System and method for extracting and conveying modulated AC signal information

ES 2 395 965 T3

DESCRIPTION

System and procedure for extracting and transmitting modulated alternating current signal information

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to systems and methods that can be implemented to extract amplitude and frequency information from a modulated alternating current signal, and subsequently transmit that information. Information can be transmitted visually through a lighting and visualization system and procedure.

Background of the invention

US 4,359,601 describes an audio control system comprising an equalizer that divides and controls the level of a plurality of audio frequency bands and an electronic display that provides illumination indication of equalizer settings and output levels at each one of the audio frequency bands. The audio control system can receive stereo inputs from one of several sources and provide an output to front and rear pairs of amplifiers. The electronic display comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in columns that provide a static display of equalizer settings or a calibrated display that indicates the output levels for each audio frequency band of the equalizer.

Brief summary of the invention

The present invention provides a cost-effective system and method for extracting information from a modulated AC signal, such as an NTSC video signal or an audio signal. The invention further provides a system and method for visually displaying the extracted information in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing.

In one embodiment, the system and method include an operational amplifier application circuit, a dual diode, a filter, and a comparator for receiving and manipulating the modulated AC signal. The dual diode receives and splits the AC signal into two separate paths, including a baseline path and a filter path. The AC signal that passes through the baseline path remains substantially unchanged, and the AC signal that passes through the filter path passes through a low-pass filter. The signal is sent through a comparator to compare the AC signal amplitudes of the two paths, and the comparator output is received by a microprocessor to control a display that generates a visual cue sensitive to the comparator output.

When the AC signal is an NTSC video signal, the information extracted includes the amplitude of the signal, which represents brightness or luminance, or frequency, which represents color or chrominance. When the AC signal is an audio signal, the information extracted may include amplitude, which represents volume, or frequency, which represents pitch.

The microprocessor can interface with RGB nodes to transmit the information visually with light. The desired AC signal information is thus communicated to the microprocessor, which in turn drives at least one set of associated RGB nodes to change color in direct response to the signal. In one embodiment, the AC signal is an audio signal and the RGB nodes are linearly configured so that the resulting effect is like a graphic equalizer display function. The following large-scale effect, which directly correlates a modulated AC signal to a display screen, is thus achieved without significant front-end analog processing or expensive back-end display technologies. There are a variety of applications for this display, including installation on decorative objects, for example, speaker grills, tapestries, panel-type screens, and any other functional or non-functional objects. This system and method of extracting and transmitting modulated alternating current signal information is provided in an inexpensive manner not previously available.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the lighting system of the present invention.

Figure 2A is a sectional profile view of a light module of the present invention.

Figure 2B is a top view of a light module of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in desk lamps.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in a light cube.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention

ES 2 395 965 T3 as used in a CD tower.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in a flashlight.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in a chair.

Figure 8 are schematic views of embodiments of the lighting system of the present invention as used in pillows.

Figure 9A is a schematic diagram of an example lighting system of the present invention.

Figure 9B is a schematic diagram of LED arrays of an exemplary lighting system of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a diagram of a simple ramp pattern that can be used in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 11 is a flow chart of an example embodiment of a procedure for cycling through the LEDs of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in an inflatable lounge chair.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the lighting system of the present invention as used in an inflatable beanbag chair.

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a means of joining the lighting system of the present invention to furniture elements.

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of an alternative means of attaching the lighting system of the present invention to furniture elements.

Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention having multiple strings, or bands, of light modules.

Figure 17 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a storage compartment for the microcontroller and the battery pack of the present invention that is attached to an item of furniture. Figure 18A is a sealed tube configured to house a plurality of LED light modules.

Figure 18B is the sealed tube of Figure 18A arranged in an inflatable piece of furniture.

Figure 19 is an interface circuit for extracting volume and frequency information from an audio signal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 20 is a graph showing a plot of signal amplitude as a function of time.

Figure 21A is a perspective view of a pair of tubes, each housing associated RGB nodes in a lighting configuration.

Figure 21B is another perspective view of the pair of tubes housing associated RGB nodes of Figure 21A. Figure 21C is a perspective view of a tube housing associated RGB nodes in a lighting configuration.

