Digital Display Mounts on Utility Poles for Ad Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility poles underutilize their surface area for advertising, leading to wasted space and legal ambiguities regarding posting permissions, and traditional billboards require significant manpower and resources for maintenance and updates.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising displays mounted on utility poles, connected to a processor, power supply, and non-transitory computer-readable medium, allowing controlled advertisement display and user access management through a user interface, with AI for monitoring and analyzing ad success, enabling efficient and regulated advertisement distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional billboards are installed on utility poles, then advertisement space is created, but the structures become large and unruly, interfering with utility equipment housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by installing smaller, localized display panels at specific positions on the utility pole rather than large billboards. These displays are positioned in areas that do not interfere with utility equipment housing, allowing advertisement space to be created in a targeted, non-intrusive manner that respects the functional requirements of the pole.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional billboard advertising to multi-dimensional digital displays that can show multiple advertisements simultaneously in different orientations and positions on the pole. This dimensional change allows efficient use of available surface area without requiring large single-panel structures.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple traditional billboards are installed on utility poles, then more advertisement space is available, but significant manpower is required for installation and updating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical billboard systems with electronic display panels controlled by a centralized processor. Instead of manually installing and changing physical billboards, the system uses digital content management where advertisements are updated remotely through software, eliminating the need for repeated manual intervention and reducing ongoing manpower requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service capabilities through automated content management. The processor automatically manages multiple display panels, rotating through different advertisements and updating content remotely without requiring physical access to each pole. This automation significantly reduces the manpower needed for maintenance and updates.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional billboards are used, then advertisements can be displayed, but they cannot show multiple advertisements simultaneously and require manual changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple advertisement displays into a single integrated system on each utility pole. Multiple digital panels are combined under centralized control, allowing the system to display multiple different advertisements simultaneously across the various panels. This consolidation enables diverse advertising content while reducing the need for manual changes, as all content is managed digitally from a central location.
4Area of stationary object
If utility pole surface area is not used for advertising, then utility equipment housing is maintained, but valuable space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the utility pole serve dual functions: housing utility equipment and displaying advertisements. The display panels are integrated into the pole structure in a way that does not interfere with utility equipment, allowing the same infrastructure to generate revenue while maintaining its primary function. This multi-functionality converts previously wasted surface area into a valuable advertising resource.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for displaying advertisements on utility poles is provided. In one aspect, the system allows users to generate revenue by placing advertisements on utility poles. The system generally comprises a display, display mount, processor operably connected to the display, power supply, and non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon. The user interface allows users to choose content that may be presented via the displays. Chosen content is transferred to the displays by the processor over a network. The displays may be grouped in ways that allow users to control multiple displays at once. Various permission levels may be used to limit which displays users have access too, allowing various degrees of control for each display of the system.