Patent Application
20130106312
Illuminated large-scale displays that comprise a large number of individual illuminated elements may serve as works or art or to convey information. A stadium display is an example of a large-scale display that can convey both information and artistic visuals. Another type of large-scale display involves a system in which each person in a crowd holds an illumination device that can be wirelessly remotely controlled from a centralized controller. Such a system can be used to provide interesting visual effects using spectators in a darkened stadium or arena as “pixels” of a large-scale display. In another known system, a field of wall-mounted elements can be individually activated by infrared radiation, such as by shining a flashlight on them. In still another known system, a metal sculpture includes individual illumination elements resembling blades of grass that can be activated by air movement, such as a person blowing on them.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a flow sensing system and method for providing a display that individually illuminates a multiplicity of devices in response to environmental flow. In an exemplary embodiment, the flow sensing system includes a multiplicity of devices distributed at different locations within a three-dimensional space, so as to provide an overall illumination effect throughout the space that visually indicates wind (air) or other fluid flowing through the space. Each device can include a housing, at least one light source, a sensor system, and a device controller. The sensor system can include any of various types of sensor subsystems, each having one or more sensors, but includes at least a flow sensor subsystem. The device controller is configured to activate the light source in response to the sensor system detecting a change in an environmentally-related input, such as air flow, sensed by the sensor system.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be or become apparent to one of skill in the art to which the invention relates upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are encompassed by this description and the accompanying claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The elements shown in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Also, in the figures like reference numerals designate corresponding elements throughout the different views.
As illustrated in
Although in the exemplary embodiment the three-dimensional space in which devices 12 are distributed is the space occupied by the upper regions of tree 14, in other embodiments the three-dimensional space in which such devices are distributed can be any other suitable space or region. For example, in another embodiment the devices (not shown) can be distributed in the space occupied by a mechanical support structure (not shown). In still other embodiments the devices (not shown) can be distributed by attaching them to various different supports or structures within a three-dimensional space or region.
As illustrated in
Openings 28, 29, 31 and 30 in housing 18 define portions of sensor system 22 for allowing air to flow through housing 18 in three mutually orthogonal directions. Although not shown for purposes of clarity, corresponding openings are located opposite openings 28 and 29 so that air can flow horizontally through housing 18. Likewise, openings 30 and 31 are located at opposite ends of housing 18 so that air can flow vertically through housing 18. Other portions of sensor system 22, which are not shown in
As illustrated in
Sensor system 22 can sense and detect changes in one or more environmental inputs. In the exemplary embodiment, the environmental inputs include wind or air flow directed toward device 12 as well as the orientation of device 12 with respect to the environment in which device 12 is located. Accordingly, in the exemplary embodiment sensor system 22 includes an air flow sensor subsystem 42 and an orientation sensor subsystem 44.
In the exemplary embodiment, air flow sensor subsystem 42 includes the following sensors: an anemometer 46 and a microphone 48. Nevertheless, in other embodiments such an air flow sensor subsystem can include additional or different types of air flow sensors. Also, note that although in the exemplary embodiment only a single sensor of each of the above-referenced types is described, other embodiments can include more than one sensor of each such type. Although only the sensors of air flow sensor subsystem 42 are individually shown in
Anemometer 46 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables anemometer 46 to measure air flow through openings 28, 29, 30, 31 and the openings that oppose openings 28 and 29 (
Microphone 48 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables microphone 48 to sense the sound resulting from air flow (i.e., wind) past or through housing 18.
