Method of customizing a vehicle with decals, a vehicle decal assembly and a vehicle customized with decals in accordance with the method

• US 7,330,102 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tec TINT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tec TINT Incorporated
• Inventors: Fletcher, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/100,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/468, 340/555, 340/815.42, 345/600, 362/31, 362/145
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes

Abstract

A method of customizing a vehicle with decals. A first step involves securing a film of light emitting material containing a matrix of pixels to a body of a vehicle. A second step involves providing a controller having a memory in which is stored at least one graphic image. A third step involves providing a power source. A fourth step involves connecting the film to the controller and power source via a conductive circuit. A fifth step involves displaying the at least one graphic image stored in the memory of the controller on the film by selectively illuminating pixels in the matrix.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a vehicle with decals, comprising the steps of:

securing a film of light emitting materiel containing a matrix of pixels to a body of a vehicle;

providing a controller having a memory in which is stored more than one graphic image, the controller following a display sequence in which the graphic image displayed on the film is dynamically changing;

providing a power source;

connecting the film to the controller and power source via a conductive circuit; and

displaying the at least one graphic image stored in the memory of the controller on the film by selectively illuminating pixels in the matrix.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the controller being connected to an audio output device which plays music, the display sequence being coordinated with music from the audio output device, such that the dynamically chancing graphic images displayed on the film appear to be dancing to the music.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the controller being connected to an audio output from a vehicle theft alarm system, the display sequence being coordinated with the audio output from the vehicle theft alarm system, such that the dynamically changing graphic images displayed on the film change frenetically when an alarm condition exists.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the controller having an interface which enables new graphic images to be downloaded into the memory of the controller.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, there being more than one film and more than one conductive circuit, each film and conductive circuit representing a discrete display zone, there being more than one display zone.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, the more than one display zone including at least two of a front hood zone, a driver'"'"'s side door zone, a passenger'"'"'s side door zone, a trunk zone, a top portion of a front windshield zone or a bottom portion of a rear windshield zone.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, there being multiple window zones including at least two of a front windshield zone, a rear windshield zone, driver'"'"'s side windows zone, or passenger'"'"'s side windows zone.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, a background to the graphic image being displayed providing a window tint.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, alpha-numeric characters being displayed along with the at least one graphic image.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, the controller having an interface which enables alpha-numeric character input into the memory of the controller, such that personalized alpha-numeric messages can be displayed.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, the power source being a battery of the vehicle to which the film is secured.

12. A decal assembly, comprising in combination:

a body of a vehicle;

a film of light emitting material containing a matrix of pixels attached to the body;

a controller having a memory in which is stored at least one graphic image;

a conductive circuit connecting the film and the controller to a batter of the vehicle, whereby the at least one graphic image stored in the memory of the controller is displayed on the film by selectively illuminating pixels in the matrix;

the matrix being an active-matrix in which each pixel remains static in either an “

on”

or “

off”

condition until the graphic image is changed by the controller.

13. The decal assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the film covers the entire body of the vehicle, thereby enabling the coloration of the vehicle to be changed.

14. The decal assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein more than one graphic image is stored in the memory of the controller, the controller following a display sequence in which the graphic image displayed on the film is dynamically changing.

15. The decal assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the controller is connected to an audio output device which plays music, the display sequence being coordinated with music from the audio output device, such that the dynamically changing graphic images displayed on the film appear to be dancing to the music.

16. The decal assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the controller has an interface which enables new graphic images to be downloaded into the memory of the controller.

17. A method of customizing a vehicle with decals, comprising the steps of:

securing a film of light emitting material containing a matrix of pixels to a body of a vehicle, the matrix being an active-matrix in which each pixel remains static in either an “

on”

or “

off”

condition until the graphic image is changed by the controller;

providing a controller having a memory in which is stored at least one graphic image;

providing a power source;

connecting the film to the controller and power source, via a conductive circuit; and

displaying the at least one graphic image stored in the memory of the controller on the film by selectively illuminating pixels in the matrix.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, the film covering the entire body of the vehicle, thereby enabling the coloration of the vehicle to be changed.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, the film being one of a polymer light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, organic vapor phase deposition or flexible liquid crystal display.