Modular flexible display system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830885-B2
Application number	US-201615332516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of flexible display modules and systems of flexible display modules. Display modules have a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a predetermined pattern and providing a highly uniform visual effect. Alignment and complementary alignment features enable the alignment of adjacent display modules and the creation of large displays from a plurality of aligned display modules. Features to couple to and retain a support frame are provided. Flexible and durable weather resistance features are provided. Modules and systems have features that permit installation and removal from the front side or the back side of the display. A system of modular support frames works cooperatively with the display modules, adapting to different mounting environments, and thereby providing large modular displays with desirable properties.

First claim

We claim:

1. A modular display system for displaying an image upon a viewing plane comprising:
a) a support frame having one or more apertures;
b) a first display module comprising:
i) a flexible substrate having a flexible environmental barrier coating, the flexible substrate being electrically connected to a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on a display plane in a predetermined pattern, said plurality of light emitting elements collectively displaying said image on said display plane;
ii) a releasable frame retention means coupled to said flexible substrate and having a retaining position and a non-retaining position, said retaining position effective for engaging a portion of said support frame about one of said one or more apertures, said retaining position effective for urging said display plane to be substantially co-planar with said viewing plane, said non-retaining position allowing said first display module to be removed from said viewing plane, said releasable frame retention means configured to be actuated between said retaining position and said non-retaining position from the display plane side of said display module;
iii) a first alignment feature coupled to said flexible substrate and disposed in a predetermined relationship to said display plane;
iv) a first complementary alignment feature coupled to said flexible substrate and disposed in a predetermined relationship to said first alignment feature;

c) the first display module further characterized in that it has an installed position and an uninstalled position,
i) said installed position characterized in that the releasable frame retention means is in said retaining position and said display plane is substantially co-planar with said viewing plane;

ii) said uninstalled position characterized in that the releasable frame retention means is in said non-retaining position and said display plane is not co-planar with said viewing plane;
d) a second display module identical to said first display module, said second display module in the installed position;
e) said modular display system further characterized in that:
i) when said first display module is in the installed position, the first alignment feature of the first display module operatively engages the first complementary alignment feature of the second display module causing said predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of said first display module to become aligned with the predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of the second display module, the alignment between said first and said second display modules causing no perceivable visual aberration on the viewing plane;

f) said modular display system further characterized in that the plurality of display modules in the installed position upon said support frame collectively create the viewing plane.

2. The system of claim 1 further characterized in that the releasable frame retention means is configured to be operated from the side of the display module that is opposite the display plane.

3. The system of claim 1 further characterized in that:
a) the support frame comprises one or more ferromagnetic portions;
b) the first display module and the second display module each further comprise:
i) a plurality of magnetic couplers disposed within a coupler alignment frame;
ii) the coupler alignment frame is coupled to the flexible substrate in a predetermined position with respect to the display plane;

c) each of first display module and second display module are attracted to said one or more ferromagnetic portions of said support frame support frame by means of magnetic attraction between said magnetic couplers and said one or more ferromagnetic portions.

4. The system of claim 1 further characterized in that:
a) the first display module and second display module each additionally comprise:
i) a second alignment feature coupled to said flexible substrate and disposed in a predetermined relationship to said display plane;
ii) a second complementary alignment feature coupled to said flexible substrate and disposed in a predetermined relationship to said alignment feature;

b) a third display module identical to said first display module, said third display module in the installed position and its releasable frame retention means in the retaining position;
c) said modular display system further characterized in that:
i) when said first display module is in the installed position, the first alignment feature of the first display module operatively engages the first complementary alignment feature of the second display module causing said predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of said first display module to become aligned with the predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of the second display module, the alignment between said first and said second display modules causing no perceivable visual aberration on the viewing plane;
ii) when said first display module is in the installed position, the second alignment feature of the first display module operatively engages the second complementary alignment feature of said third display module causing said predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of said first display module to become aligned with the predetermined pattern of light emitting elements of the third display module, the alignment between said first and said second display modules causing no perceivable visual aberration on the viewing plane.

5. The system of claim 4 further characterized in that when said first alignment feature of said first display module operatively engages said first complementary alignment feature of said second display module and said second alignment feature of said first display module operatively engages said second complementary alignment feature of said third display module :
a) said predetermined pattern of said first display module is substantially aligned with the predetermined pattern of said second display module;
b) said predetermined pattern of said first display module is substantially aligned with the predetermined pattern of said third display module; and,
c) no perceivable visual aberration is created between said predetermined patterns of said first display module, said second display module and said third display module.

6. The system of claim 1 in which said predetermined pattern of said first display module and said predetermined pattern of said second display module are both further characterized in that each of said plurality of light emitting elements is disposed about a first pitch distance away from at least two closest adjacent light emitting elements, said pitch distance being substantially uniform across said predetermined patterns.

7. The modular display system of claim 1 further characterized in that when the first alignment feature of said first display module operatively engages the first complementary alignment feature of said second display module, a constraint force is created that urges said predetermined pattern of said first display module to stay aligned with the predetermined pattern of said second display module.

8. The modular display system of claim 1 further characterized in that at least one of the apertures of the support frame has a size large enough for at least one display module to pass through at least one of said apertures.

9. A modular display system for displaying an image upon a viewing plane comprising:
a) a support frame having one or more apertures;
b) a plurality of display modules installed on said support frame, the plurality of display modules collectively displaying said image on said viewing plane, each module being operative to display at least a portion of an image, each display module compr

Assignees

• Nanolumens Acquisition Inc

Inventors

• Cross Robert J
• Perez-Bravo Jorge

Classifications

• G09G5/14 Primary

  Display of multiple viewports · CPC title

• G06F3/1446 Primary

  display composed of modules, e.g. video walls · CPC title

• G09G2300/026

  Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions · CPC title

• G09G2380/02

  Flexible displays · CPC title