System, device for creating an aerial image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10068506-B2
Application number	US-201515501051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2015
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a flying device (701) arranged to fly in a space and to present an image in that space, a system comprising multiple flying devices (701) for presenting an image in a space and a method for presenting an image in a space using a flying device (701), wherein the flying device (701) is arranged to fly in the space under control of a control signal, the flying device (701) comprising one or more light units (731) arranged to emit multiple light beams (711, 712, 713) a communication unit arranged to receive the control signal and a processing unit arranged to control, based on the received control signal a position of the flying device and a light output of each of the multiple beams (711, 712, 713).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flying device for presenting an image in a space, the flying device arranged to fly in the space, the flying device comprising:
one or more light units arranged to emit multiple light beams in respective directions relative to the flying device,
a communication unit arranged to receive a control signal, and
a processing unit arranged to control, based on one or more received control signals:
a position of the flying device and
a light output of each of the multiple light beams wherein

the respective directions are along axes of an orthogonal reference system, fixed relative to the flying device; and
the light beams are collimated bundles of light for representing line segments of the image presented in the space.

2. The flying device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the respective directions is oriented parallel to gravity when the flying device is in operation.

3. The flying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a particle generator for generating particles for reflecting light.

4. Flying device according to claim 3 , wherein the particle generator is at least one of:
a smoke generator and
a generator of fine water droplets.

5. The flying device according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the light output comprises controlling lighting properties of at least one of the multiple light beams, the lighting properties comprising at least one of light intensity and light color.

6. The flying device according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the light output comprises controlling switching the light beam on and switching the light beam off.

7. The flying device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is arranged to receive the control signal wirelessly.

8. The flying device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more light units ( 731 ) are arranged to emit at least one of a laser beam and a visible light beam.

9. A system for presenting an image in a space, the system comprising multiple flying devices according to claim 1 .

10. The system according to claim 9 , comprising:
a control unit arranged to:
determine the image to be presented in the space, the image having line segments, each line segment of the line segments corresponding to a position and an orientation in the space,
associate to the each line segment a flying device of the multiple flying devices for representing the respective line segments in the space, and wherein at least one of the multiple flying devices is arranged to represent at least two of the line segments, and
determine for the each flying device a control signal for controlling a position and a light output of the each flying device such that the each line segment is being presented in the space by a light beam of the associated flying device, and

a communication unit for sending the respective command signal to the flying devices.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the system is arranged to represent the image having a shape, the shape comprising a first line segment connected to a second line segment, the first line segment coinciding in the space with the second line segment, the first line segment represented by a first flying device and the second line segment represented by a second flying device.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the first line segment is obtained by the first flying device directing a light beam towards the second flying device.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the system is arranged to present an image having line segments comprising line segments forming at least one of a character, a number and a letter of an alphabet.

14. A method of presenting an image in a space using a flying device according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
receiving a control signal in the flying device, and
controlling, based on one or more received control signals:
a position of the flying device; and
a light output of each of the multiple light beams emitted by the flying device

wherein
the respective directions are along the axes of an orthogonal reference system, fixed relative to the flying device; and

the light beams are collimated bundles of light for representing line segments of the image presented in the space.

Assignees

• Philips Lighting Holding Bv

Inventors

• Garcia Morchon Oscar
• Pestrin Alan
• Arulandu Kumar

Classifications

• H04N13/388

  Volumetric displays, i.e. systems where the image is built up from picture elements distributed through a volume · CPC title

• G05D1/104

  involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying (traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title

• G03B15/006

  Apparatus mounted on flying objects · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title

• G03B21/608

  Fluid screens · CPC title