Detailed description

Lighting screen with associated light modules

Novel and advantageous lighting and display apparatus, systems and methods are described. As described herein in one embodiment, the lighting system is built into a pillow. However, according to alternative embodiments and without limitation, the lighting system can be integrated or applied to bedding, stuffed animals, such as a teddy bear, rugs, clothing, furniture, inflatable items (including, for example furniture inflatables, toys, figures, sporting goods, tents, outdoor games), lamps, lanterns, switchgear, clocks, wall decoration, desk accessories, CD racks, home décor, household products, other office products, or any product for which a lighting system described here would be useful or desirable. Examples of some of these and other aspects or embodiments are depicted in Figures 3 to 7, and, in Figures 12 to 15, showing some of the colors, color combinations, lighting, progressions, intensities and / or patterns that are used. they can show, create or produce.

Regarding the fixing, mounting, joining or connecting the components of the devices described in this document, unless specifically described as otherwise, conventional fasteners such as screws, rivets, pins, dowels and the like may be used. Other appropriate attachment or attachment means for connecting the components include friction fittings, adhesives, and welding, the latter in particular with respect to electrical or processing components or device systems. Any suitable electronic, electrical, communication, computer or processing component may be used, including any suitable electrical component and circuitry, light sources, cables, wireless components, sensors, chips, boards, or microprocessor or system components. control, software, firmware, hardware, etc.

Figure 1 depicts a schematic drawing of a lighting system 10 on a pillow in accordance with one embodiment. The system includes 12 light modules connected by cables 14 to a power supply 16 and a

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CPU 18. Modules 12 are arranged between two layers of padding material 20. As shown in Figure 1, CPU 18 is an integrated circuit that is integrated into power supply 16. Alternatively, CPU is a component. separated. An activation switch 22 that can turn on and off (or turn on and off) the system 10 is connected via a wire 24 to the power supply 16. In addition, a slide enable or other suitable switch 26 that can enable, disable, or test the system 10 is integrated into the power supply 16. Alternatively, the slide enable switch 26 is a separate component. Figure 8 depicts additional example embodiments, as used in pillows.

A sectional profile view of one embodiment of a light module 12 is shown in Figure 2A. Figure 2B shows a top view of one embodiment of a light module 12. The light module 12 has three lights or light sources 32 that emit different colors. According to one embodiment, each light 32 is a light emitting diode (LED). The three lights are red, green, and blue, respectively. Therefore, a light module 12 can have four connections: a control line for each of the LEDs and a line for each power or ground. In an alternative embodiment, each module 12 can have more than three lights 32.

The module 12 has a cover component 34 that is positioned on an upper portion 36 of the module 12. In one embodiment, the cover component is a circular piece with a hole 36 in the center that is positioned above the lights 32, such as shown in Figure 2A so that light from lights 32 can pass through hole 36. The cover component 34 is made of a soft material that provides protection to the lights 32, while allowing the pillow in which the system 10 is integrated to be used without the user detecting by physical contact the presence of the modules 12 on the pillow. In one embodiment, cover component 34 is made of soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Alternatively, the cover component can be made of any known material.

Returning to Figure 1, the layers of padding material 20 are made of foam. Alternatively, the padding material layers 20 are made of any known soft or padded material. The modules 12 are sandwiched between the two layers of padding material 20. A lower portion 38 of each module 12, as shown in Figure 2A, is placed in contact with the cushion base layer 20 and the upper cushion layer 20 is then placed on top of the lower cushion layer 20. and modules 12. In one embodiment, each module 12 is glued or bonded in some other known manner to the padded base layer 20 and a hole 40 is formed in the padded top layer 20 for each module 12, such that when the padded top layer 20 is placed on top of the padded base layer 20 and the modules 12, each module 12 is positioned in one of the holes 40 of the padded top layer 20. Although the form can be used in some applications or systems, there are situations where foam or padding is not required. For example, in alternative embodiments it is contemplated that a screen may be created in a hollow body with generally or substantially rigid sides (see, for example, Figure 3) or a hollow accessory, such as a paper lantern (see, for example , figure 6). It should be appreciated that the effect of a screen can be modified or enhanced by selecting a particular light transfer material or diffuser for one or more surfaces or component materials of the article containing a light module 12. Similarly, the Item could use a reflective component to direct or modify the display lighting.

