EP0421517A1 - Alpha-numerical display device - Google Patents
Alpha-numerical display device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0421517A1 EP0421517A1 EP90202542A EP90202542A EP0421517A1 EP 0421517 A1 EP0421517 A1 EP 0421517A1 EP 90202542 A EP90202542 A EP 90202542A EP 90202542 A EP90202542 A EP 90202542A EP 0421517 A1 EP0421517 A1 EP 0421517A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- segments
- sub
- electrode
- display device
- segment
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
- G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
- G09F9/302—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
- G09F3/08—Fastening or securing by means not forming part of the material of the label itself
- G09F3/18—Casings, frames or enclosures for labels
Definitions
- the invention relates to a display device for displaying alpha-numerical characters, which device comprises an electro-optical material between a first supporting plate having at least one electrode and a second supporting plate having a plurality of electrode segments.
- a display device of this type is known from United States Patent no. 3,781,864.
- a liquid crystal display device is shown with a counterelectrode on the one supporting plate and 7 electrode segments for each character on the other supporting plate, and it describes the drive mode for such a display device.
- Substantially only numerals are shown while using the so-called direct drive method.
- a segment to be visualized is continuously driven, while the polarity of the drive voltage is periodically changed so as to prevent degradation of the liquid crystal. Therefore, a separate connection is required for each electrode segment.
- a display device is characterized in that the electrode segments comprise sub-segments most of which are substantially square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogram-shaped and occupy at least a part of character elements arranged in the form of a matrix.
- the second supporting plate preferably has at least twelve electrode segments and the square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogram-shaped sub-segments occupy the majority of the character elements.
- Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the division of the electrode segments 1, 2, 3, ...., 12 on one of the supporting plates of a display device.
- the device also comprises a second supporting plate having one or more counterelectrodes (at most 4), while an electro-optical material, for example, a liquid crystalline medium is present between the two supporting plates.
- an electro-optical material for example, a liquid crystalline medium is present between the two supporting plates.
- the boundaries of the different electrode segments 1, 2, 3, ...., 12 are denoted by means of broken lines in Fig. 1.
- the electrode segments are divided into sub-segments 21, 22, 23, which sub-segments are formed in such a way that they substantially entirely one of the character elements 30 on their own or together with other sub-segments in a matrix of character elements 30, occupy one of the character elements 30, as is shown in Fig. 2.
- electrode segment 1 comprises three substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 in this embodiment, which sub-segments correspond to the character elements 30 ab , 30 ac , 30 ad in Fig. 2.
- Electrode segment 2 comprises four substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21, which substantially entirely cover the character elements 30 bc , 30 cc , 30 ec and 30 fc , as well as a connection track 15 which connects the sub-segments 21 associated with the character elements 30 cc and 30 ec , and a triangular sub-segment 22 which together with a triangular sub-segment 22 associated with electrode segment 10 substantially entirely covers the character element 30 dc .
- Electrode segment 3 comprises a triangular sub-segment 22 which together with a triangular sub-segment 22 associated with electrode segment 4 substantially entirely covers the character element 30 ae .
- electrode segment 3 comprises two pentagonal sub-segments 23 at the location of the character elements 30 bd , 30 cd
- electrode segment 4 further comprises two substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 at the location of the character elements 30 be and 30 ce
- electrode segment 5 comprises three substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 and a triangular sub-segment 22 which together with a triangular sub-segment 22 of electrode segment 6 again substantially entirely covers the character element 30 ge
- electrode segment 6 further comprises two pentagonal sub-segments 23.
- Electrode segment 7 comprises three substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21.
- the electrode segments 8 and 9 can be described similarly as the electrode segments 3 and 4.
- the electrode segment 10 comprises two substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21.
- the electrode segments 11 and 12 may be described similarly as the electrode segments 5 and 6.
- the electrode segments have connection conductors 13 for external connections. If desired, the electrode segment 2 may be connected at two ends, which is shown diagrammatically by means of the dot-and-dash line 14.
- the electrode segments can be driven directly or with a low multiplex degree (by means of a selection circuit which is not further described), a large viewing angle and a high contrast is obtained when using a liquid crystal display device.
- a satisfactory display of alpha-numerical characters can be simultaneously obtained by means of the sub-division into sub-segments.
- a plurality of characters has been shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of illustration.
- FIG. 4 Another division with fifteen electrode segments is shown in Fig. 4.
- the electrode segments 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 are comparable to those in Fig. 1.
- the device according to Fig. 4 now has electrode segments 16, 17, 18 each comprising one segment and occupying the character elements 30 db , 30 dc and 30 dd as well as the electrode segments 19 and 20.
- Each electrode segment 19, 20 comprises two square-shaped sub-segments 21 at the location of the character elements 30 bc , 30 cc and 30 ec , 30 fc , respectively.
- Fig. 5 shows a plurality of characters displayed by means of a sub-division of (sub-) segments according to Fig. 4.
- the invention is of course not limited to the examples shown, but many other shapes, notably of the sub-segments 21, are possible, for example, rectangular or parallelogram shapes. Different distributions of the sub-segments over the electrode segments are alternatively possible.
