EP0154662A1 - Optical line display - Google Patents

Abstract

A display is described which has a pair of delay lines (La, Lb) per display line, into which it is possible to feed equal pulse groups with a controllable phase difference. At display locations (Aa1, Ab1; Aa2, Ab2;...) mutually assigned along the two delay lines (La, Lb), in relation to which the pulses from the line starts (10, 11) have different group delays, it is possible for discrete light sources (61, 62,...) or a medium (9) that is capable of shining and is present along the entire lengths of the delay lines to be caused to shine when there is coincidence of the two pulse groups traversing the delay lines (La, Lb) at this display location. The location of such a coincidence along the delay lines (La, Lb) depends on the controllable phase difference with which the pulse groups are fed in each case into the two delay lines (La, Lb). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a line-shaped optical display device for displaying information.

Line-shaped optical display devices can be used as such, for example for displaying a modulation intensity or the like. However, they can also be put together to form a flat display device, for example a screen. Conventional display devices use a matrix-like control in the row and column direction in both cases in order to be able to illuminate a specific point of the display device in a controlled manner.

In the magazine "Electronics" from January 14, 1983, pages 73-75, a plasma screen with such a matrix-like control is described. Each pixel consists of a small gas discharge path at the point of intersection between a certain row electrode and a certain column electrode. If a pixel is to be illuminated, a voltage is applied to the associated row electrode and the associated column electrode, these two voltages being dimensioned such that the resulting potential difference is greater than the ignition voltage for the luminous gas discharge. However, the voltages applied to the row and column electrodes are not in themselves sufficient to ignite a luminous gas discharge. If you want to get a variable display, you have to cyclically control the entirety of the pixels, each time corresponding to the image to be displayed. Bring the pixels of the screen to light by appropriately controlling the row and column electrodes. This control of the individual pixels requires a relatively large amount of control. In addition, it is impossible, but at least extremely problematic, to make such a plasma screen compatible with conventional television transmission systems.

The object of the invention is to overcome these difficulties. In particular, a line-shaped optical display device is to be made available which can be operated with less control effort and which, when used as a flat screen, enables compatibility with conventional television transmission systems in a relatively simple manner.

A solution to this problem is given in claim 1. Claims 9 to 12 show further solutions. Advantageous further developments and refinements are specified in the remaining claims.

• Gibt man auf die Eingänge zweier nebeneinander liegender Laufzeitleitungen je eine elektromagnetische Impulsgruppe, laufen diese Impulsgruppen durch jede der beiden Laufzeitleitungen mit einer bestimmten Gruppengeschwindigkeit bis zum Ende der jeweiligen Leitung. Die Laufzeitleitungen können Hochfrequenzkabel sein, in die Hochfrequenzimpulse eingespeist werden. Sie können aber auch Lichtleiter sein, in die Lichtimpulse eingespeist werden. Bestimmte Längspositionen der einen Laufzeitleitung werden nun bestimmten Längspositionen der anderen Laufzeitleitung zugeordnet. Dabei ist die Zuordnung so gewählt, daß die Gruppenlaufzeiten von den Leitungsanfängen bis zu zueinandergehörenden Längspositionen an den beiden Laufzeitleitungen nur für ein Längspositionspaar gleich sind, daß dagegen die Laufzeiten von den Leitungsanfängen bis zu den beiden Längspositionen eines jeweils zueinandergehörenden Positionspaares für alle anderen Positionspaare verschieden sind.

The display line according to the invention works on the following principle:

• If you place an electromagnetic pulse group on the inputs of two adjacent delay lines, these pulse groups run through each of the two delay lines with a certain group speed until the end of the respective line. The delay lines can be high-frequency cables into which high-frequency pulses are fed. However, they can also be light guides into which light pulses are fed. Certain longitudinal positions of the one runtime line are now assigned to certain longitudinal positions of the other runtime line. The assignment is selected so that the group delays from the beginning of the line to the corresponding longitudinal positions on the two delay lines are only the same for one pair of longitudinal positions, whereas the delays from the beginning of the line to the two longitudinal positions of a corresponding pair of positions are different for all other pairs of positions .

Assuming that both runtime lines have the same group speed behavior, i.e. are designed for the same group delays, pulse groups fed into the two delay lines simultaneously or in phase arrived simultaneously at the pair of longitudinal positions whose two longitudinal positions are reached after the same group delays from the beginning of the line. A coincidence of the pulse groups running over the two delay lines occurs at this longitudinal position pair.

If the two pulse groups are fed into the two delay lines at different times, the coincidence of the two pulse groups is determined at another pair of longitudinal positions. The selection of the longitudinal position pair at which the coincidence of the pulse groups is determined depends on the phase difference between the two pulse groups at the beginning of the line. By controlling this phase difference, it can now be achieved that the coincidence occurs at the desired selected longitudinal position pairs. This position selection of the coincidence along the two delay lines can now be achieved by a controllable phase change device, by means of which the phase differences of the pulse groups at the beginning of the line can be controlled depending on the desired coincidence position along the delay lines Use a phase shifter between a pulse source and the delay lines. It is preferable to use a phase shifter before one of the two delay lines. However, one can also assign a phase shifter to each of the two delay lines. Particularly when using light pulses and light guides as delay lines, two light pulse sources will preferably be used and the phase change device used to control the time interval between the delivery times of the light pulses supplied by the two pulse sources and fed into the two light guides.