In an alternative embodiment, instead of sandwiching modules 12 between two layers of padding material 20, as seen in Figure 1, a plurality of light modules 12 may be configured into a sealed rod or tube 50, as seen in Figure 18A. The number of modules 12 arranged in tube 50 will depend on the desired lighting effect. Sealed tube 50 may be formed of a suitable substantially transparent or translucent plastic or other material and may be designed as an impermeable enclosure, if desired for a particular application. Light modules 12 are securely attached to and within tube 50 and may be arranged in a row, multiple rows, or another configuration. A plurality of design arrangements of the light modules 12 may be configured within a tube. Consequently, tubes 50 can be manufactured and the arrangement of light module 12 can subsequently be designed and implemented, thereby separating the manufacturing process and the assembly process, resulting in cost savings.

Referring to Figures 1 and 18A, power source 16 is a battery power source and is in electrical connection with modules 12 through cables 14. Power source 16 requires three AA batteries. Alternatively, the power source 16 can comprise any number of any type of battery. In other alternatives, the power source is a wall outlet, an AC transformer, a car cigarette lighter, any other power source, or a combination thereof. Power supply 16 can be formed as a waterproof housing, if desired for a particular application.

Cables 14 and 24 are typical electrical cables used for battery powered objects. Alternatively, the cables 14, 24 may be any suitable electrical cables suitable for an electrically actuated element. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the system 10 may incorporate suitable wireless technology. For example, a suitable wireless remote control can be used to turn the system 10 on or off, or to select a particular mode of operation.

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The enable switch 22 sends a command to the control unit IC, eg, on, off, or is simply a switch that closes the circuit (ie, in some embodiments, it cannot communicate with the controller IC). The slide enable switch 26 is a mode switch. Sets the device, appliance, or system to a default operating mode, such as on, off, test me, and so on. Apparatus 10 may include any other known triggering component, such as, for example, a motion sensor, a remote switch assembly, a thermal sensor, a light sensor, or a sound sensor.

The CPU 18 is an integrated circuit that controls the operation of the lights 32 in each of the modules 12. That is, the integrated circuit controls which lights 32 are activated at any given time and the duration of said activation. It is the integrated circuit that controls any lighting pattern of apparatus 10, as described above. Although an integrated circuit is shown, it should be appreciated that any suitable controller or control unit can be used to control the functions, appearance, and operations described herein.

Lighting system with microcontroller in operation

Figures 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams of an example lighting system 100 in accordance with one embodiment. The lighting system includes a microcontroller 120, or other appropriate integrated circuit, that controls arrays of LEDs 160. Pin 28 of microcontroller 120 is in electrical connection with a voltage supply 130 (not shown), pin 14 of microcontroller is electrically grounded 140, and microcontroller 120 is in electrical connection with switch 150, which It is configurable by a user to open and close the circuit as desired. Appendix A of this application illustrates example RAM requirements for a microcontroller used in one embodiment.

Referring to Figure 9B, the LED arrays 160, which are controlled by the microcontroller 120, include ten red LEDs D1-D10, ten green LEDs D11-D20, and ten blue LEDs D21-D30. Each LED array 160 is connected in parallel with voltage source 130 and ground 140, as seen in Figure 9B. Between the power supply 130 and the LEDs there are 330 ohm resistors R1-R10 for LEDs D1-D10, respectively, resistors R11-R20 for LEDs D11-D20, respectively, and resistors R21-R30 for LEDs D21- D30, respectively. Each matrix also includes a plurality of transistors, configured as seen in Figure 9B, including transistors Q1-Q8 connected to the collectors of the red LEDs, transistors Q9-Q16 connected to the collectors of the green LEDs, and Q17- Q24 connected to the collectors of the blue LEDs, as shown in figure 9B. Each emitter of each transistor is connected to ground 140, and each base of each transistor is connected to the connecting pins of the microcontroller, with a resistance of 10 kOhm between them (the resistors R1b-R8b for transistors Q1-Q8 respectively, resistors R9b-R16b for transistors Q9-Q16 respectively, and resistors R17b-R24b for transistors Q17-Q24 respectively). As seen in Figures 9A and 9B, pins 1-4 and 24-27 of microcontroller 120 are in electrical connection with resistors R1b-R8b for controlling the red matrix, pins 10-13 and 15-18 of microcontroller 120 are in electrical connection with resistors R9b-R16b to control the green matrix, and pins 5-8 and 20-23 of microcontroller 120 are in electrical connection with resistors R17b-R24b to control the blue matrix.

