BILLBOARD WITH CONCEALED ANTENNA FOR CELLULAR PHONE

Abstract

Advertising billboard with the ability to completely hide antennas for cellular telephones, or similar, in its interior without producing shielding of the exit and entrance of the electromagnetic waves for the telephony service, thanks to the provision of a discreet amount of windows permeable to the waves electromagnetic stripping of metallic materials the area of the windows. The windows are covered with laminar patches of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, preferably FGRP fiberglass reinforced plastic; in combination with the traditional metal profiles, there are included alternate profiles of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, which fall within the area of said window or aperture on the cover of the grid, in order to allow the inner antennas to the billboard rendering the normal service without shielding the electromagnetic signals, but hidden inside the billboard.

Claims

1. An advertising billboard (1) comprising: a frame (2) comprising a plurality of interconnected profiles (7) defining at least one grid (5), wherein each grid has an inner face (51) and an outer face (52); a metallic sheet covering (4) on the outer face (52) of each grid (5); at least one window (8) located in the metallic laminate coating; a laminar patch (12) made of a non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves covering the outer face of the grid and at the location of the windows (8); at least one cellular telephone antenna (10) located entirely on the inner side of the grid and at the location of the windows; alternate profiles forming a frame for the window, the alternate profiles are made of a non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves; where the antennas are completely covered by the frame; where the profiles (7) are metallic.

2. The advertising billboard according to claim 1, wherein the non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves is selected from the group consisting of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polypropylene (PP), fiberglass, and glass fiber reinforced polyester.

3. The advertising billboard according to claim 1, wherein the laminar patch of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves comprises fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP) panels and the metallic sheet coating on the outer face of the grid comprises steel panels.

4. The billboard according to claim 3, wherein the window and the laminar patch are rectangular.

5. The advertising billboard according to claim 1, wherein the non-metallic material permeable to the electromagnetic waves of the interconnected alternate profiles is made of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the antenna according to the prior art;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view illustrating an advertising billboard with the antenna concealment capability for cellular telephone in accordance with a preferred example of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view illustrating the advertising billboard according to the exemplary preferred embodiment of the present invention without the advertising canvas;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a detailed amplified view of the two antennas indicated in FIG. 3, so as to illustrate the integration of the antennas into the frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] As mentioned above, the main object of the present invention is to completely hide the antennas for cellular telephony (10) inside the advertising billboard (1), and at the same time, avoid the effect of shielding the electromagnetic waves that present the current metal structures. While the type of billboard preferably illustrated is a single-post type (one post) with two visible advertising faces raised and supported on a single support column (13), the principles and teachings of the present invention may be applied to a wide variety of billboard formats based on the teachings developed below.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a general prior art depiction showing a large outdoor advertising billboard mounted on a mono-column of the type intended for highway advertising, telephony antennas, as well as other types of broadcast and reception antennas of electromagnetic waves are looming over the billboard to avoid shielding the metal structure of the advertising billboard itself.

[0023] For the purposes of the present invention, regardless of the specific advertising billboard format, in order to apply the teachings of the present invention, an advertising billboard (1) will comprise a frame (2) composed of a plurality of profiles (7) interconnected with each other (in the traditional style) defining at least one grid (5), wherein the grid has an inner face (51) and an outer face (52) and also comprises a metallic sheet covering (4) (In the traditional style) on the outer face (52) of the grid (5). Generally, the metallic sheet covering (4) is rectangular or strip-shaped metal panels, or metal sheets (4) which are adhered to the grids (5), that is, on the corresponding grids (5A, 5B, etc.). The frame of an advertising billboard of the type used as the basis for the present invention is formed by a plurality of metal profiles (7) such as bars, beams, columns and the like, interconnected in such a way as to define hereinafter referred to as grids; each grid (5) is generally flat and, because of the need for structural strength, it is constructed of metal material and is formed into a grid, grid or latticework mode by interconnecting the metal profiles by means of welding, screws or other means of attachment, and for this reason they will be denominated like interconnected.

