Patent Application
20130186346
Not Applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative water displays.
2. Description of Related Art
Decorative water displays, such as aquariums and the like, are known in the art. Ornamental water displays for indoor use are known and, in some cases, include water circulating pumps while in other cases the water is static. Aquariums utilizing circulating pumps to aerate the water are well known and in some cases include artwork immersed in the aquarium. The decorative appearance of such displays and their contents providing a pleasing aesthetic visual appearance to their owners. Various lighting apparatus are often used to further enhance the visual appearance of the water display and to illuminate the contents for easier viewing.
This invention relates generally to water displays and, more particularly, to a water display which includes a sound module that plays sounds through a speaker device to accompany and enhance the visual appearance of the display. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention comprises a decorative water display which includes a container for holding water, an art piece adapted to be immersed in the water, and a sound module mounted on the container operable to play a prerecorded audio recording through a speaker device.
The water display may further include a light source and it is within the scope of the invention to coordinate the playback of the audio recording with the light source to produce a synergistic artistic expression. The invention also encompasses storing the audio recording on a removable memory component to accommodate different tastes.
Additional aspects of the invention, together with the advantages and novel features appurtenant thereto, will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Container 10 is preferably formed of a rigid, transparent material such as plastic. Most preferably, container 10 is acrylic. Base 18 and lid 20 are preferably formed of a rigid, water impervious material, such as plastic. Lid 20 is preferably removably positioned onto upper end 16 of container 10. Most preferably lid 20 includes tabs, slots, or other alignment features configured to evenly position the lid upon the open upper end of the container.
Art piece 22 may be any decorative piece such as a sculpture or other art work. Preferably, art piece 22 is water impervious, although works of art that alter upon exposure to water are also anticipated by the present invention. As seen in
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Elongated lamp portion 28 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) 44 positioned along the length of the underside of sound module 26. As can be seen in
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LED driver circuitry 52 is operable to supply power to the plurality of LEDs 44 upon a command signal from MCU 50 (as described above, LEDs 44 are positioned along the length of sound module 30 to provided illumination to the art piece and the interior of the container). Switch 38 is preferably operable to turn LEDs 44 on and off. It should be understood that while a single line is depicted connecting MCU 50 and LED Drivers 52 in
MP3 decoder circuitry 56 is operable to communicate with storage device 42 (the removable media card previously described) and to read from the device a preprogrammed sound recording stored preferably in the MP3 format. The MP3 circuitry translates the MP3 encoded sound file to an analog electrical signal, which is communicated to amplifier circuitry 57 which amplifies the signal to driver speaker devices 36a, 36b (located in the sound module as described previously) which produce an audible signal corresponding to the sound recording being played back. Speaker devices 36a, 36b convert the electrical signal received from the amplifier circuitry 57 to an acoustical wave, preferably in the form of a human-perceptible sound. The speaker devices are preferably a miniature Mylar speakers positioned on the chassis the sound module 30.
MP3 decoder circuitry 56 is also in communication with memory 59, which is used by the decoder circuitry in the translation and decoding of the MP3 sound file, and is in communication with MCU 50 such that the MCU can monitor the sound file being played so that, for example, the LEDs may be illuminated in coordination with the sound file. Control switches 34a, 34b, and 34c are in electrical communication with MP3 decoder circuitry 56 to control the playback of the MP3 sound file.
Infrared receiver circuitry 54 is operable to receive an infrared signal from a remote control device and communicate a detected control signal to the MP3 circuitry 56. Thus, in addition to being controllable via switches 34a, 34b, and 34c, the MP3 circuitry may be controlled remotely by a user to control audio playback functions such as starting, stopping, fast forward, rewind, volume, and the like.
Power supply circuitry 58 and regulator circuitry 60 provide power to all of the other circuitry components, as is known in the art. Preferably, power supply 58 is a battery pack or direct current (DC) supply powered by standard 120 or 220 volt AC mains power. Regulator circuitry 60 is operable to provide a stable, regulated DC supply to the other circuitry blocks described herein. For clarity of the block diagram, lines connecting the Vcc power from the regulator circuitry to the other circuitry is not shown, however it is understood that the regulated power is available to all of the circuitry depicted and contained in the control module 30.
In operation and use, an art piece 22 is positioned in container 10 and the container is at least partially filled with water. A removable media card 42 is inserted into slot 40 of the control module 30, and the module is positioned into lid 20 and powered on using power switch 38. Using either a remote control in communication with infrared circuitry 54, or using control switches 34a, 34b, 34c, a user commands playback of a prerecorded MP3 sound file from the media card. The MP3 decoder circuitry reads the file from the card, translates the digital information in the file to an electrical signal, and transmits the signal to the amplifier circuitry. The amplifier circuitry increases the strength of the signal and transmits to the speaker devices which convert the electrical signal to an audible signal, thus audibly playing the music or sound from a sound file. In conjunction with playback of the sound file, the MCU may illuminate the LEDs either continuously, with the power turned on using switch 38, or may illuminate the LEDs in a predetermined or random pattern, or in coordination with the playback of the sound recording. The overall effect of the decorative water display is an art piece displayed within a container filled (or partially filled) with water, the art piece being illuminated in conjunction with the playback of an accompanying audio track. “Art piece” is understood to include any natural or man-made object of any size having a decorative effect.
The embodiments described above are intended to be illustrative, and not limiting. Variations of the specific embodiments described are anticipated by, and are within the scope of, the present invention.
For example, slot 40 of the sound module is described as being configured to receive a micro SDHC media card. Other types of storage media, such as full size or mini SDHC cards may be used with a corresponding slot configured to receive the card. Or, slot 40 could be a universal serial bus (USB) configuration, with media card 42 being a USB flash drive. These and other configurations of media storage and corresponding receptacles are within the scope of the present invention. The audio circuit may also be fixed. Similarly, while the light source is shown to comprise LEDs 44, other lighting elements known in the art, such as incandescent bulbs or neon bulbs could be used within the scope of the present invention. And, while speaker devices 36a, 36b are described as Mylar speakers, other sound transducer devices such as piezoelectric transducers or electromechanical loudspeakers may be used without deviating from the scope of the present invention.
While the sound module depicted and described includes both a light source and audio circuitry, it should be understood that the light source may be separated from the sound module and mounted separately to the lid or housing of the container, or that the sound module may not include any light source whatsoever. While the sound module is preferable in MP3 format, it could also be in MP4, WMA, or any other format.
Container 12 may be any shape, and need not be the cylindrical shape depicted in the exemplary embodiments. Container 12 may comprise an aquarium. It is understood that “aquarium” includes any container for holding a visual water display of either artificial objects or live plants and fish or some combination. The lid may comprise a housing that encompasses the sound module and light source, or the sound module and light source may mount to the container separately from the lid and housing. These and other variations are also within the scope of the present invention.
Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.
While specific embodiments have been shown and discussed, various modifications may of course be made, and the invention is not limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts and steps described herein, except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims. Further, it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
