Patent ID: 7477208

Claim:
A light emitting display apparatus for displaying a stationary or animated image on a rotating object, the light emitting display apparatus comprising: a support attachable to the rotating object so as to having the same center of rotation as the rotating object; a plurality of light emitting elements on said support and arranged in one or more generally parallel columns; one or more image maps of an image to be displayed, each image map including an array of plurality of columns; a means for sensing the rotational position of said support about the center of rotation and generating a signal; a microcontroller attached to each of said plurality of light emitting elements, said microcontroller receives said signal and operates to select an image map and a column from said selected image map in accordance with said signal and configured to illuminate one or more of said light emitting elements in accordance with said selected image map, said selected column and said signal, thereby displaying said image as said support is rotated about the center of rotation so as to be viewed by humans; a power source connected to and providing electrical power to said microcontroller; and said microcontroller determines the rotational frequency of said support from said signal and using said rotational frequency determines the linear velocity of the object to which said support is attached, and wherein said image is of a speedometer which dynamically displays said linear velocity.