ANIMATED PERFORATED IMAGES

Abstract

A structure for depicting a plurality of images has a lower perforated screen having the plurality of images. A first image is formed from first perforations arranged in a series of first image lines. A second image is formed from second perforations arranged in a series of second image lines. An upper defining screen is arranged substantially co-planarly over the lower perforated screen. A width of defining apertures in the upper defining screen is about the width of the first image lines and the second image lines so that from any viewing perspective the first image or the second image can be isolated for viewing. The first image is viewable from a first viewing location and the second image is viewable from a second viewing location so that repeated movement of an observer between the first and second viewing locations allows the plurality of images to appear to be animated.

Claims

1. A structure for depicting a plurality of images, the structure comprising: a lower perforated screen comprising the plurality of images, the plurality of images comprising at least a first image and a second image, wherein: the first image is formed from first perforations arranged in a series of first image lines, the first perforations in each first image line allowing passage of an amount of light that represents an individual pixel or group of pixels of the first image so that the overall effect when viewing only the first image lines is formation of the first image, the second image is formed from second perforations arranged in a series of second image lines, the second perforations in each second image line allowing passage of an amount of light that represents an individual pixel or group of pixels of the second image so that the overall effect when viewing only the second image lines is formation of the second image, the first image lines and second image lines arranged across the lower perforated screen from one side to another side in an alternating pattern, an upper defining screen arranged substantially co-planarly over the lower perforated screen and spaced therefrom, the upper defining screen comprising a series of defining apertures arranged across the upper defining screen from one side to another side, wherein the width of each defining aperture in the upper defining screen is about the width of the first image lines and the second image lines so that from any one viewing perspective the first image or the second image can be isolated for viewing, and the first image is viewable from a first viewing location and the second image is viewable from a second viewing location so that repeated movement of an observer between the first viewing location and the second viewing location allows the plurality of images to appear to the user to be animated.

2. The structure according to claim 1, further comprising third image lines and fourth image lines, and the first image lines, second image lines, third image lines and fourth image lines alternate with one another in a pattern across the lower perforated screen from one side to another side.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein there are N image lines, where N is an even number.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the first image and/or second image is formed from slotted perforations arranged in a series, wherein a length of each slot is adjusted to change the amount of light that can pass through the slot to change the pixel.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the width of the slotted perforation is at least about 4 mm and the length is variable.

6. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the first image and/or second image is formed from circular perforations arranged in a series, wherein a diameter of each circle is adjusted to change the amount of light that can pass through the perforation to change the pixel.

7. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower perforated screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, and the first image lines and second image lines alternate with one another across the lower perforated screen from the left side to the right side.

8. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper defining screen is spaced from the lower perforated screen by at least about 1, 2, or 3 mm.

9. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the defining apertures have webs along their elongate lengths.

10. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the width of the defining apertures is about N mm.

11. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure is backlit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are not drawn to scale and which are exemplary only and in which:

[0034] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are a perspective views of an embodiment of the lower perforated screen having four images and the upper defining screen. The dimensions shown are thickness of upper screen and lower screen 3.000 mm. Distance between lower surface of upper screen and upper surface of lower screen 22.0000 mm. Width image 2, 3, 4, 1 shown along lower edge 7.250 mm. Width of all four images 29.000 mm.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a close up of the lower perforated screen of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the four images of FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 4A is a lower perforated screen with two images. FIG. 4B is an upper defining screen for use with the lower perforated screen of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C is a close up of the lower perforated screen of FIG. 4A.

[0038] FIGS. 5A and 5B show viewing locations for viewing the images.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a structure 10 in which there are 4 images (image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4). When the observer (not shown) is standing in front of the structure 10, light will strike the observer's eye and he will be able to see only one of the images at any one viewing location.

[0040] The structure 10 comprises a lower perforated screen 12 configured to provide the plurality of images. FIG. 3 shows the images (image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4) when viewed alone. Image 1, when viewed alone is a horse rider on a galloping horse. Image 2, when viewed alone is a horse rider on a galloping horse where at least the horse's legs and the rider have moved relative to image 1. Image 3, when viewed alone is a horse rider on a galloping horse where at least the horse's legs and the rider have moved relative to images 1 and 2. Image 4, when viewed alone is a horse rider on a galloping horse where at least the horse's legs and the rider have moved relative to images 1, 2 and 3. When viewed in succession images 1 to 4 provide the effect of a horse galloping. Furthermore, the effect is cyclic such that the transition from image 4 back to image 1 provides a continuation of the perceived animation and the horse and rider appear to be continually moving. This image is used as an example only, and it should be understood that any other series of images could be provided to achieve a similar animated effect.

[0041] Each image e.g. the galloping horse and rider is formed by a series of perforations 14 formed in a screen 12 which when viewed together give the overall effect of the image. As light travels through the perforations 14 for each image, the size of each perforation 14 permits passage of a relative amount of light. A small perforation 14 allows passage of less light (appears darker) than a relatively larger perforation 14 (appears lighter). Accordingly, the size of a perforation 14 in screen 12 can be used as a proxy for a pixel in each image.