With the display device according to the invention it is now possible either to selectively illuminate discrete light sources or to illuminate a continuous luminous medium at desired locations. In the former case, preferably when using high-frequency delay lines and high-frequency impulses, two pairs of consumers are formed along the two delay lines, the two consumers of each pair of customers, with the exception of one pair, being at different distances from the beginning of the lines if both delay lines are designed for the same group speeds. however, the distances from the lines of the lines can be the same for all pairs of customers if the two runtime lines are designed for different group speeds. When using delay lines that are designed for the same group speeds, the differences between the distances from the beginning of the line to the customers of a customer pair are also made different for the different customer pairs.

The two customers of each customer pair are connected to a coincidence detector assigned to this customer pair, preferably in the form of an AND gate. A discrete light source is connected to the output of this coincidence detector, preferably in the form of a light-emitting diode (LED). But you can also connect the two customers of a pair of customers directly to a discrete light source, which itself acts as a coincidence detector.

Discrete light sources can also be used in the event that the delay lines are formed by light guides. For this purpose, the two light guides are ground at the discrete pickup positions or over their entire length, so that a radial light emission capability of the light guides is generated at the ground points. You can then use photodiodes at these ground pickup positions arrange, the electrical outputs of the two photodiodes belonging to a pair of consumers can be connected to the inputs of an AND logic circuit, to the output of which a discrete light source, preferably in the form of an LED, is connected.

If you do not use discrete light sources but a continuous luminous medium arranged along the entire length of the two delay lines, the two delay lines are designed for different group speeds. The coincidence of the two pulse groups fed along the two delay lines then depends on the phase difference with which the two pulse groups were fed into the two delay lines. The location at which coincidence occurs between the two pulse groups that run through the two delay lines depends in each case on the phase difference that has been set for the two pulse groups at the beginning of the line by means of the controllable phase change device. In this variant of the invention, a luminous medium is used which can only be illuminated when the two pulse groups sent through the delay lines coincide, but not at all other locations.

The location along the two delay lines at which light is to be generated can now be determined with the aid of the control signal supplied to the phase change device. In the case of discrete light sources as well as in the case of a continuous luminous medium, it is possible, for example, to have a luminous point migrate from luminous point to luminous point by supplying the phase change device with a step voltage as a control signal. From level to level of this staircase voltage, the red dot along the two runtime lines will gradually advance towards the end of the line.

If, on the other hand, lighting is only to be achieved at a specific point along the delay lines, the phase changing device is supplied with a constant control signal for as long as the lighting is to continue at this specific point.

In addition, you can now achieve simple light / dark control or brightness control. When a certain display position along the two delay lines is darkened, at least one of the pulse groups fed into the two delay lines is blocked during the time during which the phase change device is supplied with a control signal which leads to a coincidence of the pulse groups at this display position. In the case of a display at a specific display position, brightness control can additionally be achieved by feeding a different number of pulse groups per unit of time into the two runtime lines during that period, during which the phase change device with the control signal for a specific display location along the Runtime line is charged. The repetition frequency of the pulse groups fed into the delay lines is preferably selected so that it lies above the frequency that can be resolved by the human eye, i.e. above the flicker frequency. The light / dark control and the brightness control are preferably achieved with the help of an AND gate, which is connected between the output of the pulse source and the inputs of the delay lines. The output of the pulse source is connected to an input of the AND gate, while the light control signal is applied to the other input of the AND gate. If two pulse sources are used, each of which feeds one of the two delay lines, an AND gate is assigned to each pulse source, whereby both AND gates are opened with the same light control signal.

A color display can be achieved by using three display lines according to the invention, each display line being assigned a different basic display color, preferably the three basic colors red, green and blue. By arranging a large number of the display lines according to the invention with one another, it is advantageously possible to produce a flat screen. In a particularly preferred manner, all delay lines are fed from one and the same pulse source. It is now possible to control all display lines in parallel and to control the individual display lines in sequence. In the former case, a phase change device and a light / dark and brightness control device, hereinafter referred to as light control device, are assigned to each display line. With such parallel control of the individual display lines, very fast image changes can be achieved on the screen.

In the case of the control of the individual display lines one after the other, a single phase change device and a single brightness control device are required, which act in parallel on all display lines. A controllable switch is connected at least before the input of one of the two delay lines of each display line, the control connection of which is connected to a line selection device. By means of the row selection device, the individual _A nzeigezeilen be sequentially activated. The image to be displayed on the flat screen is thereby displayed line by line, as is the case with a conventional television receiver. The line selection device either has its own clock, the clock pulses of which are preferably counted using a counter contained in the line selection device, each count value corresponding to the activation of one of the switches assigned to the individual display lines.

However, the line selection device can also be supplied with an external clock via an external control connection, for example the line synchronization signals which are derived from the received television signal in conventional television receivers. With this type of control, the flat screen according to the invention is compatible with the conventional television transmission system, so that such a screen could easily be used in the context of the conventional television transmission system.

For a color screen, the individual display lines can each be replaced by a triple color display line.

The display device according to the invention can be realized with different light sources. In the case of discrete light sources, Kerr cells can be used in addition to the light-emitting diodes already mentioned, to which electrical potentials are supplied with the aid of the two delay lines, which are preferably designed as strip lines. As seen by the viewer of the display device, there are one or more light sources behind the Kerr cells, and the transparency of each Kerr cell for the transmission of the light from this light source to the viewer depends on whether on a specific pair of customers, i.e. on a specific Kerr -Cell, coincidence of the pulse groups running over the delay lines occurs or not. Not only the Kerr cells but also the runtime lines that interact with them are made of transparent material. The combination of all Kerr cells of a display line to form an integrated Kerr line, which extends over the entire length of the delay lines, whose Kerr electrodes are, however, divided into individual electrode pieces which correspond to the individual customers, is particularly preferred.

