Large incandescent live image display system
AssigneeMikohn Gaming Corporation
InventorJames E. Barlow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high speed control is disclosed for delivering delayed phase power to each of four incandescent xenon bulbs. Each of the four incandescent xenon bulbs are oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel. The colored pixel of the present invention is illuminated to a desired color by means of a high speed control operating at NTSC video standard of 30 frames per second. The invention is based upon an AC power source with conventional 60 cycles of AC power.
Claims15
A high-speed control for delivering phase-delayed power to an incandescent bulb at one of a predetermined number of levels, said high speed control comprising:
- an AC power source for providing AC power,
- an AC phase switch connected to said incandescent bulb and to said AC power source,
- a counter connected to said AC phase switch,
- a register connected to said counter,
- means for inputting into said register a delayed phase power level, said delayed phase power level corresponding to said one predetermined level,
- a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating said delayed phase power level from said register into said counter each half cycle of said AC power, and
- clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for incrementally changing the delayed phase power level during each said half cycle in said counter until a pre-selected value is reached wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number, said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate said AC phase switch so as to provide said phase-delayed power at said one predetermined level to said incandescent bulb during each said half cycle.
A high-speed control for delivering phase-delayed power to each of at least three incandescent bulbs, each of said at least three incandescent bulbs oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel, said colored pixel being illuminated to a color by said high-speed control, said high-speed control comprising:
- an AC power source having cycles of AC power with zero-crossings,
- an AC phase switch control connected to each of said at least three incandescent bulbs and to said AC power source, each said AC phase switch control comprising:
- (a) an AC phase switch,
- (b) a counter connected to said AC phase switch,
- (c) a register connected to said counter,
- means connected to said AC phase switch control for inputting into each said register in each of said AC phase switch controls a power phase level, each said power phase level corresponding to a light intensity for said connected incandescent bulb,
- a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating each said power phase level from each said register into each said counter during each half cycle of said AC power, and
- clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for changing each said power phase level in each said counter until a pre-selected value is reached wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number, each said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate each said AC phase switch so as to provide said phase-delayed power to each of said at least three incandescent bulbs.
A high-speed control for delivering phase delayed power to each of four incandescent bulbs, each of said four incandescent bulbs oriented behind a colored lens to form a colored pixel, said colored pixel being illuminated to a color by said high speed control, said high speed control comprising:
- an AC power source having sixty cycles of AC power with zero-crossings,
- an AC phase switch control connected to each of said incandescent bulbs and to said AC power source, each said AC phase control comprising:
- (a) a TRIAC
- (b) an up counter connected to said AC phase switch,
- (c) a latch register connected to said up counter,
- a serial shift register receiving power phase level data at a frequency of at least 6 Mhz for inputting into each said register in each of said AC phase controls a power phase level, each aforesaid said power phase level corresponding to a light intensity for said connected incandescent bulb,
- a phase signal in synchronism with the zero-crossings of said AC power for gating each said power phase level from each said latch register into each said counter during each half cycle of said AC power,
- clock pulses in synchronism with said phase signal for changing each said power phase level in each said up counter until a pre-selected value is reached said pre-selected value being in the range between 0 and 255, wherein said clock pulses in said half cycle equal said predetermined number and wherein 0 corresponds to no intensity and 255 corresponds to full intensity, each said counter upon reaching said pre-selected value issuing a signal to activate each said TRIAC switch so as to provide said phase delayed power to each of said four incandescent bulbs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.