Contoured large screen display apparatus

• US 6,396,985 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H. Douglas Russell
• Original Assignee: Transvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Lowry, Jerald F., Lowry, Brian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/766,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20010010745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 385/115,116,120,121,147,901,1,2,42 40/546,547 345/32,40,55 359/451,10,11
• US Class Current: 385/120
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/305 being the ends of optical fibres G09F9/302 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for use in contoured architectural milieus includes a contoured large screen display having a mounting means to which modular flat display tiles including, tiles of diverse or non-standard shapes and sizes are attached, each display tile having a plurality of optical fibers affixed behind the tile and communicating with a front surface of the tile.

Claims

1. A contoured large screen display, comprising:

(a) a mounting surface having at least one contoured portion;

(b) a plurality of modular display tiles connected to the mounting surface, wherein the tiles comprise both standard and non-standard tiles;

wherein each tile has a substantially planar front surface, a plurality of optical fibers having first ends and second ends are connected to each tile such that the second end of each optical fiber is communicative with the front surface of its corresponding tile, the fibers are positioned to form a matrix at the front surface, and the matrix comprises a plurality of points having a fiber pitch between each point; and

wherein each of the optical fibers is operative to transfer an image portion from the first end to the front surface via the second end.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the display tiles substantially follow the contoured portion of the mounting surface along a plurality of planes to form a contoured display surface, and wherein at least two of the planes intersect.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein the display tiles substantially follow the contoured portion of the mounting surface along a plurality of planes to form a contoured display surface, and wherein at least two of the planes are parallel and separated by a spacing greater than zero.

4. The display of claim 1 wherein the standard tiles are square or rectangular in shape.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein each non-standard display tile has a shape other than a square or rectangle.

6. The display of claim 2 wherein the fiber pitch within each non-standard display tile is greater for tiles that correspond to a concave curvature of the display surface and smaller for tiles that correspond to a convex curvature of the display surface.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein each of the modular display tiles is comprised of a substantially non-reflective, substantially non-conductive material.

8. The display of claim 1 further including an image manipulation means for adjusting the image transferred through the optical fibers by at least one of image compression and expansion to compensate for distortion.