Patent Publication Number: US-11030925-B1

Title: Kinetic display for depicting changes in economic or other data

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/560,233 filed 19 Sep. 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This document concerns an invention relating generally to devices which amuse and/or provide an ornamental moving display while at the same time providing information regarding one or more variables of interest to observers, such as economic variables (e.g., securities indexes such as the NASDAQ Composite, New York Stock Exchange Composite, Standard &amp; Poor 500, Russell 1000, etc.), variables relating to sporting activities (e.g., sports team scores, rankings, or betting odds), variables relating to political matters (e.g., voting or polling results), or other economic, cultural, and political variables. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many people monitor internet and/or other news sources daily, or even several times per day, to monitor their investments (e.g., stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, etc.) as the market varies. Many people similarly like to monitor the status of sports teams or athletes (e.g., game outcomes, team/athlete rankings, etc.), political parties or politicians (e.g., voting outcomes, polling results, etc.), and other matters. Obtaining this information can be frustrating, as it may require several steps, as by entering login information and/or indexing through multiple screens); delay, as where the desired information is not immediately announced or displayed; and/or parsing through extraneous information, as where one must “hunt” for the desired information within a large collection of displayed information. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention involves a kinetic display which is intended to at least partially solve the aforementioned problems. To give the reader a basic understanding of some of the advantageous features of the invention, following is a brief summary of an exemplary version of the display, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings (which are briefly reviewed in the following “Brief Description of the Drawings” section of this document) to assist the reader&#39;s understanding. Since the following discussion is merely a summary, it should be understood that more details regarding the various versions of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description set forth elsewhere in this document. The claims set forth at the end of this document then define the various versions of the invention in which exclusive rights are secured. 
     The accompanying  FIGS. 1-2  illustrate an exemplary kinetic display  100  which shows the current status of, and/or changes in, economic, cultural, political, and/or other variables. The kinetic display  100  includes an elongated member  102  which pivots with respect to a base  104  in response to a change in a user-selected variable. For example, an increase in the value of a user&#39;s securities brokerage account, or in a user-selected stock market index such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), might result in the member&#39;s pivoting such that the side with the bull figurine  106 A rises and the bear figurine  106 B descends (as a bull is traditionally recognized as a symbol of a rising market, whereas a bear symbolizes a falling market). Conversely, a decrease in the value of the user&#39;s securities brokerage account or chosen market index might result in the member&#39;s pivoting such that the side with the bear figurine  106 B rises and the side with the bull figurine  106 A descends. The display  100  therefore provides a user with an intuitive and aesthetically attractive means for determining the current status of a desired variable, by merely observing the inclination of the member  102 , and/or the relative positions of the figurines  106 A and  106 B thereon. 
     Reviewing the kinetic display  100  in greater detail, the elongated member  102  is pivotally attached to a pivot mount  108  extending upwardly from the base  104 , with the pivot mount  108  here being defined by a pair of supports between which the elongated member  102  is pivotally connected (here by a spindle  110  extending from the elongated member  102  into bearing holes in the supports  108 ). The elongated member  102  preferably extends outwardly from the base  104  in opposing directions to terminate in first and second free ends  112 A and  112 B, i.e., ends which aren&#39;t connected to structures which are immobile with respect to the kinetic display  100 , or to linkages or other parts that move in a different manner or direction than the upward/downward motion of the elongated member  102 . The figurines  106 A and  106 B are then preferably attached to the free ends  112 A and  112 B, with the figurine  106 A of the first end  112 A being different from the figurine  106 B of the second end  112 B. Most preferably, the first figurine  106 A symbolizes matter which is conceptually opposite the matter of the second figurine  106 B, such that the rise of one of the figurines and the corresponding descent of the other clearly suggests that one of the states of the variable symbolized by the kinetic display  100  is increasing relative to the opposite state, or is otherwise dominating the opposite state. Preferably, the elongated member  102  is restricted to pivot no more than approximately plus and minus 30 degrees from a horizontal orientation. 
     The elongated member  102  is pivoted by an electromechanical actuator  114  ( FIG. 2 ), preferably a servomotor, with the actuator  114  pivoting the elongated member  102  with respect to the base  104  in response to data received from a source external to the kinetic display  100  (preferably from the internet). The kinetic display  100  preferably includes a processor  116  (e.g., a microcontroller) which receives the data from the internet or other external source, and which drives the actuator  114  to pivot the elongated member  102  in response to the data. The processor  116  preferably continuously or occasionally receives the data from a wireless receiver  118  (e.g., a Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi, BLE, WiMax, 3G, 4G, or other wireless receiver) in communication with the internet. 
