Dynamic displays

• US 6,949,886 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEOS Technologies Incorporated (Gooch & Housego PLC)
• Original Assignee: NEOS Technologies Incorporated (Gooch & Housego PLC)
• Inventors: Blakeslee, Kenneth L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vannucci, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy T.
• Application Number:
  US10/180,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 315/156, 315/158, 315/119, 315/209.R, 315/290, 315/360, 315/307, 315/127, 315/224, 315/244, 315/291, 315/DIG.7
• US Class Current: 315/224
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/44 for providing special optical effects, e.g. progressive motion of light
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/07 Starting and control circuits for gas discharge lamp using transistors

Abstract

Gas discharge tube displays according to the present invention control power applied to the tubes using isolator/switches, which can be opto-isolators in combination with triacs, FET'"'"'s or other semiconductor switching devices or devices which can form part of a switching circuit. Such displays can also use, if desired and if appropriate, isolators which also act as the switch without other switching devices or circuits to switch and otherwise control activation of the tubes on the secondary side, or high voltage side, of the power source or sources feeding the tubes. They may also use such switching devices or circuits which act as both the isolator and the switch. The opto-isolators separate or isolate the low voltage control circuitry from the high voltage tube power circuitry, in conjunction with a triac, FET, thyristor or other device, preferably a semiconductor device, that is adapted to withstand the power load yet accomplish the switching necessary to control activation of the tube in real time. The switching devices are adapted to shunt power from the tubes, bypass the tubes, or otherwise remove power from the tubes in order to control illumination of the tubes in order to produce a dynamic display. The isolators/switches are preferably controlled by a controller which is adapted to receive instructions and content, either from a local or remote source, in order to create and display content on the display.

Claims

1. A dynamic gas discharge tube display, comprising:

a. at least one power supply having a low voltage side and a high voltage side;

b. a plurality of gas discharge tubes, each coupled to the high voltage side of said power supply;

c. corresponding to each gas discharge tube, at least one non mechanical switch coupled to the gas discharge tube and to the high voltage side of said at least one power supply, said switch adapted to remove voltage from said gas discharge tube;

d. a programmable controller containing a program adapted to selectively illuminate at least some of said plurality of gas discharge tubes without illuminating other of said tubes in order to create a dynamic visual display; and

e. at least one non-mechanical opto isolator coupling each nonmechanical switch to said controller, whereby the controller is adapted to control operation of said switches without being exposed to high voltage from the high voltage side of said at least one power supply;

f. whereby the controller is adapted to selectively control the illumination of the plurality of gas discharge tubes and thereby present a dynamic visual gas discharge tube display by selectively removing voltage from the high voltage side of said at least one power supply from each of said tubes; and

g. whereby the controller is adapted to control the selective illumination of the plurality of gas discharge tubes without the requirement for a separate power supply for each tube.

2. A display according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said power supplies are transformers.

3. A display according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said switches are triac semiconductor devices.

4. A display according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said switches are field effect transistors.

5. A display according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said isolators and said switches constitute a single device which comprises an isolator and a switch.

6. A display according to claim 1 in which at least some of the switches are connected in series with their corresponding tubes.

7. A display according to claim 1 in which the controller is a programmable device.

8. A display according to claim 7 in which the controller is programmable remotely.

9. A display according to claim 8 in which the controller is adapted to receive content from a remote source for display by the display.

10. A display according to claim 1 in which the tubes form a plurality of 7 segment display units.

11. A display according to claim 1 in which the tubes form a plurality of 35 dot matrix display units.

12. A display according to claim 1 in which the tubes are arranged to perform color blending.

13. A display according to claim 1 in which each tube is connected to a plurality of switches.

14. A display according to claim 1 in which at least one isolator is coupled to a plurality of switches.

15. A dynamic gas discharge tube display, comprising:

a. at least one power supply having a low voltage side and a high voltage side;

b. a plurality of gas discharge tubes, each coupled to the high voltage side of said power supply;

c. a plurality of isolator/switch devices, each comprising;

a non mechanical switch coupled to a corresponding gas discharge tube and to the high voltage side of said at least one power supply, said switch adapted to remove voltage from said gas discharge tube; and

an opto isolator coupling the switch to a controller, whereby the controller is adapted to control operation of the switch without being exposed to high voltage from the high voltage side of said at least one power supply;

d. a programmable controller coupled to said opto isolators and containing a program adapted to control said switches and thereby selectively illuminate of at least some of said plurality of gas discharge tubes without illuminating other of said tubes in order to create a dynamic visual display; and

e. whereby the controller is adapted to selectively control the illumination of the plurality of gas discharge tubes and thereby present a dynamic visual gas discharge tube display by selectively removing voltage from the high voltage side of said at least one power supply from each of said tubes; and

f. whereby the controller is adapted to control the selective illumination of the plurality of gas discharge tubes without the requirement for a separate power supply for each tube.

16. A display according to claim 15 where in each tube is coupled to a plurality of isolator/switch devices.

17. A dynamic neon tube display, comprising:

a. a transformer having a low voltage side and a high voltage side;

b. a plurality of neon tubes, each coupled to the high voltage side of the transformer;

c. a plurality of isolator/switch devices, each comprising;

a non mechanical switch coupled to a corresponding neon tube and to the high voltage side of the transformer, said switch adapted to remove power from said neon tube; and

an opto isolator coupling the switch to a controller, whereby the controller is adapted to control operation of the switch without being exposed to high voltage from the high voltage side of the transformer;

d. a programmable controller coupled to said opto isolators and containing a program adapted to control said switches and thereby selectively illuminate at least some of said plurality of neon tubes without illuminating other of said tubes and thereby create a dynamic visual display; and

e. whereby the controller is adapted to selectively control the illumination of the plurality of neon tubes and thereby present a dynamic visual neon tube display by selectively removing voltage from the high voltage side of the transformer from each of said tubes; and

f. whereby the controller is adapted to control the selective illumination of the plurality of neon tubes without the requirement for a separate transformer for each tube.