A display device according to the invention with a luminous medium arranged between the two delay lines over their entire length can be realized with different luminous media. One possibility is to use a glow discharge gas between high-frequency delay lines that are designed for different group speeds. The pulses with different polarity are fed into the two delay lines and the voltage amplitude of the high-frequency pulses fed into these delay lines is selected so that the sum voltage occurring when two pulses coincide is above the ignition threshold value of the glow discharge gas, but the voltage value of each pulse is both below the ignition voltage threshold as well as below the voltage value that is required to maintain a glow discharge once ignited. In such a display device, a glow discharge occurs at that point on the display line at which coincidence occurs between the pulses passing through the two delay lines, the coincidence point being able to be selected with the aid of the phase control signal. In the event that the glow discharge gas used does not emit visible radiation or light in the desired color during a glow discharge, a fluorescent material can be used in addition to the luminous medium, with the aid of which the radiation released during the gas discharge is converted into visible light of the desired color can.

Another possibility of a luminous medium which can be used according to the invention is a phosphor which is capable of emitting light radiation by means of two-stage energy excitation. Such two-stage stimulating phosphors are excited, for example, with ultraviolet rays into a first energy level and can then be excited to emit light with a different type of radiation. Of such phosphors is reported for example in the European patent application with the publication number 0056639.

Such a phosphor as a luminous medium can be used in connection with two light guides as delay lines. The two runtime lines are designed for different group speeds. Pulses of the radiation exciting the phosphor in the first energy level are fed into one light guide, while the radiation exciting the phosphor into the second energy level is fed into the other light guide. At that point along the two transit time lines at which coincidence of the radiation pulses fed into the two light guides occurs, there is a glow. In this case, a phosphor is used which has lost its excitation energy again after a time corresponding to the length of the delay lines. In this case too, light guides with radial radiation capability are required, which can be achieved by grinding the opposite sides of the two light guides.

A further possibility for realizing such a display device according to the invention is to use a luminous medium _/ which can be brought into a luminous state by exposure to a light of a first type, for example UV light, in accordance with the Gudden Pohl effect, which can be brought about by exposure to a light of a second type, for example infrared light, can be extinguished again. In this case too, light guides with radial radiation capability are used as delay lines, with pulses of light of the first type being fed into one light guide and the light of the second type being continuously sent into the other light guide, and the pulses being fed into this light guide as light gaps. In this embodiment, the Er invention, one light guide is traversed by UV pulses, while the other light guide is continuously exposed to infrared light, which is only interrupted by an infrared light gap pulse passing through this light guide. Only at that location along the transit time lines, at which the coincidence between the UV pulse on one light guide and the light gap pulse on the other light guide, does the luminous medium light up briefly. At the other points, the simultaneous exposure to the illuminating medium with the UV light and the infrared light ensures that either it does not come to light or the lighting state is deleted again.

Previously it was assumed that the two runtime lines used for one display line were fed in the same direction, i.e. from the same line end, with the pulse groups. However, it is also possible to reverse the two runtime lines, i.e. from different ends to feed with the respective pulse group. A third possibility is to use only one runtime line per display line instead of two runtime lines and to feed this single runtime line with the pulse groups in opposite directions at both ends. Depending on the type of light sources used or the luminous medium used, the pulse groups are fed into the two line ends with the same or with opposite polarity. In the case of luminous media or light sources in which the energy accumulation at the point of coincidence of the two pulse groups running in opposite directions through the delay line is important, the pulse groups will be fed in with the same polarity.

The display device according to the invention can be used advantageously for an analog / digital converter. In this case, the phase change device is controlled with the analog signal to be converted into digital values. The location of the coincidence of the pulse groups that run through the two delay lines or the only delay lines then depends on the instantaneous value of the analog signal. This means that the respective point of coincidence at which light emission occurs is a measure of the respective analog signal value. In the case of the display device with discrete light sources, depending on the instantaneous value of the analog signal, a certain light pattern is produced from a luminous light source and non-luminous light sources. In the case of a display device with a continuously distributed luminous medium, strip-shaped light detectors can be arranged along the delay lines, for example in the form of strip-shaped photodiodes. Which strip-shaped light detector element reports light as a result of the coincidence of the two pulse groups running through the delay lines or the delay line again represents digitally converted information about the respective analog signal value. For example, if the lighting of a discrete light source or an excited light detector is assigned the logic value "1" and the non-lighting or the non-excitation of the analog value "0", or vice versa, a logic value pattern dependent on the respective coincidence location and thus on the respective analog signal value controlling the phase change device is obtained.

Since one can work with an analog / digital converter using the display device according to the invention in the GHz range, one encounters difficulties in transferring the digital quantization pattern that occurs in each case into a conventional memory, from where it can then be called up for further processing. In this case, the individual light sources or the luminous medium itself can be designed as a storage medium by using the light sources or the luminous medium assigns a luminescent phosphor or uses a luminescent phosphor as a luminous medium. In this case, the afterglow duration should be at least as long as the transit time of the light pulses through the transit time lines. After the pulses have passed through the delay lines, a light pattern is available along the delay lines or the only delay line depending on the analog signal value to be implemented, which light pattern can then be adopted in a memory after a photoelectric conversion in the form of an electrical quantization pattern.

With the invention, a display device has been made available which can be operated with little control effort, since the many control lines and control devices otherwise required for row and column control are not required.

