart will be relatively compact and portable - certainly in comparison to the fixed main arrivals/departures boards. In view of this it is envisioned that when the cart is located in a smaller space passengers will tend to crowd around the display screen to read the information about their journey the screen can soon become obscured from the passengers further away from display. In order to address the problem of the screen being blocked from view the display screen is mounted on an extendable support which can be operated to extend the screen, preferably upwards, so as to enable more passengers to see the screen.

Preferably the cart may further comprise wireless communication means configured to receive information (such as flight data) from a remote source and present it on the electronic display screen. In this way the travel information being displayed by the cart can be live, real-time information that is updated from a central server. It is appreciated that the display can be used to present other useful information too.

It is also envisioned that that the extendable support may be provided with more than one display screen to further increase the visibility of the travel information being displayed by the cart.

Preferably the extendable support may comprise actuation means operable to extend and compress the support. In this way the action of moving the display screen towards and away from the main body of the cart can be carried out at the touch of a button. Further preferably the actuation means may be controlled by remote control, and preferably only by remote control in normal use. In this way only personal with access to the remote control can operate the actuator, which can be beneficial when the cart is left unattended for extended periods of time.

Preferably the extendable support may be configured to raise the display screen to a height of at least 2 metres above the ground. In this way the screen can be raised above the heads of the passengers, thus preventing the view of the screen being obstructed by passengers who stand directly in front of the cart.

Preferably the cart may be provided with display housing means capable of at least partially receiving the electronic display screen. In this way the display can be housed when the cart is being transported about or stored so as to reduce the likelihood of the display being damaged. When the display is required the display can be extended out of the housing and away from the conveyance means to increase the visibility of the screen. Preferably the extendable support may be configured to lower the display so that it is at least partially, and preferably completely, received within the housing.

Preferably the cart may further comprise stabilizing means to prevent the cart tipping over when the electronic display screen is extended away from the conveyance means. Effectively the stabilising means ensure that the cart does not become less stable when the screen is in the extended position.

Further preferably the stabilising means may comprise a heavy weight or ballast positioned in the conveyance means to lower the centre of gravity of the cart. It is appreciated that there is a limit to the weight of the ballast employed within the cart as ultimately the cart must retain its manoeuvrability. To this end the key requirement of the ballast, and its positioning on the cart, is to locate the centre of gravity of the cart as close to the ground as possible to minimise the chance of the cart tipping over.

Preferably the heavy weight or ballast may be provided in the form of batteries (such as 4 x 30kg batteries). It is envisaged that employing batteries enables the unit to be entirely "wireless" (i.e. having no communications cables nor mains power cables) is an important additional feature as it allows the unit to be deployed in a wider range of locations (i.e. where there are no power sockets).

Preferably the cart may further comprise a transit handle which is operable to manoeuvre the cart around. It is envisaged that the cart will be configured to enable it to be manoeuvred around by one, and at most two, operators.

Further preferably the transit handle can be actuated between a 'park' position, wherein the cart cannot be manoeuvred, and a 'move' position, wherein the cart is lifted onto wheels/rollers/castors so that it can be manoeuvred.

Alternatively, or additionally, the stabilising means may comprise at least one outrigger leg that is extendable from the cart to prevent the cart tipping over. It is envisioned that such outrigger legs can be engaged as and when they are required to provide additional support to the cart.

Preferably the cart may comprise locking means operable to prevent the cart being moved around. Preferably the transit handle provides the function of the locking means. Alternatively or additionally the locking means may be provided by at least one outrigger leg.

Further preferably the locking means may be controlled by remote control, and preferably only by remote control. Once again this means that only operators with access to the remote control can disengage the locking means and move the cart around.

It is envisioned that by having the locking means and the actuator controlled primarily by a remote control it is possible to put systems in place that prevent the locking means from being disengaged until the actuator has been operated to compress the extendable support with the screen closer to the main body of the cart. Additionally, and as a safety feature, it is envisaged that all remote control operations will have a manual override which can be operated from inside the unit which can be accessed by key lock as a backup.

Preferably the cart may further comprise an internal rechargeable power source to facilitate the operation of the cart in any location. Whilst it is envisioned that the cart may be connected up to the mains power supply, the provision of an on board power source allows greater flexibility when positioning the cart within an airport, train station or other transport hub.

