VISUAL ELEMENTS ARRAY INFORMATION DISPLAY AND ROAD SAFETY SYSTEM

• US 20090113772A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Serrenissima Limited
• Original Assignee: Serrenissima Limited
• Inventors: Traupianski, Arie
• Application Number:
  US11/577,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/446
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and method of displaying visual information, comprising a plurality of visual elements placed on a plurality of display modules, which are positioned so as to be cognitively perceived as forming an integrated, unified visual informational message, and that utilizes the principles of geometric perspective or of optical illusions to create interesting and effective messages, and that may incorporate other visual effects, to create a messaging system that is able to publicly convey commercial messages as well as road conditions and other information. Said devices may be applied to roadsides, as well as corridors, sidewalks, sides of buildings, bridges, aisles, and similar locations.

Claims

1. A system for displaying visual messages to be viewed from a designated viewing area, said viewing area including at least one designated viewing point, said system comprised of

i. at least two display modules of calculated size, positioned at calculated distances from each other and at calculated angles, in accordance with a predefined placement pattern, each module carrying at least one message section of calculated size being a portion of a unified message, wherein the cognitive combination of the physical message sections creates the perception of a large and clear visual unified message when viewed from the designated viewing area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the following parameters has variable value:

the modules size, message section size, the distance between the modules or the module placement angles.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined placing pattern is a straight placement line at a relative angle to the viewing area.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the placement angle of at least several of physical message sections is constant.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the angles are defined by positioning the modules at approximately right vertical angles (90°

) to the line of sight of onlookers positioned in a designated viewing area.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the predefined placement pattern is designed so that when viewed from anywhere other than the designated viewing points, the modules cause minimal obstruction to viewing the surrounding scenery.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the modules are positioned along a curved placement line.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the size of at least several of physical message sections or of the modules is constant.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein size of at least one module is designed to fit a full letter of text on a physical message section placed on the said module.

10. The system according to claim 1 where at least one physical message section or module is extended to include, in addition to its original part of the visual message, a repetition of a part of the visual message that appears on an adjacent module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the modules are located behind each other at a relatively close distance and at least a portion of at least one module or physical message section is designed to be transparent so that the overlapping combination of the transparent physical message section with a visual element of another section creates the effect of one clear unified message when viewed from the designated viewing points.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the geometric shape of the module or physical message section is not symmetric.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the relative geometric proportions between the various parts of the module or physical message section are designed so that when viewed from a short distance, the unified message is perceived as being essentially straight and when viewed from a long distance, the unified message is perceived as being distorted.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the geometrical shape of the modules or physical message sections are designed so as to create a continuous circumferential shape for the unified message when viewed from the designated viewing area.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the display modules are mounted on the walls, floors, or ceilings of buildings, including interior and exterior spaces of a building.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one message section or visual element on at least one module is of a different size, enabling the creation of perspective illusion.

17. A system according to claim 1 that utilizes panels as display modules, wherein said panels, formed as shutter blades, are positioned and spaced apart end to end, along the length of a road.

18. A system according to claim 1, in which said display modules are made of a material that absorbs light energy to eliminate glare.

19. The system of claim 1, in which the physical message section enables the mechanical or manual changing of at least one visual element.

20. The system of claim 1, in which the modules are formed so as to include a dynamic physical message section that can be altered electronically.

21. The system of claim 1, in which the unified message conveys at least one of the following:

road related information, or commercial information.

22. The system of claim 1, further having a mounting device for connecting the display modules to a road part at different angles.

23. The system of claim 1 having at least one attachment device to enable attaching physical message sections to the display modules.

24. The system of claim 1 in which at least one display module is equipped with at least one lighting element.

25. The system of claim 1 in which at least one display module is equipped with at least one sensor for measuring at least one road traffic parameter.

26. The system of claim 24 further having at least one data transmission device that is able to transmit said sensor measurements to bypassing vehicles or to a remote terminal.

27. The system of claim 1 in which at least one display module has at least two faces, each module face addressing at least one direction.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein each module face displays a part of a different unified message.

29. The system of claim 1 in which said display modules further include at least one pressure energy absorbing element for absorbing and reducing road noise.

30. The system of claim 23 in which the lighting element is a passive device, selected from having a distinct color or from being energized by light from passing vehicles.

31. The system of claim 23 in which the lighting element is an active device, energized by a power source from natural energy sources.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the relative distance between at least several adjacent physical message sections or modules is constant.

33. The system of claim 23 in which the lighting element signals to the vehicle once the vehicle reaches a predefined proximity to a predefined location on the road.

34. The system of claim 23 in which the lighting element has distinct colors to advise the passing driver of road boundary types or road conditions or to denote the left and right sides of the road boundary to the passing driver.

35. The system of claim 1 in which at least one visual element includes distinct colors to advise the passing driver of road boundary types or road conditions or to denote the left and right sides of the road boundary to the passing driver.

36. The system of claim 1 in which at least two visual elements are present and vertically spaced, denoting to the passing driver the depth of the road covered by water or snow.

37. The system of claim 1 in which at least one visual element is repeated over multiple modules in a pseudo-random manner.

38. The system of claim 1 in which at least one visual element is repeated over multiple modules in a manner that creates the appearance of an animated unified message.

39. The system of claim 1 wherein the individual modules can be electronically controlled to display, or hide, a visual element at a specific frequency in order to create the impression that the visual element is moving across the array at a specific speed.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said speed is a traffic related speed selected from the speed of at least one vehicle and the average speed of the traffic moving alongside the modules.

41. The system of claim 39 further including a sensor for measuring vehicle speed, wherein said speed is the speed of at least one vehicle moving alongside the modules.

42. The system of claim 1 wherein the distances and angles of the predetermined placement pattern of the display modules or physical message sections and their sizes are calculated in accordance with an algorithm based on mathematical formulae that define the geometric relationship between the designated viewing point locations and the placement of the display modules.

43. The system of claim 1 wherein the display modules are designed to be at least partially made of flexible parts.

44. The system of claim 1 wherein the display module or physical message section is designed and constructed as a slender, elongate panel body.

45. The system of claim 1 wherein the display module or physical message section or visual element is designed and constructed as a volumetric, three-dimensional body.

46. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical message section of the display module creates a three-dimensional visual effect.

47. The system of claim 1 further including blinders attached to the sides of the display module so as to limit the range of viewing angles.

48. The system of claim 1 wherein a single visual element in the form of a subliminal message is inserted within an array of physical message sections.

49. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one visual element is distorted, and where the distortion is calculated in accordance with an algorithm based on mathematical formulas that define the differential perceived distortion created by the distortion of each part of the unified message.

51. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of calculating the distances and angles of the predetermined placement pattern of modules or physical message sections and their sizes in accordance with an algorithm based on mathematical formulae that define the geometric relationship between the designated viewing point location and the placement of the visual elements of the unified message.

52. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of dynamically moving or rotating at least one visual element.

53. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of dynamically changing the physical dimensions of the module or the message section or the visual element.

54. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of dynamically changing the positioning of at least one module or message section or visual element.

50. A method for displaying visual messages to be viewed from a designated viewing area, said viewing area including at least one designated viewing point, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning at least two display modules of variable size, at variable distances from each other and at variable angles, in accordance with a placement pattern, each module carrying at least one physical message section of a unified message, wherein the cognitive combination of the physical message sections creates the perception of a large and clear visual unified message when viewed from the designated viewing area.