• Fig. 1 eine erste Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anzeigevorrichtung mit diskreten Lichtquellen;
• Fig. 2 eine schematische Darstellung von Impulsen und Steuersignalen, die bei der Ausführungsform nach Fig.1 verwendet werden;
• Fig. 3 eine zweite Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anzeigevorrichtung;
• Fig. 4 eine dritte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anzeigevorrichtung; und
• ^{Fig. 5} eine vierte Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Anzeigevorrichtung in Form eines Bildschirms.

The invention and further developments and refinements of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of embodiments. The drawings show:

• 1 shows a first embodiment of the display device according to the invention with discrete light sources;
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation of pulses and control signals used in the embodiment of Figure 1;
• 3 shows a second embodiment of the display device according to the invention;
• 4 shows a third embodiment of the display device according to the invention; and
• ^{Fig. 5 shows} a fourth embodiment of the display device according to the invention in the form of a screen.

The display device shown in FIG. 1 has two delay lines La, Lb, both of which are designed for the same group speeds. The upper delay line La is provided with five customers Aa1, Aa2, ..., Aa5 and the lower delay line Lb has five customers Abl, Ab2, ... Ab5. The consumers of the two delay lines La and Lb form associated customer pairs Aa1 and Ab1, and Ab2, ..., Aa5 and Ab5. The distances between the customers Aa1, Aa2, ... of the delay line La are greater than the distances between the customers Ab1, Ab2, ... of the delay line Lb. The two customers Aa1 and Ab1 of the first pair of customers have the same distances from the line starts 10 or 11 of the delay lines La or Lb. The customers of all other pairs of customers are at different distances from the line starts 10 and 11, respectively. In addition, the difference between the distances of the customers of a pair of customers from the beginnings 10 and 11 of the delay lines La and Lb for the different customer pairs is also different. The consumers of each pair of customers are connected to the two inputs of an AND logic circuit, to the output of which a light source ⁶ ₁ , ⁶ ₂ , ..., 6 _{5 is} connected.

In Fig. 1 only five pairs of customers are shown. In practical embodiments of the display device according to the invention, however, a much larger number of pickup pairs is preferably used. If the display line shown in FIG. 1 is used in a flat screen, 512 pickup pairs are provided along the display line, for example.

Electromagnetic pulse groups are fed into the beginning of lines 10 and 11 of the two delay lines La and Lb, which come from a pulse source 1. An input E1 of an AND gate 2, which has a second input E2, is connected to the output of the pulse source 1. The line start 10 of the delay line La is directly connected to the output A of the AND gate 2 and the line start 11 of the delay line Lb is connected via a series circuit comprising a phase shifter 3 and a polarity converter 7. The phase shifter 3 has a control connection E3. In this embodiment, the polarity converter 7 is designed as a transformer. The two delay lines La and Lb are each terminated with an impedance Za or Zb, the impedance value of which is terminated with the characteristic impedance of the associated delay line La or Lb, in order to avoid disturbing reflections at the end of the delay lines. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has electromagnetic delay lines, for example in the form of coaxial lines, strip lines, LC elements or the like, and is fed with electromagnetic pulse groups in the form of high-frequency (RF) pulses.

• Die Impulsquelle liefert Hochfrequenzimpulse, d.h. , eine pulsmodulierte Hochfrequenzschwingung, wie sie schematisch in Zeile E1 in Fig. 2 dargestellt ist. Die Folgefrequenz dieser Impulse liegt über der vom menschlichen Auge auflösbaren Flimmerfrequenz.

The display line shown in Fig. 1 works as follows:

• The pulse source supplies high-frequency pulses, ie, a pulse-modulated high-frequency oscillation, as is shown schematically in line E1 in FIG. 2. The repetition frequency of these pulses is above the flicker frequency that can be resolved by the human eye.

A phase voltage is supplied to the phase shifter 3 via the control connection E3, as is shown in line E3 of FIG. In reality it becomes a stair tension used with more than three stages, namely with a number of stages corresponding to the number of discrete light sources 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , ... along the delay lines La and Lb. The phase shifter 3 is designed, for example, so that it has a control signal zero at the control input E3 causes no phase difference between the two pulses fed into the delay lines La and Lb, so that in this case coincidence of the pulses occurs on the pair of consumers Aa1, Ab1 on the two delay lines La and Lb and the light source 6 ₁ lights up. In the case of a control signal at the control connection E3 corresponding to the first stage of the staircase signal, the second discrete light source 6 _{2 should} light up, for example, the third discrete light source 6 ₃ , etc. in the second stage of the staircase signal

The temporal relationship between the step lengths of the staircase voltage and the spacing of the pulses from the pulse source 1 is preferably chosen so that a certain number of pulses can be fed into the delay lines per step length. With the help of gate opening pulses, which are fed to the second connection E2 of the AND gate 2 and are shown in line E2 in FIG. 2, for example, the number of pulses from the pulse source 1 passing through the AND gate 2 per step can now be controlled . If the pulses from pulse generator 1 are blocked for the entire duration of a stair step, the light source assigned to this stair step remains dark. On the other hand, the effect of the luminous intensity on the viewer of the display device is greater the more pulses from the pulse source 1 per stair step reach the associated light source and this light source is accordingly often illuminated. So not only is a dark / light control but also a brightness control with fine brightness gradations, such as are desired for a television picture, possible.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an opposite polarity of the pulses fed into the two delay lines was assumed. In this case, coincidence is registered when the two pulses of opposite polarity occur simultaneously on a pair of consumers. In this case, the light sources 6 ₁ , 6 _{2 '} ... can even be used as AND logic circuits, for example by using glow discharge lamps as light sources, the ignition threshold of which can only be exceeded by a voltage which is opposite when the two pulses occur together Polarity arises over the glow lamp. The voltage amplitude of the pulses is selected so that when a voltage pulse occurs only on one pickup of a pair of pickups, neither the ignition threshold nor the ignition hold threshold, beyond which a glow discharge lamp which has been ignited once can be kept in the ignited state, is reached.

