LED sign

• US 20020005826A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E P Survivors LLC
• Original Assignee: E P Survivors LLC
• Inventors: Pederson, John C.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005826A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/005 forming an image using a quickly moving array of imaging elements, causing the human eye to perceive an image which has a larger resolution than the array, e.g. an image on a cylinder formed by a rotating line of LEDs parallel to the axis of rotation

Abstract

A system for displaying an image comprising at least one display apparatus. Each display apparatus including at least one light bar having a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted thereto. At least one support joining each light bar to a rotation mechanism. The rotation mechanism being constructed and arranged to rotate the light bars at a predetermined rate of rotation. The system also includes a controller in electrical communication with each of the plurality of light emitting diodes, and the rotation mechanism of each of the at least one display apparatus. The controller constructed and arranged to control the predetermined rate of rotation and selectively activate the light emitting diodes to produce at least one image capable of being perceived by a viewer.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

at least one light bar, the at least one light bar having a predetermined length and an end, the at least one light bar having a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted thereto;

at least one support member, the end of the at least one light bar engaged to the at least one support member;

at least one rotation mechanism, the at least one rotation mechanism engaged to a portion of the at least one support member, the at least one rotation mechanism constructed and arranged to rotate the at least one support member and associated at least one light bar at one or more predetermined rates of rotation; and

a controller, the controller in electrical communication with the plurality of light emitting diodes and the at least one rotation mechanism, the controller regulating the one or more predetermined rates of rotation, the controller providing control for selective illumination of the light emitting diodes to produce at least one image, the at least one image capable of being perceived by a viewer.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, the controller comprising an input device constructed and arranged to receive a set of instructions.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to selectively activate the light emitting diodes to provide the display apparatus with at least one viewable sector, each of the at least one viewable sector defining an visible actuate portion of a 360 degree arc about the display apparatus, whereby the selective activation of the light emitting diodes provides each viewable sector with at least one image, the at least one image displayed in each viewable sector being perceivable from a viewing angel corresponding to the actuate portion of the viewable sector.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one viewable sector is selected from within the range of viewable sectors between at least one viewable sector, the at least one viewable sector defining an arc of 360 degrees to at least 360 viewable sectors, each of the 360 viewable sectors defining an arc of 1 degree.

5. The display apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one viewable sector is a plurality of viewable sectors.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5 wherein the plurality of viewable sectors are provided with a common image.

7. The display apparatus of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of viewable sectors is provided with a unique image.

8. The display apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of viewable sectors is provided with a plurality of images.

9. The display apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of viewable sectors is provided with a plurality of images, at least one of the plurality of images being common to at least two of the plurality of viewable sectors.

10. The display apparatus of claim 5 wherein the plurality of viewable sectors are provided with a plurality of images, at least one of the plurality of images being displayed in a different viewable sector at a predetermined interval of time.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1 the at least one light bar perpendicularly extending from the at least one support member

12. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one light bar extends from the at least one support member at an angle between 1 and 90 degrees.

13. The display apparatus of claim 1, the at least one support member further comprises a plurality of support members.

14. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one support member is a panel having a predetermined shape.

15. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reflective light culminators, each of the plurality of light culminators being partially disposed about each of the plurality of light emitting diodes.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15 wherein the light culminators are constructed and arranged to focus the light emitted by the light emitting diodes.

17. The display apparatus of claim 15 wherein the light culminators are constructed and arranged to diffuse the light emitted by the light emitting diodes.

18. The display apparatus of claim 15 wherein the light are culminators constructed and arranged to direct the light emitted by the light emitting diodes in a predetermined direction.

19. The display apparatus of claim 15 wherein the light culminators are constructed and arranged to adjustably focus, diffuse, direct and any combinations thereof the light emitted from the light emitting diodes.

20. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes further comprise a predetermined quantity of each red, green, blue, amber, orange, purple, and white light emitting diodes.

21. The display apparatus of claim 2 wherein the input device is a signal receiver.

22. The display apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a remote control, the remote control constructed and arranged to remotely transmit the set of instructions to the input device.

23. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least the at least one light bar, the at least one support member and the at least one rotation member are constructed and arranged to be mounted on a vehicle.

24. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least the at least one light bar, the at least one support member and the at least one rotation member are constructed and arranged to be mounted on a trailer.

25. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display apparatus is characterized as being collapsible.

26. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display apparatus is portable.

27. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged on the at least one arm in at least one row and at least one column.

28. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes mounted to the at least one light bar are in electrical communication with the at least one light bar, the at least one light bar being in electrical communication with the controller.

29. A display apparatus system comprising:

a plurality of display apparatuses, each display apparatus comprising;

at least one light bar, the at least one light bar having a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted thereto;

at least one support member, the at least one light bar engaged to the at least one support member;

a rotation mechanism, the at least one support member being engaged to the rotation mechanism, the rotation mechanism constructed and arranged to rotate the support at one or more rates of rotation; and

a controller, the controller in electrical communication with each of the plurality of display apparatuses, the at least one controller constructed and arranged to control the at least one rate of rotation provided by the rotation mechanism for each of the apparatuses, the controller further constructed and arranged to selectively activate the light emitting diodes to produce at least one image, the at least one image capable of being perceived by a viewer.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to further selectively activate the light emitting diodes of each of the plurality of apparatuses to provide each apparatus with at least one viewable sector, each of the at least one viewable sectors defining a visible actuate portion of a 360 degree arc about each of the apparatus, whereby the selective activation of the light emitting diodes provides each viewable sector with at least one image, the at least one image displayed by each viewable sector being perceivable from a viewing angel corresponding to the actuate portion of the viewable sector.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the controller selectively and cooperatively activates the light emitting diodes of each of the apparatuses to provide each of the at least one viewable sectors with at least one composite image, a portion of the at least one composite image being produced by each of the plurality of apparatuses.