WO2008041981A1

WO2008041981A1 - Art adaptor for video monitors

Info

Publication number: WO2008041981A1
Application number: PCT/US2006/038689
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Joshua Goldstein
Original assignee: Daniel Joshua Goldstein
Priority date: 2006-10-03
Filing date: 2006-10-03
Publication date: 2008-04-10

Abstract

A filter is placed in close proximity to a presented video of a video monitor, such as a television, and an opaque majority of the filter obscures a majority of the presented video while a translucent minority of the filter allows an abstracted minority of the presented video to be visible. The result is transformation of the presented video to an abstract, dynamic, art piece - perfect for ambiance in social settings.

Description

ART ADAPTOR FOR VIDEO MONITORS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of electronic, dynamic art and, more specifically, to a particularly artistic conversion of a television to a dynamic, ambient work of art.

BACKGROUND

With few exceptions, televisions are ubiquitous in homes in this country. Watching television is considered by some to be an asocial activity. At best, watching television absorbs the viewer's attention and makes social interaction challenging. In essence, watching television is a private activity, even when done in the presence of others.

In social circumstance, the television occupies space that could otherwise be occupied by art, festive decoration, or something to add to a social ambiance appropriate for social events.

What is needed is a way to adapt television space to facilitate a more social atmosphere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a filter is placed in close proximity to a presented video of a video monitor, such as a television, and an opaque majority of the filter obscures a majority of the presented video while a translucent minority of the filter allows an abstracted minority of the presented video to be visible. The result is transformation of the presented video to an abstract, dynamic, art piece - perfect for ambiance in social settings, not attention-absorbing and asocial.

The translucent areas of the filter can be vertically aligned to capture only portions of vertical movement in the presented video, giving a somewhat "dancing lights" effect. The translucent areas of the filter can include discrete dots which appear to change color at varying rates and through varying color spectra by limiting the visible portions of the presented video to relatively small discrete dots. The translucent areas of the filter can include curvilinear slots such that motion in the presented video appears to travel in curvilinear directions at various rates and with various colors.

The translucent areas of the filter can also be colored to impart various hues to the portions of the presented video visible through the translucent areas.

The filter is held in place in close proximity to the display area of the video monitor by a mounting or by an adhesive material such as microsuction™ tape. The mounting can include a frame through which the entirety of the presented video is visible when the filter is not positioned within the frame. The frame can be designed to add dramatically to the typical mundane appearance of most televisions, even in the absence of the filter. In addition, leaving the frame in place when the filter is not in use allows the filter to be added extremely easily by merely sliding or front loading the filter into the frame.

Thus, a television can remain a television for private viewing and can easily and conveniently be transformed into a piece of dynamic art for ambiance in a social setting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an illustration of a filter in accordance with the present invention being positioned in close proximity to a display monitor, e.g., a television.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a frame for mounting the filter of Figure 1 in close proximity to the display area of the display monitor of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the frame of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 show alternative filters to the one shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with the present invention, video played in a television 10 (Figure 1) is mostly blocked by a mostly opaque filter 100 and small portions of the video are visible through translucent areas 102 to transform an ordinary video presentation into an abstract, moving light, work of art. Filter 100 is positioned adjacent to and over a viewing screen of television 10 or any video monitor. Filter 102 is mostly opaque with relatively small translucent areas 102.

Most video seen on television, from any source, appears to have motion as objects and/or components of the content of the video are shown to move about within and through the displayable viewpoint of the video. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, translucent areas 102 resemble tall, narrow, vertical slits. Accordingly, motion of light viewable through translucent areas 102 appears to move only in the vertical dimension, i.e., up and/or down. In particular, only the vertical component of movement in the displayed video of television 10 is visible through translucent areas 102 of filter 102.