The individual glow discharge lamps 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ ,... Can also be replaced by a glow discharge line with a large number of adjacent glow cells, the individual glow cells being connected to a pair of consumers.

When using other discrete light sources, for example light-emitting diodes (LEDs), it is also possible to do without the polarity converter 7. In this case, the coincidence of pulses of the same polarity on the two delay lines is determined by means of AND logic circuits, and the light source, for example LED, is brought to light by the signal which occurs at the output of the AND logic circuit concerned when there is coincidence.

The embodiment of a display line shown in FIG. 1 can also be implemented with light guides as delay lines La and Lb. In this case, light pulses, which preferably originate from two separate light pulse sources, preferably laser sources, are fed into the line starts 10 and 11. The light pulses are fed into line starts 10 and 11 at different times, the time difference between the two light pulse feeds being controllable, for example depending on the phase difference control signal shown in line E3 in FIG. 2. The required AND gates 2 are either formed by optical AND gates or by electrical AND gates, each of which a photoelectric converter is assigned on the input side and output side.

In this embodiment, light guides with radial radiation capability are used, which is achieved, for example, by grinding the light guides over their entire length or at the customer points. At the customer points Arranged photodiodes, phototransistors or similar photo converters, the electrical output signals of which are given to AND logic circuits, to the outputs of which light sources, preferably in the form of LEDs 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ ..., are connected.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a display line according to the invention, in which the Kerr effect is used. A large number of Kerr cells are combined to form an integrated Kerr row. Each Kerr cell has two Kerr electrodes, namely an upper (in FIG. 3) upper Kerr electrode 13 and a lower (in FIG. 3) lower Kerr electrode 23. Each of these Kerr electrodes has the shape of a strip conductor piece. The Kerr electrodes 13 and 23 are each connected to adjacent Kerr electrodes 13 and 23 via an inductor 19 and 19 ', which is preferably arranged as an inductance coating on a strip-shaped dielectric 15 and 25, respectively. These dielectric strips 15 and 25 also form the substrates for the Kerr electrodes 13 and 23. On the side facing away from the Kerr electrodes 13 and 23, there is a ground layer 17 and 27 in on the dielectric strips 15 and 25, respectively Form of a strip line. A Kerr medium, for example nitrobenzene, is located between the Kerr electrodes 13 and 23. The Kerr medium 31 can be separated by individual cell walls 29 between the individual Kerr cells.

The upper Kerr electrodes 13 together with the inductance coatings 19 form the one delay line La, while the lower Kerr electrodes 23 together with the lower inductance coatings 19 'form the other delay line Lb. High-frequency pulses are fed into the beginning of lines 10 and 11 of these two delay lines La and Lb.

On the side facing away from the viewer of this display device there are one or more strip-shaped light sources arranged individual light sources, the light of which is only visible on the observer side when a certain voltage is above the Kerr electrodes 13, 23. The polarizers customary in Kerr cells are not shown in FIG. 3. The Kerr-line and fed into the line beginnings 10 and 11 pulses are chosen so that only DER jeni ^g en Kerr cell, electrodes Kerr coincidence of two pulses injected into the delay lines La and Lb occurs at the light for Viewer is let through.

At the beginning of the lines 10 and 11 of the delay lines La and Lb is the circuit part shown in FIG. 1 to the left of these beginning of the lines, whose repetition and explanation in connection with FIG. 3 is omitted.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment with two delay lines La and Lb, between which a luminous medium 9 is located. In this embodiment, the delay lines La and Lb have neither discrete pickup pairs nor discrete light sources. In this case, the two delay lines La and Lb are designed for different group speeds. This means that if the pulses are fed into the two delay lines La and Lb in phase, the two pulses will coincide at line beginnings 10 and 11 and thus the luminous medium 9 will light up at the beginning of the display line shown in FIG. 4. If there is a phase difference between the pulses fed into the two delay lines La and Lb, lighting occurs at some other location along the display line, this location depending on the respective phase difference.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 can be implemented with electromagnetic delay lines when high-frequency pulse groups are fed in or with optical fibers when light pulses are fed in. First, the implementation with electromagnetic delay lines and high-frequency pulses is considered.

In this example of the embodiment according to FIG. 4, a luminous medium 9 in the form of a glow discharge gas is used as the luminous medium, the two delay lines forming the two discharge electrodes. The high-frequency pulses are fed into the two delay lines La and Lb with opposite polarity, for which purpose one of the two line starts 10 and 11 is preceded by a polarity converter, for example in the form of the transformer 7 shown in FIG. 1. The amplitudes of the high-frequency pulses fed into the two delay lines La and Lb are chosen so that their voltage difference at the point of coincidence is above the ignition threshold value of the glow discharge gas, but the amplitude of each of these high-frequency pulses both below this ignition threshold and below the discharge hold threshold, above that a glow discharge once ignited is maintained. As a result, a glow discharge can only occur at the location of the coincidence of the pulses on the two delay lines La and Lb, while there is no such glow discharge at the remaining locations along the delay lines.

