EP2101887B1 - Sports equipment and method for designing its visual appearance - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a sports device with a board and a method for designing the visual appearance of the sports equipment.

Board-type sports equipment such as Skateboards, snowboards or surfboards are mainly used by young sportsmen. There is often the desire for a current and unusual design of the outer visual appearance of the sports equipment. A design that is up-to-date in a year's time and that appeals to the taste of the shopper's public can already be considered boring and old-fashioned next year. Also, athletes often want to use a board with a unique design that is different from all other boards. However, the user himself applied paints and varnishes have proved to be less durable. Also, from an environmental point of view, it can not be accepted that the paint dissolves and spreads on the snow slope or in the water.

Out US 2002/0018345 A1 For example, an illuminated board-type sports equipment is known which has an electroluminescent layer which is covered at the top by a light-transmissive layer. By turning on and off a power supply, the luminescent layer can be made to glow or be turned off. Although light effects can be achieved with this, the two possible design states (luminous and non-luminous state) are fixed from the outset.

The not pre-published WO 2007/014357 A2 describes sports equipment with boards that have audio and / or video capabilities. A video actor can be made watertight by using a layer of material similar to the board.

The not pre-published WO 2007/0194558 A1 describes a method for displaying selected patterns of light on a sports equipment with a board.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sports apparatus having a board, the optical appearance of which can be designed differently in many ways, despite equality of construction. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of designing the visual appearance of a sports equipment.

These objects are achieved by a sports device according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 10.

It is proposed that the sports equipment has at least one image display device that is configured to display an at least two-dimensional image that when viewing the top surface of the board and / or the bottom surface of the board is recognizable. The image display device is capable of displaying different images. Preferably, it is able to represent any, freely definable images.

The term "images" is not limited to images in the sense of photographs, views of real or fictional scenes or paintings. Rather, all imaginable two-dimensional or three-dimensional image contents can be displayed by the image representation device. It is also possible to overlay existing images, which are defined for example by a set of image data, letters, numbers, lines and other structural elements or other image content, so that the viewer can be displayed any visual information displayed.

For example, In case of an emergency, the letter sequence "SOS" can be represented by the image display device. That an emergency is present is e.g. detected by a sensor of the sports equipment, which then automatically triggers the presentation of the emergency image. As a result, the safety when operating the sport for the user can be increased. Optionally, the emergency may be sent via a transmitting device of the sports equipment (e.g., to a base station of a mobile telephone network).

However, another emergency message may be displayed as "SOS". Also, the temporal sequence of images represented by the image display device can indicate the emergency. For example, For example, the effect of a blinker (on off, etc.) can be generated and / or a Morse code can be sent by light signals consisting of the images shown.

It may also receive a specially configured for the reception of emergency radio messages rescue station receive the sent from the transmitting device of the sports equipment emergency message.

The sensor which automatically recognizes the emergency situation or is optionally operated by a person may e.g. a pressure sensor or an acceleration sensor, which triggers the described emergency response when a predetermined limit value (for pressure or acceleration) is exceeded.

The image presentation device may also be designed in such a way that the images shown can be seen additionally or alternatively to the upper surface and / or the lower surface when viewing a side surface of the board.

In addition to a transmitting device for wireless communication of the sports device with its environment, which is not only or not at all designed for emergency, the sports device may alternatively or additionally comprise a receiving device for receiving signals transmitted by radio to the sports equipment. The transmission format may be for transmitted and / or received signals e.g. Bluetooth standard, a mobile phone standard (e.g., GSM or UMTS). However, the signals may also be infrared signals. The messages themselves transmitted by the signals may be SMS (Short Message Service) messages or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages. Particularly in the case of an MMS, image contents for the representation of the images by the image presentation device can be transmitted from the sports device to another device or vice versa. In this way, it is thus possible in particular to transmit new image contents or parts of images to the sports device.

However, it is also possible in other ways to transfer image content or parts of images to the sports equipment, such as a cable connection that complies with the USB standard (Universal Serial Bus). Furthermore, it is possible for the sports device to have a receptacle and / or a connection for recording or connecting a storage medium on which the image content or image contents which are or can be represented by the image representation device are stored. It is also possible that image contents (eg along a ski slope) are stored in a corresponding device and the sports device when passing the respective Device automatically retrieves this image content so that they are transmitted to the sports equipment.

