Visual information systems

Details Visual information systems Visual information systems

1998-09-14

2001-01-02

Vu, David H. (Department: 2821)

Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems

Special application

C315S363000, C352S100000

Utility Patent

active

06169368

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to visual information systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Advertising is often presented in illuminated form consisting of an array of fluorescent lights. Such lights are usually switched on during the hours of darkness. The array occupies the same area as the image presented and consumes relatively large amounts of energy. Such systems are relatively inflexible in as much as the whole array needs to be rebuilt to display another image.
Other arrays of moving images are known in which an array consisting of a plurality of rows and columns of light sources are individually energizable to produce, for example, a moving message. Such arrays have several times more columns of light source than rows. Also, the size of the array is the same size as the image and consequently the wiring of individual light sources to the controlling circuitry and the complexity of the control circuitry are likely to be very costly.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved visual information system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a visual information system comprising an array consisting of a plurality of individually and selectively energizable light sources arranged in rows and columns, a memory for storing a program representative of a predetermined image, a controller actuatable to control the selection and sequence of energization of the light sources within a predetermined time span in accordance with the predetermined program stored on the memory so that a viewer observing the array and being carried past the array at a predetermined speed will observe immediately following said predetermined time span the predetermined image as an apparently stationary image occupying an area substantially larger than the area of said array.
According to the present invention there is further provided a visual information display system comprising a fiber optic array in which one end of a bundle of optical fibers is arranged so that the ends of the individual fibers at one end of the bundle form a vertically elongate array of rows and columns and the ends of the individual fibers at the opposite end of the bundle are connected to an electro-optical interface unit, and means for supplying electrical signals to the interface unit to cause the array to display a succession of images in sufficiently quick succession that a viewer being carried past the array perceives a single horizontally elongate display consisting of said successive images located side by side.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4383742 (1983-05-01), Brachet et al.
patent: 2461140 (1975-12-01), None
patent: 0390749 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 2241813 (1991-09-01), None

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