In the exemplary embodiment, orientation sensor subsystem 44 includes the following sensors: a compass or orientation magnetometer 50, a gyroscope 52, an accelerometer 54 and a camera 56. Nevertheless, in other embodiments such an orientation sensor subsystem can include additional or different types of orientation sensors. Also, note that although in the exemplary embodiment only a single sensor of each of the above-referenced types is described, other embodiments can include more than one sensor of each such type. Although only the sensors of orientation subsystem 44 are individually shown in
Magnetometer 50 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables magnetometer 50 to sense the geographic direction in which housing 18 is oriented, in the manner of a compass. However, magnetometer 50 can alternatively be used to measure wind energy and wind velocity. For example, to measure wind energy, magnetometer 50 can be a 3DOF magnetometer that hangs inside housing 18 and thus behaves like a pendulum with respect to the motion of tree branch 26. The resting position of device 12 can be determined by computing the median value of readings from magnetometer 50 during periods of rest (as determined by low variation in the magnetometer readings). The subsystem oscillates when the wind blows. The upper point of the oscillation is detected as the point at which the magnetometer readings have the greatest difference from the resting position. This greatest difference can provide a measurement of wind energy at that instant.
Gyroscope 52 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables gyroscope 52 to sense changes in orientation of housing 18. Gyroscope 52 may be based upon microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) technology or other suitable technology. Gyroscope 52 may of a single-axis type, a two-axis type, or a three-axis type.
Accelerometer 54 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables accelerometer 54 to sense the quantity that is commonly known as “proper acceleration” or “g-force.” A change in proper acceleration of housing 18 is indicative of a change in orientation of housing 18.
Camera 56 is mounted in housing 18 or otherwise coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables camera 56 to capture images of the environment so that changes in the images can be sensed. A change in the captured image is indicative of a change in orientation of housing 18.
Piezoelectric sensor 58 is coupled to housing 18 in a manner that enables piezoelectric sensor 58 to sense the flexing of tree branch 26 (
Light source 20 can include one or more individual sources of light, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), arranged in any suitable manner. In the exemplary embodiment, an external portion of light source 20 is located near the bottom of housing 18 (
Light source 20 has a maximum useful range. That is, light source 20 can emit light that is visible to an average human observer from within a range of distances from light source 20 but not visible at substantially greater distances. In the system shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, wireless communication system 40 includes a wireless transmitter 60, a wireless receiver 62, and an antenna 64. As described below, device controller 36 can cause information to be wirelessly communicated to and from (i.e, transmitted to and received from) other devices 12 or other transmitters and receivers. Although in the exemplary embodiment wireless communication system 40 is based upon radio frequency transmissions, in other embodiments such a wireless communication system can be based on any other suitable phenomena, such as infrared transmissions.
Device controller 36 can comprise any suitable logic, such as a microcontroller or microprocessor-based system. As persons of ordinary skill in the art are capable of providing and programming or configuring such logic to operate in the manner described herein, details of such aspects are not described herein. For example, persons of ordinary skill in the art are capable of programming or configuring such logic to operate in accordance with the flow diagrams of
As indicated by block 66 in
If, as indicated by block 70, a change in sensed environmental input is detected, such as indicated by the above-described collective indication of change, then device controller 36 activates light source 20, as indicated by block 72. Upon activation, light source 20 emits light. In an instance in which light source 20 is already activated at the time the determination indicated by block 70 is made, light source 20 continues to emit light. As described below, in more specific examples of processing and activation (block 72) of light source 20, light source 20 can be caused to emit light that is perceived as different from the light previously emitted, such as light of a different brightness (luminance) or color (wavelength). Thus, the phrase “to activate light source 20” or “activating light source 20” includes any action that affects the light emitted by light source 20. The sensing, processing, and activation steps described above can be performed on a periodic basis, such as, for example, every few milliseconds.
As illustrated in
As indicated by block 74, device controller 36 (
As indicated by block 78, device 12 can wirelessly communicate information with other devices 12 or other transmitters and receivers. Referring briefly to
In some embodiments, central controller 12 can provide a control signal to be transmitted to a corresponding device 12. That is, central controller 79 can control devices 12 individually. In such embodiments, each device 12 wirelessly receives a corresponding control signal and activates its light source 20 in response to the received control signal.
In other embodiments, central controller 79 acts as a relay or conduit through which each device 12 wirelessly receives the environmental input or other measurement information sensed by the sensor system 22 of at least one other device 12. In such embodiments, each device 12 provides a control signal (at least in part) in response to the received measurement information and uses that control signal to activate its light source 20.