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
- Liquid Crystal (AREA)
- Control Of Indicators Other Than Cathode Ray Tubes (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The invention relates to a display device for displaying alpha-numerical characters, which device comprises an electro-optical material between a first supporting plate having at least one electrode and a second supporting plate having a plurality of electrode segments.
- A display device of this type is known from United States Patent no. 3,781,864. In this Patent a liquid crystal display device is shown with a counterelectrode on the one supporting plate and 7 electrode segments for each character on the other supporting plate, and it describes the drive mode for such a display device. Substantially only numerals are shown while using the so-called direct drive method. In this drive method a segment to be visualized is continuously driven, while the polarity of the drive voltage is periodically changed so as to prevent degradation of the liquid crystal. Therefore, a separate connection is required for each electrode segment.
- It has been possible to reduce the number of required connections in such display devices by splitting up the undivided electrode into two or more parts and by ensuring the drive mode by way of multiplex drive (1:2 multiplexing, 1:3 or 1:4 multiplexing). Notably at a higher multiplex degree (5 or more) this leads to a more complicated drive mode as well as to a lower effective drive voltage across the picture segments to be driven. Notably when using liquid crystalline material as an electro-optical medium, such a lower effective voltage leads to a decrease of the viewing angle. The contrast also deteriorates at a multiplex degree of more than 4.
- Since the shape of the segment electrodes is fixed, the variation of characters to be displayed is also limited in this case.
- The latter is much less the case if the characters are composed of elements arranged in accordance with a matrix, for example, n rows and m columns defining nxm character elements. As n and m increase, the characters can be fixed more accurately. However, this requires a complicated drive circuit (1 : n multiplexing), while the effective voltage may even further decrease due to the lower duty cycle (1/n) (n is generally high, for example, n ≧ 8).
- It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a display device of the type described in the opening paragraph in which the advantages of a drive mode using a low multiplex degree (up to 1:4) and a display device based on the matrix principle are combined as much as possible.
- To this end a display device according to the invention is characterized in that the electrode segments comprise sub-segments most of which are substantially square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogram-shaped and occupy at least a part of character elements arranged in the form of a matrix.
- The second supporting plate preferably has at least twelve electrode segments and the square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogram-shaped sub-segments occupy the majority of the character elements.
- The use of a low multiplex degree yields a large viewing angle and a high contrast, while the division into sub-segments gives the device a matrix structure which with a suitable division of the sub-segments leads to a wide range of characters to be displayed.
- The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
- Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the division according to the invention of a plurality of electrode segments,
- Fig. 2 shows a matrix of character elements,
- Fig. 3 shows the display of a plurality of alpha-numerical characters by means of a display device according to the invention, while
- Fig. 4 shows another division of a plurality of electrode segments, and
- Fig. 5 shows the display of alpha-numerical characters associated with the division of Fig. 4.
- Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the division of the
electrode segments different electrode segments - According to the invention the electrode segments are divided into
sub-segments character elements 30 on their own or together with other sub-segments in a matrix ofcharacter elements 30, occupy one of thecharacter elements 30, as is shown in Fig. 2. - For example,
electrode segment 1 comprises three substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 in this embodiment, which sub-segments correspond to thecharacter elements -
Electrode segment 2 comprises four substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21, which substantially entirely cover thecharacter elements connection track 15 which connects thesub-segments 21 associated with thecharacter elements triangular sub-segment 22 which together with atriangular sub-segment 22 associated with electrode segment 10 substantially entirely covers thecharacter element 30dc. Electrodesegment 3 comprises atriangular sub-segment 22 which together with atriangular sub-segment 22 associated withelectrode segment 4 substantially entirely covers thecharacter element 30ae. Furthermore, theelectrode segment 3 comprises twopentagonal sub-segments 23 at the location of thecharacter elements electrode segment 4 further comprises two substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 at the location of thecharacter elements electrode segment 5 comprises three substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21 and atriangular sub-segment 22 which together with atriangular sub-segment 22 ofelectrode segment 6 again substantially entirely covers thecharacter element 30ge, whileelectrode segment 6 further comprises twopentagonal sub-segments 23. - Electrode segment 7 comprises three substantially square-
shaped sub-segments 21. Theelectrode segments 8 and 9 can be described similarly as theelectrode segments triangular sub-segment 22, the electrode segment 10 comprises two substantially square-shaped sub-segments 21. Theelectrode segments electrode segments - In the above-described configuration with twelve electrode segments the substantially square-shaped sub-segments occupy the majority of the character elements 30 (22 out of 35 character elements).
- The electrode segments have
connection conductors 13 for external connections. If desired, theelectrode segment 2 may be connected at two ends, which is shown diagrammatically by means of the dot-and-dash line 14. - Since the electrode segments can be driven directly or with a low multiplex degree (by means of a selection circuit which is not further described), a large viewing angle and a high contrast is obtained when using a liquid crystal display device. A satisfactory display of alpha-numerical characters can be simultaneously obtained by means of the sub-division into sub-segments. A plurality of characters has been shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of illustration.
