WO2000045363A1

WO2000045363A1 - Rotating display apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2000045363A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/000186
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen Graham Lucas
Original assignee: Gi2 Ltd.
Priority date: 1999-01-26
Filing date: 2000-01-25
Publication date: 2000-08-03
Also published as: GB2349007A; AU2555400A; GB9901545D0; GB0001680D0

Abstract

A stroboscopic display comprises a handle (3) carrying an arm (1) which can be swung through 360 degrees about the vertical longitudinal axis A of the handle in the manner of a football rattle. The arm is shown in successive positions (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F). The free end of the arm (1) carries a vertical linear array of eight LEDs (2) and these flash on and off in a controlled manner so as to spell out a predetermined message (4) such as a slogan or the name of a football team or rock group or the like. As a result of the effect of persistence of vision, the message appears as if generated by a stationary dot matrix display. Audio corresponding to the displayed message is generated by a speaker located in the casing of the arm (1).

Description

ROTATING DISPLAY APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a display apparatus having a lighting array (eg of light-emitting diodes (LED's) which are arranged to generate a lighting effect.

Hying disc toys which generate lighting effects are known, eg from US 3,812,614 and US 5,611,720. The lighting effect relies on the well-known phenomenon of persistence of vision.

US 5,548,300 discloses in Figure 7 thereof a a display apparatus comprising a member carrying a linear lighting array which is arranged to emit light from one or more selected regions thereof, the light-emitting region(s) moving with respect to the array in a first direction, and a handle for moving the array in a second direction transverse to the first direction so as to generate a two-dimensional lighting effect, the member extending transversely from and being arranged to swing about the longitudinal axis of the handle.

The present invention provides a display apparatus as summarised above, characterised in that the linear lighting array extends transversely to its plane of rotation about said longitudinal axis.

Conversely in the Figure 7 arrangement of US 5,548,300, the lighting array lies exclusively in the plane of rotation, which is disadvantageous both from the point of view of visibility and intensity of the lighting effect and from the point of view of usability - a considerable space in front of the user is required in order to swing the device which may not be available in events with a high density of spectators. Conversely the apparatus of the present invention (which is conveniently hand-held) can generate a relatively consistent intense and highly visible lighting effect and because it can be swung above a user's head it can be used in a confined space eg in a sports match or pop concert.

Preferably the lighting array is directed radially outwards with respect to said plane of rotation.

In preferred embodiments the lighting array is directed radially outwards with respect to said longitudinal axis and the light-emitting regions are arranged to move in the longitudinal direction with respect to the lighting array.

Preferably there are two or more such light-emitting regions which are arranged to light up in a predetermined lighting pattern with respect to the array to generate graphic symbols.

Preferably the apparatus comprises an electronic memory containing at least one such predetermined lighting pattern.

Preferably the apparatus is provided with external port means coupled to said memory for loading lighting pattern data into the memory from an external source such a home computer for example.

Other preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example only with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sketch perspective view of one display apparatus in accordance with the invention, showing the lighting array in various rotational positions and the resulting two-dimensional lighting effect;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the embodiment of Figure 1 with its cover removed, showing the electronic control arrangement for the LED array, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing a variant of the above embodiment wherein an electric motor is arranged to rotate the member carrying the LED array.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus comprises a handle 3 carrying an arm 1 which can be swung through 360 degrees about the vertical longitudinal axis A of the handle in the manner of a football rattle. The arm is shown in successive positions 1A, IB, IC, ID, IE and IF.

The free end of arm 1 carries a vertical linear array of eight LED's 2 and these flash on and off in a controlled manner so as to spell out a predetermined message such as a slogan or the name of a football team or rock group or the like. For example in position 1 and in position 1A all eight LED's are ON and represent the verticals of the letter M and in intermediate positions (not shown) only a single, successively lower LED is ON so as to represent the diagonal of this letter. This letter and the following letters I and S are each indicated by the reference numeral 4. For the sake of simplicity only some illumination states of the LED array have been shown, corresponding to the left and right extremities of the letters 4.

Each of these letters appears to an observer much as if it were generated by a stationary dot matrix display, as a result of persistence of vision. The timing of the successive patterns is matched to the normal rate of rotation of the arm 1 to generate the required letters (or other graphic symbols) in a conventional aspect ratio. In other embodiments (not shown) a predetermined aspect ratio could be ensured by generating successive illumination states of the LED array, not at a uniform rate, but at defined rotational positions of the arm in relation to the handle 3.

