Display Device

• US 20080094323A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Litelogic IP Limited
• Original Assignee: Litelogic Limited (Litelogic)
• Inventors: Cole, Anthony, Sirmon, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,013,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/83
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 25/02 with interposed lenticular or line screen
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/393 the volume being generated by a moving, e.g. vibrating or rotating, surface

Abstract

Image display apparatus comprising two or more arrays of light sources is described. Each array is rotatable around a common axis, and the light sources in each array are arranged so that each light source traverses along a unique path around the common axis. A controller is adapted to modulate the intensity of light emitted by each light source as it traverses its respective unique path such that the light sources in combination cause a desired image to be visible to an observer by virtue of persistence of vision.

Claims

1. Image display apparatus comprising two or more arrays of light sources, each array being rotatable around a common axis, the light sources in each array being arranged so that each light source traverses along a unique path around the common axis, whereby the paths traversed by the light sources of each array are interlaced;

and a controller adapted to modulate the intensity of light emitted by each light source as it traverses its respective unique path such that the light sources in combination cause a desired image to be visible to an observer by virtue of persistence of vision.

2. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each array is linear.

3. Image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each array is rectilinear.

4. Image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a longitudinal axis of each array is perpendicular to the common axis.

5. Image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a longitudinal axis of each array is parallel to the common axis.

6. Image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the longitudinal axes of the two arrays are coplanar.

7. Image display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein corresponding points on the longitudinal axis of each array are at the same radial distance from the common axis.

8. Image display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein every point on the longitudinal axes of each array lies at the same radial distance from the common axis.

9. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each array is curved.

10. Image display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the longitudinal axis of each array defines an arc.

11. Image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each arc is semicircular and intersects with the common axis at each of its ends.

12. Image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the radius of each arc is different from those of the other arcs.

13. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each array comprises the same number of light sources.

14. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each array is disposed at a fixed position relative to the other arrays, and all the arrays rotate in unison.

15. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each array of light sources is mounted on a respective printed circuit board (PCB).

16. Image display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each PCB is mounted on a rotatable shaft that is co-axial with the common axis.

17. Image display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the rotatable shaft has a central bore through which image data is transmitted to the controller from an external data source via a visible light or infrared link comprising a transmitter disposed at one end of the bore and a corresponding receiver connected to the controller and disposed within the bore at a position distal from the transmitter.

18. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each light source is arranged in a triad of a red, a green, and a blue light source.

19. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

20. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each light source is a tricolour LED.

21. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each light source is controllable to emit light of a chosen colour.

22. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a plurality of pulse width modulators, each of which is connected to a respective light source, and is responsive to an input signal to modulate the intensity of light emitted by each light source.

23. Image display apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each pulse width modulator is further adapted to control a colour emitted by the light source in response to the input signal.

24. Image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one radially movable balancing weight, a vibration sensor and a balance controller adapted to vary the radial distance of the balancing weight from the common axis in response to a signal received from the vibration sensor.

25. Image display apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the vibration sensor is disposed at the common axis.

26. A display system comprising a plurality of image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrays of the plurality of image display apparatus are configured to rotate around the common axes in synchrony such that the desired images caused to be visible by each apparatus together form a composite image.

27. A display system according to claim 26, wherein the common axes lie in a common plane.

28. A display system according to claim 27, wherein the common axes lie in a row in the common plane.

29. A display system according to claim 26, wherein the common axes lie perpendicular to a common plane.

30. A display system according to claim 26, wherein the arrays of each image display apparatus are attached to a respective shaft lying on a common axis, and the axles of each apparatus are coupled together by way of a gear arrangement.

31. A display system according to claim 30, wherein each shaft is disposed relative to the shafts of adjacent display apparatus such that the volume of rotation described by the arrays attached thereto overlaps with the volume of rotation described by the arrays attached to the shafts of the adjacent display apparatus, and the two arrays are disposed about their respective shaft such that they do not collide with the arrays of adjacent displays as they rotate.