[0024] As a person skilled in the art knows, when a single grid is provided to form the frame, a billboard with a single front face is obtained, wherein the frame matches the grid, in which case the part of the (back of the grid) is never visible to the observer, for example, because it is faced against a wall or placed embedded in some other structure. On the other hand, when two racks are provided, forming the frame of the advertising billboard, a double-sided billboard is obtained, whether the faces are parallel or angled (the latter arrangement of very frequent use); following the reasoning when providing three grids to form the frame of the billboard is obtained an advertising billboard with three visible faces, and so on, as needed.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view, and taken from above illustrating, an advertising billboard with the antenna concealment capability for cellular telephony in accordance with a preferred example of the present invention having partly cut off the printed advertising canvas in order to observe the patches permeable to the electromagnetic waves embodying the present invention; The antennas hidden behind the patches permeable to electromagnetic waves for reference and clarity of description are also shown in phantom lines, and the windows permeable to electromagnetic waves have been highlighted with frames in center lines

[0026] In FIG. 2 there is shown an advertising billboard (1) having a support column (13) supporting the frame (2). The frame (2) forms a closed structure where the interior of the frame cannot be seen by the persons viewing the billboard from a distance. In a variation of the invention of the frame (2) it has a pair of main grids (5A) having large dimensions and a pair of secondary side grids (5B) which are of smaller dimensions thus defining a general parallel-piped shape, in spite of other configurations that are possible. The main grids (5A) are intended to support the main advertising faces and the secondary side grids (5B) are concealing or side closing faces. The number of main grids (5A) and secondary side grids (5B) will depend on the shape the user wishes the frame (2) to have.

[0027] A plurality of high gain cell phone antennas (10) is provided within the frame (2) for high gain cell phone, without this being a limitation. The antennas (10) are grouped in pairs and distributed along the interior of the main grids (5A). The antennas (10) are completely covered within the interior of the frame (2).

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, taken from above, illustrating the advertising billboard according to the exemplary preferred embodiment of the present invention, having removed the advertising canvas and partially cut off part of the frame to observe without visual interference, the position of two of the antennas integrated within the billboard (marked in a circle of dashed lines), and which are illustrated in detail in FIG. 4. Again, the windows permeable to the electromagnetic waves have stood out with frames in centerlines for easy reference purposes.

[0029] In FIG. 3, the inside of the frame (2) is better shown to the right of the figure and the arrangement of the cellular telephone antennas (10) can be clearly seen. The inner support structure has been omitted for the sake of clarity, and is located in the back of the antennas (10), that is, behind the emission direction of the antennas. As anticipated, a top right portion of the frame (2) has been trimmed to allow observing, by way of example, the positioning of two of the cellular telephone antennas (10), which have been highlighted within a circle of line strokes to reference FIG. 4 in enlarged detail.

[0030] While the frame (2) may be more or less complex in the form of billboards of one, two, three, four or more visible faces, the person skilled in the art will understand and will not hesitate to interpret the existence of an inner side or back where any object on the inside or back side of the billboard will be completely hidden from view of the viewer who is watching the billboard from the normal viewing position of the billboard. There is also an outer side or front side, such that everything on the outside or front of the frame (2) is considered to be on the outer side of the frame (2), therefore not necessarily hidden. Therefore, even in the particular case where the billboard has a single visible side with advertising, that is a single front face supported on a front grid, the frame 2 may be formed by a single grid (5) to which the above mentioned references may also be applied, i.e. it will also have an inner side (back) and an outer side (front) and more particularly each grid (5) forming the frame (2) of the advertising billboard will have an inner face (51) and an outer face (52) in accordance with the above criteria.

[0031] In the customary practice of the manufacture of advertising billboards, in order to provide support for the visible advertising panel (3), the frame (2), more specifically the grids (5), are coated with a metallic sheet covering (4), preferably made up of metal sheets or metal panels, among other options, which cover the exterior of the grids (5A, 5B), preferably rectangular, notwithstanding the purposes of the present invention because the advertising billboard will also have various components completely hidden in the interior of the frame (2), mainly the antennas (10) and the auxiliary equipment for their operation, the provision of the metallic sheet covering, that is the metal sheets that cover the exterior of the grids (5) is fundamental to hide the inside of the billboard. However, because the metal plates of the traditional billboards shield (that is interfere, attenuate and even prevent) the passage of electromagnetic waves, it would be impossible to offer the cellular telephone service with this traditional structure, were it not for the ingenious incorporation of a plurality of laminar patches (12) of material permeable to electromagnetic waves at suitable sites, that is a plurality of patches incorporated particularly in the contour of emission/reception zones of electromagnetic waves of the corresponding telephony antennas (10).

[0032] Therefore, for the structural purposes of the present invention, the cellular telephone antennas (10) will be covered by a laminar patch (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves. Therefore, the antennas (10) will be completely hidden from view by persons, but with the ability to emit and receive the electromagnetic waves to render their service, since the electromagnetic waves can in principle pass through said laminar patch (12) permeable to electromagnetic waves.

