Rotational Display System

• US 20100097448A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spin Screen Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightning Wheels LLC
• Inventors: Chen, Paul, Gilbert, Mark D., Moens, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/326 on or for wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/549 for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/06 to be erected in three dimensions G09F1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/045 supported by the wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• 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: G09G 5/36 : characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory

Abstract

The present invention provides a system which integrates unique lighting technologies, switching systems, mounting systems, information delivery systems and power supply systems within a support such as vehicular wheel to provide an advanced, high quality visual display apparatus in various surfaces of rotation. A displayed image may be three dimensional. These technologies, and their many unique applications, provide for a novel and useful series of video display devices that are small, lightweight, efficient and can have the capability of producing a clear, bright, high definition image that is equivalent to that of a modern day TV or high quality computer monitor.

Claims

1. A rotational display system including:

a computer, said computer including a memory for storage and recall of data representing at least one visual image;

a controller in wireless communication with the computer and operable to receive at least some of said data;

a rotatable assembly for displaying an image represented by at least a portion of the data transferred from said computer to the controller, said rotatable assembly including an illuminating assembly, said illuminating assembly being operably connected to said controller, said illuminating assembly including at least one illuminating element, said rotatable assembly including drive means operably coupled to the illuminating assembly to effect rotation thereof about a first axis of rotation;

a support, said rotatable assembly being mounted to said support;

a power delivery means for providing power to said rotatable assembly; and

wherein an image represented by at least some of the data may be displayed during rotation of the illuminating assembly, said computer being programmed to orient a displayed image relative to a predetermined plane.

2. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said computer including software constructed and arranged to allow an operator to import, manipulate, store and selectively display an image of an operator'"'"'s choice with the illuminating assembly.

3. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said computer including hardware constructed and arranged to allow an operator to import, manipulate, store and selectively display an image of an operator'"'"'s choice with the illuminating assembly.

4. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said controller being constructed and arranged to control illumination of said at least one illuminating element.

5. The rotational display system of claim 4 wherein said illuminating assembly including a plurality of illuminating elements, wherein each of said illuminating elements being individually controllable for illumination by said controller.

6. The rotational display system of claim 5 wherein said illuminating elements extending across said first axis of rotation, whereby a displayed image can extend across said axis of rotation.

7. The rotational display system of claim 5 wherein said illuminating assembly being constructed and arranged to display text across a linear bottom line.

8. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said rotatable assembly being constructed and arranged to display planar images.

9. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said rotatable assembly being constructed and arranged to display cylindrical images.

10. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said rotatable assembly being constructed and arranged to display three dimensional images.

11. The rotational display system of claim 4 wherein said rotatable assembly including multiple illuminating assemblies that share a common axis of rotation, wherein each of said illuminating assemblies being positioned at different angles with respect to said axis of rotation, wherein said controller is constructed and arranged to synchronize images generated by said illuminating assembly in a predetermined sequence to provide a three dimensional image.

12. The rotational display system of claim 4 wherein there being a plurality of said illuminating elements and said controller including circuitry constructed and arranged to synchronously illuminate the illuminating elements.

13. The rotational display system of claim 4 including a means of synchronization and wherein said means for synchronization is constructed and arranged to determine the relative position of said illuminating assembly with respect to a fixed position during rotation thereof.

14. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein said rotational display system being constructed and arranged to display streaming video.

15. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein the drive means operable to effect simultaneous rotation of the illuminating assembly about at least two axes of rotation.

16. The rotational display system of claim 15 wherein the drive means including at least two motors associated with the illuminating assembly to effect the rotation of the illuminating assembly about the at least two axes of rotation to create a 3-D image.

17. The rotational display system of claim 1 wherein the support including a display panel.

18. The rotational display system of claim 17 wherein the support including a greeting card with a said display panel.

19. The rotational display system of claim 17 wherein the support including a book with a said display panel.

20. A display system operable for displaying an illuminated image in 3-D, the system comprising:

a base;

a display assembly mounted to the base and including at least one illuminating assembly having a plurality of illuminating elements and a drive assembly operably associated with the illuminating assembly and operable to simultaneously rotate the illuminating assembly about at least two axes of rotation, said drive assembly including at least one motor and the illumination assembly having a plurality of discrete light sources thereon and movable therewith;

a control system including a rotation position sensor operably associated with at least one of the motor and the illumination assembly and operable to provide a rotation position signal for the illumination assembly in at least one of the axes of rotation and including a controller operably coupled to a computer device having a memory device, said controller being connected to the illumination assembly and the position sensor and operable to receive the rotation position signal and selectively activate and deactivate the lights sources in accordance with programmed instructions in the memory device during movement of at least a portion of the illumination assembly by the motor, said computer device being programmed to illuminate selected said light sources at preselected rotational positions of the light sources and provide at least one visual image utilizing persistence of vision over an area greater than that covered by a motionless said illumination assembly;

a power source connected to the motor, illumination assembly and control system; and

a switch device connected to the power source and operable to selectively energize the motor, control system and illumination assembly.