In this configuration of the example lighting system 100, the transistors, the operation of which is well known in the art, function as switches that allow the microcontroller 120 to control each LED in the matrix 160 individually. The physical LEDs D1-D10 (red), D11-D20 (green), and D21-D30 (blue), respectively, are located in close proximity, such that the microcontroller 120 can create any desired color, at a desired time. , and for a desired duration, by managing the intensity of the current through each transistor in a light module (for example, the light module [D1, D11, D21], the light module [D2, D12 , D22], the light module [D3, D13, D23], etc.). The lighting system 100 can be configured on the products similarly to the lighting system 10. Whereas the lighting system 10 includes a light module 12 integrated into a pillow and is controlled by the CPU 18, similarly, the Lighting system 100 includes a plurality of light modules formed from LEDs D1-D10, D11-D20, D21-D30, which are controlled by microcontroller 120.

In one embodiment, the LEDs are driven full on or full off. The amount of light emitted by an LED is controlled by varying the amount of time the LED is on over the course of a fixed period of time, commonly known as pulse width modulation. In this embodiment, it is critical that the pulse width modulation period is short enough that the switches of the LEDs between on and off are faster than the human eye can detect. For example, a period of 50 mS should be more than enough to be imperceptible to the human eye.

In one embodiment, the light modules 12 are arranged in groups of eight. For simplification of control logic, the same color LEDs on each of the eight light modules 12 can be connected together into a single I / O port of the microcontroller. Therefore, in this embodiment, the circuit uses three ports of eight control lines each, for a total of twenty-four control lines, to individually control any of the three LEDs within any of the eight individual modules 12. This control level makes

ES 2 395 965 T3 it is possible to generate any color in the visible spectrum.

Ramp patterns

In a further embodiment, a ramp pattern can be used to produce different colors from one or more light modules. A ramp pattern application procedure initializes all of the one or more light modules 12 to the same points on the ramp pattern. Over time, the individual red, green, and blue LEDs will rise and fall, in unison, producing a single, but changing color. By adding light modules 12 the intensity of the light will be increased or will allow coverage of a larger area, but will not increase the number of colors visible at any point in time.

A second example procedure of using a ramp pattern 170, as illustrated in Figure 10, is applied to systems using two or more light modules 12. With this procedure, the two or more light modules 12 are initialize at different points in the ramp pattern. Although the light modules 12 follow the same pattern, the color produced by one module will be specifically and intentionally different from the other modules in the same system. For example, in a two-module system, initializing a first light module 12 to the values ​​at the beginning of time section 0 of ramp pattern 170 produces the color blue, since the values ​​for the red and green LEDs they are zero at this point on the curve. Initializing a second light module 12 to the values ​​at the start of time section 1 of the ramp pattern 170 produces the color red, since the values ​​of the blue and green LEDs are zero at this point on the curve. At startup, the first light module 12 will start to change from blue to purple and eventually to red, while the second light module 12 changes from red to yellow and finally to green. This procedure will allow any number of colors to be produced simultaneously, limited only by the number of individual light modules.

Cyclical patterns

FIG. 11 is a flow chart 200 of an example embodiment of a cyclic procedure through all LEDs. At step 210, the system completes initialization of the lighting system and moves to the first stage of cycle 220. Two sets of example initialization code are given in Appendix B of this application. A set of initialization code illustrates the initial values ​​for a standard display. That is, a cycle during which all the light modules change in unison. The second set of initialization code illustrates initial values ​​for a rainbow display. That is, a cycle during which a rainbow of colors is displayed. Normally, several samples or modes will be available for selection.

Once in step 220, the period timer of the pulse width modulation is checked. Once the timer has reached the end of the designated time period, the node index, which indicates one of the eight light modules 12 in this example, increases [step 230]. If the node index reaches the value nine, or in other cases, a value that indicates that the node index value has gone beyond the number of 12 light modules in the system, the node index is reset to the value one [stages 240 and 250]. After increasing the node index, the periods for each of the red, green and blue LEDs of the light module indicated by the node index are increased [step 260].

