Systems and methods for displaying advertising and other information on athletic surfaces
OwnerLyle Suhrinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for displaying information on a basketball court, boxing ring or other athletic surface. The system includes: a plurality of light arrays configured to be embedded in a top layer of the athletic surface and oriented to emit light upwards through the athletic surface; and a control system for selectively controlling activation of the light arrays to display advertising and other information in the athletic surface.
Claims20
A system for displaying information on a basketball court, the system comprising:
- a plurality of spaced-apart light arrays configured to be embedded within a top layer of the basketball court, each of the light arrays comprising:
- a plurality of multi-color LED lights interconnected by a power conductor;
- and
- at least one fiber optic strand positioned adjacent each of the lights and extending upwardly through the top layer of the basketball court to direct light from the LED lights through the basketball court;
- and
- a control system for selectively controlling activation of the light arrays to provide illuminated messages on the basketball court.
A system for displaying information on a basketball court, the system comprising:
- a plurality of spaced-apart light arrays configured to be embedded within a top layer of the basketball court, each of the light arrays comprising:
- a plurality of LED lights interconnected by a power conductor, and
- at least one fiber optic strand positioned adjacent each of the lights and extending upwardly through a hole drilled in the top layer of the basketball court to direct light from the lights through the top layer of the basketball court;
- and
- a control system for selectively controlling activation of the light arrays to display advertising on the athletic surface, wherein the control system includes a video graphics processing unit that activates and deactivates individual lights within the arrays to frequently change an appearance of the advertising.
A method of displaying advertising on a basketball court, the method comprising:
- installing a plurality of light arrays under a top layer of the basketball court, each of the light arrays comprising a plurality of LED lights;
- drilling holes in the top layer of the basketball court above the LED lights so that light from the LED lights is directed out of the holes and upwardly from the top layer of the basketball court;
- and
- selectively controlling activation of the LEDs to display illuminated messages on the basketball court with light from the LEDs that passes through the holes in the top layer of the basketball court.
A basketball court comprising:
- a plurality of wooden planks for mounting on top of floor joists, each plank having a plurality of holes drilled therein;
- and
- a plurality of spaced-apart light arrays mounted underneath the planks, each of the light arrays comprising:
- a plurality of multi-color LED lights interconnected by a power conductor;
- and
- at least one fiber optic strand positioned adjacent each of the lights and extending upwardly through one of the holes in one of the planks to direct light from the LED lights upwardly through the plank;
- and
- a control system for selectively controlling activation of the light arrays to provide illuminated messages on an upper surface of the planks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.