Abstract:
Described is a remotely programmable control device for use in electroluminescent display and lighting applications. Elements of this invention include a power supply, various inverters/wave form conditioners, a motherboard, inbound/outbound communications capability, motion-sensing devices, ambient light sensing facilities, and a floppy disk reader. Remote programmability is achieved through several methods including detecting the driving instructions from the lamp display itself, or downloading data from a remote network or a floppy disk.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/159,490, filed Oct. 14, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to controllers for electroluminescent display and lighting systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to remotely programmable controllers for electroluminescent display and lighting systems. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Electroluminescent display and lighting systems are presently known. A typical electroluminescent display system combines one or more electroluminescent lamps or other electroluminescent display elements with an electronic driver or controller. Often various graphical or artistic elements such as overlays are laminated onto the lamps. These systems can resemble circuits in that the display elements are segmented into various areas that are independently addressable. Power and wave form is delivered to the display elements by an electronic driver which also delivers display control through a series of electronic impulses that are sent through one or many channels that act as wiring for the circuit. These channels are mapped to the display element through a connection and subsequently, through pre-printed traces that address each independent area of the display. 
     Existing electroluminescent lamp controllers contain a microprocessor that contains pre-programmed instructions that control the sequence of impulses that are sent from the controller to the display element, thereby allowing the electroluminescent system to serve a single, useful purpose. These microprocessors are resident in the controllers, and have been pre-programmed at a factory or distributor. The instructions that comprise the program are therefore fixed, having in essence been previously hard-wired by humans at an industrial site that is often distant from the place where the electroluminescent system is intended to be deployed. The microprocessor is the heart of the controller, and since it is very difficult to easily modify this electronic part, the controller is therefore relegated to a single purpose or a one-time use. 
     There are several known problems with controllers that use the architecture described above. First, since it is difficult to modify these devices, they tend to be dedicated to a single display device. Reworking these controllers requires shipment to an industrial facility, wherein the microprocessors must be physically replaced or reprogrammed when possible or discarded. This process requires time and effort, and carries a significant cost to replace the microprocessor. Since it is very difficult to know in advance the object (or program) for each display element that will be manufactured in the future, it is difficult to build an inventory of electronic devices that can rapidly satisfy customers&#39; differing demands for the various display systems. Accordingly, the costs for these electroluminescent systems are higher than they would be if a more flexible, reusable electronic controller were in use. Because there is much shipment and other physical movement of existing controllers, breakage and loss is relatively high. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention described herein remedies many known controller problems by substituting a remotely programmable computer in place of the microprocessor. This computer, called the motherboard, allows the controller to generically control any electroluminescent display system, and it permits the controller to be immediately reusable, without movement, for any subsequent display. The motherboard is remotely programmable either by a series of instructions carried within the display system itself, or by instructions that are downloaded into the controller from a wireless device and/or a telephonic connection. 
     The invention uses elements and components that are readily available, but it incorporates these components into a unique architecture, that has never before existed in connection with electroluminescent display and lighting systems. The invention and architecture solve many problems that have hitherto existed with electroluminescent controllers, and use of the invention will convey many economic and logistical benefits to both manufacturers and end-users of electroluminescent display and lighting systems. This, in turn, will help lower the cost of these systems, will make them more profitable for manufacturers. It will also make these systems easier to use. The conjoined benefits that are derived from this invention will therefore cause the market for these systems to greatly expand. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a control system block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1B is a control system block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which the microcomputer is programmed or receives information through use of an external memory device. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention in which a remote network connection way allows communication and/or interaction with the microcontroller. 
     FIG. 4 depicts remote, wireless programming of a microcontroller in an embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 depicts a further embodiment of the invention in which the interface with the microcontroller comprises a floppy disk or other external storage media. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention in which the microcontroller receives information through detecting the driving instructions from the lamp display itself. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the controller  10  comprises or consists of a motherboard, a power supply, and various inverters and waveform conditioners. The controller  10  may also include inbound/outbound communications facilities, motion sensing apparatus, ambient lighting detection, scanning/flatlining techniques, a floppy disk reader and internal storage devices. 
     In an embodiment of the invention in which the controller  10  uses flatlining techniques the controller  10  includes a photosensor or other means for determining the lamp brightness. 
     The photosensor is positioned to monitor the brightness of the electroluminescent lamp. Should the lamp brightness diminish to a certain extent or to a particular brightness the lamp voltage is increased to maintain brightness over time. The flatlining techniques can be implemented by providing electronic sensing circuits which monitor the electroluminescent cells of the lamp and make adjustments to compensate for variations in the contrast between the cells, while maintaining a fixed contrast between the lamp luminance and the ambient lighting. In this embodiment, separate feedback loops monitor the ambient lighting, the cell luminance, and the frequency of the excitation voltage and make appropriate adjustments to an adjustable luminance reference. The adjustments occur while a microprocessor sequences through an assortment of electroluminescent cells of various sizes. In another embodiment, instead of having a feedback loop to monitor the lamp luminance as it decreases due to aging, the circuit which drives the EL lamp includes a timer and a microprocessor. The timer measures the elapsed time during which the EL display has been operating. The microprocessor adjusts the drive signal to the EL display to compensate its brightness to be independent of its age, based on the elapsed time measured by the timer and an empirically determined aging parameter. This process for maintaining a necessary lamp brightness is described in greater detail in the commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/497,607 filed on Mar. 2, 2000, which application is incorporated by reference. 