In steps 270 and 280, it is determined whether the period for the blue LED should be reset back to zero. If that is the case, then the values ​​for the LEDs of the light module indicated by the node index are updated to the initial values ​​of a specified ramp pattern. That is, after a certain period of time has passed, the display pattern resets to the initial values.

During steps 290, 300 and 310, it is determined, for each of the three LEDs (red, green and blue), whether the ramp value is less than the period value. Generally, it is determined whether the LED should be turned on or off. After these steps have been completed, the pulse width modulation period timer is checked at step 220, and the process just described is repeated.

In a further embodiment, it may be possible to change the display pattern of the light modules 12. In this embodiment, the mode switch is checked in step 320 to determine if a change has been made. If the mode switch has been changed, the mode value is increased or reset to one if the increased value is beyond the number of available modes [step 330]. The light modules are then set to the initialization values ​​of the new selected mode [step 340] before repeating the process.

Lighting settings

In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 is integrated into a pillow, as shown in Figure 8, such that soft pad material such as, for example, polyfill or other suitable material, surrounds the apparatus 10 in the pillow. .

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In other embodiments, the lighting system can be used on or in furniture items to create a stimulating visual effect. For example, the lighting system can be used on inflatable furniture, as shown in the lounge chair in figure 12 and the bean bag chair in figure 13. Other examples are inflatable children's toys, inflatable toys swimming pool and floating devices. Inflatable furniture is typically made from PVC, Nitrile PVC (NPVC), or vinyl. Alternatively, any suitable material can be used.

In one embodiment, as seen in FIG. 18B, the sealed rod or tube 50 may be inserted into a piece of inflatable furniture 60 or suitable object. As seen in FIG. 18B, cabinet 60 includes a cavity 65 defining a sleeve 70 or other opening for receiving tube 50. Sleeve 70 is sized to receive tube 50 when cabinet 60 is deflated. As the cabinet 60 inflates, the cabinet material squeezes around the tube 50, thus firmly holding the tube in place without the need for adhesives. The power supply 16 can be similarly inserted into a cavity and fixed by the cabinet 60 without adhesives.

Alternatively, the lighting system, including cables 14 and lighting modules 12, may be attached to the cabinet, as shown in Figure 14. Typically, the lighting system will consist of a preset chain 400, or band, of lighting modules 12. As illustrated in FIG. 16, there may be a number of predefined chains 400, or bands, of lighting modules 12 that extend from the battery pack 410 and through the item of furniture. The lighting system, in one embodiment, can be integrated into the furniture item by heat sealing the system underneath an overlay of PVC, NPVC, vinyl, or other suitable material. Alternatively, other means of attachment may be used, such as gluing or welding the light modules to the article, as illustrated in Figure 15.

The battery pack 410 and the microcontroller, in an example embodiment, may be attached to the furniture item via its own storage compartment 420, illustrated in Figure 17. Storage compartment 420 can be made of any suitable material, such as PVC, NPVC, or vinyl, and can be attached to the item of furniture using suitable fastening means, such as heat sealing, gluing, snap fit, buttons, or any other. fixing means. Typically, the storage compartment 420 will be accessible by the user. Alternatively, the storage compartment 420 may be in a location that is not accessible, such as on single-use items or disposable items.

The lighting system can also be used on other items. For example, the lighting system can be used on or on articles of clothing, such as T-shirts, caps, jackets, etc. Similarly, the lighting system can be used on book bags, briefcases, briefcases, etc. In addition, the lighting system can be used on toys, such as stuffed animals or balls and blocks of all shapes and types of material. The lighting system can be attached to such items by stitching the system to the material or the gluing system to the material. Alternatively, any suitable attachment means may be used to generally integrate or insert the lighting system into the fabric or material, including the attachment means mentioned above.