[0042] In the horse and rider example, the perforations 14 are slotted perforations 14. The slotted perforations 14 comprise a series of single slots arranged in a line. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the length of each slotted perforation 14 can be varied to change the amount of light that can pass through (only one perforation is numbered for clarity). Each perforation 14 can have a fixed width of about 4 mm. Each perforation 14 can have a centre point which is the location midway along the slotted perforation when the perforation is at its longest length. An individual perforation 14 can be varied in length about that centre point. As shown in FIG. 2, a perforation is about 4 mm in length; another perforation is about 9.5 mm in length; a further perforation is about 21.9 mm in length (maximum). The perforation that is 4 mm4 mm will allow passage of less light that the perforation that is 4 mm9.5 mm. The perforation that is 4 mm21.9 mm will allow more light through than the other depicted smaller perforations. The lands between each perforation also become a part of the overall image by means of the absence of light.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the image lines of each image are arranged across the lower perforated screen in an alternating pattern. The image 1 lines (A), image 2 lines (B), image 3 lines (C) and image 4 lines (D), are arranged in an alternating repeating pattern: A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D, A, B, C, D . . . . Each image has effectively been sliced and interleaved with the other images in a series of lines. The width of each image line is shown as 7.2 mm as measured by the distance of the outer edge of one slotted perforation 14 in a first image line to the distance of the outer edge of another slotted perforation 14 in the second image line. The spacing from the boundary edge of image 1 back to the boundary edge of the next image 1 is 29 mm. As can be seen in FIG. 1A, the upper defining screen aperture centres are slightly reduced centres compared to the distance between one row of image perforations to the next row for the same image. The reduction is a result of the distance between the image and defining screens and the viewing distance. The centres for the lower perforated screen do not change in relation to the distance between the lower perforated screen and the upper defining screen. The centres for the upper defining screen centres will reduce as the distance between the two screens increases. The spacing for the defining screen is calculated by (number of images)(distance from one image to the next)(a factor calculated by the distance viewed and the distance between the two screens. FIG. 5A shows the centre distances for two exemplary screens (42 (filter screen reduced centres) and 50 (perforated image centres). These spacings allow the whole of each image to be viewable simultaneously. In FIG. 5B, the viewer has to move about 798 mm in order to change from one image to the next (in this example).

[0044] FIG. 4A shows an embodiment in which there are two images (first image and second image) and the perforations 14 are circular. The lower perforated plate 12 has each of the first and second images arranged in an alternating pattern. The first image is an open eye. The second image (interleaved with the first image) is a closed eye. The lower perforated screen can have a top edge 22, a bottom edge 24, a left-side edge 26 and a right-side edge 28. In FIG. 4A, the image lines are arranged from the left side edge to the right side edge. FIG. 4C is a close up of the lower perforated plate 12 showing the differently sized apertures 4 mm, 6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, to provide different amount of light therethrough, that are arranged to provide the overall visual effect seen in FIG. 4A.

[0045] In order to get the animated effect from the multiple images in e.g. FIGS. 1A & 1B or from FIGS. 4A & 4C, an upper defining screen 16 is required. The upper defining screen 16 allows the observer is to see only one of the images while the other images are occluded from view. Essentially, the upper defining screen 16 defines which perforations 14 (pixels) of the lower perforated screen 12 are visible to the observer.

[0046] The upper defining screen 16 allows passage of light in strips or lines that correspond or complement the image lines. To do this, the upper defining screen 16 has a series of occluding plates or closed areas that do not allow passage of light. Between each closed light-blocking area there are a series of defining apertures 18 arranged from one side to another side. The apertures 18, rather than being pixel forming like the perforations, are viewing apertures 18 which comprise open space to allow light from the perforations 14 to pass through mostly unhindered into the observer's eye. As can be seen in FIG. 1A each defining aperture 18 (there are 4 shown but only one labelled) can have a land or web 20 for structural stability. In FIG. 4B, each of the defining apertures is actually a series of large round shaped circular apertures in columns or lines that permit the passage of light.

[0047] The upper defining screen 16 is arranged substantially co-planarly over the lower perforated screen 12 and is spaced therefrom. Each screen can be about 3 mm in thickness. The spacing between the upper defining screen 16 and the lower perforated screen 12 can be by about 22 mm.

[0048] The distance of the upper defining screen from the lower perforated screen will change what the observer is able to see. FIGS. 5A and 5B show that once the structure 10 is place, the first image is viewable from a first viewing location (image 1 visible) and the second image is viewable from a second viewing location (image 2 visible). As the observer moves, the image changes between the first image and second image and in the case of the eye image of FIG. 4, the eye will appear to blink. The image e.g. blinking eye will change repeatably because of the cycling through first and second viewing locations as the observer moves relative to the structure 10. Thus, the plurality of images provides the illusion to the observer that the eye is animated because the images change.

[0049] It will of course be realized that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

[0050] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

[0051] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

[0052] Any promises made in the present description should be understood to relate to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to be promises made about the invention as a whole. Where there are promises that are deemed to apply to all embodiments of the invention, the applicant/patentee reserves the right to later delete them from the description and does not rely on these promises for the acceptance or subsequent grant of a patent in any country.