Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C15/00—Other forms of jewellery
  • A44C15/0015—Illuminated or sound-producing jewellery
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F23/00—Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
  • G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements

Definitions

• the invention relates to an optoelectronic fancy article or ornament having at least one display unit for visual representation of substantially planar configurations, a control unit including a program source and a driving means positively connected to said display unit and further having an electric power supply source.
• a control unit including a program source and a driving means positively connected to said display unit and further having an electric power supply source.
• Background Art In different fields of application there are knswn electrically operated, mainly large-size articles and ornamental pieces capable of visually representing programmed light effects. Such devices are generally known as light or colour show mobils or luminars and their typical examples are illuminated advertisements, electric signs and the so called light organs for converting sound signals of amplifiers into different light effects of changing colour and/or intensity by frequency filtering and modulation.
• luminous effect ornaments of artistic value such as the luminar towers of Nicolas Sch ⁇ ffer form part of the prior art concerned. In smaller size range illuminated glass-fibre bunches usually equipped with electromechanically operated colour changing means are known and used as decorative home
• the ends of the glassfibres When in operation, the ends of the glassfibres appear as illuminated light spots of different colours of highly decorative effect.
• Such known devices comprise a display unit capable of visual representation of digits and/or of characters and also of some other simple symbols, an electronic control unit including a program source and a driving means usually in form of compact integrated circuits, and an electric power supply source usually arranged within a suitable casing or housing of the device.
• Sueh prior art devices have in common that their display unit, particularly their optoelectronic indicator devices are designed and as such, merely capable of digital and/or of semi-analogue visual representation of informative data, in particular of that of digits, characters and symbols giving practical information to the user in accordance with their fields of application as instruments, indicators of practical purpose.
• An object of the present invention is to provide electronically controlled small size autonomous fancy articles and/or ornaments of in itself decorative and/or entertaining and/or pleasing, amusing effect, and/or of playful, toyish appearance by a novel application of the above listed prior art electronic and optoelectronic devices.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide small, pleasing, substantially two-dimensional luminars for awaking visual experience and impression, such small luminars being applicable in a wide range of applications such as personal fancy articles, home appointments, small pieces of furniture, as means of advartising or even as essential decorative constituent parts, ornaments of said articles.
• an optoelectronic fancy article or ornament having at least one display unit for visual representation of substantially planar configurations and having an electronic control unit including a program source and a driving means positively connected to said display unit and further having an electric power supply source
• said at least one display unit comprising optoelectronic indicator devices capable of at least two-colour visual display, the display unit being encased in and being thereby substantially integral with an in itself decorative housing, said optoelectronic device(s) of the display unit(s) having preferably coloured segments such as spots, dot-rasters and/or shaped integrated fields of such spots, dot-rasters and capable of being activated solely and/or jointly by said control unit having a periodic and/or random signal source and/or an ambient signal sensor, said display unit showing thereby a subtantially cyclic and/or random flow of alternating at least two-colour patterns and/or series of moving planar, two-dimensional figures and/or moving
• the display unit comprises upon their activation light reflecting or light generating optoelectronic indicator devices, the display unit particularly comprising at least one display of liquid crystal or electrochrome or electrophoretic or electroluminescence or of plasma type and/or compound combinations of said types of display indicator devices. Such devices are known throught their very low energy consumption and throught high resolving power.
• the display unit further comprises at least one of fixed masks arranged substantially around and/or within the displaying area, said fixed mask(s) may have one or more particular fields of different shape and/or colour.
• optoelectronic fancy articles or ornaments are provided wife an in itself decorative housing being designed and shaped so as to serve as a personal fancy article, in particular as bijou, a small trinket, as a piece of jewelry, as an article of fashion or as a component part or appurtenance of same.
• Said decorative housing may be combined as ornamental accessory to a number of articles for personal use such as stationery, office supplies, cigar or cigarette lighters, keytainers, calculators and/or digital watches, etc.