Image content, e.g. may have a specially designed for the representation of the image display device format are offered in one embodiment of the invention for download from a provider device and depending on the nature of the present in the sports equipment transmission technology there. As a result, similar customer loyalty structures can be achieved as with ringtones for mobile phones.

Also, new firmware or software for operating the transmission device and / or image display device of the sports device may be transmitted to the sports device in the same manner as described above for the transmission of image content.

The sports equipment has a board, for. As a snowboard, skateboard, wind or water surfboard, ski, monoski, water ski, sand board, kiteboard, wakeboard or knee board. The board has an upper, mostly (as in a snowboard) large surface on which a binding can be arranged and a lower surface (on the underside of the board) which can be configured as a tread and in this case a sliding of the board over a Substrate improved, z. B. over snow, water, sand. There may be a side edge surface whose height is equal to the thickness (ie the distance between the top and bottom surfaces) of the board. The board, in most common embodiments today, has rounded corners and / or curves at the transitions of the side surfaces to the other surface and / or in their course around the body of the board. The lateral edge surface may be referred to as flat because its height is less than at least the length of the upper and lower surfaces and / or is usually smaller than the width of the upper and lower surfaces. The lateral edge surface transitions above the upper surface and / or abuts the surface and merges into the lower surface below and / or abuts the lower surface. But it is also possible that the distance between the upper and lower Surface (at least in an edge region) in its course towards the edge of the board down until the upper and lower surfaces merge into one another and / or adjacent to each other. In this case, at least in this edge region no clearly demarcated lateral edge surface is present.

The board may also be curved in places or as a whole and / or angled so that the upper or lower surface does not extend within a plane. For example, snowboards are curved at the front and rear ends. Also, the board can taper at least on one side, have indentations and / or have projections.

The image display device may e.g. Have one or more displays and a common or multiple control devices for controlling the display of image content on the display or on the display. For example, For example, a first display may be disposed in the board such that the image area displayed by the display extends along the top surface of the board and allows viewing of the displayed image or images through, for example, a translucent cover of the display. Accordingly, alternatively or additionally, a display may be arranged to extend along the lower surface of the board, so that viewing of the image contents is possible through a transparent cover of the lower surface.

Again alternatively or additionally, one or more displays can be provided which allow viewing of image contents by viewing the side surface of the board. Optical means, such as mirrors, may also be present in the board such that at least portions of displayed images are redirected (eg, refracted by a lens or reflected by an element) to an exterior surface of the board. The display does not necessarily have to extend along the surface through which the image can be viewed.

In principle, it is also possible that the display itself forms the outer surface at least in a partial area of the board. This can be the case in particular if the display itself is provided with a protective surface layer, so that the actual image display elements are protected. However, it is preferred that the already mentioned transparent protective layer or a transparent protective material is located between the outer surface and the display. In particular, it is also possible that various transparent materials are located between the display and the outer surface.

The display (s) may extend the full length and / or width of the respective side of the board (i.e., top surface, side surface, or bottom surface). It is thus possible for an image to be displayed on the display which is fully visible throughout the upper or lower surface, e.g. can be covered by bonds in a central area of the surface parts of the image. However, it is also possible for a display to display images only in such a way that they can be perceived through a subregion of one of the surfaces mentioned or are only displayed on the subregion of the surface.

The image display device has at least one matrix, which is formed from light-emitting diodes. In particular, they can be light-emitting diodes which are arranged in rows and columns of the matrix. It is again preferred that the light emitting diodes are organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Again, it is especially preferred that the matrix is flexible, ie that it can be subjected to bending in particular. Specifically, "flexible" means that the board, along with the display mounted on it or in it, can undergo elastic, reversible deformation without damaging or destroying the matrix or other flexible display. The display itself need not be so dimensionally stable that it applies elastic restoring forces to restore the original shape. Rather, it must be able to participate in this deformation only according to the deformation of the entire board, without being damaged or destroyed.