In the case of this example of a glow discharge line, the line part shown in FIG. 1 to the left of these line starts can be connected to the line starts 10 and 11.

Next, consider an embodiment according to FIG. 4 with light guides, into which light pulses are fed as electromagnetic pulse groups. As with the other embodiments working with light guides, radiation pulses similar to light pulses, for example in the ultraviolet or infrared range, can be used instead of light pulses.

The light guides functioning as delay lines La and Lb must have a radial radiation capability, which is achieved again, for example, by grinding the light guides on opposite sides. As a result, light or radiation energy can enter the luminous medium 9 arranged between the light guides and excite it to light up.

A substance is selected as the luminous medium 9 which can only be excited to light up when the light or radiation pulses fed into the two delay lines coincide, but not through the light or radiation pulse on only one delay line.

An example of this is a two-stage stimulable phosphor which has already been mentioned in the introduction and is excited, for example, by UV light to a first, non-radiating energy state and by additional irradiation by visible light or infrared light to a second, luminous or radiating state. However, the phosphor should at least have lost the excitation energy absorbed by one or the other pulse radiation after a time corresponding to the length of the delay lines, so that pulses that subsequently enter the Runtime lines are fed in, do not cause the lighting medium to light up in places where there is no coincidence for the subsequently fed pulses.

A further possibility for realizing the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is to use a luminous medium which shows the Gudden-Pohl effect. Such a luminous medium is, for example, CaS: (Bi) phosphor. The mode of action of a phosphor having this effect has already been described in the introduction. Also in this realization of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, light guides with radial radiation capability are used again, which is again caused, for example, by longitudinal grinding of the light guides on opposite sides.

4, the luminous medium 9 can be used together with a dye which converts the radiation generated by the luminous medium 9, be it in the form of visible light or other radiation, into visible light of a desired wavelength. This is particularly necessary if you want to create a specific color with a display line. In particular, a colored display device is intended which can be composed of three display lines according to the invention, each of which shines with a different basic color, preferably red, green and blue. In this way, a color display line can be realized. The three finelines of this color display line can be operated with a common phase change device so that the location of the coincidence is the same for the three colors to be overlaid for color display. In contrast, the three individual lines of this color display line are operated with separate brightness control devices, so that one can influence the proportions of the primary colors in the color to be displayed.

A particularly advantageous application of the invention consists in a flat screen which is composed of a plurality of display lines according to the invention. For example, such a flat screen is constructed with 512 lines, each of which preferably has a line length equal to the total height of all display lines.

Such a flat screen can be designed as a color screen by constructing it from color display lines of the type described above, which each comprise three individual display lines with the different display colors red, blue and green.

Such a flat screen can be controlled in two different ways. One is to control all display lines in parallel, as has already been mentioned. A phase change device and a brightness control device are assigned to each display line. With such a parallel control, a very rapid image change is possible, since the entire image content is possible after a period of time corresponding to the runtime through the individual runtime lines.

Another type of control, as has also already been mentioned above, is used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. 5 shows four display lines, each with two delay lines La1, Lbl; La2, Bb2; ... shown, whereby a flat screen will have a lot more display lines in practice. In the event of Use of electromagnetic delay lines and the feeding of high-frequency pulses can be used again for this flat screen according to FIG. 5, the circuit part shown in FIG. 1 to the left of line beginnings 10 and 11, with respect to its functioning reference is made to the corresponding explanations in connection with FIG. 1 . 1 with the pulse source 1, the AND gate 2, the phase shifter 3 and possibly the polarity converter 7 is connected in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 to connection points Va and Vb. The connection point Va is connected to the line starts 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , ... 10 _{4 of} the upper delay lines La1, La2, ... La4 of each display line via a controllable switch 33 ₁ , 33 ₂ , ... 33 ₄ , which for example by a switching transistor, a thyristor, an AND gate or the like. The line starts 111, 11 ₂ , ... 11 _{4 of} the respective other delay lines Lb1, Lb2, ... Lb4 are jointly connected to the connection point Vb. Control connections S1, S2, ... S4 of the switches ³ 3 ₁ , 33 ₂ , ... 33 ₄ are connected to control outputs SA1, SA2, ... SA4 of a line selection device 39. The individual display lines are activated in sequence by means of the line selection device 39 and the switches 33 ₁ , 33 ₂ ,. In other words, the display location information generated with the aid of the phase shifter 3 and the brightness control information generated with the aid of the AND gate 2 is provided for all display lines at the same time, but is only effective for one display line at a time due to the line selection control.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the line selection device 39 has a control connection E4, with which the line selection device 39 has line control pulses can be supplied. These line control pulses can be, for example, the line pulses which are derived from the received television signal in conventional television sets. The line selection device preferably contains a counter with which the individual line pulses are counted. Depending on the respective count value of this counter, a certain control output SA1, SA2, ... is then acted upon with a switch control signal.

As already mentioned, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 enables the operation of this flat screen to be compatible with conventional television systems in a simple manner. The suitability of the flat screen of the type according to the invention is thus not only limited to, for example, computer terminals, but is also suitable for receiving existing television programs.

Since a matrix-like, row and column-wise control of individual pixels is not necessary in the screen according to the invention, one manages with much less control effort than with known flat screens of the type mentioned at the beginning.

The invention therefore makes available a display device which has a pair of delay lines per display line, into which the same pulse groups with a controllable phase difference can be fed. Discrete light sources or a luminous medium present along the entire runtime line lengths can then be used at display locations which are assigned to one another along both runtime lines and for which the pulses from the line starts have different group runtimes are made to light up when there is a coincidence of the two pulse groups running through the delay lines at this display location. The location of such a coincidence along the delay lines depends on the controllable phase difference with which the pulse groups are fed into the two delay lines.

