High-rise building with large scale display device inside transparent glass exterior

• US 6,237,290 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AVIX, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AVIX, Inc., Qfront Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oishi, Masatoshi, Tokimoto, Toyotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US09/428,328
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 40/452, 40/451, 40/550, 40/564, 52/236.3, 52/235, 52/64
• US Class Current: 52/236.3
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/226 External wall display means; Facade advertising means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/227 on windows
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/222 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device is disclosed. The glass panels arranged in rows and columns form a curtain wall structured transparent outer wall 12 extending over an exterior of a building 10. Each panel is installed apart from end portions of floor slabs to form a void space therebetween. A plurality of louver structured modules 22 are arranged within the void space in rows and columns to form a large scale display area. Each module 22 has a louver-like structure formed of a plurality of posts 24 arranged in substantially parallel relationship and a plurality of parallel, uniformly spaced beams 26 connecting said adjacent posts 24. A plurality of LED combination lamps 28 are mounted on each beam 26 at uniform pitches as those between the adjacent beams 26. The LEDs are driven by drive circuits disposed in each beam 26. The vertical guide members 44 are fixed to the end portions of the floor slabs 20. The guide members 44 are arranged substantially in parallel relationship so that the modules 22 are supported between the adjacent guides 44 at the both lateral sides thereof. A plurality of vertical mullion members 48 fixed to the vertical guide members 44 as spaced apart from each of the vertical guides 44, so that the glass panels 12 are supported therebetween.

Claims

1. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of glass panels arranged in rows and columns to form a curtain wall structured transparent outer wall extending over an exterior of the building, each of said panels being installed apart from end portions of floor slabs of the building to form a void space therebetween;

a plurality of louver structured modules arranged within said void space in rows and columns to form a large scale display area, each of said modules having a louver-like structure formed of a plurality of posts arranged in substantially parallel relationship and a plurality of parallel beams connecting said adjacent posts, said beams being uniformly spaced from each other at predetermined pitches;

a plurality of light emitting means mounted on each of said beams at uniform and generally the same pitches as those between said adjacent beams to form said large-scale dot-matrix display;

a plurality of drive circuits for driving the respective light emitting means installed in each of said beams;

a plurality of vertical guide members fixed to said end portions of the floor slabs, said vertical guide members being arranged substantially in parallel relationship so that said modules are supported between said adjacent guides at the both lateral sides thereof; and

a plurality of vertical mullion members fixed to said vertical guide members as spaced apart from each of said vertical guides, so that said glass panels are supported therebetween.

2. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a transparent inner glass wall is disposed at an inner proximity of said void space, said louver structured modules being disposed within said void space defined between said inner and exterior glass walls.

3. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said light emitting means is disposed on said beam in a rotatable manner around a longitudinal axis of said beam, and axes of light emission of said light emitting means are shifted downward by rotating said light emitting means as said louver structured modules are positioned at higher levels of the building.

4. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs.

5. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of support members are provided extending forwardly from the front surface of said vertical guide members for supporting said mullion members.

11. A louver structured module used for said high-rise building as set forth in claim 1.

6. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device comprising:

a plurality of transparent panels arranged in rows and columns to form a curtain wall structured transparent outer wall extending over an exterior of the building, each of said panels being installed apart from end portions of floor slabs of the building to form a void space therebetween;

a plurality of louver structured modules disposed within said void space and arranged in rows and columns to form said large scale display device, each of said modules having a louver-like structure formed of a plurality of vertical posts and a plurality of horizontal beams connecting said vertical posts;

a plurality of light emitting means mounted on each of said horizontal beams at predetermined pitches so as to form said large-scale dot-matrix display area;

a plurality of drive circuits disposed in each of said beams for driving the respective light emitting means mounted on said beams; and

means for holding said modules within said void space.

7. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 6, wherein a transparent inner wall is provided at an inner proximity of said void space and said louver structured modules are disposed within said void space defined between said inner and outer walls.

8. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said light emitting means is disposed on said beam in a rotatable manner around a longitudinal axis of said beam, and axes of light emission of said light emitting means are shifted downward by rotating said light emitting means as said louver structured modules are positioned at higher levels of the building.

9. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs.

10. A louver structured module used for said high-rise building as set forth in claim 6.

12. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device comprising:

a transparent exterior wall arranged as spaced apart from end portions of floor slabs of the building;

a plurality of louver-like structured modules disposed between said transparent exterior wall and the end portions of the floor slabs of the building arranged in rows and columns to form a large scale display device inside the transparent exterior walls, each of said modules formed of a plurality of vertical posts and a plurality of horizontal beams connecting said vertical posts, each of said louver-like structured modules having a plurality of light emitting means mounted on each of said horizontal beams thereof at predetermined pitches so as to form said large-scale dot-matrix display;

a plurality of drive circuits disposed in each of said beams for driving the respective light emitting means mounted on said beams; and

means for holding said modules between said transparent exterior wall and the end portions of the floor slabs of the building.

13. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 12, wherein a transparent inner wall is positioned at said end portions of the floor slabs of the building and said louver structured modules are disposed within a void space defined between said inner and exterior walls.

14. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 12, wherein each of said light emitting means is disposed on said beam in a rotatable manner around a longitudinal axis of said beam, and axes of light emission of said light emitting means are shifted downward by rotating said light emitting means as said louver structured modules are positioned at higher levels of the building.

15. A high-rise building with a large scale dot-matrix display device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs.

16. A louver structured display module comprising:

a plurality of vertical posts arranged in substantially parallel relationship to each other;

a plurality of horizontal beams connecting said adjacent vertical posts, the adjacent horizontal beams being spaced apart at predetermined intervals in order to maintain visibility through said module;

a plurality of light emitting means mounted on each of said horizontal beams at predetermined pitches so as to form a dot-matrix display while maintaining visibility through said module; and

a plurality of drive circuits disposed in each of said beams for driving the respective light emitting means mounted on said beams.

17. A louver structured display module as set forth in claim 16, wherein each light emitting means are disposed on the horizontal beam in rotatable manner around a longitudinal axis of the beam so that an axis of light emission of said light emitting means is changeable in an up-and-down direction.

18. A louver structured display module as set forth in claim 16, wherein said light emitting means comprises a plurality of LEDs.