As already mentioned the use of batteries, which are housed close to the ground in the conveyancing means, provides a further stabilising effect to the cart which prevents it from toppling over.

Preferably the cart may further comprise a central processing unit configured to manage and control the operation of cart. In this way the various operations of the cart can be managed, which may include: the information being displayed; the actuation of the extendable support; the locking means; and the internal power supply. It is envisaged that the central processing unit may be housed within the conveyancing means so as to help keep the centre of gravity of the cart as close to the ground as possible.

Further preferably the central processing unit may comprise wireless communication means capable of receiving remotely issued commands. Such commands may come from a central server, as in the case of travel information, or from a local operator setting up the cart.

Advantageously the wireless antenna of the wireless communication means may be located on the display screen such that, when the display screen is raised up the antenna is also raised up above possible local obstructions to any Wi-Fi signal.

It is envisioned that in the case of a local operator they could issue the remote commands (e.g. to extend/compress the extendable support or to release the locking means) from a mobile device such as a laptop, mobile phone or tablet computer. It is also envisioned that the central processing unit of the cart can feed back information, such as the status of the on board power source, to the operator's mobile device so that they maintain the cart remotely.

Preferably the cart may be provided with means for collecting data from individual passengers so that a passenger can prompt the cart for information on their journey/flight. Further preferably the date collection means may comprise a bar code scanner or near field communication means.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to a preferred

embodiment shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the cart of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a side view of the cart of figure 1 in the 'park' setting;

Figure 3 shows a side view of the cart with the screen partially retracted;

Figure 4 shows a side view of the cart with the screen fully retracted; and Figure 5 shows a side view of the cart.of figure 4 in the 'move' setting.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

A preferred embodiment of the mobile travel information display cart of the present invention will now be described with reference to the figures. Although the cart of the present invention might most commonly be deployed in airports it is envisaged that the portability of the device also makes it useful in other transport hubs such as bus stations and even motorway service stations.

Figure 1 shows a mobile travel information display cart 1 . The cart 1 is provided with an electronic display 2 that is mounted on conveyance means 3.

The foot print of the conveyance means 3 is configured so as to distribute the weight of the cart 1 and thereby increase its stability. As will be appreciated from Figures 2- 5, the conveyance means 3 is provided with wheels/rollers/casters 7 in each of its corners upon which the cart 1 can be moved about. Although not visible in the figures it will be appreciated that the conveyance means 3 is provided with one or more rechargeable batteries to power the operation of the cart 1 . It is appreciated that the batteries used by the cart do not need to be lightweight and compact because of their secondary role in lowering the centre of gravity of the cart to increase its stability. Other operational components of the cart, such as its central processing unit (CPU), are also contained within the conveyancing means 3, thus further lowering the centre of gravity of the cart 1 .

In order to provide maintenance access to the operational components (e.g. CPU, batteries) the conveyancing means 3 is provided with an access hatch. The hatch is provided with locking means to prevent unauthorised access to the operational components of the cart 1 .

Attached to the conveyance means 3 is a display housing means 4, which is configured so as to be capable of at least partially, and preferably completely, receiving the electronic display 2. In order to facilitate the movement of the electronic display 2 relative to the conveyance means 3 the cart 1 is provided with an extendable support that is configured to carry the load of the electronic display 2 and move it towards and away from the conveyance means 3 and the display housing means 4. In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures the extendable support is located within the housing 4 and therefore in not visible. Preferably the extendable support comprises a mechanical screw which is electronically controllable to raise and lower the display screen.

However, having said that, the skilled person will readily appreciate that the action of raising and lowering the display screen could be achieved using a range of actuation means, such as pistons, belt mechanisms or other rack and pinion arrangements.

In the case of the preferred embodiment the extendable support is electronically controlled by the CPU. However it is envisioned that that the extendable support may, either additionally or alternatively, be manually operated. By providing for the display 2 to be completely received within the housing 4 it is envisioned that the display will be protected from damage during times when the cart's display is not it use (i.e. during transport or storage of the cart).

The operation of the extendable support to lower the electronic display will be appreciated from Figures 3 and 4. It will also be appreciated that even when the display 2 is completely received within the housing 4 the antenna 5 is still left proud. In this way it is still possible to communicate with the cart 1 remotely and thereby send instructions for the cart to raise the display screen and start displaying information.