In particular (as will be explained later on with reference to the description of the figures), the matrix may be arranged as a layer or in a layer of the board, the layer extending along the upper surface and / or along the lower surface of the board. Preferably, the matrix defines an image area for displaying images extending over at least 50% of the width or at least 50% of the length of the top surface and / or the bottom surface. In particular, the image surface may extend over the entire width and the entire length of the upper surface and / or the lower surface. In an advantageous embodiment of the sports device, the at least one display of the image display device is completely integrated in the board, i. Compared to an embodiment of the board without image display device, the board has the same shapes and / or dimensions. Of course, however, there may be constructive changes in particular the dimensions, which are caused by the fact that with the image display device and optionally with the o.g. Transfer device and further optionally by other means to an at least slightly increased space requirements within the board comes and / or the said additional facilities do not have the same mechanical properties as commonly present in a board materials.

For example, as already mentioned, the image display device may have a control device that can control which image or images the image display device represents, wherein the sports device has a receiving device for receiving image data and wherein the control device is configured to display the image data received by the image device To effect image display device.

However, there is a further additional or alternative possibility of influencing the displayed or displayed image contents by signals received from the outside. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the sports device therefore has the image display device with the control device, which can control which image or which images the image display device represents, wherein the sports device has a Receiving device for receiving control information, and wherein the control device is configured to effect the display of images depending on the received control information. For example, the control information may be selection commands for selecting particular image contents, which are then displayed by the image presentation device.

Also included within the scope of the invention is a method of shaping the visual appearance of a sports equipment having a board with a top surface and an opposing bottom surface. Images are displayed by an image display device of the sports equipment, so that at least one image is recognizable when viewing the upper surface, the lower surface and / or a side surface of the board.

With regard to the description of the advantages and the possible embodiments and variants of the method, reference is made to the description of the sports equipment.

In the following, further embodiments, variants and embodiments of both the sports device and the method will be described.

The sports equipment may include a receiver for receiving signals from a positioning system, in particular a satellite-based positioning system such as the GPS or Galileo. However, information about the current position of the sports equipment or signals from which the position can be determined can also be received in other ways, in particular via a radio link according to the Bluetooth standard. Such signals can also be received via a connection of a mobile telephone network. The position, which can be determined repeatedly or continuously, is particularly advantageous for navigation within a ski area. By the image display device can be represented by one or more images, for example, in the direction of travel front end of a snowboard, in which direction is a goal or possible destination for the ride on the snowboard. In particular, it is possible, for example, to use the image representing the image display device, indicate the direction in which a light track (eg represented by a blue arrow) and in which direction a slope with medium difficulty (eg represented by a red arrow) is located. Of course, other levels of difficulty of ski descents or paths for the use of other types of boards (eg, windsurfing board) may be indicated by an image displayed by the image display device. Apart from an arrow representation, the representation of the course of paths is also possible in particular. Besides the paths or directions of paths, the position and / or direction of devices, such as a ski lodge or a restaurant, may also be represented by the image display device. Further possible facilities are, for example, base stations of ski lifts and / or the current position of other sports equipment (on which, for example, friends or relatives are traveling as sports people). As part of or in connection with the position determination and / or navigation, other images and / or information can be displayed, as they are analogous, for example, in the navigation in road traffic. These information or images include in particular trail or landscape maps or excerpts thereof. Regardless of or in connection with the navigation, the current weather conditions, for example, or a weather forecast by the presentation device can also be depicted. In connection with the navigation also information and advertising content of said device can be displayed. The information is already present in the sports equipment and / or is transmitted to the sports equipment at a suitable time or when reaching a certain position. The same applies to the advertising content. It is therefore possible, depending on the position of the sports equipment (and optionally even depending on the direction in which the sports equipment moves) to receive the information and / or advertising content and / or display it as an image on the sports equipment.

However, the presentation of information and / or advertising content is also possible regardless of a position or navigation. It is not necessary for this that there is even a position determination system or the determination of the position for the sports equipment is possible. The advertising content can eg by animated (ie in particular by a changing with time image display) or by static images on the sports equipment. The advertising may be, for example, advertising sports events in the vicinity of the sports equipment, but also for example, advertising for the board manufacturer, a ski lodge, bar or restaurants act.

