Method of operating one or more individual entertainment display devices supported by spectators at a spectator event and an individual entertainment display device therefor

• US 7,767,893 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eventis GmbH
• Original Assignee: Eventis GmbH
• Inventors: Hansel, Simon, Stienen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millikin; Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US11/375,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 844/64.R, 844/64.A, 844/77.R, 340/7.1, 340/7.2, 340/7.21, 340/7.26, 340/7.28, 340 751- 763, 340/321, 340/323.R, 340/825.49, 362/84, 362103-108, 472/57, 472/75, 29718801-18821, 297/243, 455/2.01, 455 301- 306, 455/344, 455/414.1, 4554561-457, 455/517, 455/518, 455/556.1, 455/556.566, 455/2, 455 901- 903, 455/550.1, 725/74, 725/77
• US Class Current: 84/464.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

An individual entertainment display device which can produce lights and sounds as part of an entertainment presentation, and can be used individually or as part of a coordinated entertainment presentation with other display devices.

Claims

1. An individual entertainment display kit to be used by a spectator at a spectator event to produce an entertainment presentation, said individual entertainment display kit comprising:

a support strap;

a plurality of color filter elements;

an entertainment display device comprising;

a box-shaped housing being configured to be connected to said support strap to permit suspension of said box-shaped housing from a neck of a spectator;

two light sources each being configured to emit light in an entertainment presentation;

two holding arrangements, each being disposed immediately adjacent a corresponding one of said light sources;

each of said holding arrangements being configured to receive and hold one of said color filter elements to permit a spectator to alter the color of the light emitted by both of said light sources by insertion of one of said color filter elements into a corresponding holding arrangement;

a strobe light being configured to emit flashes of light in an entertainment presentation;

an audio loudspeaker being configured to emit sound in an entertainment presentation;

a computer control unit being operatively connected to said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker and being configured to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in an entertainment presentation;

a manually-operated user interface being configured to permit a spectator to input operating instructions to said computer control unit to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in an entertainment presentation; and

a power source being configured and disposed to supply power to said light source, said strobe light, said audio loudspeaker, said user interface, and said control unit.

2. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 1, wherein:

said box-shaped housing has a height, width, and depth, wherein said height is substantially greater than said depth, and said width is substantially greater than said height; and

said width of said box-shaped housing is sufficient to extend across a substantial portion of the chest of a spectator upon the spectator suspending the box-shaped housing from the neck of the spectator.

3. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 2, wherein:

each of said two light sources has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially greater than said width;

said height of each of said two light sources is substantially equivalent to said height of said box-shaped housing;

said width of each of said two light sources is substantially less than said width of said box-shaped housing; and

said two light sources together are configured to cover a substantial portion of said width of said box-shaped housing.

4. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 3, wherein:

said strobe light has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially equivalent to said width;

said width of said strobe light is substantially equivalent to said width of each of said two light sources;

said strobe light is disposed between said two light sources; and

said strobe light and said two light sources together are configured and disposed to extend across substantially the entire width of said box-shaped housing.

5. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 4, wherein said manually-operated user interface comprises a handheld control device detachably connected by a cable to said box-shaped housing.

6. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 5, wherein:

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals comprising at least one of music, sound effects, and voice recordings, to be emitted by said loudspeaker;

said entertainment display device comprises a microphone configured and disposed to receive audio signals; and

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals received by said microphone.

7. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 6, wherein:

said computer control unit is configured to immediately transfer vocal audio signals received by said microphone to said loudspeaker to permit a spectator to utilize said entertainment display device as a voice sound amplifier;

said microphone is connected to said box-shaped housing by a bendable wire support structure;

said wire support structure is configured and disposed to permit positioning of said microphone a distance away from said loudspeaker to minimize feedback and adjacent the mouth of a spectator to promote accurate reception of vocal audio signals from the spectator; and

said computer control unit is configured to synchronize the activation of at least one of;

said strobe light and said light sources with the emission of audio signals by said loudspeaker.

8. An individual entertainment display kit to be used by a spectator at a spectator event to produce an entertainment presentation, said individual entertainment display kit comprising:

a plurality of color filter elements;

an entertainment display device comprising;

a box-shaped housing;

two light sources each being configured to emit light in an entertainment presentation;

two holding arrangements, each being disposed immediately adjacent a corresponding one of said light sources;

each of said holding arrangements being configured to receive and hold one of said color filter elements to permit a spectator to alter the color of the light emitted by at least one of said light sources by insertion of one of said color filter elements into a corresponding holding arrangement;

a strobe light being configured to emit flashes of light in an entertainment presentation;

an audio loudspeaker being configured to emit sound in an entertainment presentation;

a computer control unit being operatively connected to said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker and being configured to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in an entertainment presentation; and

a power source being configured and disposed to supply power to said light source, said strobe light, said audio loudspeaker, said user interface, and said control unit.

9. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 8, wherein:

said entertainment device comprises a manually-operated user interface configured to permit a spectator to input operating instructions to said computer control unit to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in an entertainment presentation; and

said entertainment display kit comprises a support strap connected to said box-shaped housing to permit suspension of said box-shaped housing from a neck of a spectator.

10. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 9, wherein:

said box-shaped housing has a height, width, and depth, wherein said height is substantially greater than said depth, and said width is substantially greater than said height; and

said width of said box-shaped housing is sufficient to extend across a substantial portion of the chest of a spectator upon the spectator suspending the box-shaped housing from the neck of the spectator.

11. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 10, wherein:

each of said two light sources has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially greater than said width;

said height of each of said two light sources is substantially equivalent to said height of said box-shaped housing;

said width of each of said two light sources is substantially less than said width of said box-shaped housing; and

said two light sources together are configured to cover a substantial portion of said width of said box-shaped housing.

12. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 11, wherein:

said strobe light has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially equivalent to said width;

said width of said strobe light is substantially equivalent to said width of each of said two light sources;

said strobe light is disposed between said two light sources; and

said strobe light and said two light sources together are configured and disposed to extend across substantially the entire width of said box-shaped housing.

13. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 12, wherein:

said manually-operated user interface comprises a handheld control device detachably connected by a cable to said box-shaped housing;

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals comprising at least one of music, sound effects, and voice recordings, to be emitted by said loudspeaker;

said entertainment display device comprises a microphone configured and disposed to receive audio signals; and

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals received by said microphone.

14. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 13, wherein:

said computer control unit is configured to immediately transfer vocal audio signals received by said microphone to said loudspeaker to permit a spectator to utilize said entertainment display device as a voice sound amplifier;

said microphone is connected to said box-shaped housing by a bendable wire support structure;

said wire support structure is configured and disposed to permit positioning of said microphone a distance away from said loudspeaker to minimize feedback and adjacent the mouth of a spectator to promote accurate reception of vocal audio signals from the spectator; and

said computer control unit is configured to synchronize the activation of at least one of;

said strobe light and said light sources with the emission of audio signals by said loudspeaker.

15. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 8, wherein:

said entertainment display device comprises a manually-operated user interface configured to permit a spectator to input operating instructions to said computer control unit to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in an entertainment presentation; and

said entertainment display device comprises a wireless receiver configured to receive and transmit operating instructions to said computer control unit to control the operation of said light sources, said strobe light, and said audio loudspeaker in a coordinated entertainment presentation with a plurality of other entertainment display devices.

16. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 15, wherein:

each of said two light sources has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially greater than said width;

said height of each of said two light sources is substantially equivalent to said height of said box-shaped housing;

said width of each of said two light sources is substantially less than said width of said box-shaped housing; and

said two light sources together are configured to cover a substantial portion of said width of said box-shaped housing.

17. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 16, wherein:

said strobe light has a height and width, wherein said height is substantially equivalent to said width;

said width of said strobe light is substantially equivalent to said width of each of said two light sources;

said strobe light is disposed between said two light sources; and

said strobe light and said two light sources together are configured and disposed to extend across substantially the entire width of said box-shaped housing.

18. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 17, wherein:

said entertainment display device is configured to be fastened to at least one of;

a cap or hat;

a handle; and

a necklace or a chain suspended on another part of the body of a spectator;

at least one of said two light sources comprises an LCD or plasma monitor;

said manually-operated user interface comprises a handheld control device detachably connected by a cable to said box-shaped housing;

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals comprising at least one of music, sound effects, and voice recordings, to be emitted by said loudspeaker;

said entertainment display device comprises a microphone configured and disposed to receive audio signals; and

said computer control unit is configured to store audio signals received by said microphone.

19. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 18, wherein:

said computer control unit is configured to immediately transfer vocal audio signals received by said microphone to said loudspeaker to permit a spectator to utilize said entertainment display device as a voice sound amplifier;

said microphone is connected to said box-shaped housing by a bendable wire support structure;

said wire support structure is configured and disposed to permit positioning of said microphone a distance away from said loudspeaker to minimize feedback and adjacent the mouth of a spectator to promote accurate reception of vocal audio signals from the spectator; and

said computer control unit is configured to synchronize the activation of at least one of;

said strobe light and said light sources with the emission of audio signals by said loudspeaker.

20. The individual entertainment display kit according to claim 19, wherein:

said computer control unit is configured to store a plurality of stored audio signals and is configured to retrieve stored audio signals for playback independently of one another and in any desired sequence;

said computer control unit is configured to store a remote control address which is connected in a fixed and permanent manner to a location, said location comprising a seat or a standing place in an event location, and which is usable to locate said entertainment display device in an event location; and

said entertainment display device comprises means for self-synchronization of said entertainment display device with other entertainment display devices, wherein said means are one of;

transmitter and receiver modules for radio or light or audio signals; and

a radio clock module.