Claims (31)

1. Line-shaped optical display device for displaying information,
characterized ,
that at least two electromagnetic delay lines (La, Lb) are provided, that a device (1-3, 7) for feeding electromagnetic pulse groups into each of the two delay lines (La, Lb) is provided, the into a delay line (L _b ) injected pulses are in a changeable predetermined phase relationship to the pulses fed into the other delay line (L _a ), that a controllable phase change device (3) is provided which effects this phase relationship depending on the location of the respectively desired display position along the line-shaped display device, that a plurality of consumers (Aa1, ... Aa5, Ab1 ... Ab5) offset in the longitudinal direction are arranged on each delay line (La, Lb) for electromagnetic energy,
that the first (Aa1), the second (Aa2), the third '(Aa3) etc. customer of one delay line (La) with the first (Ab1) or second (Ab3) etc. customer of the other delay line (Lb) each a customer pair (Eel, Ab1, Aa2, Ab2 ...) form that the group delay from the beginning of the line (10, 11) to the two customers of each customer pair ( _A a2, Ab2, ...) with the exception of one customer pair (Aa1, Ab1) is different that the difference between the group delays from the beginning of the line (10, 11) to the customers of a pair of customers (Aa2, Ab2, ...) is also different for the different customer pairs, that each customer pair (Aa1, Ab1 .. .) an AND gate is assigned, and that the output of each AND gate is followed by a controllable light source (6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , ...) by its output signal. 2. Display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources (6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , ...) are formed by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). 3. Display device according to claim 2, characterized in that each AND gate is formed by an LED (6 ₁ -6 _{2 '} ...). 4. Display device according to claim 1, characterized in that the AND gates are each formed by a Kerr cell, the upper and lower capacitance (13 and 23) each by a dielectric (15 or 25) of the in the area the Kerr cell as a strip-like mass coating (17 or 27) formed upper or lower term Line (L _a , L _b ) are separated, the capacitance coatings (13, 23), the dielectrics (15, 25) and the ground coatings (17, 27) of the delay lines (La, Lb) are translucent at least in a partial area of their area , and that a light source is arranged on the side opposite the viewer side of the Kerr cell. 5. Display device according to claim 4, characterized in that all the two runtime lines (La, Lb) associated Kerr cells are combined to form an integrated Kerr line, each runtime line (La, Lb) being designed as a strip line (17 or 27) which is covered on the side facing the other strip line with a continuous dielectric strip (15 or 25), on which in turn the strip-shaped capacitance covering pieces (13, 23) forming the individual consumers are arranged as Kerr electrodes, which are connected to adjacent Kerr electrodes are connected by an inductance coating (19, 19;), and that a continuous or by Kerr medium (31) is arranged between the dielectric strips (15, 25) and the Kerr electrodes (13, 23) located thereon is. 6. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the two delay lines (La, Lb) are designed for the same group speeds and the customers of all _A pairs of receivers (Aa2, Ab2, Aa3, Ab3, ...) with Exception of a pair of consumers (eel, Ab1) have different geometric distances from the beginning of the line (10, 11). 7. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the two delay lines ( _L a, _Lb ) for different groups speed are designed and the customers (Aa1, Ab1, Aa2, Ab2, ...) of each pair of customers have the same geometric distances from the beginning of the line (10, 11). 8. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the electromagnetic pulse groups in the form of high-frequency pulses are fed into the delay lines (La, Lb). 9. Line-shaped optical display device for displaying information,
characterized,
that at least two electromagnetic delay lines (La, Lb) are provided, which are designed for different group speeds,
that a device (1-3, 7) is provided for feeding electromagnetic pulse groups into each of the two delay lines (La, Lb), the pulses fed into a delay line ( ^Lb ) in a changeable predetermined phase relationship to those in the other delay line ( La) impulses fed in,
that a controllable phase change device (3) is provided, which changes this phase relationship depending on the location of the desired display position along the line-shaped display device, and that between the two delay lines ( _La , _L b) a luminous medium (9) is arranged, the has a luminous threshold value which is exceeded by the voltage or energy sum of two coinciding pulses, but which is not reached by the voltage or energy value of a pulse alone. 10. Display device according to claim 9,
characterized in that the luminous medium (9) by a glow discharge gas is formed which emits visible light in the glow discharge state or a glow energy which can be converted into visible light of the desired wavelength by means of a fluorescent material,
and that the electromagnetic pulse groups can be fed into each of the two delay lines (La, Lb) as high-frequency pulses with opposite polarity and with a voltage value which is on its own below the ignition threshold value of the glow discharge gas, but, when it coincides with the high-frequency pulse on the other delay line, exceeds the ignition threshold value are. 11. Line-shaped optical display device for displaying information,
characterized in that at least two electromagnetic delay lines (La, Lb) are provided with different group speeds,
that a device (1-3, 7) is provided for feeding electromagnetic pulse groups into each of the two delay lines (La, Lb), the pulses fed into a delay line (Lb) in a changeable predetermined phase relationship to those in the other delay line ( La) fed pulses are that a controllable phase change device (3) is provided, which changes this phase relationship depending on the location of the desired display position along the line-shaped display device, that the delay lines (La, Lb) are designed as light guides with radial radiation capability, that a luminous medium (9) is arranged between the two light guides, which, according to the Gudden-Pohl effect, is exposed to a light of a first type, e.g. UV light, can be brought into a luminous state, which can be extinguished again by exposure to a light of a second type, for example infrared light, impulses of the light of the first type being fed into one light guide and the light continuously into the other light guide of the second type and the impulses are fed into this light guide as light gaps. 12. Line-shaped optical display device for displaying information,