For example, The current, particularly favorable price of a bar can be displayed by the image display device, such as Almdudler in hut XY today only for 3.00 EURO. The presentation of the advertisement or other information can not only take place in the use of the sports equipment, but also e.g. if the sports equipment is for sale in the sports shop. In particular for this purpose, but also on other occasions, the image content displayed on a single sports equipment may be matched to the image content of other similar or different sports equipment, or may be tuned to the image content of other facilities. It is therefore possible that on a particular sports equipment, only a part of an overall picture is displayed and the overall picture or at least large parts of it not only for viewing the specific sports equipment but also its environment is possible. For example, several snowboards or skateboards can be placed next to each other and each different partial images of the overall picture are displayed on the individual sports equipment.

Further possibilities of information represented by the presentation device on a single sports device are, for example, during a sporting event, the country flag, the current position in the race, the position of the opponents and / or other information relating to the sporting event. In addition, technical information and information about the behavior and / or physiological sizes of the sportsman can be represented by the image display device on the sports equipment, such as the load of the board (ie forces, accelerations and / or deformations). To measure the load or other values related to the sports equipment, one or more corresponding sensors may be integrated into the board. For measuring physiological sizes of the user or variables concerning the movement of the user, At least one sensor can be present outside the sports equipment, but its signals can be transmitted to the sports equipment, for example. Furthermore, the sports device can optionally have a data memory in which the sensor signals and / or measured values are stored as a function of time, for example. Such storage later allows retrieval of the measurements and analysis. However, at least part of the evaluation of the signals can also take place in the sports equipment itself, which has for example a microprocessor for this purpose. The evaluation or partial evaluation can be done by hardware and / or software.

The sensors, the data memory or the data memory and / or the evaluation device can be integrated in the board, be arranged in or on another part of the sports device (eg on a binding for receiving a sports shoe) and / or not on the sports device or be arranged in the sports equipment. The necessary connections for transmitting signals and / or data may be configured as radio links (including, for example, infrared links) and / or as cable links. For example, For example, a portion of said devices may be disposed in the athletic shoe and electrically connected via contacts or cables for transmitting the signals or data to the binding.

Further devices which, like the devices already mentioned above, can be arranged and coupled for transmission, are, for example, the control device for controlling which image contents are displayed on the sports device, a media player, a receiver for receiving signals from more distant devices, a receiver for Receiving signals for a position determination (eg a GPS receiver), a computer (in particular a microcomputer) and / or lighting and / or display devices, which are provided in addition to the image display device. Furthermore, provision must be made for the energy supply of said devices, so that one or more electrical and / or electrochemical energy stores can be provided. In particular, at least a part of the devices may be arranged in the clothing or on the clothing of the user.

However, an essential advantage of the invention is already in the simplest embodiment of the sports equipment, that the optical design of the board can be adjusted and changed by appropriate design or adjustment of the image display device. If the image display device has the ability to be operated after its completion, so that the images represented by it can be changed or exchanged, even the user or e.g. a specialist in a sports shop change the displayed or displayed image content. Thus, an individual design is possible. It is also possible that the respective design with the owners of other sports equipment is exchanged or that commercial providers for such designs image data for sale.

In particular, software may be present for operating the image presentation device, which allows the modification and / or creation of image content for display on the sports device.

Using the image display device, the user can also participate in games and / or competitions. For example, when using a snowboard, it is possible to compete against an unknown or known opponent, with images or sequences of images being displayed on the snowboard during the use of the snowboard, which correspond to the respective situation in the competition.

Furthermore, the image display device may have an interface via which it can be connected to a game console. During use of the sports equipment or during a break then the game console can be operated. In particular, the image contents that are displayed on the sports equipment can be specified directly from the game console.

Instead of or in addition to the game console, another device can be connected or be, which pretends the displayed or displayed image content, such as a TV, a video display device or other media device. This applies in particular to the above-mentioned situation, in which only a sub-content of a Overall picture is displayed on a particular sports equipment. A computer (eg desktop computer) can also be connected to the sports equipment (s) in order to specify the image contents to be displayed thereon. Thus, using the image display device of a board or the image display devices of several boards, for example during the playback of music, a light show can take place and / or pictures that change over time can be displayed.

However, it is also possible for the various sports equipment to communicate directly with one another and to tune in this way which partial image contents are respectively displayed on the individual board.

