Large incandescent live image display system

• US 5,712,650 A
• Filed: 08/18/1995
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C.E.I. Holding, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mikohn Gaming Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Barlow, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Application Number:
  US08/516,882
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 345/32, 345/55, 345/56, 345/150, 345/83, 345/73, 345/84, 345/77, 345/63, 345/204, 340/815.65, 340/815.66, 340/815.67
• US Class Current: 345/55
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/24 using incandescent filaments

Abstract

A high speed control is disclosed for delivering delayed phase power to each of four incandescent xenon bulbs. Each of the four incandescent xenon bulbs are oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel. The colored pixel of the present invention is illuminated to a desired color by means of a high speed control operating at NTSC video standard of 30 frames per second. The invention is based upon an AC power source with conventional 60 cycles of AC power.

Claims

1. A high-speed control for delivering phase-delayed power to an incandescent bulb at one of a predetermined number of levels, said high speed control comprising:

an AC power source for providing AC power,

an AC phase switch connected to said incandescent bulb and to said AC power source,

a counter connected to said AC phase switch,

a register connected to said counter,

means for inputting into said register a delayed phase power level, said delayed phase power level corresponding to said one predetermined level,

a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating said delayed phase power level from said register into said counter each half cycle of said AC power, and

clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for incrementally changing the delayed phase power level during each said half cycle in said counter until a pre-selected value is reached wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number, said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate said AC phase switch so as to provide said phase-delayed power at said one predetermined level to said incandescent bulb during each said half cycle.

2. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said AC power source is 60 Hz.

3. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said incandescent bulb is a xenon lamp.

4. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said phase switch is a TRIAC device.

5. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said register is a latch register.

6. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said inputting means comprises a serial shift register.

7. The high-speed control of claim 1 wherein said counter is an up counter, said predetermined number of levels is 256, and said preselected value is 255.

8. A high-speed control for delivering phase-delayed power to each of at least three incandescent bulbs, each of said at least three incandescent bulbs oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel, said colored pixel being illuminated to a color by said high-speed control, said high-speed control comprising:

an AC power source having cycles of AC power with zero-crossings,

an AC phase switch control connected to each of said at least three incandescent bulbs and to said AC power source, each said AC phase switch control comprising;

(a) an AC phase switch,

(b) a counter connected to said AC phase switch,

(c) a register connected to said counter,

means connected to said AC phase switch control for inputting into each said register in each of said AC phase switch controls a power phase level, each said power phase level corresponding to a light intensity for said connected incandescent bulb,

a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating each said power phase level from each said register into each said counter during each half cycle of said AC power, and

clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for changing each said power phase level in each said counter until a pre-selected value is reached wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number, each said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate each said AC phase switch so as to provide said phase-delayed power to each of said at least three incandescent bulbs.

9. The high-speed control of claim 8 wherein said at least three incandescent bulbs comprise a pixel.

10. The high-speed control of claim 9 wherein said colored lenses comprise:

a red lens, a green lens, and two blue lenses, said two blue lenses being of the same tint.

11. The high-speed control of claim 9 wherein the two xenon bulbs behind said two blue lenses have the same phase-delayed power.

12. The high speed control of claim 9 wherein the two xenon bulbs behind said two blue lenses have the same power.

13. The high-speed control of claim 8 further comprising means connected to said inputting means for delivering said power phase levels into said inputting means at a frequency greater than 6 Mhz.

14. A high-speed control for delivering phase delayed power to each of four incandescent bulbs, each of said four incandescent bulbs oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel, said colored pixel being illuminated to a color by said high speed control, said high speed control comprising:

an AC power source having sixty cycles of AC power with zero-crossings,

an AC phase switch control connected to each of said incandescent bulbs and to said AC power source, each said AC phase control comprising;

(a) a TRIAC

(b) an up counter connected to said AC phase switch,

(c) a latch register connected to said up counter,

a serial shift register receiving power phase level data at a frequency of at least 6 Mhz for inputting into each said register in each of said AC phase controls a power phase level, each aforesaid said power phase level corresponding to a light intensity for said connected incandescent bulb,

a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating each said power phase level from each said latch register into each said counter during each half cycle of said AC power,

clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for changing each said power phase level in each said up counter until a pre-selected value is reached said pre-selected value being in the range between 0 and 255, wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number and wherein 0 corresponds to no intensity and 255 corresponds to full intensity, each said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate each said TRIAC switch so as to provide said phase delayed power to each of said four incandescent bulbs.

15. The high speed control of claim 14 wherein said colored lenses comprise:

a red lens, a green lens, and two blue lenses, said two blue lens being of the same tint.