Sequential flashing device for personal ornamentation

• US 4,254,451 A
• Filed: 10/27/1978
• Issued: 03/03/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James A. Cochran Jr
• Original Assignee: James A. Cochran Jr
• Inventors: Cochran, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzales, John
• Application Number:
  US05/955,325
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103-108, 362/800, 362/811, 340/791, 340/792, 340/802, 40/442, 351/51, 351/158, 315/323, 315/210
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 15/0015 Illuminated or sound-producing jewellery
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/02 Ornaments, e.g. exchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An electronic circuit comprised of several integrated circuits sequentially actuates a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) located in an article such as eyeglass frames, which are carried or worn by a person. In one embodiment, an oscillator driven binary up-down counter drives first and second binary to one-of-four decoders. The LED'"'"'s are arranged in an electrical circuit which allows them to be addressed in X-Y matrix fashion. The first decoder sequentially addresses each "row" of LED'"'"'s while the second decoder sequentially addresses each "column" of LED'"'"'s in the matrix so that each LED in the matrix circuit is sequentially flashed. After the entire array of LED'"'"'s has been sequentially actuated a predetermined number of times, the up-down counter is electronically switched to the opposite state so as to reverse the order in which the LED'"'"'s are sequentially actuated. In a second embodiment, an integrated circuit binary ripple counter/oscillator drives first and second demultiplexers. The first demultiplexer sequentially actuates the rows of LED'"'"'s in an X-Y matrix LED circuit, while the second demultiplexer sequentially actuates the columns in the matrix. The demultiplexers may be driven by the ripple counter/oscillator in a manner which allows a less than 100 percent duty cycle, thereby minimizing the drain on the battery power supply. The integrated circuits used are preferably of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) type for minimizing battery drain. When the invention is incorporated in eyeglass frames, the LED circuit is automatically switched on when the temple pieces of the frames are unfolded for wearing, and automatically switched off when the temple pieces are folded for storage.

Claims

1. A device for producing a visual effect through the sequential flashing of light-emitting elements, comprising:

(a) an eyeglass frame having a pair of temple pieces foldably attached by hinges to a lens-holding portion;

(b) a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed in said lens-holding portion, said light-emitting elements being arranged in a circuit configuration wherein they are addressable in X-Y matrix fashion corresponding to the rows and columns of an X-Y matrix;

(c) means in at least one of said temple pieces for holding a battery to supply current to said light-emitting elements;

(d) electronic switching means in said frame for driving the rows and columns of said matrix at different rates to sequentially actuate said light-emitting elements with current from said battery;

said switching means sequentially addressing each row and column in said matrix, all of said rows being sequentially addressed while each individual column is addressed, said switching means comprising;

oscillator means for generating a clock signal;

means responsive to said clock signal for generating a plurality of output signals having a fixed frequency relationship to said clock signal and to each other;

binary row selector means, responsive to a first pair of said output signals having the highest frequencies, for sequentially addressing each row in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said first pair of output signals;

binary column selector means, responsive to a second pair of said output signals, for sequentially addressing each column in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said second pair of output signals;

means responsive to said clock signal for generating a sequence-reversing signal after a predetermined number of cycles of said clock signal; and

means responsive to said sequence-reversing signal for reversing the order in which said row selector means and said column selector means address said rows and columns of said matrix; and

(e) means for electronically connecting said battery to said switching means in response to the unfolding of said temple pieces about said hinges when said frames are worn by a person.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said light-emitting elements are light-emitting diodes.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) means for varying the repetition rate at which said light-emitting elements are actuated.

4. A device for producing a visual effect through the sequential flashing of light-emitting elements, comprising:

(a) a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a circuit configuration wherein they are addressable in X-Y matrix fashion corresponding to rows and columns of an X-Y matix;

(b) means for mounting said light-emitting elements in a visually attractive setting, said mounting means including means for holding a battery to supply current to said light emitting elements; and

(c) electronic switching means in said mounting means for sequentially actuating said light-emitting elements with current from said battery, said switching means sequentially addressing the rows and columns in said matrix at different rates, all of said rows being sequentially addressed while each individual column is addressed, said switching means comprising;

oscillator means for generating a clock signal;

means responsive to said clock signal for generating a plurality of output signals having a fixed frequency relationship to said clock signal and to each other;

binary row selector means responsive to a first pair of said output signals having the highest frequencies, for sequentially addressing each row in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said first pair of output signals;

binary column selector means responsive to a second pair of said output signals, for sequentially addressing each column in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said second pair of output signals;

means responsive to said clock signal for generating a sequence-reversing signal after a predetermined number of cycles of said clock signal; and

means responsive to said sequence-reversing signal for reversing the order in which said row selector means and said column selector means address said rows and columns in said matrix.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

means for varying the frequency of said clock signal.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein said mounting means comprises an eyeglass frame.

7. A device for sequentially actuating a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a circuit configuration wherein said elements are addressable in X-Y matrix fashion corresponding to rows and columns in an X-Y matrix, said device comprising:

(a) oscillator means for generating a clock signal;

(b) means responsive to said clock signal for generating a plurality of output signals having a fixed frequency relationship to said clock signal and to each other;

(c) binary row selector means, responsive to a first pair of said output signals having the highest frequencies, for sequentially addressing each row in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said first pair of output signals;

(d) binary column selector means, responsive to a second pair of said output signals having lower frequencies than said first pair, for sequentially addressing each column in said matrix in step-through fashion in response to the frequency relationship between said second pair of output signals, said rows and columns being addressed at different rates so that all of said rows are sequentially addressed while each individual column is addressed;

(e) means responsive to said clock signal for generating a sequence-reversing signal after a predertermined number of cycles of said clock signal; and

(f) means responsive to said sequence-reversing signal for reversing the order in which said row selector means and said column selector means address said rows and columns.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for varying the frequency of said clock signal.