     In the illustrated kinetic display  100 , the elongated member  102  is attached to a curved rack  120  which bears an array of teeth  122 . The actuator  114  ( FIG. 2 ) bears a pinion  124  which drives the rack  120 , and thereby pivots the elongated member  102 . The rack  120  may bear an array of indicia  126  spaced along its curve, with the indicia  126  quantifying the data to be illustrated by the kinetic display  100 ; for example, the indicia  126  may indicate changes of plus and minus 10%, 20%, 30%, etc. about some datum (which might be indicated by “0,” “MARKET OPEN,” or other indicia). The kinetic display  100  may also include an indicator which draws attention to the indicium communicating the data value currently being exhibited by the kinetic display  100 , such as a window  128  which frames the current indicium and/or a needle  130  which points to the current indicium, wherein one of the indicator and the array travels along the other when the member  102  pivots with respect to the base  104 . The illustrated kinetic display  100  includes both such indicators in the form of a window  128  having a needle  130  therein. A magnifying glass  132  (e.g., a convex lens) can be provided on the base  104 , here within the window  128  and adjacent the indicia-bearing rack  120 , to increase the readability of, and/or further draw attention to, the current indicium. 
     Further potential advantages, features, and objectives of the invention will be apparent from the remainder of this document in conjunction with the associated drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary version of the kinetic display, wherein the display  100  is specially configured to illustrate changes in the value of a security, securities account, or securities market via a rising bull figurine  106 A (or falling bear figurine  106 B), indicating an increase in value, or via a rising bear figurine  106 B (or falling bull figurine  106 A), indicating a decrease in value. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded (disassembled) view of the kinetic display  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY VERSIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     Expanding on the discussion above, the kinetic display  100  of  FIG. 1-2  occasionally or continuously obtains stock market data (e.g., the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or DJIA), and then dynamically changes the position of the elongated member  102  and its figurines  106 A and  106 B according to changes in the data. As examples, an increase in the DJIA versus the DJIA&#39;s opening value for the day leads to an increase in the height of the bull figurine  106 A relative to the height of the bear figurine  106 B, and a decrease in the DJIA versus the DJIA&#39;s opening value for the day leads to an increase in the height of the bear figurine  106 B relative to the height of the bull figurine  106 A. 
     As noted previously, the exemplary kinetic display  100  includes a base  104 ; supports  108  rising from the base  104 , and defining a pivot mount to which the elongated member  102  is pivotally mounted; an arcuate rack  120  affixed with respect to the elongated member  102  and displaying an array of indicia  126  (e.g., numbers) reflecting the degree of change in the data communicated by the display  100 ; a pinion  124  engaging the rack  120 ; an electromechanical actuator  114  driving the pinion  124 ; and a processor  116  driving the actuator  114 , and thereby pivoting the elongated member  102  in response to changes in the data communicated by the display  100 . The processor  116  preferably receives data from a receiver  118  provided in the base  104 , and which occasionally or continuously connects to the internet via wireless communications, though a wired receiver (e.g., an Ethernet or USB port) might also or alternatively be used. In the exemplary kinetic display  100  depicted in the drawings, the processor  116  is integrated with the receiver  118  (i.e., it takes the form of a microcontroller with built-in wireless communications ability). Preferably, the processor  116  is programmed with software/firmware which connects it in communication with one or more data sources, such as remote servers and/or Application Program Interfaces (APIs), to retrieve the data used to move the elongated member  102 . The processor  116  receives the data from the data source and sends actuation signals to the actuator  114  to reflect the current state of the data. The kinetic display  100  may receive a signal from a user (e.g., from a manual reset button) to return the elongated member  102  to a horizontal datum orientation, for example, to calibrate the elongated member  102  to a starting value of the DJIA against which changes are measured. Alternatively or additionally, the processor&#39;s software/firmware may automatically reset the elongated member  102  to the horizontal datum orientation at a particular time (e.g., at the day&#39;s opening of the market), after a particular interval, or if a predetermined triggering event occurs. The elongated member  102  may thereafter move from the horizontal datum orientation in accordance with changes in the monitored data from the datum value at the time of reset. 
     In the illustrated preferred version of the kinetic display  100 , the first time a user powers up the display  100 , the user wirelessly connects to the display  100  (e.g., via a computer or mobile device app) to configure the display&#39;s wireless communications (e.g., the chosen Wi-Fi network) and choose the data to be communicated by the display  100 . For example, a user may choose to monitor securities indexes such as the DJIA, NASDAQ Composite, New York Stock Exchange Composite, Standard &amp; Poor 500, Standard &amp; Poor Aggregate Bond Index, Russell 1000, etc. Alternatively, a user might choose to monitor the value of his/her brokerage or other account, the price of a particular security, commodities prices and indexes, economic activity levels and indexes, economic confidence levels and indexes, currency values and indexes, or cryptocurrency values and indexes. 