Another possibility, as can be specified by an external device to be displayed or displayed image content is a mobile phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The external device may, during use of the sports equipment (also in driving breaks), e.g. be connected via a cable connection to the sports equipment and also used as a station for receiving and sending data of the sports equipment. Also, the energy storage of the mobile phone or PDA can be used for the operation of the image display device.

Fig. 1

eine Explosionsdarstellung eines Boards mit acht Schichten, die übereinander angeordnet werden und miteinander verbunden werden,

Fig. 2

eine Mehrzahl von Boards, auf denen jeweils nur Teil-Bildinhalte eines Gesamtbildes dargestellt werden,

Fig. 3

der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Schichten, wobei eine der Schichten ein OLED-Display ist,

Fig. 4

schematisch den Schichtaufbau einer einzelnen OLED,

Fig. 5

schematisch Einrichtungen und deren Verbindungen zum Betrieb der Bilddarstellungseinrichtung eines Boards,

Fig. 6

ein Snowboard mit einer Bindung für zwei Snowboard-Schuhe und einen geeigneten Schuh und

Fig. 7

eine Person, die das in Fig. 6 dargestellte Snowboard benutzt.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The individual figures of the drawing show:

Fig. 1

an exploded view of a board with eight layers, which are arranged one above the other and connected to each other,

Fig. 2

a plurality of boards, on each of which only partial image contents of an overall image are displayed,

Fig. 3

the in Fig. 1 illustrated layers, wherein one of the layers is an OLED display,

Fig. 4

schematically the layer structure of a single OLED,

Fig. 5

schematically devices and their connections for operating the image display device of a board,

Fig. 6

a snowboard with a binding for two snowboard boots and a suitable shoe and

Fig. 7

a person who is in Fig. 6 used snowboard used.

A board according to the present invention may, for example, based on Fig. 1 will now be explained, constructed of several layers, which are arranged one above the other and connected to each other. With the exception of the layer or layers formed by a display, all layers can be made of the materials and bonded together as known in the art for boards.

A lower layer 1 is at the in Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment, a polyethylene layer whose lower surface forms the lower outer surface of the board and serves as a tread.

In Fig. 1 a layer 3 is shown above the layer 1. This layer 3 has steel edges which run around the outside of the edge of the board at the level of the layer 1 or extend at least on the longitudinal sides of the layer 1. The representation in Fig. 1 is to be understood schematically with respect to layer 3. Layer 3 need not be a layer of continuous material to which the steel edges are attached. Rather, the steel edges can also be attached directly and even as individual segments to the layer 1.

Above the layer 1 is next, for example, a layer 5 made of glass fiber reinforced plastic. Again, a layer 7 is provided over it, which forms the so-called core of the board, thus essentially responsible for the mechanical stability and elasticity of the board. In addition, a second layer 11 made of eg glass fiber reinforced plastic or fiberglass. Over the layer 9, a further layer 11 may be arranged, which, however, may also be omitted. The layer 11 can serve to compensate for unevenness of the layer 13 arranged above it.

However, if the lower surface of the layer 13 is just enough, the layer 11 can be omitted. As will be shown in more detail, the layer 13 may have a flexible polymer as the lowermost layer forming its lower surface. The bonding of the layer 13 to the underlying layer 11 or 9 can therefore be accomplished using the same bonding techniques (e.g., bonding) as for bonding the polyethylene layer 1 to the overlying layer. The same applies to the connection of the upper surface of the layer 13 with the overlying layer 15.

As already mentioned, the layer 13 is an OLED display, preferably a PLED (polymer LED) display.

Above the display layer 13 is a visible radiation transparent layer 15, e.g. made of polyethylene, which forms the upper surface of the board. This layer can for example be made of the same material as usual for the layer 1.

Fig. 3 schematically shows the display layer 13 and its lower adjacent layer 9 of glass fiber or glass fiber reinforced plastic and their upper adjacent layer 15 of a transparent material. By an arrow is in Fig. 3 a recess 17 passing through the display layer 13 from top to bottom. One and preferably a plurality of such recesses are preferably provided in the display layer 13 so that fasteners for securing a binding to the top surface of the board can be inserted into the board. The recesses may also extend through other layers at the factory, for example through the layers 7 to 15.

