Interactive LED display device

• US 7,165,857 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Sui Lun Fong
• Original Assignee: Peter Sui Lun Fong
• Inventors: Fong, Peter Sui Lun
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Gunyoung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/028,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 362/35, 362/269, 362/286, 362/272, 362/86, 362/233, 446/175, 446/236, 446/242, 446/243, 446/219, 315/312, 340/815.4, 340/815.45
• US Class Current: 362/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/006 provided with electrical lighting electrical lighting F21
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2036 Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/301 by means of a mounting structure H05K3/325 takes precedence

Abstract

A toy, particularly an educational toy that has a light-emitting diode device attached thereto. Instead of a whole array of light-emitting diodes, the light-emitting diode device has only one or multiple cross rows of light-emitting diodes rotating about an axis. The light-emitting diode device is operative to generate a plurality of illumination patterns or images by selectively switching on/off the light-emitting diodes at a specific orientation. The light-emitting diode device further has a sound-generating device interactive with the light-emitting diodes. That is, the sound-generating device is operative to generate a sound to represent an audio form of the illumination patterns or images displayed by the light-emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode device, comprising:

a housing, having a front cover;

at least one row of light-emitting diodes disposed in the housing and comprising a first transmitter and a first receiver, wherein the row of light-emitting diodes is operative to rotate about a central axis of the housing, and the light-emitting diodes are selectively activated in response to an orientation of the light-emitting diodes to generate an illumination pattern observable from the front cover; and

a sound generating device disposed in the housing and comprising a second transmitter operative to generate a signal to the first receiver and a second receiver operative to receive a signal transmitted from the first transmitter, the sound-generating device being operative to generate a sound coordinated with the illumination pattern.

2. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein each of the light-emitting diodes comprises at least one light-emitting diode die.

3. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein each of the light-emitting diodes comprise one blue light-emitting diode die, one green light-emitting diode die and one red light-emitting diode die.

4. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the row of light-emitting diodes is electrically connected to the sound generating device.

5. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the row of light-emitting diodes is optically connected to the sound generating device.

6. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, further comprising a third transmitter and a third receiver to interact with an external device.

7. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, further comprising a light-emitting diode printed circuit board for supporting the row of light-emitting diodes.

8. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, further comprising a main printed circuit board for controlling the sound generating device.

9. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, further comprising a light-emitting guide installed between the front cover and the printed circuit board, wherein the light-emitting diodes are embedded and guided by the light-emitting diode guide.

10. The light-emitting diode device of claim 9, further comprising a spacer installed between the printed circuit board and the light-emitting diode guide for supporting the light-emitting diodes, wherein the spacer is configured to provide a substantially identical length of optical paths to the front cover for each of the light-emitting diodes.

11. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a circular dish.

12. The light-emitting diode device of claim 11, further comprising a supporting frame installed between the light-emitting diodes and the sound-generating device.

13. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, further comprising a spinning mechanism driving the light-emitting diodes to rotate about the central axis.

14. The light-emitting diode device of claim 13, wherein the spinning mechanism comprises:

a shaft member connected to the light-emitting diodes and extending along the central axis; and

a motor for generating rotation of the shaft member.

15. The light-emitting diode device of claim 14, further comprising a cam member connected to the motor and the shaft member.

16. The light-emitting diode device of claim 13, further comprising a leaf switch actuated by the spinning mechanism for monitoring a spinning rate and orientation of the light-emitting diodes.

17. The light-emitting diode device of claim 13, further comprising at least one signal transmitter and a signal receiver which are periodically aligned with each other during rotation of the light-emitting diodes for monitoring a spinning rate and orientation of the light-emitting diodes.

18. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes are installed on two rows crossing each other at the central axis.

19. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a rectangular frame and a rear panel.

20. The light-emitting diode device of claim 19, wherein the sound-generating device is installed at a corner of the housing.

21. The light-emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein sound-generating device and the light-emitting diodes are interactive with each other by infrared transmitters and receivers.

22. A light-emitting diode device, comprising:

a housing, having a front cover;

at least one row of light-emitting diodes disposed in the housing, wherein the row of light-emitting diodes is operative to rotate about a central axis of the housing, and the light-emitting diodes are selectively activated in response to an orientation of the light-emitting diodes to generate an illumination pattern observable from the front cover;

a spinning mechanism driving the light-emitting diodes to rotate about the central axis, the spinning mechanism comprising a shaft member connected to the light-emitting diodes and extending along the central axis, and a motor for generating rotation of the shaft member, the shaft member comprising;

a conductive shaft connected to a first input terminal of the light-emitting diodes;

an insulating bushing enclosing the conductive shaft therein; and

a conductive bushing enclosing the insulating bushing therein, the conductive bushing being connected to a second input terminal of the light-emitting diodes;

a sound generating device disposed in the housing, the sound-generating device being operative to generate a sound coordinated with the illumination pattern.

23. The light-emitting diode device of claim 22, wherein the conductive shaft and the conductive bushing are connected to output terminals of a power supply.

24. A light-emitting diode device, comprising:

a light-generating device, comprising;

at least one row of light-emitting diodes operative to rotate about a central axis, wherein the light-emitting diodes are selectively switched on or off at an orientation to generate a predetermined illumination pattern; and

a first transmitter and a first receiver, the first transmitter being operative to transmit a first activation signal carrying information of the illumination pattern;

a sound-generating device, comprising;

a speaker, the speaker being operative to generate a sound in response to the first activation signal; and

a second transmitter and a second receiver, wherein the second receiver is operative to receive the first activation signal to activate the speaker, and the second transmitter is operative to transmit a second activation signal carrying information of the sound to the first receiver.

25. The light-emitting diode device of claim 24, wherein the light-generating device and the sound-generating device are each disposed in a common housing.

26. The light-emitting diode device of claim 24, wherein the light-generating device and the sound-generating device are disposed in separate housings.