Outdoor Display Airflow Housing for Protected Air Quality Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air quality monitors are expensive, cumbersome, and vulnerable to theft or damage, providing inadequate and unreliable data due to their standalone deployment and sensitivity to location changes, which is exacerbated by the need for multiple units across urban areas to gather accurate readings.
Innovation Solution
A powered and protected air quality monitoring system integrated within outdoor electronic display assemblies, where ambient air is circulated through the assembly and exposed to sensors placed within protective housings, allowing for accurate air quality measurements without disrupting the aesthetic appearance or increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standalone air quality monitors are deployed across urban areas, then air quality measurement coverage is improved, but cost and vulnerability to theft or damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines air quality monitoring functionality with outdoor electronic display assemblies, merging two separate functions (display and sensing) into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for standalone monitors and leverages existing protected infrastructure for dual purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The outdoor electronic display assembly serves multiple functions: visual display, thermal management through air circulation, and air quality monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated air quality monitor installations throughout urban areas.
2Reliability
If multiple air quality monitors are deployed to gather accurate readings, then data reliability is improved, but cost and deployment complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Existing outdoor electronic display assemblies are repurposed to perform air quality monitoring in addition to their primary display function. This approach leverages already-deployed infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate monitor deployments and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The outdoor electronic display assemblies utilize their own existing power supplies and thermal management systems to operate the air quality sensors, eliminating the need for separate power and maintenance infrastructure that would be required for standalone monitors.
3Measurement precision
If air quality sensors are exposed to ambient air for accurate readings, then measurement accuracy is improved, but vulnerability to environmental damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary chamber or housing that allows ambient air to reach the sensors while protecting them from direct exposure to harmful environmental factors. The sensors are positioned to sample air through controlled openings rather than being fully exposed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensors are integrated within the protected enclosure of the outdoor electronic display assembly, which provides physical protection from vandalism and environmental damage while still allowing air sampling for accurate measurements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a cost-effective, reliable, and aesthetically unobtrusive method for monitoring air quality by leveraging existing power supplies and thermal management systems within electronic displays, offering comprehensive and accurate data collection while reducing the risk of theft and enhancing data reliability.
Implementation Method 1
Such thermal management is often accomplished, at least in part, by ingesting ambient air. The ingested ambient air may be circulated through the assembly and placed in direct or indirect contact with various components of the assembly
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and method for monitoring air quality are provided. Digital out-of-home advertising display units are located within a geographic area. The units include an electronic display for displaying advertising images located at a housing, an open loop pathway for ambient air extending between an ingestion and exhaustion area of the housing. An air quality monitoring device located along the open loop pathway includes comprising sensor(s) for measuring characteristics of encountered gasses which are electronically communicated by a network connectivity device to a monitoring station. The monitoring station generates visual representations of the received measurements, at least one of which summarizes the measurements from multiple ones of the units.