Other

Wgbh Educational Foundation

Rufus Butler Seder

Gregg E Favalora

Dexter Eames

Ted S Shapiro

David Comarow

Gyora Mihaly Pal Benedek

Shai Seger

Robert Bruce Fuhrer

Austine Wood Comarow

Larry Goldberg

A manually-operated coded image animation device a coded image viewer with a front panel, a reception area, such as a slot open on three sides or a channel, behind the front panel, and coded image decoding elements disposed on the front panel. A coded image card with a plurality of coded images can be manually inserted into the reception area in the coded image viewer. Animation of the coded images can be realized by a sliding movement of the coded image card in relation to the coded image viewer or by a rearward and forward rocking of the coded image viewer in relation to a podium by manual activation. A pivoting structure can be formed by a lever arm, a counterweight, and the coded image viewer with the lever arm received through a slot in the podium. A biasing system biases the coded image card into face-to-face contact with the front panel.

Manually-operated coded image animation device

A rotatable stroboscopic animation device with a rotatable base portion and at least one light source. An angular-velocity-dependent flashing system flashes the at least one light source according to a predetermined flash mode dependent on the angular velocity of the base portion to produce coherent, automatic stroboscopic animation of images retained by the base portion. The flashing system can comprise an angular velocity determination system in cooperation with an illumination system. Angular velocity can be determined by an orienting system, such as a compass, in combination with a sampling system, a gyroscope, or a rotational sensor. A flash mode selection mechanism, which can be manual or automatic, permits a selection of a flash mode from among a plurality of flash modes. A manual flash mode selection mechanism can be formed by relatively pivotable upper and lower disks of the base portion. Animation disks can have indications of predetermined flash modes.

Self-orienting stroboscopic animation system

A coded image display and animation system with an illuminated shutter element device that permits the user, by placing individual coded image members and combinations of coded image members upon it, to create collages, puzzles and fantasy worlds that instantly appear to come to life and move realistically. Coded image members can be chosen and selectively repositioned, overlapped, and combined for varying displays and display effects. Larger, window-sized displays with or without coded image portions can be exploited, potentially to provide moving backgrounds, such as falling snow or moving clouds, upon which the coded image members can be positioned thereby permitting the user to create multi-member displays and animations, including animated stories and animated fantasy worlds. Coded image members and non-coded image members can have open portions for permitting the application of images or image portions by users, such as by erasable marking implements.

User-manipulated coded image display and animation system

An animation system with adjustable support of posable figures. A rotatable platform retains the posable figures along a circumference of a circle through adjustable supports. An animation mechanism, such as a slotted drum or a faceted, mirrored hub, is supported by the platform. The adjustable supports can comprise plastically deformable elongate posts to permit pivoting and longitudinal turning of the figures, adjustment in supported height of the figures, and lateral movement of the figures along the circumference of the circle and radially inward and outward. The elongate posts and the figures can have plastically deformable cores, such as bendable wires, at least partially encased in flexible bodies of material. Each figure can have a torso and a repositionable head and appendages. The elongate posts can have distal ends received by apertures in the platform along the circumference of the circle, proximal ends fixed to the figures, and bendable body portions.

Manually posable figure animation system and method

An animation device for producing animation of interlaced coded images with inner and outer sleeves retained for concentric rotation, a plurality of coded images retained by one sleeve, and a plurality of spaced shutter elements and interposed viewing elements retained by the other sleeve. The inner and outer sleeves are retained by a base structure with one sleeve rotatable in relation to the base structure and the other sleeve fixed against rotation relative to the base structure. A light source can be disposed within the inner sleeve, and a motor can rotate a platform that retains the rotatable sleeve. The fixed sleeve can be encased and fixed in position by a frusto-conical sleeve forming a fixation member. The inner and outer sleeves can be precisely formed by alignment of registration apertures on a peg board with registration pegs.

Illuminated cylindrical animation device

An illuminated animation device with staggered sources of illumination with a rotatable member rotatable about an axis of rotation, first and second pluralities of sources of illumination retained to rotate with the rotatable member that are actuatable between illuminated and non-illuminated conditions. The first and second pluralities of sources of illumination are staggered so that the sources of illumination will produce individual paths of illumination to permit image display with enhanced. The rotatable member can be a rotatable panel with first and second arrays retained relative to first and second halves thereof, and the sources of illumination can be longitudinally and laterally staggered, such as by one-half a distance between adjacent sources of illumination. The sources of animation can alternatively be disposed in opposed, radially spaced straight line arrays. The device can be handheld and can include a motor and a power source.

Rotatable animation devices with staggered illumination sources

A stroboscopic animation system with a handheld stroboscopic light with a light source that emits stroboscopic flashes, a manually rotatable top, and images to be animated retained on the upper surface of the top, such as on an animation disk. The frequency of the stroboscopic flashes can be varied, such as by a rotatable dial, with the 'on' portions remaining constant and the 'off' portions being adjusted. The flashes can have a lower limit of 10 to 20 flashes per second and an upper limit of 100 to 110 flashes per second, the &#x201c;on&#x201d; portions of the flashing sequence can be between one-900th and one-1100th of a second, and the luminous intensity of the light source can be between 65 and 130 foot candles. An orientation switch can automatically induce an &#x201c;off&#x201d; condition when the light is disposed outside a predetermined angular range of orientation.