Figure 2 shows somewhat schematically the electronics for generating the required succession of illumination patterns of the LED's 2, which are individually connected via current-limiting resistors R to a microprocessor 5 which in turn is coupled to an EPROM E in which the required succession of patterns (or the information used to generate them) is stored. Microprocessor 5 also generates an analogue audio output signal which is amplified by an amplifier chip OA and fed by leads L to a miniature speaker SP mounted in the rear wall of the casing. The arrangement is mounted on a single motherboard MB and is powered by two AA or AAA size batteries B connected in series by conventional spring contacts in a battery holder within the casing.

In order to ensure that the array of LED's constituting the display are activated only when the arm 1 is rotating, the illumination of the LED's is gated by a rotation signal generated by a speed sensor SS which is mounted on the interior of the casing of arm 1. Sensor SS senses (eg optically, electrically or magnetically in known manner) its movement around a disk D which is rigidly secured to the stem of handle 3 and carries appropriate optical, electrical or magnetic elements which generate a signal in sensor SS as the latter rotates relative to disk D. In this manner, battery consumption is reduced to a minimal level when the arm 1 is not swinging about handle 3. Preferably however the display circuitry can be switched ON and OFF by a first casing-mounted switch SW1 connected to the microprocessor 5. The alphanumeric characters (normally letters) generated by the display can be set from a further casing-mounted pushbutton switch SW2 which is connected to microprocessor 5 and has three buttons , namely an UP button which accesses the next character in a stored list of characters, a DOWN button which accesses the previous character in the stored list , and a SET button which selects the currently accessed character. After a character has been selected the buttons can be pressed to access and select the next character in the word or phrase which the user is composing and when all the desired characters have been selected the word or phrase is stored in EPROM E eg by pressing a predetermined combination of pushbuttons.

In order to enable the message displayed by the device to be varied more quickly and easily, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port P is mounted on the exterior of the casing of arm 1 and is connected to the microprocessor 5. The USB port can be connected to a suitably terminated cable (not shown) from a USB port of a user's home computer or other suitable data source (eg a CD player) and can be used to load into memory (eg EPROM E) alphanumeric characters as well as sound effects. The sound effects are suitably digitised sound files of typically 30 seconds' duration and could include the following, for example:

'Happy Birthday'

Crowd noises

Cheers

Clapping

Champagne Corks popping.

Preferably the microprocessor 5 is programmed to associate and possibly to synchronise the sound effects with the displayed lighting effects - eg 'New York Giants' could be displayed at the same time as the corresponding music is played through the speaker SP.

Referring to the variant shown in Figure 3, a motor M is secured to the casing of the swinging arm 1 and carries a pinion PI which engages a gear G which is rigidly secured to the stem of the handle which projects into the casing of arm 1. The motor

M is powered by the batteries B (Figure 2) and as the pinion P rotates it, the motor M and the attached arm 1 carrying the array of LED's orbit the gear G and the supporting handle 3.

In a further variant the arm 1 is provided with a conventional ratchet for making the normal rattle sound.

It will be apparent that any linear (not necessarily straight) lighting array (which could for example employ lighting elements other than LED's) extending transversely to the plane of rotation can be used to achieve the required effect. For example in other variants, not shown, the array of LED's could be located on a side face of the arm 1 ie a face parallel to the plane of Figure 1.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising a member (1) carrying a linear lighting array which is arranged to emit light from one or more selected regions (2) thereof, the light-emitting region(s) moving with respect to the array in a first direction, and a handle (3) for moving the array in a second direction transverse to the first direction so as to generate a two-dimensional lighting effect, the member extending transversely from and being arranged to swing about the longitudinal axis (A) of the handle, characterised in that the linear lighting array extends transversely to its plane of rotation about said longitudinal axis (A).

2. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lighting array is directed radially outwards with respect to said plane of rotation.

3. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there are two or more such light-emitting regions (2) which are arranged to light up in a predetermined lighting pattern with respect to the array to generate graphic symbols (4).

4. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 3 comprising an electronic memory (E) containing at least one such predetermined lighting pattern.

5. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising external port means (P) coupled to said memory (E) for loading lighting pattern data into the memory from an external source.

7. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising an electric transducer (SP) arranged to generate a sound effect during the generation of the two- dimensional lighting effect.

8. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising an electronic memory (E) containing at least one such sound effect.

9. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising external port means (P) coupled to said memory for loading audio data into the memory (E) from an external source.

10 . A display apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 9 wherein said port means

(P) is a USB port.

11. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a rotary speed sensor (SS) arranged to generate a rotation signal, said lighting array

5 being responsive to said rotation signal.

12. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a motor (M) coupled to said member (1) and arranged to rotate said member about 0 said longitudinal axis (A).

13. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said lighting effect is generated or controlled by a microprocessor (5). 5

14. A display apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said array comprises light-emitting diodes (2).

o 15. A display apparatus substantially as described hereinabove with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawing.

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