Phosphor Wall Game Room with Wireless Flash and Magnetic Stencils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current game room systems with fluorescent walls pose safety concerns for children due to freestanding flash units and complex control panels, and stencils made of paper are not suitable for wall mounting, limiting independent and safe play experiences.
Innovation Solution
A game room system featuring a darkenable room with a phosphor-coated wall, a wide-angle pulsed light source, and magnetically attachable stencils, along with a centralized control system for safe operation and user-friendly control panels, including mobile device integration, to ensure safe and independent play.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a freestanding flash unit with power cable on the floor is used, then the flash can be operated to create images on the phosphor wall, but children can trip over the cable and injure themselves or damage the flash
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful power cable is extracted from the operational area by using wireless power transmission. The flash unit is powered wirelessly through electromagnetic induction, eliminating the physical cable that caused tripping hazards while maintaining full operational capability of the flash device.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless power transmission system acts as an intermediary between the power source and the flash unit. This intermediary transfers energy without physical contact, allowing the flash to operate without being connected to power by a cable on the floor, thus removing the tripping hazard.
2Power
If a complex flash control panel with many buttons is used, then the flash can be precisely controlled, but it becomes difficult for untrained persons to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two parts: a simplified user interface with minimal buttons for children, and a hidden comprehensive control panel for precise settings. The simple interface segments only the essential functions (trigger, mode selection) while advanced controls remain accessible only when needed, reducing cognitive load for untrained users.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system includes automatic functions that serve themselves by detecting user intent and adjusting settings automatically. When the flash is triggered, it automatically selects appropriate settings based on the scene, eliminating the need for users to understand complex controls while maintaining precise control capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If paper stencils are used, then they can be obtained easily, but they cannot be attached to the wall and must be held in hand or taped
Solution Approach 1:
The stencil material parameters are changed from paper to a magnetic material that can be attached to the metallic wall surface. This parameter change allows the stencil to be permanently mounted on the wall without being held or taped, while still maintaining ease of manufacture through simple magnetic attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The stencil is made as a composite structure combining magnetic material with the stencil design. This composite material allows the stencil to be both manufacturable like paper and attachable to the wall through magnetic properties, eliminating the need for hand-holding or taping.
4Illumination intensity
If the room is completely darkened for phosphor stimulation, then the phosphor images are visible, but children cannot move safely in the dark
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting is differentiated by location: the phosphor wall area remains dark to maintain image visibility, while safety zones (paths, exits, obstacle areas) are illuminated with low-intensity LED lights. This local quality differentiation allows phosphor images to be visible while children can move safely in illuminated pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
Motion-activated lighting provides periodic illumination along safety paths when children move through the room. The lights remain off during stationary periods to maintain phosphor visibility, and activate periodically when motion is detected, ensuring safety without continuously compromising image quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances user safety by preventing tripping hazards and simplifying operation, allows for secure and repeated use of stencils, and enables independent play without the need for a safety officer, while maintaining high-contrast image creation and extending the life of the light source and phosphor coating.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of at least one wall of the room is covered with a phosphor coating. The phosphor coating is designed to be excited by light in the visible and/or ultraviolet range.
Implementation Method 2
phosphors, i.e., substances capable of converting the energy they absorb into light radiation
Implementation Method 3
a pulsed wide-angle light source mounted on or in another wall opposite the phosphor-coated wall or ceiling of the game room or at a user-safe location within the room and directed at least at the phosphor-coated surface
Implementation Method 4
In addition, the system includes at least one template that can be attached to a fluorescent-coated wall surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A playroom system is proposed, comprising a room that can be darkened and is bounded by walls, a floor and a ceiling, wherein at least a portion of at least one wall is coated with a fluorescent material, wherein the fluorescent material can be excited by light in the visible and/or ultraviolet range, a pulsed wide-angle light source that is attached to or in another wall opposite the fluorescent wall or ceiling of the playroom and directed at at least the fluorescent material, at least one stencil that can be attached to the fluorescent material, a playroom control system, and standby lighting.