The present application relates to displays, and, more particularly, to an electronic display that can be coupled to a support member, such as a basketball stanchion. The present application also relates to diffuser lenses for an electronic display.
Electronic displays are used at sporting events and other venues to provide information or advertising to patrons of the event. Electronic displays are typically mounted to supporting structures such as walls or rafters. In view of utilizing other possible locations for electronic displays, aesthetic and safety concerns should be considered. For example, electronic displays are typically positioned at locations that are not within the view of a broadcast television camera, such as suspended above a basketball court. However, when electronic displays are utilized at locations that fall within the view of a broadcast television camera, the appearance of the display to a viewer of the televised event becomes important. Although the display may appear visually appealing to patrons at the venue, the display may appear distorted to viewers watching the event on television.
This overview is intended to provide an overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information about the present patent application.
In an example, a display apparatus is provided that includes a first electronic display, a second electronic display generally parallel to and facing away from the first electronic display, and a bracket. The first electronic display is mounted to a first side of the bracket and the second electronic display is mounted to a second side of the bracket. The bracket is dimensioned to extend across a width of a top arm of a basketball hoop stanchion such that the first electronic display at least partially covers a first side of the top arm and the second electronic display at least partially covers a second side of the top arm.
In an example, a display apparatus is provided that includes an LED electronic display having a plurality of LEDs and a diffuser lens positionable over the LED electronic display. The diffuser lens is operable to reduce a moiré effect of the LED electronic display.
In an example, a display apparatus is provided that includes a first electronic display having a plurality of LEDs, a second electronic display parallel to and facing away from the first electronic display, wherein the second electronic display also includes a plurality of LEDs, and a bracket for mounting the first and second electronic displays. Particularly, the first electronic display is mounted to a first side of the bracket and the second electronic display is mounted to a second side of the bracket. The bracket is dimensioned to extend across a width of a top arm of a stanchion such that the first electronic display at least partially covers a first side of the top arm and the second electronic display at least partially covers a second side of the top arm. The display apparatus further includes a first diffuser lens located over the plurality of LEDs of the first electronic display and a second diffuser lens located over the plurality of LEDs of the second electronic display.
These examples can be combined in any permutation or combination.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
The present patent application relates to electronic displays that are adapted for positioning on a support structure, such as a basketball stanchion. In an example, the electronic display can include first and second electronic display panels coupled to a mounting bracket in a spaced apart manner such that the display panels are generally parallel to each other. The present patent application further relates to a diffuser lens for an electronic display panel that helps to reduce or eliminate a moiré patterning when the electronic display panel is viewed through a broadcast television camera.
As illustrated in
As generally illustrated in
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In an example, each of the first and second electronic displays panels 115, 125 can be mounted to a bracket 120, with the first electronic display panel 115 mounted to one side of the bracket 120 and the second electronic display panel 125 mounted to the opposing side of the bracket 120. Further, the bracket 120 can be dimensioned to extend across the width of the top arm 105 of the stanchion 110 such that the first electronic display panel 115 is positionable on the first side 106 of the top arm 105 and the second electronic display panel 125 is positionable on the second side 107 of the top arm 105.
In an example, the bracket 120 can have a generally “U-shaped” cross-sectional configuration resembling a horseshoe. Particularly, the horseshoe-shaped bracket 120 can include first and second generally parallel sides and a top panel that is generally perpendicular to the first and second sides, thereby defining three sides of a rectangle. The horseshoe-shaped bracket 120 can allow the electronic display 100 to straddle the top arm 105 of the basketball stanchion 110, which in turn can allow the electronic display 100 to sit lower on the basketball stanchion 110.
A horseshoe-shaped bracket 120 defined by a series of parallel and perpendicular sides is described merely for purposes of example and not limitation, and the particular cross-sectional shape of the bracket 120 that is required for a given application may depend on the cross-sectional shape of the top arm 105 of the basketball stanchion 110. For example, a horseshoe-shaped bracket 120 can be suitable for a top arm 105 having a cross-section in the shape of a square or rectangle. However, a top arm 105 having rounded or angled surfaces may require an alternative bracket design that can mate with such surfaces. Thus, in various examples, the bracket 120 can have other suitable cross-sectional shapes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present patent application.
In the example set forth in
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Alternatively or in addition to providing inputs for receiving and/or sending data information signals, such as the second input 520, a wireless communication means can be incorporated into the electronic display 100 to allow receiving and sending of data information signals without the need for wiring cables to physical input terminals. In an example, the wireless communication can utilize one of the IEEE 802.11 protocols. However, any suitable wireless technology can be utilized including, but not limited to, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband (UWB), wireless USB (WUSB), cellular, or the like.