• said in itself decorative housing may have the function and appearence of particular home appointments such as table and/or shelf and/or wall decorations or accessories to such articles.
• the housing of in itself decorative effect can be made of metal or of glass or of plastics and/or of compound composites of these and other materials.
• Said housing may preferably yet not necessarily be coloured and/or made more attractive and valuable by application of noble metals and/or of semi-precious stones and/or of jewels and/or of fine gold and silversmith's work.
• said housing of the fancy article may also be equipped with suitable support, mounting or suspending means to provide better use and handling.
• the control unit may consist of partially or even entirely integrated electronic circuits including at least a program source, a driving means and further including a central integral switch means for programmed positive activa tion of segments of the display unit.
• the program source of the display unit includes an electronic memory, preferably a ROM having at least one entered fixed program.
• a control unit including an electronic memory having at least one entered fixed program and/or erasable and reenterable programs too.
• the program source may include a random signal generating device and/or an ambient signal sensor, particularly a microphone or an infra-red radiation sensor or a visible light sensing device.
• the control unit is further equipped with known signal processing electronic circuits. In certain embodiments, manually operable switches for starting and stopping operation and/or for sequentially selecting and setting the desired program or the mode of operation may be provided.
• the optoelectronic fancy article or ornament subject to the present invention may have an electric power supply source arranged either within or remote, i.e. separately from its in itself decorative housing.
• the power supply source preferably consists of or comprises at least one galvanic cell and/or light cell and/or storage battery and/or mains adaptor.
• the supply source may particularly be placed into a spectacles temple or otherwise hidden behind the ears or it may be located in pockets, etc.
• an energy and/or signal transmitting, connection may be provided either via cord or in a cordless, wireless manner.
• Yet another group of preferred embodiments of the invention may include a display unit designed and arranged as a combined or additional display to different electronic devices of not exclusively decorative use.
• such articles may be watches, clocks, and/or calendars and/or calculators as examples only, said electronic articles being equipped with at least one change-over switch means for selecting between the different possible modes of operation including that of the device displaying a substantially cyclic and/or random flow of alternating at least two-colour patterns or a series of moving planar, two-dimensional figures and/or of moving pictures for pleasing, entertaining purposes, only.
• Optoelectronic fancy articles or ornaments of the kind as invented and substantially described above are primarily designed and manufactured as autonomous novel articles of highly decorative effect capable of attracting and pleasing, of offering visual impression, of awaking curiosity and interest and of arresting the spectator's attention by means of their displaying figures, shapes, pictures, light and colour effects changing preferably both in time and in eolour.
• certain embodiments of the invented miniaturized two-dimensional display luminars are able to show moving, coloured flows of patterns of practically any kind and shape including even those offering the impression of advancing and/or of rotary movements.
• characters and/or defined groups of other symbols changing in time and/or in colour may also be visually represented.
• the invented fancy article or ornament may also be designed for displaying names, e.g. conference tags, for showing company names, trade mark figures, short advertisements, etc. in predetermined programmed sequence.
• the fancy article or ornament is designed and manufactured to be capable of reproducibly displaying the widest range of shapes and colours including relative simple geometric figures, pictures of objects to be found in nature like flowers, etc., and also including more complicated flowing pictures like that of flying birds or of other digitalized moving light and shade effects.