21. The display system of claim 20 wherein the illumination assembly including an arm, said arm having a plurality of spaced apart said light sources along the arm.

22. The display system of claim 21 wherein the light sources including LED'"'"'s.

23. The display system of claim 21 wherein the light sources being operable to provide an output of a plurality of different colors.

24. The display system of claim 21 wherein the visual image being substantially immovable relative to the display device during display of the image.

25. The display system of claim 21 wherein there being a plurality of said arms each extending in a different direction from a center of rotation of the illuminating assembly.

26. The display system of claim 21 wherein the arm being movable independently about two axes of rotation.

27. The display system of claim 26 wherein a displayed image lying in a sphere.

28. The display system of claim 20 wherein the display system being coupled to an audio system.

29. The display system of claim 20 wherein the computer having an input connector to permit image data input by a user of the device.

30. The display system of claim 20 wherein the computer having image data prior to receipt by a user.

31. The display system of claim 20 wherein the computer having an input connector to permit inputting image data at a point of sale.

32. The display system of claim 20 wherein the illumination assembly being coupled to a first motor having a first output shaft oriented for rotation about a first axis of rotation and carried by a support and the support being coupled to a second motor having a second output shaft oriented for rotating the support about a second axis of rotation that is different from the first axis of rotation.

33. The display system of claim 32 wherein the first and second axes of rotation being generally normal to one another.

34. The display system of claim 33 wherein a displayed image lying in a sphere.

35. The display system of claim 34 wherein the illumination assembly including an arm, said arm having a plurality of spaced apart said light sources along the arm.

36. The display system of claim 35 wherein the arm having a plurality of arm portions extending in different directions from the axis of rotation of the arm.

37. The display system of claim 36 wherein at least one of the arm portions being generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the arm.

38. A communication device with illuminated display, said device including:

a display device including at least one panel;

a motor carried by the display device;

an illumination assembly mounted to the motor and selectively movable thereby, said illumination assembly having a plurality of discrete light sources thereon and movable therewith;

a rotation position sensor operably associated with at least one of the motor and the illumination device and operable to provide a rotation position signal;

a computer device including a memory device, said computer device being carried by the display device and being connected to the illumination assembly and the position sensor and operable to receive the rotation position signal and selectively activate and deactivate the lights sources in accordance with programmed instructions in the memory device during movement of at least a portion of the illumination device by the motor, said computer device being programmed to illuminate selected said light sources at preselected rotational positions of the light sources and provide at least one visual image utilizing persistence of vision over an area greater than that covered by a motionless said illumination assembly;

a power source connected to the motor, illumination device and computer device; and

a switch device connected to the power source and operable to selectively energize the motor, computer device and illumination device.

39. The device of claim 38 wherein the illumination assembly including an arm and a plurality of spaced apart said light sources along the arm.

40. The device of claim 39 wherein the light sources including LED'"'"'s.

41. The device of claim 39 wherein the light sources being operable to provide an output of a plurality of different colors.

42. The device of claim 39 wherein the visual image being substantially immovable relative to the display device during display thereof.

43. The device of claim 42 wherein the display device being one of a greeting card and a book.

44. The device of claim 43 wherein the display device being a greeting card with front and back panels and having a said illumination device on each of the front and back panels.

45. The device of claim 43 wherein the display device having a front panel and a back panel and the arm being mounted to one of the front panel and the back panel and having a center of rotation located at about a center of the panel to which it is mounted.

46. The device of claim 43 wherein the display device having a front panel and a back panel and the arm being mounted to one of the front panel and the back panel and having a center of rotation located adjacent an outer edge of the panel to which it is mounted.

47. The device of claim 43 wherein the display device being a book with a popup structure and the illumination device being mounted on the popup structure.

48. The device of claim 38 wherein the computer having an input connector to permit image data input by a user of the device.

49. The device of claim 38 wherein the computer having image data prior to receipt by a user.

50. The device of claim 38 wherein the computer having an input connector to permit inputting image data at a point of sale.

51. The device of claim 38 wherein there being a plurality of said arms each extending in a different direction from a center of rotation of the illuminating assembly.

52. The device of claim 39 wherein the arm being movable in a plane generally parallel to a panel on which it is mounted.

53. The device of claim 52 wherein a displayed image lying in a plane generally parallel to the panel.

54. The device of claim 52 wherein the image being displayable on a surface of rotation generally normal to the panel.