In an alternative embodiment, the board may be in addition to the in Fig. 1 shown layers also immediately above the bottom layer 1 in addition to a second display layer, preferably in turn a PLED display have. In this case, the layer 1 is formed of transparent material, which in the embodiment according to FIG Fig. 1 not necessarily the case. The second display layer makes it possible to display both images that are recognizable when viewing the upper surface of the board, as well as images that are visible when viewing the lower surface of the board.

Fig. 4 shows an OLED structure 100 having at least one barrier layer 102. A substrate 101 is formed of a flexible (ie, elastically deformable) material suitable for use in OLED displays. This substrate may be made of any suitable material which is transparent and sufficiently flexible. For example, the substrate may be a polymer such as a polycarbonate, a polyolefin, a polyether sulfone (PES), a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or a polyimide. It can therefore be spoken of a PLED (Polymer Light Emitting Diode) structure. However, it can also be used, for example, another flexible material, such as paper, fabric, metal foil. Also, combinations of said flexible materials may be used for the substrate 101.

In order to prevent or at least reduce the passage of oxygen and water vapor to a low level (in particular the organic materials of OLEDs can be damaged by oxygen and water vapor), a barrier layer 102 is arranged above the substrate. Such as in US 2005/0082971 A1 , Paragraph 23 and paragraph 24 described, the barrier layer 102 and another barrier layer 106 may consist of a multi-component inorganic glass, for example aluminoborosilicate glass, which has been treated as described in the paragraphs mentioned.

An electrical contact layer 103 having a first polarity is disposed over the barrier layer 102. One or more organic layers 104 (for generating light by the effect of electroluminescence in at least one of the organic layers) are disposed over the contact layer 103, and an electrical contact layer 105 having a second polarity is disposed over the organic layer and over the organic layers, respectively. The OLED or OLEDs are / are formed from the organic layers 104 and are supplied with energy via the contact layers 103 and 105 for the generation of an excited energetic state. The materials for the organic layers 104 and the contact layers 103 and 105 are known from the literature on OLEDs. This also applies to their functioning. For example, the operation is in US 2006/0220582 A1 , Paragraph 5 described.

The contact layer 103 may, for. B. from indium tin oxide (ITO) may be formed. As one of the organic layers 104, a hole line layer may be provided. In addition, a layer of PEDOT / PSS (poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) / polystyrenesulfonate) can also be arranged between the contact layer 103 and the hole-conducting layer, which serves to lower the injection barrier for holes, smoothes the surface and prevents indium from diffusing into the substrate Transition prevented.

A layer (as part of the organic layers 104) which either contains the dye (eg, with a dye concentration in the range of 5-10% by volume) or optionally consists entirely of the electroluminescent dye is applied to the hole-conducting layer , The dye is z. For example, aluminum tris (8-hydroxyquinoline). This layer is also referred to as an emitter layer in which the electroluminescence takes place. On this layer (also still as part of the organic layers 104) an electron conduction layer is applied, the z. From tetrahedral tetramers of 2,5-diphenyl substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole components (such as 2- (4-biphenylyl) -5- (4-tert-butylphenyl) -1,3,4-oxadiazoles (PBD )) is synthesized. For all organic layers 104 z. B. the in US 2006/0220582 A1 , Paragraphs 26-29 materials mentioned.

The contact layer 105 may be made of, for example, a metal or metal alloy with low electron work function (eg, calcium, aluminum, barium, or magnesium-silver alloy) and vapor-deposited under high vacuum. A barrier layer 106 is applied to the contact layer 105, wherein the barrier layer 106 may consist of the same material as the barrier layer 102. In addition to paragraphs 23 and 24 in US 2005/0082971 A1 also describe the embodiments according to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 This document (paragraphs 33 to 39) the design of suitable barrier layers.

Alternatively, for the contact layers 103, 105 and the additionally mentioned optional layers (such as the layers for reducing the injection barriers) z. B. the in US 2006/0220582 A1 , Paragraphs 25 and 30 materials may be used.

Optionally, a further layer 107 may be applied to the barrier layer 106, which layer is essentially identical in terms of material and thickness as the substrate 101. In addition, other layers may be disposed between the barrier layers, such as color filter layers, anti-reflection coatings, light scattering films, optical lens layers, metal layers, or other layers whose function and material are known in the art for OLEDs.