     The base  104  of the exemplary display  100  preferably has a weight and configuration such that it resists tipping, and is sized such that it might prominently display information identifying the data communicated by the display  100 , a company logo (or other brands or advertising), a personalized message (as via engraving), or the like. The display  100  is therefore particularly suitable as a promotional or other gift from a broker or investment advisor to a client. However, the base  104  can assume a variety of forms which differ significantly from the one depicted; for example, it might assume the form of a wall-mountable plate/plaque to which the elongated member  102  is pivotally affixed. LED or other lamps  134  ( FIG. 2 ) on the base  104  or elsewhere may illuminate the indicia  126  and/or communicate the operational status of the display  100 . The pivot associated with the elongated member  102  may take the illustrated form, wherein a spindle  110  attached to the elongated member  102  is pivotally fit in a bearing hole  136  defined in the opposing pivot mount supports  108 , or forms providing equivalent action (for example, spindles/posts extending from the supports may be received in bearing holes or downwardly-facing channels on opposing sides of the elongated member). While the depicted display  100  is provided in the form of a small tabletop sculpture, displays may be differently sized, e.g., as a large outdoor installation. 
     The actuator  114  may be (for example) a stepping motor, brush motor, servomotor, solenoid, magnetic actuator, piezometric actuator, or other mechanism configured to receive motion commands from the processor  116 . In the exemplary depicted version of the kinetic display  100 , the actuator  114  uses the pinion  124  to actuate the rack  120 , which is attached to the spindle  110  upon which the center of the elongated member  102  rests. Thus, rotational movement of the pinion  124  moves each side of the elongated member  102  up or down to reflect changes in the monitored data. The change may be directly proportional to the change in the data (e.g., a specified percentage change in the DJIA leads to a proportionate change in the angle of the elongated member  102 ), or the change in the orientation of the elongated member angle may have a logarithmic, exponential, or other relationship to the change in the data. The indicia  126  on the rack  120  might numerically depict the percentage change in the DJIA, while the position of the elongated member  102  provides a visual and intuitive depiction of the change. 
     The processor  116  may be a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmed or programmable device. The processor  116 , receiver  118 , actuator  114 , lamps  134 , and/or any other electronic components of the display  100  may rely on standard mains power (i.e., by plugging the depicted power cable  138  into a standard outlet) and/or on battery power. Other power sources (e.g., onboard solar cells, a generator with a human-actuated crank lever, etc.) could also or alternatively be used. The display  100  preferably includes a battery to supply power when power is otherwise unavailable, and/or for storage of intermittently-supplied power (e.g., where solar or generator power is supplied). 
     Figurines can be adapted to symbolize different types of monitored data: a bull and a bear for stock markets, currency symbols for currencies or cryptocurrencies, party symbols for political parties or caricatures/busts for political candidates, team mascots or logos for sports teams, or any other figurines related to the data chosen for monitoring by the user. Figurines may be removable and replaceable with different figurines; for example, the bull and bear figurines  106 A and  106 B of the depicted display  100  might be replaced with team mascots, and the data source might be reconfigured so that the display  100  reflects the results of sports game scores or rankings involving the teams. Other versions of the display  100  may use political polling or election results, meteorological variables, or any other dynamically changing data. 
     The elongated member  102  need not be formed as a straight prismatic beam, nor need it have equal lengths extending in opposite directions. As an example, the elongated member  102  might be fashioned to resemble a fishing pole or gun, and may be cantilevered from a pivot located on a support  108  shaped to resemble a fisherman or hunter, such that the fisherman or hunter appears to be holding the fishing pole or gun (the elongated member). The fishing pole or gun might then pivot upwardly or downwardly in dependence on fishing/hunting conditions received from the data source, indicating whether current (or at least last-reported) fishing/hunting conditions are favorable. As another example, the elongated member  102  might be fashioned to represent a surfboard, sailboat, or the like, and which is situated atop or adjacent a support  108  resembling the surface of a body of water. The nose of the watercraft might then tip upwardly from the water if water and/or wind conditions are favorable for surfing or sailing, or tip downwardly into the water if conditions are unfavorable. 
     Throughout this document, the term “figurine” should be regarded as encompassing not only three-dimensional representations of concepts or real-world matter, but also two-dimensional representations (e.g., photos, images, etc.). The term “member” should be regarded as encompassing not only rectangular prisms, but also other elongated shapes, whether rectilinear or otherwise, which allow a viewer to visually discern a change in their position when moved. 
     When one part is said to be “fixed” to another part, this indicates that the parts are attached in immovable relationship to each other (either directly or via an intervening component), whereas the term “attached” more broadly indicates that the parts may be somehow connected as a unit (either directly or via an intervening component), though one part may move with respect to the other, or that the parts may be fixed. 
     It should be understood that the versions of the invention described above are merely exemplary, and the invention is not intended to be limited to these versions. Rather, the scope of rights to the invention is limited only by the claims set out below, and the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.