• Fig. 1 a plane view of the liquid crystal display of a relative simple embodiment of the invention designed as a light cell operated ear pendant
• Fig. 1 showing a momentary activated pattern configuration of a first group of the display segments in dark
• Fig. 2 the same plane view of the display of an ear pendant showing activated pattern configuration of a second group of display segments in similar manner
• Fig. 3 a sectional side view of the ear pendant
• Fig. 4 a plane view at the back side of the ear pendant indicating the light cell collector surface extending substantially over the whole rear wall of its decorative housing
• Fig. 1 a plane view of the liquid crystal display of a relative simple embodiment of the invention designed as a light cell operated ear pendant
• Fig. 1 showing a momentary activated pattern configuration of a first group of the display segments in dark
• Fig. 2 the same plane view of the display of an ear pendant showing activated pattern configuration of a second group of display segments in similar manner
• Fig. 3 a sectional side view of
• FIG. 5 an elevational rear view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention designed for use as a breast-pin or brooch with the back cover of its housing remove for demonstration purpose only
• Fig.6 a cross-sectional side view of the brooch
• Fig. 7 a front elevation view of the brooch demonstrating by way of example only one preferred segment configuration of its display unit and showing one just activated group of segments
• Fig. 8 the front elevational view of the brooch showing another preferred display pattern configuration with just momentarily activated segment areas of the same
• Fig. 9 a front elevational view of a third preferred embodiment of the invention designed and constructed as necklace medal equipped with a buil t-in ambient signal sensor, in particular with a built-in microphone
• Fig. 10 a side elevational view of the necklace medal as shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 11 a front plane view of a further preferred embodiment of the invention constructed as a mediumsize mobil sound-converting light organ for use as a table or shelf decoration
• Fig. 12 a schematic block diagram showing by way of example only, essential parts of a preferred embodiment of a fancy article or ornament according to the invention, indicating the connections between functional means and circuits within an integrated control unit and between the electric power supply source, between the control unit and a display unit, said display unit being equipped with three different groups of segments that may be activated in different cycles and modes of operation.
• Modes of Carrying out the Invention A preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.
• the housing 4 may be made of some plastic material.
• the housing 4 may be manufactured of some known noble metal, expecially of gold or of silver duly decorated with fine gold and silversmith's work along its edges.
• a light cell that serves as power supply source 1 for continuous operation.
• a display unit 3 having in this particular piece of fancy article seven segments of a liquid crystal display of aesthetically matching colour combination.
• Said seven segments are electrically connected to from two groups of segments that are to be activated alternatively by an integrated control unit 2 which is arranged substantially in the central area of the housing 4 between the display unit 3 and the light cell as shown in Fig. 3.
• the ear pendant may be equipped with a control unit 2 having a supply voltage oscillator for the LCD capable of alternatively activating said two groups of segments of the display unit 3, the display unit of the pendant showing thereby an activated enlighted coloured pattern configuration as indicated in Fig. 1 in a first phase of activation, and switching over to another activated coloured pattern configuration as shown in Fig. 2 in a second phase of activation, followed by switching back to the first phase and to the second phase again in a blinking, continuously alternating manner.
• FIG. 5 to 8 Another preferred embodiment of the invented optoelectronic fancy article designed and constructed such as a breast-pin or brooch as an example is shown in Fig. 5 to 8.
• the inner arrangement and connection wiring of its essential component parts i.e. of an electric power supply unit 1, a fully integrated control unit 2 and of a display unit 3 within a substantially decorative housing 4 are indicated in Figures 5 and 6.
• Fig. 7 shows a liquid crystal display unit 3 the round active face of which being surrounded by a fixed mask 11.
• This mask in itself or together with the housing 4 may be a substantially decorative mass product (stamped and surface processed) when dealing with a relatively cheap bijou or trinket as an example.
• the round faced display shown in Fig. 7 comprises eight substantially equal shaped segments of freely selectable colour combination.
• the impression of a rotary motion is generated by activating the segments in a continuous, strictly sequentional flow. This is performed by having always two adjacent segments activated at the same time in a fashion that simultaneously with the deactivation of the segment lying rearwardly in the sense of rotation (see arrow in Fig. 7) the segment proceeding in the direction of rotation is activated.
• Fig. 8 shows another example of a display unit 3 having segments arranged to form a dot-raster of squares.
• the control unit 2 activates groups of segments in a programmed sequence showing towards the outer edges of the display growing or towards its center gradually diminishing squares.
• electric power supply source 1 an ultra thin lithium cell is applied.