Stroboscopic animation system

A kit of parts and method for forming a praxinoscope with a base, an outer wall to be secured to the base in a cylindrical configuration, and a mirrored inner wall to be secured to the base in a faceted, substantially cylindrical configuration concentric with the outer wall. Image strips with sequential images disposed thereon can be disposed within the outer wall, and an axle member concentrically disposed through the base and the upper panel permits a rotation of the praxinoscope to produce animation. The inner and outer walls can be secured to the base by teeth that project from their lower longitudinal edges in combination with inner and outer rings of apertures disposed in ring shapes in the base. An upper panel can be similarly retained atop the inner wall. Notches at the proximal ends of the teeth can positively engage the apertures in the base.

Praxinoscope kit and assembly method

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for making temporary colorful birefringent displays. In its preferred embodiment, cellophaneis laminated between self-adherent vinyl sheetswith non-water soluble adhesiveand desired shapesare cut therefrom. Plane polarizing filteris similarly laminated between sheets of self-adherent vinyl. One of the polarizer laminations is adhered to a gloss surface such as a window. Shapescut from the cellophane-vinyl laminations are adhered to the polarizer lamination. Colors created by the polarized light passing through the birefringent cellophane laminationsare viewed through a polarizing analyzerwhich can be a second lamination of polarizer between self-adherent vinyl sheets and placed over the completed design, or through analyzers held separately from the design such as polarized glassesor hand held viewers. Transmissiveand reflectiveand transflectivetypes are disclosed. A less-resilient but less expensive version using low-tack adhesivein place of surface-adherent vinylis also described. Embodiments and methods are disclosed for using the apparatus as educational devices, games, toys, hobby activities and making decor and temporary signs

Temporary birefringent color image apparatus and method

A rotatable animation device with a first substrate member rotatable relative to a second substrate member. A plurality of coded images are disposed on one substrate member, and a plurality of shutter elements and interposed viewing sections are disposed on the other substrate member to establish a viewing area. The coded images are sequentially completed in response to a relative rotation between the substrate members. The first substrate member can be flexible to enable a deflection into contact with the second substrate member. The inner surface of the first substrate member can have a resiliently compressible concave portion, which can include at least a ring portion of the first substrate member. The concave portion can be induced by at least one biasing surface deformation, such as a crease. A case, a centrally disposed fastening arrangement, or another mechanism can induce a compression of the first substrate member.

Rotatable animation device

A moveable animated display device for displaying a plurality of images with a pressure plate carrier, a pressure plate retained in relation to the pressure plate carrier, a plurality of coded images, a plurality of shutter elements slidably retained in relation to the plurality of coded images, and at least one biasing formation, such as a crease, in the pressure plate for inducing a biasing of the pressure plate toward the pressure plate carrier. The display device can have the pressure plate slidably retained relative to the pressure plate carrier, and the biasing formation can be parallel or orthogonal to a path of travel of the pressure plate in relation to the pressure plate carrier. The display device can comprise a card wherein a pivoting of a cover member relative to a base member induces animation as an animation layer slides in relation to the pressure plate.

Moveable animated display device

A visual display device for providing a continuous, non-reversing animated sequence of displayed images to an observer with a separation member; a plurality of interposed coded images fixed to a first surface of the separation member to form an image member; a plurality of shutter elements fixed to the second surface of the separation member, and a plurality of viewing elements interposed between the plurality of shutter elements to form a shutter member. The coded images, the plurality of shutter elements, and the plurality of viewing elements can share a common orientation and a given pitch. The image member may be transparent except for the plurality of coded images. A strand of flexible material may be provided for suspending the visual display device for continuous rotation.

Visual display device with continuous animation

A manually operated moveable display device for displaying a plurality of images comprising an image member with an inage panel slidably retained adjacent to a shutter panel of a shutter member. A plurality of coded images are disposed on the image panel, a plurality of shutter elements are disposed on the shutter panel in alignment with the coded images, and a plurality of viewing elements are interposed between the plurality of shutter elements. The device maintains the first edge of the image panel and the first edge of the shutter panel in a substantially parallel relationship, the second edge of the image panel and the second edge of the shutter panel in a substantially parallel relationship, the image panel of the image member and the shutter panel of the shutter member in a bowed condition, and the image panel and the shutter panel of the shutter member in contact. The moveable display device may comprise most preferably a first bowed sleeve slidably surrounded in close frictional contact by a second bowed sleeve with coded images disposed on a front panel of the first bowed sleeve and shutter elements and viewing elements disposed on a front panel of the second bowed sleeve. The first and second bowed sleeves may be formed for precise registration and size by use of registration points disposed adjacent to the corners of first and second flexible sheets from which the first and second bowed sleeves are formed.

Manually operated moveable display device

A system and apparatus for selectively delivering auxiliary text to viewers of a primary audiovisual performance by presenting the horizontally reversed text in an illuminated display and providing selected viewers with a reflector adjustable to place the reflected image in the field of view of the primary image.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, MA, United States of America

Rufus Butler Seder