The basis of Fig. 4 described embodiment of a flexible OLED may be part of a matrix of OLEDs, which form a display for displaying two-dimensional images. As in US 2006/0220582 A1 , Paragraphs 6 to 9, the display may be the simple matrix type or the active matrix type. The active matrix type may in particular be the so-called top emission type, in which the OLEDs are formed on thin-film transistors (TFT) or other switch elements. For example, by the switching function performed by the TFTs, the individual OLEDs can be activated or deactivated, ie light up or not shine.

Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 of US 2006/0220582 A1 show the structure and operating principle of a single OLED, which is part of a display or part of a matrix of OLEDs. The description of these FIGS. 11 and 12 will not be repeated here. It should only be mentioned that, for example, between the layers 101 (substrate) and 102 (barrier layer) or between the barrier layer 102 and the contact layer 103 according to the previously described embodiment of an OLED ( Fig. 4 this description) the switch structures and line structures according to FIG. 11 and FIG US 2006/0220582 A1 can be introduced. Additional electrically insulating layers or regions (as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 of FIGS US 2006/0220582 A1 shown) may be provided.

Since the switch structures and line structures are made of very thin material (e.g., a-silicon electrode material), such a switching OLED is also flexible and therefore suitable for use in sports equipment with boards that are flexed during use.

Fig. 2 shows an arrangement of a total of four boards 21a to 21d. One recognizes the upper side of the boards 21, ie one looks in the representation on the upper surface.

By a dashed frame, which extends in width across all four boards 21, it is shown that within the frame, an overall picture can be displayed, wherein on the individual boards 21 only the corresponding part contents of the overall picture are shown. Other than represented by the frame, with appropriate design of the displays of the individual boards, the partial contents can also be displayed over the entire surface of the individual boards. In the free areas lying between the boards, either no sub-picture content is displayed or there may be at least one further display behind the boards, which is controlled in such a way that the corresponding sub-picture content is displayed.

Fig. 5 schematically shows a board 51, for example, as in Fig. 1 described board can be constructed. The at least one display in the board 51 has a control device 52 or is connected via a control connection 53 to the control device 52. The controller 52 controls the display or displays in the board 51 to display images on the display. Especially the controller 52 controls which pixels of the display (s) are lit at what time.

For example, via a data bus 54, the control device 52 is connected to an image data memory 55 and further connected to a receiving device 56. Via the receiving device 56, new image data and / or control information can be received. Image data are stored in the image data memory 55 and / or newly received image data are stored. When an image is to be displayed on the board 51, the controller 52 accesses the image data stored in the image data memory 55 and controls the display or displays to display a corresponding image or images on the display.

The image data memory 55 is in particular a non-volatile memory. Instead, however, alternatively or additionally, a volatile memory for storing the image data may be provided, which may also be part of the control device 52. Particularly in this case, but also in the case of the permanent data memory, image information can be displayed by the control device 52 directly on the display or displays without access to a permanent data memory, which has been transmitted directly from the receiving device 56 to the control device 52.

The devices 52 to 56 are preferably arranged as already mentioned part of the sports equipment or in the vicinity of the sports equipment, so that they are moved with the sports equipment. Fig. 5 However, it also represents a device 57 remote from the sports equipment, which is connected via a radio interface 58 to the receiving device 56 or at least temporarily can be connected. In addition, there may be other such facilities in other locations. The device 57 has at least one transmitting device which is capable of transmitting the image data and / or the control commands to the receiving device 56. In particular, it is possible that only control commands are transmitted to the receiving device 56 and the control device 52 is caused by the control commands to display image data already existing in the area of the sports device in a different manner or to select specific image data for display and / or by the control commands is to turn on or off immediately certain areas of pixels defined by the control commands.

Alternatively or in addition to the embodiment according to Fig. 5 in that control commands and / or image data are transmitted via a radio interface, the board or another part of the sports equipment or the equipment of a user may have a receptacle for receiving a data memory card. By inserting such a memory card, are stored on the control commands and / or image data, the control device, these commands or data can be provided.