As a very simple example of this, consider a video of a black background with a white ball moving from the left to the right behind filter 100. The leftmost of translucent areas 102 would start all dark, then a small light would appear as the ball just begins to appear behind the translucent area. As more of the ball passes, the light visible in the translucent area would appear to grow, extending further up and further down, until the middle of the ball passes behind the translucent area. Thereafter, the light would shrink, receding from both above and below until the light is gone altogether. This effect would be repeated by each of translucent areas 102 in progression from the left to the right, giving an appearance of a synchronized, coordinated light show by a number of independent columns of light.

It is preferred that the opaque portion of filter 102 blocks as much light as possible to appear dark and unlit despite light transmitted by television 10 such that light visible through translucent areas 102 appears to be independent of any video displayed by television 10 and that light visible through any of translucent areas 102 appears to be independent of others of translucent areas 102. In the example given above, the appearance of a synchronized, coordinated light show would be diminished if the viewer can see the white ball, albeit muted, through the opaque portion of filter 100.

In this illustrative embodiment, translucent areas 102 are colored to impart various hues on to light visible therethrough. Such adds to the appearance of independence of the light visible through each of translucent areas 102.

There are a multitude of ways that filter 100 can be held in position in front of the viewing screen of television 100. Two illustrative embodiments are described herein: one in conjunction with Figures 2 and 3 and another in conjunction with Figures 4-7.

To position filter 100 in front of, and adjacent to, the viewing screen of television 10, the user inserts filter 100 into a frame 202 (Figure 2). Frame 202 includes a slot 204 into which filter 100 is inserted. A thumb notch 206 allows the user to grip the edge of filter 100 and to retract filter 100 from slot 204 of frame 202. Frame 202 includes a mounting bracket 302 (Figure 3) on each top end to allow frame 202 to hang from television 10. Padding 304 within mounting bracket 302 prevents surface damage to television 10. Padding 306 at the bottom of frame 202 also prevents surface damage to television 10.

Mounting bracket 302 can be fastened to frame 202 using any of a number of conventional fastening techniques, including welding, adhesives, screws, and nuts and bolts, for example. Frame 202 can be left in place on the face of television 10 within filter 100 inserted to provide a frame around the viewable display of television 10, to enhance the aesthetics of televisions available today. Today's televisions have a rather technical appearance to some. In addition, televisions are typically manufactured in very large numbers as identical units for mass consumption. To enhance the typical technical appearance and/or to provide a more individualized, personal quality to the appearance of television 10, frame 202 can be made of any of a number of varieties of wood with any of a number of finishes or can be fashioned like a fine art frame, for example.

In a second illustrative embodiment, a number of pieces 402A-C (Figure 4) of microsuction™ tape are affixed to the interior side of filter 100. Frame 500 (Figure 5) includes a recess 502, into which filter 100 fits. Figure 6 shows frame 502 affixed to the front of television 10, using microsuction™ tape in this illustrative embodiment. With frame 502 in place on television 10, the user can simply place filter 100 into recess 502, as shown in Figure 7, such that pieces 402A-C of microsuction™ tape on the interior side of filter 100 are in contact with, and adhering to, recess 502 of frame 500. Microsuction™ tape has the advantage of being removal by the user. Accordingly, the user can simply pull filter 100 from frame 500 while leaving frame 500 on television 10. Thus, frame 500 can provide an individualized appearance of television 10 while television 10 can present video content in a conventional manner, i.e., without filter 100 in place.

It should be appreciated that filter 100 is but one design that can be used to provide a moving light work of art from video content presented by television 10. For example, different filters; e.g., filters IOOA (Figure 8), IOOB (Figure 9), and IOOC (Figure 10); can be inserted into frame 202 or into frame 500 to provide different visual effects during playback of various video content by television 10.

In this illustrative embodiment, filters 100, IOOA, IOOB, and IOOC are made with a multi-pass silk screening process. The following description of the making of filter 100 is equally applicable to filters lOOA-C.

