초록 ▼

A medallion to be worn by a user, the medallion being functional in more than one mode, the medallion including an image display, a power source responsive to a fade-in signal and a fade-out signal, mode selection means for providing a repetitive mode selection signal if the user selects a repetitiv

A medallion to be worn by a user, the medallion being functional in more than one mode, the medallion including an image display, a power source responsive to a fade-in signal and a fade-out signal, mode selection means for providing a repetitive mode selection signal if the user selects a repetitive mode, and a timing control means that is responsive to the repetitive mode selection signal from the mode selection means, the timing control means being for automatically and repeatedly providing the fade-in signal and the fade-out signal to the power source.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising; an image display, responsive to input power, the image display being configured to provide at least one illuminated image by means of said image display; a power source, responsive to fade-in-signal and a fade-out signal, the power source being config

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising; an image display, responsive to input power, the image display being configured to provide at least one illuminated image by means of said image display; a power source, responsive to fade-in-signal and a fade-out signal, the power source being configured to provide the input power to the image display; mode selector, responsive to a selection that selects a mode of operation the mode selector being configured to provide a repetitive mode selection signal if a repetitive mode is selected; and timing controller, responsive to the repetitive mode selection signal from the mode selector, the timing controller being configured to automatically provide the fade-in signal indicative of increased power and the fade-out signal indicative of decreased power, repeatedly, wherein said apparatus is functional in more than one mode and wherein the apparatus is a medallion configured to worn by a human being. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the more than one mode includes the repetitive mode in which the at least one illuminated image fade in and later fades out if the environment is dark and an off mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the at least one illuminated image is fully visible without fading. 3. An apparatus comprising: an image display responsive to input power, the image display being configured to provide at least one illuminated image by means of said image display; a power source, responsive to a fade-in signal and a fade-out signal, the power source being configured to provide a repetitive mode selection signal if a repetitive mode is selected and timing controller responsive to the repetitive mode selection signal from the mode selector, the timing controller being configured to automatically provide the fade-in-signal indicative of increased power, and the fade-out signal indicative of decreased power, repeatedly, wherein said apparatus is functional in more than one mode, and wherein the more than one mode includes the repetitive mode in which the at least one illuminated image fades in and later fades out if the environment is dark and on off mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the image is not visable if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the at least one illuminated image is fully visible without fading. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the timing controller is also configured to operate the apparatus with less than full power at substantially all times during the repetitive mode, and configured to vary the power during the repetitive mode so that the at least one illuminated image has an intensity that appears constant to a human eye over a period of less than five seconds. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power source is configured to power the image display with less than or equal to half of the full power at substantially all times during the repetitive mode. 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the timing controller comprises software, embodied in a machine readable media that is encoded with a data structure for operating the timing controller. 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power source comprises a battery, and also comprises a switching device for regulating the power flow from the battery, and wherein the apparatus is a medallion configured to be worn by a human being. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the switching device comprises a duty cycle device configured to create a duty cycle which is alterable in order to alter the power flow. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the switching device comprises a transistor having a duty cycle that changes in response to the fade-in signal and the fade-out signal. 10. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a memory configured to receive the at least one image via an infrared signal to the apparatus, and configured to provide the at least one illuminated image to the image display, wherein the image display includes a transflective liquid crystal display with a backlight. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a communication interface configured to output image data from the apparatus or input image data to the apparatus. 12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each repetition during the repetitive mode includes an off stage, a fade-in stage, an on stage, and a fade-out stage. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the on stage has an on duration, and an off stage has an off duration, and the on duration has a ratio to the off duration that is substantially equal to a constant. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the constant ratio is less than or substantially equal to half. 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein any two of the repetitions respectively have a first duration and a second duration that differ by a difference that is less than one-tenth of the first duration. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the difference has a random element. 17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the stages begins at a time that is selected by the timing controller with a degree of randomness. 18. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power source comprises a battery that is rechargeable while the battery is still located within the apparatus. 19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the image display comprises a liquid crystal display and a transflective film configured to at least partially reflect environmental light and at least partially light up the at least one image in the presence of environmental light. 20. A method of operation of an apparatus, comprising: selecting a mode of operation, providing a repetition mode selection signal if the repetitive mode is selected, providing a fade-in signal indicative of increased power, and a fade-out signal indicative of decreased power, repetitively, inputting power to an image display, and providing at least one illuminated image in response to the power, wherein the more than one mode includes the repetitive mode in which the at least one illuminated image fades in and later fades out if the environment is dark and on off mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the at least one illuminated image is fully visible without fading. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the apparatus operates with less than full power at substantially all times during the repetitive mode, and wherein the power-up signal and the power-down signal slowly vary the power during the repetitive mode so that the at least one illuminated image has an intensity that appears constant to a human eye over a period of less than five seconds. 22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of utilizing environmental light to at least partially illuminate the image, by equipping the apparatus with a liquid crystal display that is transflective. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing the fade-in signal and the fade-out signal is performed at times that are selected with a degree of randomness. 24. The method of claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a medallion functional in more than one mode. 25. Software, embodied in a machine readable media that is encoded with a data structure for operating the apparatus of claim 20. 26. An apparatus, comprising selecting a mode of operation, providing a repetitive mode selection signal if the repetitive mode is selected, providing a fade-in signal indicative of increased power, and a fade-out signal indicative of decreased power, repetitively, inputting power to an image display, and providing at least one illuminated image in response to the power, wherein the more than one mode includes the repetitive mode in which the at least one illuminated image fades in and later fades out if the environment is dark and on off mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the at least one illuminated image is fully visible without fading. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus operates with less than full power at substantially all times during the repetitive mode, and wherein the power-up signal and the power-down signal slowly vary the power during the repetitive mode so that the at least one illuminated image has an intensity that appears constant to a human eye over a period of less than five seconds. 28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising means for utilizing environment light to at least partially illuminate the image by equipping the apparatus with a liquid crystal display that is reflective. 29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the fade-in signal and the fade-out signal are provided at times that are selected with a degree of randomness. 30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is a medallion functional in more than one mode. 31. An apparatus comprising: a button or switch configured to select a mode of operation, a mode selector configured to provide a repetitive mode selection signal if the repetitive mode is selected, a timing controller configured to provide a fade-in-signal indicative of increased power and fade-out signal indicative of decreased power, repetitively, a power source configured to input power to an image display and an image display configured to provide at least one illuminated image in response to the power, wherein the more than one mode includes the repetitive mode in which the at least one illuminated image fades in and later fades out if the environment is dark and on off mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the image is not visible if the apparatus is in a dark environment and a fully on mode in which the at least one illuminated image is fully visible without fading. 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the apparatus operates with less than full power at substantially all times during the repetitive mode, and wherein the power-up signal and the power-down signal slowly vary the power during the repetitive mode so that the at least one illuminated image has an intensity that appears constant to a human eye over a period of less than five seconds. 33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the fade-in signal and the fade-out signal are provided at times that are selected with a degree of randomness.