Optical cable based directional way finding apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A light emitting device for use in a directional way finding system, said light emitting device comprising:
- a plurality of side emitting light conduits arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction, each conduit having alternating optically opaque sections and light emitting sections along its length, the conduits being arranged with the light emitting sections of one conduit being offset in one direction from an adjacent conduit such that corresponding light emitting sections of the conduits form diagonal light emitting structures across the plurality of conduits at intervals along the length of the conduits.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A directional way finding system is described which comprises a light emitting device having a plurality of side emitting light conduits arranged side by side with parts of the conduits covered at repeated intervals along the length of the conduits to leave an exposed sequence of light emitting sections in each conduit. These sections are longitudinally offset in adjacent conduits to provide diagonal light emitting regions, so that when the conduits are sequentially energised light is emitted from the light emitting sections to give to an observer the perception of light travelling in a forward or reverse direction, depending on the order in which the conduits are scanned. Embodiments are described for a system in which the light conduits are optical fibres energised from a laser and in which the light conduits are electroluminescent wires energised from a switched power supply.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A light emitting device for use in a directional way finding system, said light emitting device comprising:
a plurality of side emitting light conduits arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction, each conduit having alternating optically opaque sections and light emitting sections along its length, the conduits being arranged with the light emitting sections of one conduit being offset in one direction from an adjacent conduit such that corresponding light emitting sections of the conduits form diagonal light emitting structures across the plurality of conduits at intervals along the length of the conduits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24)
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15. A directional way finding system comprising:
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drive means, a light emitting device comprising a plurality of side emitting light conduits arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction, each conduit having alternating optically opaque sections and light emitting sections along its length, the conduits being arranged with the light emitting sections of one conduit being offset in one direction from an adjacent conduit such that corresponding light emitting sections of the conduits form diagonal light emitting structures across the plurality of conduits at intervals along the length of the conduits, and means for selectively energising one or more light conduits in a pattern which provides the perception of sequential illumination to a viewer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of providing an illuminated signal which provides to a viewer the perception of movement of the signal in a direction along a plurality of light conduits, said method comprising the steps of,
providing a plurality of side emitting light conduits and arranging the light conduits side by side, masking each light conduit at repeated intervals along its length to prevent the emission of light in the masked area, aligning corresponding masked regions in adjacent conduits to defined exposed light emitting areas which have a diagonal structure, and energising the plurality of side emitting light conduits sequentially to create an emitted light signal which appears to the viewer to be travelling along the plurality of conduits in one direction.
Specification