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With particular reference to FIGS. 12 and 14-16, the diffuser lens 730 can include a plurality of mounting posts 740 extending from a back surface 750 of the diffuser lens 730. The mounting posts 740 can be sized and dimensioned to be received within a corresponding plurality of mounting post receptacles (not shown) in the LED panel 710 to secure the diffuser lens 730 to the panel 710. As illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
In an example, the mounting posts 740 can be positioned in a symmetrical or grid-like pattern. In another example, as illustrated in
In various examples, the diffuser tens 730 can be designed as a single, continuous element or as a plurality of modular elements. Some display panel modules use a single LED panel, and in those instances, a single diffuser lens having a size commensurate with that of the LED panel may be preferable. However, since many display panels are modular and can be built into a display having any ratio and size by building the LED panels up in both a vertical and a horizontal direction, it can be impractical to have the diffuser lens created as a single piece to cover the entire display.
Now that the function of the diffuser lenses in accordance with the present patent application has been described, along with their physical assembly into an electronic display panel module, various examples of diffuser lens properties will be discussed in detail.
In an example, the diffuser lenses can include a plastic material and a diffusing agent. The diffusing agent can be in the form of an external diffusion film that can be applied to a lens made from the plastic material. Alternatively, the plastic material, along with the diffusing agent, can be injected into a filter lens mold and molded into a diffuser lens configuration. In certain examples, sheet extrusion molding can be used. One benefit of molding the plastic material and the diffusing agent together into a single-component lens configuration is the elimination of the external film layer that would otherwise be required in order to create the diffusion effect.
Any transparent thermoplastic material can be used for manufacturing the diffuser lenses. Examples of suitable plastics include, but are not limited to, polymethyl methacrylate plastic, strength-modified polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate plastic, polystyrene plastic, styrene-acrylic-nitrite plastic, polyethylene terephthalate plastic, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate plastic, polyvinyl chloride plastic, transparent polyolefin plastic, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic or mixtures (i.e., blends) of various thermoplastics.
In various examples, inorganic pigments can be used as the diffusing agent. One example of an inorganic pigment that can be used as the diffusing agent is an ultramarine blue pigment. However, any suitably colored inorganic pigment can be used that provides a sufficient amount of diffusion.
Alternatively or additionally, the plastic material can also include one or more tinting agents. Examples of tinting agents can include, but are not limited to, carbon black pigments and iron oxide pigments. In an example, the iron oxide pigments can be iron oxide black. The tinting agent, which can be added to the plastic material prior to the molding step, helps maintain a level of acceptable contrast to the diffuser lens as the diffusion material by itself tends to have a milky whitish appearance, which can decrease the visual contrast of the electronic display.
In another example, the diffuser lenses can be made of various polymers such as, for example, a polymer selected from the line of Acrylite® df light diffusing molding and extrusion compounds manufactured by Evonik Cyro LLC of Parsippany, N.J. Acrylite® df light diffusing molding and extrusion compounds are acrylic polymers with superior light diffusion and transmittance properties, which can result in higher light intensity and output ratio compared to conventional pigment-diffusion polymers. In an example, this type of material can offer increased lighting efficiency with a 20-40% increase in light transmittance versus pigmented products. The special optical properties can be obtained by incorporating spherical, high molecular weight polymer beads with a different refractive index into the acrylic matrix. The difference in refractive indices can change the direction of light travel within the diffuser lens, with the net result being a substantially even distribution of light exiting the LEDs.
In an example, the Acrylite® df light diffusing molding and extrusion compound can be injection molded into a lens configuration, which may or may not be pigmented. Impact modifiers can be added to the injection mold to improve the brittleness and impact resistance. Acrylite® df light diffusing molding and extrusion compounds exhibit very minimal, if any, color shift when viewed from the side and have a low contrast with respect to their background compared to traditional light diffusers.
The various light diffuser lens materials described above were presented merely for purposes of example and not limitation. Thus, other light diffuser lens materials having similar properties can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present patent application.
In an example, the diffuser lenses can have one or more textured surfaces to help diffuse the light hitting the front of the diffuser lens, which can help reduce or eliminate “hot spots.” Providing a diffuser lens with a textured surface can be useful since a non-textured plastic or polymeric piece tends to reflect light thereby creating hot spots from overhead lighting and indirect lighting sources when viewed from certain angles. In an example, the textured diffuser lens can be formed in a mold having a bead blasted texture, which creates a roughened surface contour as the lens material cures within the mold. Alternatively or additionally, acid etching can be used to provide the textured lens surface.
Diffuser lenses in accordance with the present patent application can have any suitable lens thickness. In an example, the diffuser lenses can have a thickness in a range from about 1 mm to about 4 mm. However, diffuser tenses having a greater thickness are also contemplated. In an example, the thickness of the diffuser lens can be selected so as to allow for receipt of the maximum benefit of the diffused material while maintaining crispness of the displayed image. Particularly, if the LED pixels were to be over-diffused, the overall image would have a soft, out of focus appearance. Thus, selection of the proper diffuser lens thickness can be an important factor in the overall quality of the displayed image.
The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the subject matter of the present patent application can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof shown or described herein.
All publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein,” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
Although the subject matter of the present patent application has been described with reference to various embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present patent application recited in the below claims.
This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/444,318, entitled “ELECTRONIC DISPLAY” (Attorney Docket No. 339. 172PRV), filed on Feb. 18, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61444318 | Feb 2011 | US |