Animated apparel

Abstract

A flat panel display is disposed upon a useful article, such as wearing apparel or the like. In one embodiment, the display is integrated into a T-Shirt. A micro-controller is operationally connected to the display and a rotatable holder. The present invention further comprises a plurality of memory chips operationally mounted upon the rotatable holder. Each chip contains a graphics image to be displayed upon the flat panel display. The micro-controller further comprises a micro-processor, memory, reader device controller as well as a display device controller. Using a mechanical actuator, the user rotates the rotatable holder until a specific image is selected. Then, the selected memory chip is connected to the reader device controller so that the image can be read into memory and transferred to the display by the display device controller. In another embodiment of the present invention, a three dimensional covering is mounted upon the flat panel display.

1 . An animated apparel device, comprising: 
 a garment;    a flat panel display disposed on the garment;    an image holder operationally mounted within a support base, the image holder operationally connected to the flat panel display;    a mechanical actuator for selecting a specific image from the image holder, the actuator being operationally connected to the image holder;    a selection indicator for indicating to the wearer of the garment the selected image, the indicator being operationally connected to the actuator;    a control unit being operationally connected to the image holder and the flat panel display; and    a power source operationally connected to the control unit and the flat panel display.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the flat panel display is liquid crystal technology.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the flat panel display is OLED technology  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the flat panel display is disposed upon at least the entire front of the garment.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the apparel is made of a metallic fabric.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the control unit is incorporated into the metallic fabric.  
   
   
       7 . The device of claim further comprising a three dimensional covering removably mounted upon the flat panel display.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the image holder further comprises: 
 a plurality of memory devices operationally mounted upon the image holder;    each memory device having at least one stored image; and    each memory device having a reading interface for initiating access to the memory.    
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  further comprising a means for transferring a captured image into memory device.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the image holder is a printed circuit board having a plurality of operationally mounted MPEG memory devices.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the image holder is a printed circuit board having a plurality of operationally mounted EEPROM or RAM memory devices.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the image holder has a plurality of operationally mounted mini-disk memory devices.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the image holder is rotatably mounted within the support base.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the control unit further comprises: 
 a microprocessor in communication with a reader component, a video decoder component, and a display interface component;    the reader component operative to initiate the reading interface for reading the stored image from its corresponding memory device and creating based upon the stored image a video data stream or a graphics data stream;    the video decoder component operative to translate the video data stream;    the graphics decoder component operative to translate the graphics data stream; and    the display interface component operative to display the translated data stream onto the flat panel display.    
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 9  wherein the control unit further comprising: 
 a means for initiating the reading interface for reading the stored image from its corresponding memory device    a means for creating based upon the stored image a video data stream or a graphics data stream;    a means for decoding the video data stream;    a means for decoding the graphics data stream; and    a means for displaying the decoded data stream onto the flat panel display.    
   
   
       16 . A method of displaying animation on a garment, the method comprising: 
 providing a flat panel display disposed onto the garment, the flat panel display being operationally connected to a control unit containing a plurality of memory devices that are mechanically selected by an actuator;    rotating the actuator until a desired image contained within a memory device is displayed upon a selector indicator operationally connected to the control unit;    selecting the desired image displayed in the indicator;    initiating a reading interface between the memory device and the control unit;    creating a video data stream or a graphics data stream based upon the selected image;    transferring the video or graphics data stream over the reading interface;    decoding the video data stream;    decoding the graphics data stream; and    displaying the decoded data stream onto the flat panel display.    
   
   
       17 . An animated apparel device, comprising: 
 a garment;    a flat panel display disposed on the garment;    an image holder rotatably mounted within a support base, the image holder containing a plurality of films;    a motor operationally connected the support base, the motor for continuously rotating the support base;    a projector being operationally associated with the image holder such that as the image holder rotates the illusion of animation is created; and    a power source operationally connected to the projector and the flat panel display.