Color display device
First Claim
1. A display apparatus comprising:
- a prismatic structure having a front end, a back end, an interior space, an axis J intercepting both said front and said back ends, at least one sidewall in a plane extending between said front and said back ends, said at least one wall comprising a reflective inner surface in said interior space, and an interior space outer perimeter in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis;
a radiation emitter adapted to emit radiation having a desired wavelength spectrum; and
a viewing window comprising a diffuse display surface located at the front end of the prismatic structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A color display apparatus and method for displaying colors using radiation sources are provided. The displays may include multiple radiation sources, a display surface and control hardware and software that enable accurate and reproducible color display. Another apparatus provides means for generating colors upon request and communicating digital information regarding the generation of the color spectrum to local or remote display devices. The apparatus may be used in selecting and ordering colors subject to supplier constraints.
Methods for displaying colors and enabling display of the colors in remote locations, as well as methods for conducting business by communicating the color display information are all provided.
140 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A display apparatus comprising:
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a prismatic structure having a front end, a back end, an interior space, an axis J intercepting both said front and said back ends, at least one sidewall in a plane extending between said front and said back ends, said at least one wall comprising a reflective inner surface in said interior space, and an interior space outer perimeter in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis;
a radiation emitter adapted to emit radiation having a desired wavelength spectrum; and
a viewing window comprising a diffuse display surface located at the front end of the prismatic structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for displaying a color, the apparatus comprising:
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computer memory means having stored data therein corresponding to optical properties of one or more colorants;
means for reading the stored data and combining the optical properties of the one or more colorants in response to a user-selected combination of colorants;
means for generating an input signal representing respective intensities of a multiplicity of wavelength bands for producing emission spectra corresponding to the combination of colorants;
means for receiving an input signal representing respective intensities of the multiplicity of wavelength bands;
an intensity modulator, responsive to the input signal, for generating a multiplicity of modulation control signals each corresponding to a respectively different one of the multiplicity of wavelength bands;
a multi-wavelength radiation source which provides a plurality of radiation beams, each corresponding to a respectively different one of the multiplicity of wavelength bands, the radiation source being responsive to the multiplicity of control signals to control each radiation beam in intensity to provide a multiplicity of modulated radiation beams;
means for combining the modulated radiation beams to display the color;
means for monitoring characteristics of the displayed color at one or more wavelengths; and
a controller for comparing the monitored characteristics to a desired set of characteristics and adjusting the input signal to the intensity modulator to provide the desired set of characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 40, 41)
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39. The apparatus of 38 wherein the display apparatus further comprises a radiation diffuser positioned between the radiation emitter and the viewing window.
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42. A display apparatus comprising:
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a light-conducting sheet having a periphery, a center, a back side, and a front side; and
a plurality of radiation sources distributed about the periphery of the sheet and adapted to emit radiation toward the center, wherein the back side of the sheet has a roughness sufficient to reflect the radiation toward a display surface on the front side of the sheet. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for displaying a mixed color produced by mixing a plurality of individual colorants in a predetermined ratio, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a radiation spectrum for a color produced by each individual colorant;
(b) dividing the radiation spectrum into at least four wavelength bands;
(c) determining an intensity for each wavelength band;
(d) transmitting the intensities to a radiation source;
(e) selecting a narrow band of wavelengths in each of the wavelength bands;
(f) generating a multiplicity of beams of radiation, each beam of radiation essentially corresponding in wavelength to a selected narrow band of wavelengths and corresponding in intensity to the respective wavelength bands; and
(g) combining the beams of radiation to display the color.
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52. A display apparatus having a front and a back, and comprising:
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a first reflector in the back of the display having a concave, reflective inner surface symmetrical about a first plane and having a first effective diameter;
a second reflector in the front of the display having a concave, reflective inner surface symmetrical about the first plane and facing the first reflector, the second reflector having a second effective diameter smaller than the first effective diameter;
a viewing window in the second reflector at the front of the device;
a convex, reflective impinging surface mounted at the back of the first reflector facing the second reflector and symmetrical about the first plane; and
one or more radiation sources positioned in an annular region between the first reflector and the second reflector and adapted to emit radiation toward the first reflector, the radiation reflecting off of the first reflector and optionally off of the impinging surface, toward the second reflector and ultimately to the viewing window. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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56. A display apparatus comprising:
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at least a partial outer sphere having a polar axis of rotation and a reflective inner surface;
at least a partial inner sphere mounted at least partially within the outer sphere along the polar axis, the inner sphere having a reflective inner surface and a reflective outer surface, forming a radiation path between the reflective outer surface of the inner sphere and the reflective inner surface of the outer sphere;
a plurality of radiation sources adapted to introduce one or more beams of radiation into the radiation path;
a viewing window extending through the outer sphere to the inner sphere and located along the polar axis, the viewing window surrounded by a sidewall extending from the outer sphere to the inner sphere, the sidewall having an inner reflective surface bordering the radiation path;
a transparent radiation entry portal in the inner sphere adjacent the viewing window for allowing radiation to enter the inner sphere from the radiation path; and
a display surface located in the viewing window substantially perpendicular to the polar axis. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method of remotely displaying a color comprising,
(a) providing a radiation spectrum for a color produced by each individual colorant; -
(b) transmitting the radiation spectrum to a remote location to display the color;
(c) dividing the radiation spectrum into at least four wavelength bands;
(d) determining an intensity for each wavelength band;
(e) generating a multiplicity of beams of radiation, each beam of radiation essentially corresponding in wavelength to one of the wavelength bands and corresponding in intensity to the respective determined intensity; and
(f) combining the beams of radiation to display the color. - View Dependent Claims (71)
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72. A method of doing business comprising
(a) generating a digital data set for a color spectrum; - and
(b) transmitting the digital data set to a display device available to the requester. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75)
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Specification