Wireless Status Sign System

Abstract

A status sign has a stencil, a cover, a mounting plate, and a main assembly therebetween. The main assembly comprises a battery and a printed-circuit board having circuitry for controlling light emitted from the main assembly. The stencil has openings that provide information indicative of status. The stencil is disposed to be illuminated when slid between the main assembly such that light from the main assembly passes through the openings and renders the information visible.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a status-sign (1), said status sign having a stencil (5), a cover (2), a mounting plate (4), and a main assembly (3) therebetween, wherein said main assembly comprises a battery (8) and a printed-circuit board (7) having circuitry for controlling light emitted from said main assembly, wherein said stencil has openings that provide information indicative of status, said stencil being disposed to be illuminated when said stencil is slid between said main assembly such that light from said main assembly passes through said openings and renders said information visible.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor mounted on said printed-circuit board.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a table stand having a base and a support, wherein said support holds said status sign and transfers said status sign's weight to said base.

4. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a mounting screw to connect said support to said status sign.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said main assembly and said mounting plate comprise alignment features that guide said main assembly when said main assembly is being mounted to said mounting plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to control color of said illumination.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said circuitry comprises a network interface to permit remote control of said status sign.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first portion of a hook-and-loop fastener on said mounting plate to permit said mounting plate to be mounted on a corresponding second portion of said hook-and-loop fastener.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 is a view of the status sign.

[0038] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the status sign showing four main components thereof.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a back view of the status sign showing three of the four main components thereof.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a view of the printed circuit board (PCB) and battery by removing the plastic backplate.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a section view of the status sign.

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a view of the status sign using the mounting system and a table stand.

[0043] FIG. 7 shows an exploded view of the mounting system used for a tripod.

DESCRIPTION

[0044] FIG. 1 shows several views of a status sign 1 in a typical operational mode in which a cover 2 and a mounting plate 4, both shown in FIG. 2, hold a main assembly 3 therebetween. A slide-in stencil 5, also shown in FIG. 2, is in its normal operating position.

[0045] The stencil 5 includes a symbol that communicates a status. Typically, the status is that of a person inside a room that is associated with the status sing 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the symbol takes the form of alphanumeric characters.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a view of the device disassembled in a way that makes it easy to charge a battery 8, which is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 2, the cover 2 has been removed from the main assembly 3 and the mounting plate 4. The main assembly 4 and the mounting plate 4 both remain on the wall. The lower right portion of FIG. 2 shows the slide-in stencil 5 after having been removed from the main assembly 3.

[0047] In some embodiments, the mounting plate 4 is attached to a wall or door with a hook-and-loop fastener, a hook-and-pile fastener, or some other attachment method that permits easy detachment. The main assembly 3 is then pushed onto the mounting plate 4 and slid down on hooks that are molded into the mounting plate 4. This easy-to-use mounting system allows the main assembly 8 to be quickly removed for charging the battery 8.

[0048] The ability to remove the cover 2, as shown in FIG. 2 is useful for those embodiments in which the cover 2 blocks access to the charging port for the battery 8. Blocking access to the charging port. Blocking such access is useful for safety, for example for preventing foreign bodies from entering, or for ornamental or aesthetic reasons, such as to cover an unsightly opening.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a view of the status sign 1 from the back after having been disassembled. FIG. 3 also shows both sides of the mounting plate 4 and shows a rear plate 6 of the main assembly 3. The rear plate 6 permits the mounting plate 4 to be easily removed from a wall or door. In some embodiments, the mounting plate 4 and rear plate 6 have alignment features, such as arrows and notches, to make mounting the status sign 1 easier. In some embodiments, the status sign 1 is sufficiently robust to withstand high g-forces should the door be slammed by, for example, a gust of wind.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a printed circuit board (PCB) 7 and the battery 8. The PCB 7 can house a plurality of sensors such as hygrometers, gyroscopes, thermometers, proximity sensors, GPS, thermal imaging, g-sensors, capacitance sensors, accelerometers, and other sensors. These sensors permit the status sign 1 to monitor the space around it for temperature, motion, light level, motion of the unit, and orientation of the unit. Information from these sensor can then be communicated to a central processing unit (CPU) on the PCB 7, which then has the option of using this information to carry out various tasks. Such tasks include operating the device locally. Alternatively, the information acquired from the sensors can be transmitted via cable or wirelessly to another computer system or mobile phone to operate the device locally or remotely. The PCB 7 in some embodiments may have mechanical switches to control local operations like on/off, light color change, and the like, or to send data via the CPU to a central computer system or phone.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the status sign 1 indicating the spatial relationships of the foregoing components.

[0052] A variety of mounting systems can be used to mount the status sign 1 at a location other than on a wall or door.

[0053] Some embodiments feature a table stand 9 that engages the status sign 1, as shown in FIG. 6. The table stand 9 provides an aesthetically pleasing option for positioning the status sign 1 on a table or shelving unit. As shown in FIG. 7, some embodiments of the table stand 9 have a mounting screw thread to accept a mounting screw 11 to use with a tripod or other system. As a result, it is possible to mount the status sign 1 in any one of a variety locations.

[0054] It is apparent that the structural features of the invention can be obtained by a variety of materials and construction methods to those knowledgeable in the art.

[0055] It is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.