Picture reproduction system and method utilizing independent picture elements

• US 7,657,097 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Constellations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Constellations Incorporated
• Inventors: Silic, Bojan
• Primary Examiner(s): Desire; Gregory M
• Application Number:
  US10/349,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 345/30, 345/39, 345/82, 345/31, 345/46, 345/48, 348/587, 348/656, 348/744, 348/756, 382/194, 257/88, 340/815.45
• US Class Current: 382/194
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/00 Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes

Abstract

A system and method of producing an image using a plurality of independent pixel devices, each of which includes one or more light emitting or polarizing elements. The pixel devices are fixed (e.g. on the side of a building) or are moving (e.g. on water or falling in air) within an image space in which an image is to be formed. A controller determines, based upon the locations of the pixel devices within the image space, what portion of the image each pixel device is to reproduce, and then commands the pixel devices to use the emitting devices to reproduce the corresponding portion of the image. As the pixel devices move, the new locations of the pixel devices are mapped onto the image, and the control of the pixel devices is modified accordingly so that the image produced by the pixel devices is not distorted by their movement.

Claims

1. An image reproduction system, comprising:

a plurality of pixel devices that are individually placeable into an image space, each of the pixel devices including;

at least one light emitting element, and

a feedback signal source configured to send information about a location of the pixel device; and

a controller configured to receive the information sent by the pixel devices, to determine the locations of the pixel devices within the image space using the received information, and to individually control the pixel devices based upon the determined locations to generate an image using the light emitting elements.

2. The image reproduction system of claim 1, wherein each one of the pixel devices includes:

a memory for storing pixel image information; and

a control device for operating the at least one light emitting element in the one pixel device based upon the stored pixel image information.

3. The image reproduction system of claim 1, wherein each one of the pixel devices includes:

a forward path receiver for receiving commands from the controller used to operate the at least one light emitting element in the one pixel device.

4. The image reproduction system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera for monitoring the image generated by the light emitting elements, wherein the control of the pixel devices is responsive to the image monitored by the camera.

5. The image reproduction system of claim 1, wherein for each of the pixel devices, the feedback signal source comprises a GPS device for generating the information about the location of the pixel device.

6. The image reproduction system of claim 1, wherein for each of the pixel devices, the feedback signal source is configured to generate an RF or an infrared beacon signal for sending the information about the location of the pixel device.

7. The image reproduction system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the locations of the pixel devices by triangulation or direction finding of the beacon signals.

8. The image reproduction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine one of the pixel devices has moved relative to another of the pixel devices, and to control the one pixel device based upon the determined movement.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

moving at least one of the pixel devices relative to another of the pixel devices;

detecting the movement of the one pixel device using the controller; and

modifying the control of the one pixel device in response to the detected movement of the one pixel device.

9. A method of producing an image in an image space, comprising:

placing a plurality of pixel devices individually into an image space, wherein each of the pixel devices includes at least one light emitting element;

for each of the pixel devices, sending information about a location of the pixel device from the pixel device to a controller;

determining the locations of the pixel devices within the image space using the controller and the information sent to the controller; and

controlling the pixel devices using the controller based upon the determined locations to generate an image using the light emitting elements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pixel device control further includes:

mapping an image pattern over the determined locations of the pixel devices; and

controlling each one of the pixel devices to produce that portion of the image pattern mapped thereto using the at least one light emitting element in the one pixel device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the location determination for each one of the pixel devices includes:

detecting a beacon signal from the one pixel device representing location information for the one pixel device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the beacon signals are generated by the light emitting elements.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring the image generated by the light emitting elements; and

modifying the control of the pixel devices in response to the monitored image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the pixel devices further comprises a GPS device, and wherein the method further comprising:

for each of the pixel devices, generating the information about the location of the pixel device using the GPS device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein for each of the pixel devices, the sending of the information comprises sending the information as an RF or an infrared beacon signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining of the locations of the pixel devices comprises triangulating or direction finding the beacon signals.