- Another division with fifteen electrode segments is shown in Fig. 4. The
electrode segments electrode segments 2, 10, the device according to Fig. 4 now haselectrode segments 16, 17, 18 each comprising one segment and occupying thecharacter elements electrode segments electrode segment shaped sub-segments 21 at the location of thecharacter elements - The invention is of course not limited to the examples shown, but many other shapes, notably of the
sub-segments 21, are possible, for example, rectangular or parallelogram shapes. Different distributions of the sub-segments over the electrode segments are alternatively possible.
Claims (5)
characterized in that the electrode segments comprise sub-segments most of which are substantially square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogram-shaped and occupy at least a part of character elements arranged in the form of a matrix.
characterized in that at least eight electrode segments comprise a plurality of substantially square-shaped, rectangular or parallelogramshaped sub-segments.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
NL8902412A NL8902412A (en) | 1989-09-28 | 1989-09-28 | ALFA-NUMERIC DISPLAY. |
NL8902412 | 1989-09-28 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0421517A1 true EP0421517A1 (en) | 1991-04-10 |
EP0421517B1 EP0421517B1 (en) | 1995-08-23 |
Family
ID=19855366
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP90202542A Expired - Lifetime EP0421517B1 (en) | 1989-09-28 | 1990-09-25 | Alpha-numerical display device |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0421517B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH03138686A (en) |
KR (1) | KR910006898A (en) |
DE (1) | DE69021817T2 (en) |
NL (1) | NL8902412A (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0588329A2 (en) * | 1992-09-18 | 1994-03-23 | Pioneer Electronic Corporation | Display with a plurality of pixels for displaying characters |
EP2887161A1 (en) * | 2013-12-23 | 2015-06-24 | ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse | Electrode arrangement for a digital display |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0146285A2 (en) * | 1983-12-16 | 1985-06-26 | Vultron International Limited | Electro optic flat panel display |
DE3346630A1 (en) * | 1983-12-23 | 1985-07-04 | SWF Auto-Electric GmbH, 7120 Bietigheim-Bissingen | Display device, in particular for motor vehicles |
EP0164152A2 (en) * | 1984-05-08 | 1985-12-11 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Electro-optical display device |
EP0180685A1 (en) * | 1984-09-11 | 1986-05-14 | Ascom Autophon Ag | Alphanumeric indicating arrangement with segments each controllable into a visible and an invisible state |
EP0255158A2 (en) * | 1986-07-07 | 1988-02-03 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Data display device |
-
1989
- 1989-09-28 NL NL8902412A patent/NL8902412A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
1990
- 1990-09-20 KR KR1019900014873A patent/KR910006898A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1990-09-25 EP EP90202542A patent/EP0421517B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1990-09-25 DE DE69021817T patent/DE69021817T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1990-09-25 JP JP2252078A patent/JPH03138686A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0146285A2 (en) * | 1983-12-16 | 1985-06-26 | Vultron International Limited | Electro optic flat panel display |
DE3346630A1 (en) * | 1983-12-23 | 1985-07-04 | SWF Auto-Electric GmbH, 7120 Bietigheim-Bissingen | Display device, in particular for motor vehicles |
EP0164152A2 (en) * | 1984-05-08 | 1985-12-11 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Electro-optical display device |
EP0180685A1 (en) * | 1984-09-11 | 1986-05-14 | Ascom Autophon Ag | Alphanumeric indicating arrangement with segments each controllable into a visible and an invisible state |
EP0255158A2 (en) * | 1986-07-07 | 1988-02-03 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Data display device |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0588329A2 (en) * | 1992-09-18 | 1994-03-23 | Pioneer Electronic Corporation | Display with a plurality of pixels for displaying characters |
EP0588329A3 (en) * | 1992-09-18 | 1994-09-07 | Pioneer Electronic Corp | Display with a plurality of pixels for displaying characters |
US5475516A (en) * | 1992-09-18 | 1995-12-12 | Pioneer Electronic Corp. | Alphanumeric symbol formed by a 3×5 matrix with two longitudinally bisected pixels |
EP2887161A1 (en) * | 2013-12-23 | 2015-06-24 | ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse | Electrode arrangement for a digital display |
KR20150073843A (en) * | 2013-12-23 | 2015-07-01 | 에타 쏘시에떼 아노님 마누팍투레 홀로게레 스위세 | Arrangement of electrodes for a digital display |
KR101648639B1 (en) | 2013-12-23 | 2016-08-16 | 에타 쏘시에떼 아노님 마누팍투레 홀로게레 스위세 | Arrangement of electrodes for a digital display |
US9897977B2 (en) | 2013-12-23 | 2018-02-20 | Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogère Suisse | Arrangement of electrodes for a digital display |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE69021817T2 (en) | 1996-04-04 |
EP0421517B1 (en) | 1995-08-23 |
KR910006898A (en) | 1991-04-30 |
DE69021817D1 (en) | 1995-09-28 |
NL8902412A (en) | 1991-04-16 |
JPH03138686A (en) | 1991-06-13 |
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