[0033] The laminar patches (12) of electromagnetic permeable material proposed here are illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 in rectangular form as it is the simplest industrial mode to obtain them and adapt them to the general shape of the billboard (generally rectangular, although any other composite shape is possible, without limitation) and thus combine them with the rectangular metallic sheet covering (4), however this is not a limitation for the purposes of the present invention provided that the patches (12) cover the opening area or window (8) of the grid (5) where the large contour flow of the emission and reception of electromagnetic waves of the cellular telephone antennas (10) takes place.

[0034] In particular, such laminar patches (12) of material permeable to electromagnetic waves for the purposes of the present invention are preferably made of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP), which combines excellent mechanical strength with a high permeability to the pitch of electromagnetic waves. Also, other materials in addition to fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP) may be used for such patches (12) permeable to electromagnetic waves, among which are found, without, however, being limited to: [0035] Polycarbonate [0036] PVC fabric (polyvinyl chloride) [0037] Fiberglass sheets [0038] Polyester reinforced with fiberglass [0039] Inks of latex digital printing, UV and solvent of advertising graphics. [0040] Lead-free paints for mimicking and integration with the urban environment of the site.

[0041] In summary, the non-metallic material permeable to the electromagnetic wave for an advertising billboard according to the present invention is selected from the group that consists of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP), fiberglass and glass fiber reinforced polyester. Although the inventors understand that this is not a limitation, since other materials could well serve as a non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, and as will be understood by one skilled in the art.

[0042] It should be particularly noted that the present inventors have found that if, for example, the total replacement of the metal sheets by a material such as the above-mentioned FGRP is to be practiced, the strength of the assembly will be weakened excessively, and so that, contrary to what one might think, surprisingly, it has been found that the application of a limited number of AD HOC patches of permeable lamellae that are specifically installed in areas where it is strictly necessary to have maximum effectiveness in the transmission of the electromagnetic wave is provided by the present invention. In this sense, patches are proposed distributed on the electromagnetic emission/reception face of the advertising structure, thus offering an optimum performance of emission and reception of the telephony signal, filtering any other type of emission other than the one that enters and leaves by mentioned patches (effective useful signal of service), all this while offering the benefit of not weakening the mechanical resistance of the advertising structure allowing a commercial performance of optimal characteristics, since the intervention is not visible or perceptible from the urban environment.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates in greater detail the two antennas indicated in FIG. 3, so as to illustrate the integration of the antennas within the frame behind the grid cover patch and in the window where the metal profiles have been replaced by non-metallic profiles, both of which are permeable to electromagnetic waves. The canvas with the printed advertising is also illustrated only for the purpose of reference in dashed line.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, as well as in the enlarged detail in FIG. 4, the antennas (10) are disposed towards the inside of the frame (2), that is on the back of the corresponding grid (5), completely hidden behind a laminar patch (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves covering a window (8) of the metallic sheet covering (4) that covers the outer face (52) of the grid (5). For the purposes of the present invention, the window (8) is effectively an opening made in the mentioned metallic sheet covering (4), for example by screwing, cutting or simply dislodging from the metal sheets a discrete area of the surface of the grid (5), preferably but not limited to rectangular-shaped openings.

[0045] Also, without forgetting that the frame (2) has taken into account that the advertising billboard also has the grids (5) formed by interconnected metal profiles (7), which would also shield and reduce an electromagnetic signal. Thus, in combination with the laminar patches (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, there are provided interconnected alternate profiles (11), which are comprised within the area of the window (8), wherein the alternate profiles (11) also result from non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, so that the sector of the windows (8) is completely permeable to the emission and reception of the antennas. For the purposes of the present invention, the alternate profiles (11) are those which replace the traditional metal profiles (7), the alternate profiles continuing the frame supporting structure, may coincide, almost emulating or continuing the original structure or may alter the original design, increasing or decreasing the number of profiles expected to be observed, its section may vary from metallic ones, be thinner, thicker, have another geometry, and so on. All this taking into account that the material of the alternate profiles (11) is different from the material of the metal profiles (7).

[0046] More specifically, the present inventors consider that a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but without limiting it, is to provide such patches (12) in the form of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP) panels with sufficient thickness, stiffness and (4) absent in the area of the window (8) and that the interconnected alternate profiles (11) comprised within the area of the window (8) that go in replacement of what would originally have been metallic profiles, are also provided as alternate profiles (11) of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP) with sufficient thickness, rigidity and texture to overcome the physical lack of metal profiles (7).