Acrylic or solvent-based inks can be used. The filter starts as a clear acrylic sheet of the appropriate dimensions, i.e., dimensions that substantially match the dimensions of the viewable screen of the television over which the filter is to be placed. A number of translucent, colored ink layers are silk-screened onto the filter to provide the colors of translucent areas 102. All of filter 100 other than translucent areas 102 is silk-screened in opaque, flat, black ink. One or more additional layers of the same opaque flat black can be added to enhance the light-inhibiting quality of the opaque portions of filter 100. Over the flat black ink, a design in gloss black ink can be silk-screened to provide a subtle but aesthetically pleasing design to filter 100 when television 10 is not in use but while filter 100 is in place over the display of television 10.

The above description is illustrative only and is not limiting. Instead, the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for abstracting a dynamic art display from presentation of a video through a video monitor, the apparatus comprising: a filter including one or more opaque areas occupying a majority of the filter and one or more translucent areas occupying a minority of the filter; and a mounting attached to the filter for holding the filter in close proximity to a display area of the video monitor; wherein the presentation of the video through the video monitor allows an abstracted minority of the presentation of the video to be visible through the translucent areas of the filter.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the one or more translucent areas include vertical slots.

3. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the one or more translucent areas include discrete dots.

4. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the one or more translucent areas include curvilinear slots.

5. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the one or more translucent areas include one or more hues imparted to at least a portion of the abstracted minority of the presentation of the video.

6. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the mounting includes a frame that holds the filter and through which the presentation of the video is substantially entirely visible when the filter is removed from the frame.

7. The apparatus of Claim 6 wherein the frame holds the filter in a manner that allows a person to remove and replace the filter without using one or more tools.

8. A method for abstracting a dynamic art display from presentation of a video through a video monitor, the method comprising: placing a filter in close proximity to a display area of the video monitor such that one or more opaque areas occupying a majority of the filter obscure a majority of the presentation of the video and one or more translucent areas occupying a minority of the filter allow an abstracted minority of the presentation of the video to be visible through the translucent areas of the filter; and initiating the presentation of the video through the display monitor.

9. The method of Claim 8 wherein the one or more translucent areas include vertical slots.

10. The method of Claim 8 wherein the one or more translucent areas include discrete dots.

11. The method of Claim 8 wherein the one or more translucent areas include curvilinear slots.

12. The method of Claim 8 wherein the one or more translucent areas include one or more hues imparted to at least a portion of the abstracted minority of the presentation of the video.

13. The method of Claim 8 wherein placing comprises: mounting a frame to the video monitor, wherein the frame holds the filter and through which the presentation of the video is substantially entirely visible when the filter is removed from the frame.

14. The method of Claim 13 wherein the frame holds the filter in a manner that allows a person to remove and replace the filter without using one or more tools.

15. A method for abstracting a dynamic art display from presentation of a video through a video monitor, the method comprising: forming a filter that includes one or more opaque areas occupying a majority of the filter and one or more translucent areas occupying a minority of the filter; and attaching a mounting to the filter for holding the filter in close proximity to a display area of the video monitor; wherein the presentation of the video through the video monitor allows an abstracted minority of the presentation of the video to be visible through the translucent areas of the filter.

16. The method of Claim 15 wherein the one or more translucent areas include vertical slots.

17. The method of Claim 15 wherein the one or more translucent areas include discrete dots.

18. The method of Claim 15 wherein the one or more translucent areas include curvilinear slots.

19. The method of Claim 15 wherein the one or more translucent areas include one or more hues imparted to at least a portion of the abstracted minority of the presentation of the video.

20. The method of Claim 15 wherein wherein the mounting includes a frame that holds the filter and through which the presentation of the video is substantially entirely visible when the filter is removed from the frame.

21. The method of Claim 20 wherein the frame holds the filter in a manner that allows a person to remove and replace the filter without using one or more tools.

22. The method of Claim 15 wherein forming the filter includes: silk screening black ink onto a clear substrate to form the one or more opaque areas occupying a majority of the filter.

23. The method of Claim 15 wherein forming the filter also includes: silk screening colored ink onto the clear substrate to form one or more hues in the one or more translucent areas for imparting the hues to at least a portion of the abstracted minority of the presentation of the video.