Volumetric stroboscopic display

• US 6,512,498 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parellel Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Actuality Systems, Inc. (Ellis Amalgamated LLC)
• Inventors: Favalora, Gregg E., Samuel, Shawn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US09/598,275
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 345/30, 345/31, 345/32, 345/6, 345/7, 345/8, 345/84, 345/87, 345/108, 345/110, 348/51, 348/52
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 using special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/005 forming an image using a quickly moving array of imaging elements, causing the human eye to perceive an image which has a larger resolution than the array, e.g. an image on a cylinder formed by a rotating line of LEDs parallel to the axis of rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

In a volumetric display, a strobe source illuminates a moving object at successive instants separated by potentially unequal time intervals. By specifying these intervals, an illumination controller achieves eye-catching visual effects suitable for advertising kiosks or other public displays. The volumetric display includes a signal generator configured to generate a first and second signals. An illumination controller interleaves these signals and provides the resulting interleaved signals to a strobe unit that is disposed to illuminate the moving object in response to the interleaved signals.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for producing a visual effect, the apparatus comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a first periodic signal and a second periodic signal;

an illumination controller in communication with the signal generator to combine the first and second periodic signals into a signal sequence; and

a stroboscopic light source disposed to illuminate an image provided on a moving object in response to the signal sequence from the illumination controller;

wherein the illumination controller comprises a multiplexer for generating the pulse sequence by selecting from the first and second periodic signal, the multiplexer having a first input for receiving the first periodic signal and a second input for receiving the second periodic signal and an output connected to the stroboscopic light source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal generator includes a sampling unit for generating a first signal having a frequency associated with motion of the moving object, the sampling unit having an input signal responsive to motion of the moving object.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sampling unit comprises a divide-by-N block, the divide-by-N block generating the first periodic signal having a frequency proportional to the motion frequency associated with the moving object.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a phase shifter in communication with the sampling unit for generating the second periodic signal having a phase offset relative to the first periodic signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the phase shifter comprises a switch for interrupting the input signal to the sampling unit, thereby causing the sampling unit to generate the second periodic signal having a phase offset relative to the first periodic signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an oscillator for generating a second signal having a shifted frequency different from the motion frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the illumination controller further comprises a controller in communication with the multiplexer for controlling the output of the multiplexer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer comprises an OR gate having a first input for receiving the first periodic signal and a second input for receiving the second periodic signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a first switch for interrupting the transmission of the first periodic signal to the first input of the OR gate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a second switch for interrupting the transmission of the second periodic signal to the second input of the OR gate.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a processor for controlling the first switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a processor for controlling the first and second switch.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor comprises a programmable logic array.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor coupled to the moving object for providing information on the motion of the moving object to the illumination controller.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a motor coupled to the moving object for causing the moving object to undergo motion selected from a group consisting of linear translation along a selected axis, and circumferential motion along a selected arc, and rotation about a selected axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the moving object is selected from a group consisting of a flat plate having an image on a first side and a three-dimensional structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the motion is an oscillatory motion.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the sensor provides information concerning the velocity of the moving object.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the sensor provides information concerning the mechanical phase of the moving object.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal generator generates the first periodic signal to cause the stroboscopic light source to generate a first sequence of light pulses at a first frequency and the signal generator generates the second periodic signal to cause the stroboscopic light source to generate a second sequence of light pulses at a second frequency that differs from the first frequency.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal generator generates the first periodic signal to cause the stroboscopic light source to generate a first sequence of light pulses at a first phase and the signal generator generates the second periodic signal to cause the stroboscopic light source to generate a second sequence of light pulses at a second phase that differs from the first phase.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the illumination controller is configured to modulate the first and second periodic signals at different phases.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stroboscopic light source comprises a light source selected from a group consisting of a light emitting diode, a laser, and a flash lamp.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a detector in communication with the signal generator, the detector being configured to detect the presence of a person in the vicinity of the moving object and the signal generator is configured to generate the first and second periodic signals in response to the presence of the person.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the detector is configured to detect the position in the vicinity of the moving object and the signal generator is configured to generate the first and second periodic signals in response to the position of the person.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor in communication with the illumination controller, the processor having a viewer interface through which a viewer can interact with the illumination controller.