Apparatus and method for creating a crowd-based visual display with pixels that move independently

• US 8,049,688 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cuesta Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Playvision Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Yu, Young Ki, Roshto, Suzanne, Roberts, Greg, Flagg, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guertin; Aaron M
• Application Number:
  US11/482,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 345/31, 345156-184, 709/227
• US Class Current: 345/82
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a light-emitting apparatus and a method by which a crowd-based display is created wherein each light-emitting apparatus represents one of many independently moving pixels in the crowd-based display. This invention also provides methods, both internal and external to the light-emitting apparatus, by which the visual display sequence is controlled to provide various forms of colorful illumination. This invention discloses a shock wave method, a time-synchronized playback method, and a laser-based actuation method for creating the visual displays of illumination.

Claims

1. A radiation-emitting device for illuminating a display sequence from one or more control sources comprising:

a wand;

a radiation-emitting source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs are disposed on an end of the wand and each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color; and

a control source in the wand, for controlling the display sequence emitted from the radiation-emitting source, wherein the display sequence comprises lighting the plurality of LEDs in a particular combination to achieve a particular color from the plurality of LEDs;

wherein the wand is configured to operate in a personal mode or a receiver mode, the receiver mode comprises the control source receiving external instructions through a receiver disposed on the wand; and

wherein, in the receiver mode, the receiver is configured to receive the instructions from a system comprising;

a beam expander coupled to an infrared pulse laser; and

a digital control computer communicatively coupled to a beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser, wherein the digital control computer transmits controls to the beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser to transmit a plurality of data streams to the receiver to control the display sequence.

2. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the radiation-emitting device represents one of a plurality of pixels in a crowd-based display comprising a plurality of radiation-emitting devices, and wherein each of the plurality of radiation-emitting device may independently move.

3. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a shock sensor.

4. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the radiation-emitting source further comprises:

a at least one color high-intensity LED.

5. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the radiation-emitting source further comprises:

a blue high-intensity LED;

a red high-intensity LED; and

a green high-intensity LED.

6. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

an infrared high-intensity LED.

7. The radiation-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a diffuser.

8. A radiation-emitting device for illuminating a display sequence from one or more control sources comprising:

a radiation-emitting source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color, wherein the display sequence comprises lighting the plurality of LEDs in a particular combination to achieve a particular color from the plurality of LEDs;

an infrared receiver;

a microprocessor; and

a control source for controlling the display sequence emitted from the radiation-emitting source, comprising;

a beam scanning galvanometer, wherein the beam scanning galvanometer scans a plurality of radiation-emitting devices;

an infrared pulse laser;

a beam expander coupled to the infrared pulse laser; and

a digital control computer communicatively coupled to the beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser, wherein the digital control computer controls the beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser to transmit a plurality of data streams to an area covering a plurality of radiation-emitting devices to control the display sequence.

9. A radiation-emitting device for illuminating a display sequence from one or more control sources comprising:

a radiation-emitting source, comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color, wherein the display sequence comprises lighting the plurality of LEDs in a particular combination to achieve a particular color from the plurality of LEDs;

a microprocessor;

a control source for controlling the display sequence emitted from the radiation-emitting source, comprising;

an on-board memory storing a display sequence, wherein a first radiation-emitting source is synchronized to other radiation-emitting sources by starting playback of the display sequence at a specific, common point in time, and wherein the on-board memory comprises a pre-programmed instruction set for controlling the radiation-emitting source responsive to a location of the radiation-emitting source; and

a mode selection device configured to select a personal mode or a receiver mode, the receiver mode comprises the control source receiving external instructions through a receiver;

wherein, in the receiver mode, the receiver is configured to receive the instructions from a system comprising;

a beam expander coupled to an infrared pulse laser; and

a digital control computer communicatively coupled to a beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser, wherein the digital control computer transmits controls to the beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser to transmit a plurality of data streams to the receiver to control the display sequence.

10. A radiation-emitting device for illuminating a display sequence from one or more control sources comprising:

a radiation-emitting source, comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color, wherein the display sequence comprises lighting the plurality of LEDs in a particular combination to achieve a particular color from the plurality of LEDs;

an infrared receiver;

a shock sensor configured to detect physical contact with another object;

a microprocessor;

a control source for controlling the display sequence emitted from the radiation-emitting source, comprising;

a triggering event that results from a first radiation-emitting source coming into direct contact with a second radiation-emitting source, as detected by the shock sensor located in each radiation-emitting source, wherein the radiation-emitting sources thereafter transmit a plurality of data streams to one another, from the first radiation-emitting source to the second radiation-emitting source and from the second radiation-emitting source to the radiation-emitting source, as received by the infrared receiver in each radiation-emitting device; and

a mode selection device configured to select a personal mode or a receiver mode, the receiver mode comprises the control source receiving external instructions through a receiver;

wherein, in the receiver mode, the receiver is configured to receive the instructions from a system comprising;

a beam expander coupled to an infrared pulse laser; and

a digital control computer communicatively coupled to a beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser, wherein the digital control computer transmits controls to the beam scanning galvanometer and the infrared pulse laser to transmit a plurality of data streams to the receiver to control the display sequence.

11. A method of controlling a display sequence emitted from a radiation-emitting device using laser actuation, comprising:

activating a plurality of radiation-emitting devices in a receiver mode, wherein each radiation-emitting device is capable of receiving a plurality of data streams in an infrared receiver located within the radiation-emitting device, wherein each radiation-emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs comprises a different color, and wherein the display sequence comprises lighting the plurality of LEDs in a particular combination to achieve a particular color from the plurality of LEDs;

scanning the plurality of radiation-emitting devices in a display area repeatedly and rapidly with an infrared laser;

transmitting a plurality of data streams originating from a digital control computer to the plurality of radiation-emitting devices in the display area, wherein the transmissions are completed by the infrared laser capable of scanning a plurality of radiation-emitting devices; and

displaying dynamically a laser-actuated display sequence from the plurality of radiation-emitting devices based upon the plurality of data streams;

wherein a display sequence is produced at each radiation-emitting device, the display sequence originating at the digital control computer and being transmitted by an infrared laser to the radiation-emitting device; and

wherein a plurality of radiation emitting device may be moved independently and still receive the plurality of data streams and display sequences.