Apple has filed a patent application, 20120296777, which describes a dynamic signage system for a sales environment such as an Apple Store. The dynamic signage device (which turns out to be an iPad) is associated with promoting a product to a customer in an interactive manner.

The device could automatically check for updated product information and modify its display based on the updated product information.

Management of multiple dynamic signage devices could be coordinated within and across stores, and an interactive floor-map creation system incorporating dynamic signage devices could facilitate changing the associations between products and dynamic signage devices.

Apple may or may not be planning to sell digital signage. as these are designed for the company’s own use (just like Apple’s point of sale system, which the company designed in-house but does not sell). But the significance is that Apple is America’s leading retailer and therefore an example to all.

Apple’s retail stores make $6,050 in sales per square foot, the most of any American retailer, according to RetailSail. In fact, Apple’s sales per square foot are twice that of Tiffany and Co., the famous luxury retailer (of Breakfast at Tiffany’s fame) which earns only $3,017 in sales per square foot.

With the exception of Apple and Tiffany and Co., no other U.S. retailer exceeded $2,000 in sales per square foot.

With $51.5 million per store, Apple also ranked among the top 10 retailers for highest sales per store. No wonder the company wants to protect that revenue with further investment in digital signage technology.