• resulting thickness of the brooch can be kept substantially small.
• a microprocessor operated control unit 2 may be used whereby a great variety of multiphase programs can be stored and performed.
• Such embodiments of the invention are generally equipped with an on-off switch 5 for starting and stopping operation, and with a program select switch 6 enabling the user to sequentially select a desired program by repeated stepwise pushing the latter.
• a third preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 9 and 10 as a substantially thin necklace medal comprises on the front side of its decorative housing 4 a display unit 3 having liquid crystal segments of the pattern configuration as seen in Fig. 9 as an example. These segments may be activated in pairs similarly to known linear or non-linear bar indicators, but preferably in a push-pull manner following suitable processed signals of an ambient signal sensor 9 that can preferably be a small built-in microphone. Thus, sound signals originating from the wearer's proximity will activate the segments of the display unit in a manner to show coloured bright fields of alternatively growing and diminishing surface size, moving pair-wise in opposite directions when setting the necklace medal into such mode of operation by means of the program select switch 6.
• FIG. 11 shows another example of an optoelectronic fancy article as a preferred embodiment of the invention To be applied both as table or as shelf decoration of substantially larger size
• Fig. 11 indicates an electronic light organ having a display unit comprising three suitable arranged liquid crystal indicator fields of different colours for displaying coloured patterns that move individually following the VU levels of filtered frequency bands of a compound sound, preferably of a music piece duly sensed by a built-in microphone as ambient signal sensor 9.
• the display unit 3 is constructed so as to form the front wall of a substantially decorative housing 4 encasing a control unit 2 and being mounted to a stay plate 10.
• Fig. 12 indicates, by way of example only, a schematic block diagram showing essential component parts of a preferred embodiment of an optoelectronic fancy article or ornament.
• the preferably liquid crystal type display unit 3 is equipped with three groups of segments that are to be activated in different modes of operation and by various programmes.
• the power supply source 1, the control unit 2 and the display unit 3 are encased.
• the control unit 2 comprises a pace generator a, a binary coder and counter means b, a program storing memory c, and LGD power supply oscillator d, and a central driving means e.
• Segment outputs f of the dirving means e are electrically connected to three different groups of segments of the display unit 3. These groups of segments are not particularly shown in Fig. 12 since they can be of any desired shape and configuration as it could already be understood from the description of the foregoing embodiments.
• Internal outputs g of the driving means e serve to certain intermanufacturing purposes like the setting of different program speeds, time gaps, spacings, etc. during manufacture.
• the memory c is equipped with an external program erase and input connection 7 while for the driving means e an on-off switch 5 and a program switch 6 for sequentially selecting the desired program to be displayed are also provided. Since the optoelectronic fancy articles or ornaments according to the present invention are not designed and constructed for chronological use, there is no need for applying a quartz crystal pace generator.
• an astable multivibrator may readily be used.
• Impulses of the latter duly processed by a frequency divider so as to arrive at a frequency range of e.g. 0,1 Hz to 1,0 Hz, are fed into the binary coder and counter means b which in turn is connected to the dirving unit e through four output channels.
• the LCD power supply oscillator d is positively connectable to the display unit 3 for predetermined programmed actuating respective display segments and/or groups of segments by means of supplying a substantially fully filled square-wave voltage of the frequency range between 40 Hz and 1000 Hz to said (groups of) segments.
• programmed activation includes not only activating by using periodic, substantially cyclic programmes but, in certain preferred embodiments, also the possibility of activation by means of a random signal source or generator included in or connected to the driving means e.
• a power supply source 1 of the 1,5 V type a 3 V supply voltage for the LCD may be derived by cascading the former preferably within the driving means 3.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
• Liquid Crystal (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10951219

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (9)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1982
  • 1982-03-26 WO PCT/HU1982/000012 patent/WO1982003489A1/en unknown
  • 1982-03-26 EP EP19820900986 patent/EP0074989A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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