characterized in that at least two electromagnetic delay lines (La, Lb) are provided, which are designed for different group speeds, that a device (1-3, 7) is provided for feeding electromagnetic pulse groups into each of the two delay lines (La, Lb) , wherein the pulses fed into one delay line (Lb) are in a changeable predetermined phase relationship to the pulses fed into the other delay line (La),
that a controllable phase change device (3) is provided, which changes this phase relationship depending on the location of the respectively desired display position along the line-shaped display device,
that the delay lines (La, Lb) are designed as light guides with radial radiation capability,
that a phosphor capable disc (9) is arranged between the two delay lines (La, Lb) which is engageable by two-stage excitation to light and the excitation energy Slevel ^g of at least one first Anregun according to one of the length of the delay lines corresponding time has again lost luminous free, wherein only the energy that occurs on the two light guides when the pulses coincide can stimulate the lighting state of the medium. 13. Display device according to claim 12, characterized in that the light guides (La, Lb) are ground on opposite sides in the longitudinal direction. 14. Display device according to claim 13, characterized in that along the ground surface of each light guide (La, Lb) customer (Eel, Aa2, ..., Ab1, Ab2, ...) arranged in the form of photodiodes, phototransistors or the like are that the electrical output signal of each pair of consumers (Aa1, Ab1, Aa2, Ab2, ...) is given to the inputs of an AND circuit and an LED is connected to the output of each AND circuit. 15. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, in which the electromagnetic pulse groups are high-frequency pulses,
characterized in that the device for feeding pulses is a high-frequency pulse source (1) feeding both delay lines (La, Lb),
and that the phase change device is formed by a phase shifter (3) which is connected between the line beginning (11) of the one delay line (Lb) and the pulse source (1). 16. A display device according to claim 15, characterized in that a pulse polarity converter, preferably in the form of a transformer (7), is provided between the phase shifter (3) and the delay line (Lb) connected to it. 17. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that
that the device for feeding electromagnetic Pulse groups are formed by two pulse sources, each of which feeds one of the two delay lines (La, Lb), and that the changeable phase relationship is formed by different times of the feeding of related pulses into the two delay lines (La, Lb). 18. Display device according to claim 17, in conjunction with one or more of claims 9 and 11 to 13, characterized in that light pulses, preferably laser light pulses, can be fed into the delay lines (La, Lb) as electromagnetic pulse groups. 19. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the display device is assigned a brightness control device. 20. Display device according to claim 19, characterized in that
that a control connection of the phase change device (3) can be supplied with a stair control signal, each stair step corresponding to a specific display location along the delay lines (La, Lb),
and that a controllable switch, preferably in the form of an AND gate (2), is arranged between the device (1) for feeding in electromagnetic pulse groups and the delay lines (La, Lb), with the aid of which the number of each per step in each Runtime lines (La, Lb) fed electromagnetic pulses can be controlled depending on the desired display brightness value. 21. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the pulse groups fed into the delay lines (La, Lb) have a repetition frequency above the flicker frequency that can be resolved by the human eye. 22. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that three display lines, their light sources (6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , ...) or luminous media (9) each with a different basic color, preferably red, blue , green, can be made to light up, are combined to form a triple color display line. 23. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that several display lines (La1, Lb1, La2, Lb2, ...) or triple color display lines are assembled to form a flat screen. 24. Display device according to claim 23, characterized in that
that a delay line (La1, La2, ...) of each display line or triple color display line is preceded by a controllable switch (33 ₁ , 33 _2t ...), and that the control connections of the switches (33 ₁ , 33 ₂ ,. ..) are connected to parallel outputs of a line selection device (39) which, according to their own clock signal or a clock signal impressed from the outside, activates the individual display lines or triple color display lines one after the other via the associated switch (33 ₁ , ...). 25. Display device according to claim 24 in connection with claim 10, characterized in that the connection of each switch (33 ₁ , ...) not connected to the delay line (La1, La2, ...) is connected to the output of the AND gate (2) and the runtime lines (Lb1, Lb2, ...) not connected to a switch (33 ₁ , ...) are connected to the output of the phase change device. 26. Display device according to claim 23, characterized in that each display line or triple color display line is assigned a separately controllable phase change device (3) and, if appropriate, a separately controllable brightness control device (2), preferably in the form of an AND gate (2) according to claim 19 is, and that all phase change devices and possibly all brightness control devices, and thus all display lines or triple color display lines, can be controlled in parallel. 27. Display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the pulse groups at the opposite line ends with opposite directions are fed into the two delay lines (La, Lb) of a display line. 28. Display device according to claim 27, characterized in that instead of the two delay lines of a display line, only a single delay line is used, in the two ends of which the pulse groups are fed in the opposite direction. 29. Display device according to claim 28, characterized in that the pulse groups are fed into the two line ends with different polarity. 30. Display device according to claim 28, characterized in that the pulse groups are fed into the two line ends with the same polarity. 31. Use of a display device according to one or more of claims 1 to 30 as a storage analog / digital converter, wherein afterglowing light sources (6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , ...) or a luminescent luminous medium (9) is provided with a Afterglow duration corresponding to the transit time of the pulse groups through the transit time lines (La, Lb) or transit time line and wherein the phase change device is controlled with the analog signal to be converted.

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