Application for the extraction and transmission of alternating current signal information

In another embodiment, a system and method are provided for extracting information from a modulated alternating current signal so that the information can be subsequently communicated through a lighting system described herein. In one embodiment, a circuit 500 is configured to receive and manipulate a modulated alternating current signal, as shown in Figure 19. Circuit 500 is electrically connected to the appropriate node of a microcontroller, such as microcontroller 120 shown in FIG. 9A. The microcontroller in turn causes a plurality of RGB light modules, such as module 12, to produce a lighting effect directly responsive to the modulated AC signal aspects that are measured by circuit 500.

In one embodiment, the modulated AC signal is a two-channel audio signal, whereby each channel is received on a separate circuit 500. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of audio, video, and other modulated AC signals can be received by circuitry 500 or a comparable configuration thereof. In the audio signal embodiment, circuit 500 includes an audio connector 510 for acceptance of the signal, either single channel or stereo. Alternatively, the signal may be accepted by microphone 520. In this embodiment, each of the two channels (eg, the left channel and the right channel) are received independently. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an audio signal can include a single channel, or even 5, 6, 7, 8 or more channels, each of which can be independently received with a variation of circuit 500. Alternatively, the two channels can be mixed using an op amp such as a summing amplifier (not shown), whereby circuit 500 only processes the mixed signal. Optionally, the audio signal can be fed back out through 570 headphones.

After being received, the signal passes through an op amp 530, with a gain adjustment potentiometer. Alternatively, the gain adjustment can be done by a microcontroller (not shown).

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Subsequent to operational amplifier 530, the signal is split into two separate paths through a dual diode 540. As seen in Figure 19, the portion of the audio signal that passes through path A remains substantially unchanged. changes. In contrast, as seen in Figure 19, the portion of the audio signal that passes through path B is sent through a low-pass filter 580. The low pass filter can include a variety of known settings. Filter 580, as seen in Figure 19, includes two resistors and a capacitor. Low pass filter 580 operates as a peak detector circuit, smoothing the portion of the audio signal that passes through path B by removing higher frequencies from the signal. The practical effect of the filtering results on the part of the audio signal that passes through path B substantially follows the trend of the incoming audio signal with the exception that sharp transitions in the signal are smoothed out. This result is shown in Figure 20. The low-pass filter works for AC signal processing just like moving averages do in other fields such as finance. Both instruments create a smoother form of a signal that eliminates short-term swings, leaving only the long-term trend. Although this embodiment implements a low pass filter, alternative filters and filtering procedures may be appropriate depending on the desired effect.

The effect of filtering on path B is measurable by sending the two signals (the portion through path A and the portion through path B) through a comparator circuit 550, such as an op amp , which compares the two voltage signals and determines which is greater. As seen in FIG. 20, the output of the comparator 600 from the output signal of the circuits 560 is sensitive to volume and / or frequency signals and is decodable by a microcontroller. Specifically, periods during which the amplitude of a path A signal or volume is greater than the amplitude of the path B signal or volume, the comparator output produces a volume peak, seen at points X in figure 20. On the contrary, the periods during which the amplitude of the signal of the path A or the volume is less than the amplitude of the signal of the path B or the volume, the output of the comparator produces a volume drop, seen in the Y points in figure 20. The output of comparator 600 is a digital signal, as seen in figure 20, in which the signal is on or 1 during volume peaks and the signal is off or 0 during drops. of volume.

Filter 580 can be configured such that the portion of the audio signal that passes through path B is filtered to discern either the higher frequency components or the lower frequency components of the signal as desired, thus allowing circuit 500 extracts the frequency information by counting the number of pulses over time. By extracting a signal, such as the amplitude or frequency of information, from an audio signal as described above, the output of circuit 560 provides a signal that is correlated to the original audio signal of a known way. The broadcast signal can then be transmitted or interpreted in a meaningful way.

In one embodiment, the output of circuit 560 is interfaced with a microcontroller for driving a lighting system, as described above, to achieve a desired lighting effect. For example, it is possible to provide a graphic equalizer display function, by transmitting the output signal in a visual way. The emitted signals corresponding to each of two audio channels can be used to drive a plurality of associated RGB nodes in a lighting configuration. Each of the plurality of associated RGB nodes, such as modules 12, contains three LEDs. For example, each of the two graphic equalizer display lighting tubes 700, seen in Figures 21A and 21B, contains a plurality of linearly configured modules 12, which are actuated by a microcontroller, as described above, to achieve a graphic equalizer display effect.

