Patent Publication Number: US-6222459-B1

Title: Method of word screen formation by laser light projection and the structure for the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and structure of word formation by laser light projection, and in particular, relates to a plurality of laser production devices arranged in a single column and by rapid reciprocating action of the devices to project multiple columns of light track and form word arrays. 
     (b) Description of the Prior Art 
     Words or character screens are widely used in advertisement or all kinds of promotional activities. As shown in FIG. 1, the word which is to be illustrated is first sectioned into a plurality of columns of word tracks formed by a plurality of dots, and then combine the circled dots (denoted by the black dot) of each column, a complete word configuration is formed. The matrix reference points are marked at the side of the array area which formed the word track, to attain the effect of comparing the coordination position. 
     In conventional lighted-configured word screen method, on the illustrating wall, each dot corresponding to the array word area, is mounted with LEDs. Every position of the matrix coordination X ij  X 11 , X 12 , X nm  is mounted with LEDs. If the character is to be shown, the corresponding LEDs of the entire column are lighted at the same time (for instance, X 13 , X 14 , X 22 , X n−1 , X nm  of the black dots position are lighted). That is the arrangement of the word s is completed if the LEDs are lighted. However, this conventional structure and method of light illustration have the following drawbacks: 
     (1) Since every dot of the corresponding matrix word area of the illustration wall has to be mounted with a LED. Therefore the number of LEDs used is great. The bigger the screen, the more the LEDs are required, and the cost for the LEDs is high. Besides, after the LEDs have been embedded, the size of the screen is fixed and it cannot be reduced 
     (2) The LEDs mounted wall does not allow the structure to shift from one place to another, and the LEDs cannot be mounted to all kind of wall. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and structure of word screen formation by laser light projection, wherein a plurality of laser production devices, arranged in a single column, and by rapid reciprocating action of the devices to project multiple columns of light track and form word array. The structure of the present invention allows the distance of projection be adjusted and thus the size of the word can also be adjusted. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and structure of word screen formation by laser light projection, wherein the structure can be conveniently carried, and can be used on surface with slight reflection light to reflect bright word. Thus, the structure of the present invention can be used on a number of wall surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a screen illustrating the formation of word. 
     FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the step of word screen formation by laser light projection in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the structure for word screen formation by laser light projection in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3 in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line V—V of FIG. 3 in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the word screen formation by laser light projection in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is the laser supply circuit of a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view illustrating the structure of word screen formation by laser light projection in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows word screen which can be formed conventionally by the use of LEDs. In accordance with the present invention, the word screen of FIG. 1 can be obtained in accordance with the steps depicted in FIG.  2 . The present method of word screen formation by laser light projection comprises the steps of 
     a) inputting sectioned data of the array characters; 
     b) converting the sectioned data, column by column (from j=1 to j=2, then form j=2 to j=3, j=3 to j=4) into flashing signal of a laser production device within the single column of a plurality of laser production devices (similar to the description of block  1  of FIG.  2 ); 
     c) within vision transient time period, emitting flashing block (for example j=1, from xn−3, 1, xn−2, 1, xn−1, xn, 1, four-corners flash to form the flashing block  10 . This step is the contents of block  2  to block  3  of FIG. 3) which is corresponding to the column of the word track, column by column, (from j=1 to j=2, j=2 to j=3, j=3 to j=4) such that within the vision transient retaining time period, the laser production device moves to the final column and the residual image forms a complete word (refer to block  4  to block  5 , although the word track of FIG. 2 lighted in sequence, the {fraction (1/16)} sec human eye vision transient time allows us to see the complete lighted word. 
