Three-Dimensional Visual Display Including Directly Lit Diffusers
A display apparatus uses a LED array having a LED pixel pitch, having LED pixels emitting light with viewing angles θ. A transmissive diffuser panel is mounted with the LED array, having a directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface spaced away from the LED array by at least distance D. The distance D and the viewing angles θ being are effective to merge illumination from multiple LED pixels in the LED array on the directly lit diffuser panel surface. A controller is connected to the LED array having circuitry to control the LED array in response to image data to induce display via the diffuser panel of a time varying image with spatially varying colors and intensities.
1 . A display apparatus, comprising:
a LED array, LED pixels in the LED array emitting light with viewing angles θ;
a transmissive diffuser panel mounted with the LED array, having a directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface spaced away from the LED array by at least distance D, the distance D and the viewing angles θ being effective to merge illumination from multiple LED pixels in the LED array on the directly lit diffuser panel surface; and
a controller connected to the LED array having circuitry to control the LED array in response to image data to induce display via the diffuser panel of a time varying image with spatially varying colors and intensities.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , configured as a ceiling mounted fixture which orients the directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface relative to a plane of a ceiling, and the directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface includes areas facing laterally relative to the plane of the ceiling.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array is arranged on a cylindrical form, and the directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface is cylindrical.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array is disposed on a planar form, and the directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface has a major region parallel to the planar mount and curved perimeter regions.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array includes a plurality of panels arranged to face in different directions, and the directly lit, non-planar diffuser panel surface includes a plurality of regions spaced away by at least distance D from corresponding panels in the plurality of panels.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array has a LED pixel pitch, and the distance D being between two times and five times the LED pixel pitch.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array has a LED pixel pitch, so that D*tan(θ) is greater than five times the LED pixel pitch.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images produced do not include twinkle, but remain interpretable by human observers.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images regions of contrasting intensity produce a three dimensional image effect.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED array includes a set of RGB color LEDs in each LED pixel.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , configured for use in a soundscape environment in which a sound is produced in the environment, and wherein the controller is coupled to a source of image data that causes generation of an interpretable time varying image suggestive of a source of the sound.
12 . A display apparatus, comprising:
a ceiling mount fixture for mounting relative to a plane of a ceiling;
a LED array mounted on a cylindrical form on the ceiling mount fixture, the cylindrical form having an axis orthogonal to the plane of the ceiling;
a transmissive diffuser panel mounted with the LED array, having a directly lit, cylindrical diffuser panel surface, concentric with the cylindrical form, and spaced away from the LED array and facing laterally relative to the plane of the ceiling; and
a controller connected to the LED array which controls the LED array in response to image data to induce display via the diffuser panel of a time varying image with spatially varying colors and intensities.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the LED pixels in the LED array have an LED pixel pitch and viewing angles 0 , and the directly lit, cylindrical diffuser panel surface spaced away from the LED array by at least distance D between two times and five times the LED pixel pitch.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , so that D times tan(θ) is greater than five times the LED pixel pitch.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images produced do not include twinkle, but remain interpretable by human observers.
16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images regions of contrasting intensity produce a three dimensional image effect.
17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the LED array includes a set of RGB color LEDs in each LED pixel.
18 . The apparatus of claim 12 , configured for use in a soundscape environment in which a sound is produced in the environment, and wherein the controller is coupled to a source of image data that causes generation of an interpretable time varying image suggestive of a source of the sound.
19 . A display apparatus, comprising:
a ceiling mount fixture for mounting relative to a plane of a ceiling;
a LED array mounted on a planar form on the ceiling mount fixture, the planar form parallel to the plane of the ceiling;
a transmissive diffuser panel mounted with the LED array, having a directly lit, diffuser panel surface spaced away from the LED array, the directly lit, diffuser panel surface having a major region parallel to the planar form and curved perimeter regions facing laterally relative to the plane of the ceiling; and
a controller connected to the LED array which controls the LED array in response to image data to induce display via the diffuser panel of a time varying image with spatially varying colors and intensities.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the LED pixels in the LED array have a LED pixel pitch and viewing angles θ, and the directly lit, diffuser panel surface is spaced away from the LED array by at least distance D between two times and five times the LED pixel pitch.
21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein D times tan(θ) is greater than five times the LED pixel pitch.
22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images produced do not include twinkle, but remain interpretable by human observers.
23 . The apparatus of claim 20 , the distance D being tuned so that time varying images regions of contrasting intensity produce a three dimensional image effect.
24 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the LED array includes a set of RGB color LEDs in each LED pixel.
25 . The apparatus of claim 19 , configured for use in a soundscape environment in which a sound is produced in the environment, and wherein the controller is coupled to a source of image data that causes generation of an interpretable time varying image suggestive of a source of the sound.