Claims
- 1. A display system having a display portion conformable to a plurality of surfaces shaped differently from one another, the system being for creating and displaying images and comprising:
- an electroluminescent display unit conformable to irregular or curved surfaces and having a plurality of electroluminescent pixels to create an image to be displayed;
- a receiver for receiving a signal, the signal containing information regarding the image to be displayed on the electroluminescent display unit;
- at least one signal processor for processing the information in the signal; and
- means for providing the processed information to the electroluminescent display unit to activate selected pixels of the plurality of electroluminescent pixels to display the image, wherein the selected pixels are activated based on the information in the signal.
- 2. The display system of claim 1 further comprising:
- a transmitter for gathering the signal and transmitting the signal to the receiver; and
- a source from which the signal is gathered by the transmitter.
- 3. The display system of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent display unit includes a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels including a matrix of the electroluminescent pixels arranged in rows and columns.
- 4. A display system having a display portion conformable to a plurality of surfaces shaped differently from one another, the system comprising:
- an electroluminescent display conformable to irregular or curved surfaces and having a plurality of pixels thereon;
- a receiver for receiving an input signal, the input signal being representative of information identifying positions of ones of said plurality of pixels on the electroluminescent display;
- a signal processor for processing the input signal; and
- means for providing the processed signal to the electroluminescent display to activate appropriate pixels to create an image on the electroluminescent display.
- 5. The display system of claim 4, wherein the electroluminescent display includes a plurality of electroluminescent panels.
- 6. The display system of claim 5, wherein the signal processor includes a plurality of modules, one module for each electroluminescent panel, to drive said plurality of electroluminescent panels and a connector connecting the plurality of modules in series to provide the processed input signal to the plurality of electroluminescent panels.
- 7. The display system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules includes:
- a microcontroller for receiving the processed input signal and generating an output signal;
- a power supplying circuit for supplying power of an appropriate magnitude and frequency to drive the electroluminescent display; and
- a selection circuit connected to receive the output signal from the microcontroller and to receive the power from the power supplying circuit, the selection circuit selectively providing the power to the electroluminescent display based on the output signal from the microcontroller.
- 8. A display including a portion conformable to a plurality of surfaces shaped differently from one another, the display comprising:
- a miniature scrolling sign for generating a display information signal;
- a circuit coupled to the miniature scrolling sign including a transmitter, a receiver and a communication channel between said transmitter and said receiver;
- an electroluminescent message board conformable to irregular or curved surfaces and including a plurality of bendable panels;
- an AC power supply coupled to the electroluminescent panels;
- a plurality of modules serially coupled together to form a series of modules, one module for each electroluminescent display panel, to drive said plurality of electroluminescent panels;
- wherein the receiver is coupled to a first module in the series of panel driving modules, said transmitter being for receiving the display information signal from said miniature scrolling sign and communicating said signal to said receiver through said communication channel, whereby said display information signal is provided to said plurality of modules.
- 9. A method for displaying messages on a display system having a display portion conformable to a plurality of surfaces shaped differently from one another, the method comprising:
- receiving a signal;
- processing the signal;
- providing the processed signal to an electroluminescent display conformable to an irregular or curved surface and having a plurality of pixels, said signal being representative of a message; and
- activating a set of the pixels on the electroluminescent display based on the signal to create the message.
- 10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein processing the signal includes:
- receiving data in the signal serially;
- holding the data; and
- outputting the data in parallel, at a predetermined time, to the electroluminescent display.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 60/024,807, filed Aug. 28, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.
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