The cart 1 is provided with a transit handle 6, which is pivotally mounted to the conveyancing means 3. By pivotally mounting the handle 6 to the conveyancing means 3 the handle can be used to place the cart in either a 'park' mode or a 'move' mode.

The 'park' mode of the cart 1 will be better understood from Figure 2. In the 'park' mode of the shown embodiment the transit handle 6 is placed flush with the body of housing 4. In this arrangement the wheels/rollers/casters 7 are held in a first position relative to the conveyance means 3, wherein they are raised away from the ground due to the presence of fixed feet 8 located adjacent to the wheels/rollers/casters 7 in the corners of the conveyance means.

Therefore when the cart 1 is put in the 'park' mode by placing the transit handle 6 flush with the main body of the cart it cannot be moved because the weight of the cart is place on the feet rather than on the wheels/rollers/casters 7.

Turning now to Figure 5, which shows the cart 1 of the preferred embodiment in the 'move' mode, it will be appreciated that moving the transit handle away from the cart body about its pivot serves to move the wheels/rollers/casters 7 from the first position to a second position in which they extend proud of the feet 8 and make contact with the ground.

Indeed, the more the handle 6 is pivoted relative to the cart body the more the wheels/rollers/casters are moved towards the ground. This action on the handle thus serves to project the wheels/rollers/casters 7 beyond the feet 8 and lift the cart 1 so that it can be manoeuvred around.

Once the cart 1 has been moved to its desired location the handle 6 can be returned to the 'park' position and the wheels/rollers/casters 7 will revert back to their raised position thus preventing the cart being moved again without using the handle 6.

It is envisioned that the manner of operation provided by the transit handle 6 means that it can also be used as a braking means for the cart 1 when it is being

manoeuvred around.

Although mobile display unit of the present invention is considered particularly suitable for deployment in transport hubs, such as airports and train stations, it is envisaged that the unit may be deployed in a range of public spaces where the public would benefit from additional information.

Claims

1 . A mobile information display cart comprising an electronic display screen connected to conveyance means by an extendable support, said support configured to enable the screen to be extended away from the conveyance means so as to increase the visibility of the screen; and further comprising stabilizing means to prevent the cart tipping over when the electronic display screen is extended away from the conveyance means, said stabilizing means having ballast positioned in the conveyance means to lower the centre of gravity of the cart and whereby said ballast comprises one or more rechargeable batteries capable of powering the operation of the cart.

2. The cart of claim 1 , further comprising wireless communication means configured to receive information from a remote source and present it on the electronic display screen.

3. The cart of claim 1 or 2, wherein the extendable support comprises actuation means operable to extend and compress the support.

4. The cart of claim 3, wherein the actuation means can be controlled by remote control.

5. The cart of any of the preceding claims, wherein the extendable support is configured to raise the display screen to a height of at least 2 metres above the ground.

6. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising housing means capable of at least partially receiving the electronic display screen.

7. The cart of any of the preceding claims, wherein the stabilizing means further comprise at least one outrigger leg that is extendable from the cart to prevent the cart tipping over.

8. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a transit handle which is operable to manoeuvre the cart around.

9. The cart of claim 8, wherein the transit handle is configured to be actuated between a 'park' position, wherein the cart cannot be manoeuvred, and a 'move' position, wherein the handle causes the cart to be lifted onto wheels/rollers/casters so that it can be manoeuvred about.

10. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising locking means operable to prevent the cart being moved around.

1 1 . The cart of claim 10, wherein the locking means is provided by said at least one outrigger leg.

12. The cart of claim 10, wherein the locking means prevent the transit handle from being actuated from the 'park' position to the 'move' position.

13. The cart of claim 10, 1 1 or 12, wherein the locking means can be controlled by remote control.

14. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a central processing unit configured to manage and control the operation of cart.

15. The cart of claim 14, wherein the central processing unit comprising wireless communication means capable of receiving remotely issued commands.

16. The cart of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication means comprises an antenna that is located on top of the electronic display screen.

17. The cart of any of the preceding claims, further comprising means for collecting data from individual passengers so that a passenger can prompt the cart for information on their journey/flight.

18. The cart of claim 17, wherein the data collection means comprise either a bar code scanner or near field communication means.