Granted Patent B2

US 9,476,596 · App. 12/573,933 · Granted Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A system for displaying the control settings for an electric fireplace, the system comprising:

an electric fireplace comprising a non-electric projection screen;

a function indicator module with at least one function indicator light installed approximately adjacent to an interior surface of the non-electric projection screen for creating a non-video visual status display of the electric fireplace's control settings that is projected onto the non-electric projection screen such that the non-video visual status display and function indicator module are substantially hidden from view when the at least one function indicator light is not illuminated;

a controller communicatively connected to the function indicator module to control a dimmable brightness of light emitted by the at least one function indicator light; and

a power source;

wherein at least part of the visual status display is viewable from an exterior surface of the non-electric projection screen when the at least one function indicator light is illuminated;

wherein the non-video visual status display comprises patterns or shapes comprised of light that passes through or around a visual display apparatus and is projected onto the non-electric projection screen.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one function indicator light emits a path of light.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one function indicator light comprises a light-emitting diode.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the non-video visual status display of the at least one function indicator light comprises patterns or shapes corresponding to at least one of the following settings: power, temperature, light brightness, blower or fan speed, timer, flame control, and speaker volume.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function indicator module varies the non-video visual status display displayed on the non-electric projection screen based upon a user's selection of control settings levels.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function indicator module comprises:

a housing comprising an open end and a closed end;

at least one function indicator light installed on an interior surface of the closed end of the housing; and

the visual display apparatus installed over the open end of the housing.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the visual display apparatus comprises a translucent film comprising printed control status indicia.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the visual display apparatus comprises an opaque plate comprising at least one translucent section in alignment with a path of light emitted by the at least one function indicator light.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one translucent section comprises printed control status indicia.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the visual display apparatus comprises an opaque plate comprising at least one aperture aligned with a path of light emitted by the at least one function indicator light.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the opaque plate comprises control status indicia positioned within the path of light passing through the at least one aperture.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function indicator module is installed behind an interior surface of the non-electric projection screen to project the non-video visual status display onto the interior surface of the non-electric projection screen.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function indicator module is installed on an interior surface of the non-electric projection screen.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function indicator module is connected to a timer-controlled dimmer to control the dimmable brightness of the light.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a user control interface comprising at least one set of control features selected from the group consisting of: control buttons, a touchscreen comprising electronically displayed control keys, and a remote control.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a computer comprising a user control interface with control features.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a circuit board comprising input and output ports to which the function indicator module is electrically and communicatively connectable.

18. A method for visually displaying the control settings of an electric fireplace, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) projecting light emitted by a light source through a function indicator module comprising control status indicia;

(b) projecting light passing through the control function indicator module onto a non-electric projection screen of an electric fireplace to create a non-video visual display of the electric fireplace's control settings on an exterior surface the non-electric projection screen;

(c) varying the characteristics of the non-video visual display depending upon input from a user controlling the electric fireplace's control settings;

(d) projecting the visual display onto an interior surface of the non-electric projection screen for a predetermined period of time determinable by programming of a timer-controlled dimmer; and

(e) dimming the light source creating the visual display after a predetermined period of time until the light source is turned off and the non-video visual display disappears from the exterior surface of the non-electric projection screen;

wherein the at least part of the non-video visual status display is viewable from an exterior surface of the non-electric projection screen when at least part of the function indicator module is illuminated;

wherein the non-video visual status display comprises patterns or shapes comprised of light that passes through or around a visual display apparatus and is projected onto the interior surface of the non-electric projection screen so as to be visible on the exterior surface of the non-electric projection screen.

Assignments (11)