Modular traveling-message sign apparatus
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Accused Products
Abstract
A traveling-image sign is disclosed that comprises display columns that are depopulated so that the distances between the columns of light sources that provide the sign'"'"'s display pixels are substantially larger relative to the distances between the display pixels in each column, than in 1:1 display pixel arrays used in conventional traveling-message signs. Because the 1:1 pixel array seen by the viewer looking at the depopulated sign includes virtual columns, that physical array of display column elements in the sign can be installed as separate, widely-spaced display-column elements in rows of icicles, ceiling fixtures, or banners, as well as being surface mounted in novel, unobtrusive ways. Because the display-column elements are slender and widely-spaced, they be substantially invisible to the viewer. Because the display-column elements are widely-spaced, the individual display-column elements are readily made plug-replaceable. The individual plug-replaceable display-column elements that are interchangeable as well as plug-replaceable are disclosed, which further reduces maintenance costs.
20 Citations
41 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A traveling-image display sign having a plurality of display pixels and a controller, each display pixel having at least one light source, the controller including means for storing at least one image pattern and including means for selectively supplying power to the light sources so as to sequentially display image patterns representing a stored image pattern on the plurality of light sources, each stored image pattern including a plurality of image-columns having respective image-column patterns, each image-column pattern providing a linear array of image-pattern pixels, each image-pattern pixel in an image-column pattern being an image-pattern pixel in a respective row of image-pattern pixels, said sign comprising:
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a plurality of display-column elements, each display-column element supporting a display column, each display column providing an array of display pixels, said display columns in respective display-column elements being spaced apart by respective inter-columnar distances, a display pixel in each of said display columns in respective display-column elements being disposed in an array corresponding to a respective row of display pixels, said display columns in respective display-column elements having a physical pixel-aspect index (p) of ½
or less (p≦
½
), said physical pixel-aspect index (p) being the value of a ratio of the average intra-columnar distance between adjacent like display pixels in a display column to the average inter-columnar distance between adjacent display, pixels in respective rows of adjacent display pixels in adjacent like display columns in respective display-column elements; and
means for selectively supplying power to light sources in selected display pixels in each display column in respective display-column elements so as to sequentially display image-column patterns of a given plurality of adjacent like image column patterns in an image pattern displayed by the display sign before an image column in said given plurality of adjacent like image columns is displayed by a next adjacent like display column. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of illuminating a traveling-image display sign having a plurality of display pixels in display columns, each display column providing a linear array of display pixels, each of the display pixels having at least one light source, a display pixel in each of said display columns being disposed in a linear array corresponding to a respective row of display pixels, said display sign having at least one stored image pattern, each stored image pattern including a plurality of image-column patterns, each image-column pattern providing a linear array of image-pattern pixels, each image-pattern pixel in an image-column pattern being an image-pattern pixel in a respective row of image-pattern pixels, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of display-column elements, each display-column element supporting a display column, said display columns have a physical pixel-aspect index (p) of ½
or less (p≦
½
), said physical pixel-aspect index (p) being the value of a ratio of the average intra-columnar distance between adjacent like display pixels in a display column to the average inter-columnar distance between adjacent display pixels in respective rows of adjacent display pixels in adjacent like display columns; and
selectively supplying power to light sources in selected display pixels in each display column so as to sequentially display image-column patterns of a given plurality of adjacent like image column patterns in the image pattern displayed by the display sign before an image column in said given plurality of adjacent like image columns is displayed by a next adjacent like display column.
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41. A display of an image pattern on a traveling-image display sign, said image pattern including a plurality of adjacent like image-columns having respective image column patterns, each image-column pattern providing a linear array of image-pattern pixels, each image-pattern pixel in an image-column pattern being an image-pattern pixel in a respective row of image-pattern pixels, said display being-produced by a method comprising the steps of:
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providing rows of display pixels and a plurality of display-column elements, each display-column element supporting a display-column, said display-column providing a linear array of display pixels, said display columns in respective display-column elements being spaced apart by respective inter-columnar distances, a display pixel in each of said display columns being disposed in a linear array, said linear array of display pixels from each of said display columns corresponding to a respective one of said rows of display-pixels;
selecting an image pattern;
illuminating light sources in selected display pixels in a given display column so as to sequentially display a plurality of display-column patterns representing a respective plurality of adjacent like image columns in said selected image pattern in response to said selected image pattern, said given display column displaying at least two image-column patterns of said image pattern before displaying image-column patterns of a next image pattern, and said display sign having a physical pixel-aspect index of ½
or less (p≦
½
), said physical pixel-aspect index (p) being a ratio of the average intra-columnar distance between adjacent like display pixels in a display column to the average inter-columnar distance between adjacent display columns having like display pixels, like image-column patterns being image-column patterns of similar-color image-pattern pixels and like display columns being display columns of pixels having similar-color light sources.
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Specification