Display panel with integrated small cell and billboard with integrated macro site

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are related to digital display devices and base stations such as small cell base stations, which may include at least one antenna and a radio. More specifically, digital display devices are being increasingly deployed in airports, along roads and highways, in shopping malls, in rural or highly urban areas where additional cellular coverage is desirable. These digital display devices provide desirable mounting locations for cellular equipment because they are already powered. One or more components of the base station may be concealed from view by a concealment device to satisfy aesthetic or design requirements. In some aspects, this concealment device may be a fabric radome. In some aspects, the concealment device may be the digital display device itself, because the digital display device is dimensioned such that at least some components of the base station may be hidden behind or within the digital display device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a digital display device comprising a mounting structure and a digital display mounted on the mounting structure; and   a base station comprising at least one antenna, at least one radio, and at least one baseband unit each mounted on the mounting structure,   wherein the at least one radio and the at least one baseband unit are concealed from view by the digital display.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the digital display mounted on the mounting structure comprises a first digital display mounted on a first side of the mounting structure and a second digital display mounted on a second side of the mounting structure, the first digital display and the second digital display positioned to conceal the at least one radio and the at least one baseband unit from view. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first digital display comprises a dimension of at least ten feet. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna comprises a plurality of antennas arranged to provide a quasi-omni directional antenna beam in an azimuth plane. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the radio comprises a first radio and a second radio, and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a first antenna coupled to the first radio and a second antenna coupled to the second radio, and wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are arranged to provide back-to-back sectorial coverage in an azimuth plane. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the digital display comprises a dimension of at least forty-eight feet. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a digital display device comprising a digital display; and   a base station comprising a radio and at least one antenna mounted on a surface of the digital display device,   wherein at least one component of the base station is concealed from view by a concealment device.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the concealment device comprises a radome that is dimensioned to conceal from view the radio and the least one antenna. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one antenna comprises a plurality of antennas arranged to provide a quasi-omni directional antenna beam in an azimuth plane. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the concealment device is the digital display, said digital display being dimensioned to conceal from view the radio and the least one antenna. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the antenna is mounted on an exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display device comprising a housing and an advertising display; and   a small cell base station comprising at least one antenna and a radio;   wherein the small cell base station is mounted to the housing; and   wherein the radio and antenna are concealed from view when the small cell base station is mounted to the housing.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the advertising display is an electrically-powered advertising display. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display device comprising a housing and an advertising display; and   a small cell base station comprising at least one antenna, a power distribution center, and a radio;   wherein the small cell base station is mounted to the housing; and   wherein the radio, power distribution center and antenna are concealed from view when the small cell base station is mounted to the housing.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the advertising display is an electrically-powered advertising display and is connected to the power distribution center. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the power distribution center comprises optical fiber connected with the radio. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display device comprising a housing, an advertising display and a radome; and   a small cell base station comprising at least one antenna and a radio;   wherein the small cell base station is mounted to the housing; and   wherein the radio is concealed from view by the advertising display and the antenna is concealed from view by the radome when the small cell base station is mounted to the housing.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the radome is adjacent the housing. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising:
 a display device comprising a housing and first and second advertising display panels positioned on opposite sides of the housing; and   a small cell base station comprising at least one antenna and a radio;   wherein the radio is mounted within the housing between the first and second advertising display panels; and   wherein the radio and antenna are concealed from view.