In still other embodiments, at least one device 12 of a first type produces a control signal in response to the measurement information that it senses. At least one other device 12 of a second type wirelessly receives the control signal from the first device 12 and uses that control signal to activate its light source 20. For example, a system can comprise many devices 12 of the second type that include light sources and wireless receivers but that economically do not include sensor systems.
Returning to
Similarly, as indicated by block 82, device controller 36 can use the sensed wind direction to update a moving average of wind direction. In accordance with the alternative embodiments described above with regard to
A change in wind speed or wind direction can be determined by comparing the most recent measurement with the moving average. If, as indicated by block 84, device controller 36 determines that most recently sensed wind direction exceeds the moving average wind direction by more than a threshold amount, then device controller 36 can adjust the color of the light emitted by light source 20, as indicated by block 86. For example, each color of a predetermined set of colors can be assigned to indicate a specific geographic or compass direction, such as North, South, Southeast, Southwest, etc. If device controller 36 determines that most recently sensed wind direction is above or below the moving average by more than a threshold amount, then device controller 36 can adjust the color of the light emitted by light source 20 to indicate the most currently sensed direction.
Magnetometer 50 and the direction of gravity can be used to correlate wind direction with geographic direction, so that regardless of whether devices 12 are oriented in various geographic or compass directions all devices 12 will respond to the same wind direction by emitting the same color light. The magnetic field of the environment can be assumed to have the same direction across all devices 12, as a way to define a shared 3D coordinate frame S for the devices 12. At each device 12, the direction of the magnetic field, vector m, is computed when that device 12 is in its resting position and defines the x-axis of coordinate frame S. The cross-product of the vector m and the gravity vector g when the device is in its resting position defines the y-axis of S, and the cross-product of the x- and y-vectors determines the z-axis of S. An alternative choice is made in the particular case where vector m is parallel to vector g. All devices 12 now share a common alignment of their x-, y-, and z-axes (because the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of gravity are the same at all devices 12). All subsequent measurements of direction at a device 12 can be placed in the shared coordinate frame S. In the case where a device 12 has moved away from its resting position, magnetometer 50 defines the change in orientation relative to the resting position and hence relative to S.
The three vanes of anemometer 46 are orthogonal to one another and oriented at known orientations relative to magnetometer 50. The wind speed can be measured as s1, s2, s3 at each anemometer. The wind velocity is specified by the three vectors s1d1, s2d2, s3d3, where d1, d2, d3 are the unit vectors for the axes of the three anemometers in the shared coordinate frame S. The three vectors can be combined to determine the 3D vector for the wind velocity in the shared coordinate frame S. In still another alternative embodiment (not shown), a simpler system of two orthogonal vane anemometers can be used to determine wind velocity just in the 2D plane of those anemometers e.g. just in the horizontal plane.
If, as indicated by block 88, device controller 36 determines that most recently sensed wind speed exceeds the moving average wind speed by more than a threshold amount, then device controller 36 can adjust the brightness of the light emitted by light source 20, as indicated by block 90. For example, each brightness level or step in a graduated set of brightness levels can indicate a corresponding wind speed. If device controller 36 determines that most recently sensed wind speed exceeds the moving average by more than a threshold amount, then device controller 36 can correspondingly increase the brightness of the light emitted by light source 20. If device controller 36 determines that most recently sensed wind speed is below the moving average by more than a threshold amount, then device controller 36 can correspondingly decrease the brightness of the light emitted by light source 20.
As noted above, computations involving moving averages and adjustments of brightness and color are intended only as examples of processing of sensed environmental inputs and ways in which light sources can be activated. Other embodiments may process sensed environmental inputs in other ways that are in addition to or different from those described above. Various embodiments can include such processing and activation methods in any suitable combination with each other and with other features. For example, some embodiments may sense and process wind direction but not wind speed, while other embodiments may sense and process wind speed but not wind direction.
As a result of the system operation described above, an observer 16 (
Also, while one or more embodiments of the invention have been described as illustrative of or examples of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not to be limited by such embodiments but rather is determined by the appended claims.