     The purpose of the motherboard is to accept a series of instructions and to transmit these instructions to the display element  20  throughout the life of the particular application. 
     The inverters and waveform conditioners are regulated by the motherboard to produce the electrical characteristics specifically required by the display. 
     An embodiment of a system for controlling an electroluminescent lamp is illustrated in FIG.  1 A. interface connector  110 . The data is transmitted by a plurality of interfaces and sensors. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, potential interfaces include floppy disk/CD drive  111 ,  12 C interface  112 , modem interface  113 , RS- 232  interface  114  and other interfaces  115 . Floppy disk or CD-ROM drive  111  may be used as an alternate means to initially program the system, to reprogram the system or to load data into the system. Data from these interfaces is transmitted to interface controller  110  and to microcontroller  100 . In addition, external ambient sensor  116 , external motion sensor  117  and external start switch  118  transmit information to interface controller  110  and thus to microcontroller  100 . Motion sensor  117  may be used to help determine how the system should react when an animate object approaches it. Ambient sensor  116  may be used to regulate the system, the power consumed or other features of the display. Aging effects compensation and flatlining apparatus  119  is also connected with microcontroller  100  through analog interface  130 . Scanning and/or flatlining techniques may be used to enhance the life of the system or display, or to otherwise improve the system&#39;s performance. In this embodiment, a further analog interface  131  allows microcontroller  100  to communicate with inverter  140  and hence lamp drivers  151 . Lamp drivers  151  control display lamp  150 . 
     In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, display lamp assembly  150  provides input to microcontroller  100  through interface connector  110 . 
     Power source  101  supplies power for the elements of the lamp assembly. The power supply can comprise 110-240V AC or batteries or other appropriate power supplies. The power supply conveys an electrical current for the system. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the connection between microcontroller  100  and electroluminescent lamp  150 . Microcontroller  100  comprises microcomputer or motherboard  201  and memory input/output port  202 . Microcontroller  100  is connected with controller connector  204  by cable  203 . Controller connector  204  and lamp connector  205  are in communication. Lamp connector  205  is connected with display lamp  150  by cable  206 . Further, in this embodiment program memory  207  is connected with lamp connector  205 . 
     Program memory  207  provides programming or data to microcomputer  201 , which in turn controls lamp  150 . 
     Internal storage devices may be used to contain programs and/or data that are useful to the motherboard and/or the display element  20 . There are numerous proposed ways to communicate and/or interact with the motherboard of the present invention. One method involves including an external memory device, such as program memory  207  or a flash memory card, in the display element  20 . When the motherboard senses a new device, or discovers that an existing device has been removed, it will attempt to establish a connection with the display element  20  in an effort to load and/or initiate a new set of programming instructions. There are many existing devices that can be carried on board the display element  20  in the manner shown by FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates another way to allow communication and/or interaction with microcontroller  100 . In this method a remote network connection is used. Phone jack  304  and communications adapter or modem  301  may be fitted to microcontroller  100  and telephone dialing and answering facilities. Microcontroller  100  can therefore be accessed remotely by phone, and receive programming and/or data by download. Alternatively, microcontroller  100  can itself sense the need for a new program and/or data, and can initiate the connection to either upload information that it contains, or to request downloaded programs and/or data. Microcontroller  100  is connected with lamp  150  by cable  302 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates remote, wireless programming of microcontroller  100 . In this embodiment transmitter  400  programs the controller. Transmitter  400  can be remote to the controller and wireless. Transmitter  400  may be carried on-board the electroluminescent system, or may be positioned in another accessible area, or may be transported by hand. In this embodiment of the invention microcontroller  100  includes receiver  401  through which microcontroller  100  receives the programming information transmitted by transmitter  400 . 
     FIG. 5 depicts a further embodiment of the invention in which the interface with microcontroller  100  comprises floppy disk  500 . Floppy disk  500  is inserted into floppy disk drive  501 . Alternately the interface can comprise a CD/ROM or other external storage media that can be inserted into a drive on the controller in order to program the motherboard, download and/or upload data. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which display lamp  150  contains magnetic or optical encoding and/or other data storage schemes such that microcontroller  100  can download programs, instructions and/or data directly from display lamp  150 . In this embodiment display lamp  150  has, in effect, been transformed into a floppy disk and therefore, serves a dual purpose. Display lamp  150  includes printed circuitry  603  and reader strip  601  that can be inserted into reader  600  that is associated with microcontroller  100 . Pin connector  602  allows the connection between display lamp circuitry  603  and reader  600 . 
     The display element  20  itself can contain magnetic, electrical or optical encoding and/or other data storage schemes. 
     The controller may have a motherboard, one or more inverters and one or more waveform conditioners. The controller also may have a means for receiving information. The information comprises programming or sequencing instructions for the electroluminescent display or lighting system. The controller may also have a means for detection of lamp brightness and means for varying the lamp voltage to produce a desired lamp brightness.