Fig. 6 shows a snowboard 61 in three-dimensional view from above. On the snowboard 61 two bindings 62 are each attached to receive a snowboard boot 63. Three areas 64a, 64b, 64c are shown, which are located inside the board 61, eg in the core or above. In each of these areas 64, one or more of the above-mentioned devices, for example an electrochemical energy store, the receiving device 56 and / or the control device 52 together with the data memory 55, may be arranged. The energy store is charged, for example, by electromagnetic fields from the outside (so-called induction charge), if needed or opportunity exists. If, as in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 a display is arranged above the core, the areas 64 are preferably below this display. This integrated or encapsulated inclusion of devices in the board has the advantage that the devices are well protected against external influences and in particular no moisture can penetrate. In addition, no corresponding electrical contacts or radio links must be made from outside the board in its interior.

The also in Fig. 6 illustrated snowboard boot 63 may be provided with an additional device or with one of the devices, alternatively in one of Areas 64 may be arranged. The device 65 of the snowboard boot 63 is, for example, a transmission device for transmitting signals to remote devices, such as a mobile telephone or a mobile station suitable for a mobile telephone network. Alternatively or additionally, a receiver for receiving position signals (eg a GPS receiver) and / or a media player may be arranged in the snowboard boot 63.

Again alternatively or additionally, at least one of the bindings 62 may also be provided with means 66, 67, e.g. each with an electrochemical energy storage, which in turn can be charged by induction or by connecting a charging cable.

Fig. 7 shows the snowboard 61 Fig. 6 with a person standing on it wearing the snowboard boots 63. By reference numeral 71 is another device is incorporated, which is integrated in the clothing of the person. This device can again be a transmitting device, a receiver for receiving position signals and / or a media player.

Claims (13)

1. A sports equipment comprising a board (1-15) having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, wherein,

   • the sports equipment comprises at least one image presentation device (13) configured to present an at least two-dimensional image which is visible when viewing the upper surface, the lower surface and/or a lateral surface of the board (1-15),
   characterised in that

   • the image presentation device (13) comprises a matrix of light-emitting diodes extending along the upper surface and/or the lower surface.
2. The sports equipment of the preceding claim, wherein the light-emitting diodes are organic light-emitting diodes.
3. The sports equipment of one of the two preceding claims, wherein the matrix is arranged as a layer (13) or in a layer of the board (1-15), wherein the layer (13) extends along the upper surface and/or extends along the lower surface.
4. The sports equipment of one of the three preceding claims, wherein the matrix defines an image area for presenting images extending over at least 50% of the width or at least 50% of the length of the upper surface and/or the lower surface.
5. The sports equipment of the preceding claim, wherein the image area extends over the whole width and the whole length of the upper surface and/or the lower surface.
6. The sports equipment of one of the preceding claims, wherein a display of the image presentation device (13) is completely integrated in the board (1-15).
7. The sports equipment of the preceding claim, wherein the display is covered by a translucent and/or transparent material (15), which forms the upper or lower surface.
8. The sports equipment of one of the preceding claims, wherein the image presentation device (13) comprises a control device configured to control which image or which images is/are presented by the image presentation device, wherein the sports equipment comprises a receiving device for receiving image data and wherein the control device is configured to cause received image data to be presented by the image presentation device.
9. The sports equipment of one of the preceding claims, wherein the image presentation device comprises a control device (52) configured to control which image or which images is/are presented by the image presentation device (13), wherein the sports equipment comprises a receiving device (56) for receiving control information and wherein the control device (52) is configured to the effect the presentation of images depending on the received control information.
10. A method for configuring a visual appearance of a sports equipment having a board (1-15) with an upper surface and an opposite lower surface,
    wherein images are presented by an image presentation device (13) of the sports equipment, so that at least one image is visible when viewing the upper surface, the lower surface and/or a lateral surface of the board (1-15),
    characterised in that
    the image presentation device (13) comprises a matrix of light-emitting diodes extending along the upper surface and/or the lower surface.
11. The method of the preceding claim, wherein image data are transferred to the sports equipment and at least one image is presented by the image presentation device (13) using the image data.
12. The method of one of the preceding claims, wherein control information is transferred to the sports equipment and wherein the control information alters and/or effects the presentation of at least one image presented by the image presentation device (13).
13. The method of one of the two preceding claims, wherein the image data and/or the control information are wirelessly transferred to the sports equipment.

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