Each of the two light tubes 700 shown in Figures 21A and 21B are provided to transmit information about the two audio channels. As described above, the two audio channels can alternately be mixed using a summing amplifier, in which case information about the mixed signal can be carried with a single illumination tube 700, as shown in FIG. 21C. Another example of a plurality of associated RGB nodes that are configured linearly with each other is tube 50, seen in FIG. 18A.

Turning now to Figure 21A, RGB modules 12 within tubes 700 are driven by a microcontroller that receives an audio signal as manipulated and output by circuit 500. When there is no audio signal or the audio signal is substantially silent , all the light modules 12 are driven to display a single color. In one embodiment, the color of silence is blue, but other colors can be selected to represent silence. To achieve this effect, all of the blue LEDs in the linear array of RGB nodes (12 modules) within tubes 700 are fully powered and all red and green LEDs within tubes 700 are driven to a complete off. Figure 21A represents the tubes 700 where the blue LED on the module in the lower portion 710 of the tubes 700 are illuminated (but not the red or green LEDs), the blue LED in the module in the upper portion 720 of the tubes 700 are illuminated (but not the red or green LEDs), and all of the blue LEDs in the modules between the lower portion 710 and the upper portion 720 of the tubes 700 are illuminated (but not the red or green LEDs). The single-color drive effect of each module produces a blue background, on which subsequent audio changes are displayed.

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When the audio signal exhibits greater amplitude (volume), the microcontroller that receives the manipulated audio signal from circuit 500 operates the blue LEDs in the lower portion 710 of the tubes 700 to turn them off completely, starting with the module in the portion. lowermost 710 of tubes 700 and moving the larger modules linearly upward. When a blue LED on the module is driven to fully turn off, the red LED on the same module is driven substantially simultaneously to fully turn on, as shown in FIG. 21B. The blue LED on the module (s) in the uppermost portion 720 of the tubes remains illuminated until the volume of the audio signal is sufficiently high and / or sustained for a sufficient period, as described below. In this example, red is the volume color that reflects an amplitude extracted from the audio signal, but other colors can be selected to represent the amplitude of the audio signal.

This process produces the visual effect of a red bar of different heights, directly sensitive to the amplitude of the audio signal (volume), appearing on a blue background. In this example, only two colors, red and blue, are used to create the effect. However, each of the plurality of modules 12 in tubes 700 can create substantially any color. Therefore, using red, green and blue in different combinations allows any desired color to be applied to the equalizer color bar (the volume color) and to the background color (the mute color). Additionally, the equalizer bar color and background color can change with volume, change over time, or change based on other measurable characteristics of the audio signal, such as frequency. The visual effect can be installed or applied in a variety of applications, such as decorative objects, for example, speaker grills, wall hangings, panel-type screens, and any other functional or non-functional objects.

This setting transmits information regarding the duration of the volume peak or volume dip as described, rather than absolute volume information. By transmitting visual information in response to the length of the period during which the volume is increasing, and the length of the period during which the volume is decreasing, a significant lighting effect is created. For example, while the volume of the audio signal is increasing, the color of the bar (eg, red) extends linearly upward through the linear matrix from lower portion 710 to upper portion 720. Conversely, while the volume of the audio signal is decreasing, the color of the equalizer bar (for example, red) linearly tends backward from the upper portion 720 to the lower portion 710, leaving only the color background (for example, blue), which is illuminated substantially simultaneously with the illumination of the color of the equalizer bar.

Optionally, a weighting system can be applied in the graphic equalizer display function, with which different weights are applied for amplitude increases and decreases. For example, the microcontroller that drives the tube 700 may be configured to create an effect whereby the color of the equalizer bar moves upward in response to increases in volume faster than the color of the bar moving downward. by decreasing the volume of the same magnitude. The microcontroller thus allows volume increases to be visually represented by the color of the equalizer bar for a sufficient time that it is perceptible and appreciable by a person viewing the equalizer bar. Because the LEDs on the bar are driven to respond substantially simultaneously to changes in volume, ensuring that the LEDs do not respond as quickly to the audio signal to produce a flare effect, this creates a result visually more pleasing.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes in shape and detail can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.