     The structure implemented by the present method is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in the drawings, the structure comprises a laser supply circuit  20 , a plurality of laser production devices  30 ,  31 ,  32 , a power source  40 , a board body  50 , a reciprocating mechanism  60  and a housing  70  containing all the above elements. In accordance with the present invention, the two lateral edges of the board body  50  are in engagement with the shafts  51 ,  52  which are provided to the inner wall of the lateral edge of the housing  70 , and the board edge of the board body  50  facing the housing window  71  is mounted with a plurality of laser production devices  30 ,  31 ,  32  arranged in a single column, and on the board body  50 , the laser supply circuit  20  is arranged thereon, and the reciprocating mechanism  60  driven by the power source  40  is connected to the board body  50  at an appropriate position. The power source  40  is normally connected to an electrical source  41  connected in series with a switch  44 , and then is connected to a motor  42  linked to a speed-adjusting element  43  (as shown in the Figure, the speed-adjusting element  43  is a set of belted wheel and the output rotation of the motor  42  is adjusted to {fraction (1/16)} second per revolution), and the output shaft  43 A of the speed-adjusting element  43  is connected in series to the reciprocating mechanism  60 . The reciprocating mechanism  60  (shown in the Figure) includes an eccentric wheel  61  and a wheel ring  62  at the outside of the wheel  61 . The wheel ring  62  is secured to one end (at an appropriate position) of the board body  50 , and the wheel centre of the eccentric wheel  61  is fixed to the shaft centre of the output shaft  43 A. The electrical source  41  which provides the entire power supply is a series of batteries  45  or is linked externally to power lines. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, when the output shaft  43 A is rotated, it drives the eccentric wheel  61  to rotate, and the board body  50  rotates with the shaft  51  as the rotating centre, to produce a reciprocating swinging action. During the swinging action, the laser light emitted by the laser production device  30  (i.e. within the human eyes vision transient time), scans every column, and the laser supply circuit  20  in sequence provides every column of laser production device  30  the flashing signal, as shown in FIG.  6 . As shown in FIG. 6, when the switch  44  is ON, a plurality of emitted laser beams can be directed to the remote wall and project complete characters in lighted word screen  80 , and the distance of projection can be changed in accordance with the enlargement or reduction of the lighted word screen. In application, the structure is supported at a higher level to proceed with the projection, and it can also be placed indoor to provide illustration by projection. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, the laser supply circuit  20  comprises a rectifier  21 , an oscillator  22 , a microprocessor  23 , a memory  24 , and a plurality of capacitors C 1 , a plurality of resistor R, and a plurality of transistor Q 1  being connected to each other. In accordance with the present invention, the input terminal of the rectifier  21  is connected to the power source  41 , and the output terminal of the rectifier  21  is connected to the input terminal of the power source of the microprocessor  23 , and the signal input terminal of the memory  24  and the switch  44  are connected to the signal input terminal of the microprocessor  23 . 
     The frequency input and output terminal of the microprocessor  23  are connected to the oscillator  22  and each of the output terminal P 00 , P 01 , of the microprocessor  23  is individually connected to a sub-circuit  25  (within a frame). The sub-circuit  25  comprises a transistor Q 1  having an emitting terminal connected in series to the ground of a laser production device  31  at a corresponding position, and the base terminal of the transistor Q 1  being connected to a collective terminal of another transistor Q 2 , and the emitting terminal, the collective terminal and the base terminal of the transistor Q 2  being respectively connected to resistors R 43 , R 44 , R 42 , after the base terminal being connected in series with the resistor R 42 , then connect to a resistor R 41  and then to any output terminal P 00 , P 01 , and thus the entire circuit being provided with resistors and capacitors C 1  at appropriate positions. 
     In accordance with the present invention, after the switch  44  of the microprocessor  23  is ON, the signal of each row of characters of the memory array within the memory  24  can be obtained. The microprocessor  23  then processes the signal, and in combination with frequency demodulation of the oscillator  22 , outputs a power to a certain processed output terminal (P 00  or P 01 ) of certain corresponding row of signals, and emits laser light of corresponding word tracks. 
     In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 8, the lateral edge of the board body  50  and the inner wall of the two lateral edges of the housing  72  are in engagement with each other, and adjacent to the board body  50 , is a plurality of laser production devices  30 ,  31 ,  32  are mounted. At the laser port, the reciprocating mechanism  60  driven by the power source  40  is provided. The power source  40  is an electrical source  41  connected in series to a switch  44 , and the reciprocating mechanism  60  is a reciprocating swinging type electric motor  63  connected to a speed-adjusting element  43 . The centre of the output shaft of the speed-adjusting element  43  is provided in vertical with a reflection mirror  64 . The electric motor  63  is electrically connected to the power source  40  and the reflection surface of the reflection mirror  64  faces the laser port of the laser production devices  30 ,  31 ,  32 , such that the laser light emitted from the laser port is directed to the reflective mirror  64  while the mirror  64  is swinging, and the light is reflected through the housing window  71  to the column position, where the projection face corresponding to the lighted word screen, and forms lighted word tracks. 
     In view of the above, the method and structure of word formation by laser light projection project a multiple column of light tracks to form character array by a single column, multiple laser production device by means of rapid reciprocating action. In accordance with the present invention, the structure can be used in various type of wall screen and illustration. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims, which define the invention, should be accorded the broadest interpretation as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.