[0047] With respect to the latter, that is to say, the replacement of the metal profiles (7) by alternate profiles (11) permeable to the electromagnetic waves of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP), is practiced by replacing the metal profiles (7) with rails, beams, columns, or the like, as if the crossbeams or bars of a window are treated in such a way as to avoid interfering with the electromagnetic waves being sent and received by the antennas hidden behind the corresponding patch (12).

[0048] Therefore, an advertising billboard (1) according to the present invention comprises a frame (2) composed of a plurality of interconnected profiles (7) defining at least one grid (5), wherein this grid has an inner face (51), and an outer face (52), and a metallic sheet covering (4) on the outer face (52) of the grid (5), so that it may even intervene on a pre-existing billboard to convert it into a modified billboard so that it can (1) in accordance with the teachings of the present invention have at least one window (8) covered by a laminar patch (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, wherein there is hidden behind the laminar patch (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves, at least one (10), and in that the interconnected profiles (7) are metallic except for the interconnected alternate profiles (11) which replace any type of metal profile which could fall within the area of the window (8) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves.

[0049] For purposes of guidance, and in order to provide practical reference information to a person skilled in the art, the best practice is summarized below for obtaining the integration of the laminar patches (12) and the alternate profiles (11), both of non-metallic and permeable to electromagnetic waves, to be connected with the metal material of the grids (5). Namely, the fiberglass reinforced plastic (FGRP), polycarbonate or similar non-metallic material do not possess the same physical and adhesion properties as the metallic structural components, and therefore it is not easy to integrate them because both materials are not mechanically compatible to be joined by welding, which is the most used mode for this type of advertising structure. In this sense, it is proposed to bond ferrous materials to non-ferrous materials by means of fastening systems such as those used to obtain bolted or bolted connections (screws, nuts, threaded rods, etc.), in order to not lose resistance of the materials and the mechanical behavior of the same. However, since it is also possible to carry out the reconversion of existing billboards, such as prior art billboards, which would of course be of great interest to telecommunication companies, and in order to provide them with the benefits of the present invention, some of the following procedures and recommendations are proposed as follow:

[0050] Select existing advertising structures within the assigned and specific searches of sites under the requirements of cellular companies in order to make use of them, according to the need of the telecommunications company to integrate it into its network of coverage of the region.

[0051] Determine the orientation of the azimuth antennas that will fix the position to where the electromagnetic waves of the antennas should be directed according to the specific need of the telecommunications company and the best use of the advertising structure. These orientations are those that the transmission antennas need to connect with the rest of the network and reach the maximum coverage with the highest possible efficiency within the selected zone.

[0052] Structurally verify and design the engineering details for the compatibility and adequacy of the existing billboard, in order to convert it into an advertising antenna without affecting the original advertising objective of the same, nor the structural set. To this end, to validate the structural calculations, again taking into account those elements such as: telephony equipment, walkways, cabling, ladders, antenna trunks, that must be verified again structurally to analyze the feasibility of the intervention.

[0053] Establish the location of the laminar patches (12) of non-metallic material permeable to electromagnetic waves according to the orientation of the antennas (azimuths). The laminar patches (12) will be installed AD HOC. In order to be able to place the laminar patches (12) and the alternate profiles (11) both of non-metallic materials and permeable to the electromagnetic waves in the existing billboard, the metallic part must be replaced where it will specifically have to transfer the electromagnetic wave of the antennas through the advertisement without generating interference. To this end, the FGRP or permeable material panels described above are placed without affecting the original morphology of the structure and the advertising objective of the same.

[0054] In short, everything related to the necessary technical operation of the telecommunications company (special gateways of accessibility to the equipment to be installed, specific accesses, stairs, guardrails, transmission equipment, cabling) will be integrated and/or hidden without changing the advertising purpose of the structure in question. In this sense, all the elements of connectivity of the mobile telephone company as well as permeable panels or patches will be hidden, which will be invisible under the advertising graphic in such a way as to facilitate the task of the manufacturer or industrialist who wants to implement the present invention.

[0055] It is noted that the various components commonly provided to give access to advertising billboards at great heights, such as ladders, struts and support bars of the antennas, access walkways, gateways, railings, as well as various light carriers, and the like, may or may not form part of the final structure obtained without this constituting any drawback to the present invention provided that they do not shield the sector of the emission and reception windows obtained here. Therefore, for the sake of clarity of the present invention and for the purpose of obtaining a concise document avoiding unnecessary descriptions for a person skilled in the art, although illustrated, its description is unnecessary.