LED illuminated sign

• US 4,929,936 A
• Filed: 03/21/1988
• Issued: 05/29/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Home Security Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Home Security Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Friedman, Don, Chang, Thomas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fatahiyar, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US07/170,949
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 340/715, 340/815.1, 340/815.03, 340/760, 340/762, 340/815.32, 40/450, 40/451
• US Class Current: 345/618
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0472 Traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/14 Semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A lighted sign, particularly useful for identifying a residence number on a street, has a display panel having a plurality of aligned numbers illuminated by LED'"'"'s which are selectively programmable by the user to display the proper house number. In the event of an emergency, the sign is changeable to an emergency mode in which the numbers flash intermittently, and the LED'"'"'s change from a first color to a red color indicating the emergency. The sign is activated manually or by means of a photocell, and the emergency condition may be actuated by a manual switch for a remote transmitter. The device may also be used to activate other emergency alert signals, such as an audible signal or a signal transmitter over phone lines.

Claims

1. An illuminated sign comprises an enclosure, a plurality of display members mounted in the enclosure, each display member comprising a housing, an indicia display panel having a plurality of discrete display segments selectively illuminable to form lighted indicia, each display segment comprising an aligned row of a plurality of LED'"'"'s,

first electronic circuit means comprising a DC power source, the display segments, and first switch means actuated by a predetermined decrease in ambient lighting for connecting the power source to the display segments, and

second electronic circuit means comprising the DC power source, means for changing the color of the display segments from a first color to a second color comprising a first linear array of LED dices connected in series in each display segment, a second linear array of LED dices connected in series in each display segment, and third switch means for selectively actuating the first or second arrays in each display segment,

second switch means for connecting the power source to the display segments, receiver means for receiving a remotely generated signal, receiver switch means responsive to the reception of such signal for connecting the DC power source to the display segments, and manual switch means connected to the power source in parallel with the receiver switch means, flasher means for intermittently connecting the DC power source to the display segments, and

a plurality of display segment actuating switches, one for each disply segment, adapted to be manually actuated for selectively disconnecting each display segment from the DC power source such that when the power source is connected to the display members, each indicia display panel displays a preselected indicia.

2. The sign of claim 1 also comprising alarm switch means for actuating alert means.

3. The sign of claim 1 also comprising alarm switch means for actuating alert means, said alarm switch means being actuated by the receiver switch means.

4. The sign of claim 1 wherein each display panel has seven linear display segments disposed in the geometry of a block figure "8".

5. The sign of claim 1 wherein each linear display segment includes a plurality of bipolar LED'"'"'s.

6. An illuminated sign comprises an enclosure, a plurality of display members mounted in the enclosure, each display member comprising a housing, an indicia display panel having a plurality of discrete display segments selectively illuminable to form lighted indicia, each display segment comprising an aligned row of a plurality of bipolar two-color LED'"'"'s,

first electronic circuit means comprising a DC power source, the display segments, a plurality of display segment actuating switches adapted to be manually operated for selectively disconnecting each display segment from the DC power source such that when the power source is connected to the display members, each indicia display panel displays a preselected indicia,

switch means actuated by a predetermined increase in ambient lighting for connecting the power source to the display segments,

second electronic circuit means comprising the DC power source, flasher means for intermittently connecting the DC power source to the display segments, receiver means for receiving a remotely generated signal and receiver switch means responsive to the reception of such signal connecting the DC power source to the display segments,

a manual switch means connected to the power source and parallel with the receiver switch means, alarm switch means actuated by the remotely generated signal,

means for changing the color of each display segment from a first color to a second color comprising a first row of LED dices emitting light of a first color connected in series in each display segment, a second row of LED dices capable of emitting light of a second color connected in series in each display segment, and switch means for selectively actuating said first or second row of LED dices.

7. An illuminated sign comprises an enclosure, a plurality of display members mounted in the enclosure, each display member comprising a housing, an indicia display panel having a plurality of discrete display segments selectively illuminable to form lighted indicia, each display segment comprising an aligned row of a plurality of bipolar two-color LED'"'"'s,

electronic circuit means comprising a DC power source, the display segments, a plurality of display segment actuating switches adapted to be manually operated for selectively disconnecting each display segment from the DC power source such that when the power source is connected to the display members, each indicia display panel displays a preselected indicia,

switch means actuated by a predetermined increase in ambient lighting for connecting the power source to the display segments,

flasher means for intermittently connecting the DC power source to the display segments, alarm switch means for actuating a remote alarm, and polarity switch means for reversing the polarity of voltage across the display segments, said polarity switch means being movable from a first color position to a "red" position,

said electronic circuit means including first switch means to connect the DC power source to the flasher means and the display segments, to move the polarity switch means to the "red" position, and to activate the alarm switch means,

said electronic circuit means also comprising second switch means to connect the DC power source to the flasher means, the polarity switch means, and the display segments.

8. The sign of claim 7 in which the first switch means comprises receiver means for receiving a remotely generated signal.

9. The sign of claim 8 in which the first switch means also comprises first manual switch means connected in parallel with the receiver means.

10. The sign of claim 7 in which the first and second switch means comprises receiver means for receiving a remotely generated signal.