GB2249209A

GB2249209A - Visual display panel

Info

Publication number: GB2249209A
Application number: GB9013674A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas * Cook Terry; Thomas * Wells Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-06-19
Filing date: 1990-06-19
Publication date: 1992-04-29
Also published as: GB9013674D0

Abstract

A visual display panel has a viewing area formed on one face on a block of optical grade transparent material. The block face opposite the viewing area has a profiled set of controllable reflectors 16 and 17 formed in close proximity to the substrate. By suitable selection, the reflectors may be activated by electronic means to deflect a collimated or coherent light beam to display information. This light beam is managed by a electronic control system to show information in colour or monochrome. The reflectors each comprise a thin metal film deposited on a substrate. <IMAGE>

Description

VISUAL DISPLAY PANEL This invention relates to a display panel capable of depicting static or moving visual information.

There are many types of display panel used in commercial, technological and industrial applications. These can range from read-out panels on cash points at retail sales outlets, through measurand indication in industrial and aviation instrumentation applications to television pictures and public annunciator boards.

Many of these displays are relatively expensive and furthermore need extra protection in certain environments where vibration, temperature, pressure etc. is excessive.

According to the present invention there is provided an optical display system using a light beam from a collimated or coherent light source. This beam is directed into an array of selectable reflective/transmitive surfaces formed as facets on one face of a rectangular block of optical grade material.

On suitable selection of the reflective surfaces a light beam is directed to form a mosaic or pixel-display. Thus a picture or alpha-numeric representation may be seen by an observer at the front of the panel.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings where: FIG.1 Shows in perspective a display panel with 'n' switchabie reflective surfaces in the X and Y planes where 'n' is an arbitrary number.

FIG.2 Gives a cross section view on A-A of Fig.1 FIG.3 Illustrates a light beam source and filter unit sending a beam through three 90 degree direction changes first through a base reflector and then a 'y' element reflector followed by a element reflector.

FIG.4 Shows a block diagram of a electronic management system to synchronize the data or video formation on the display panel.

Refering to Fig.3,which is a representation of the top right corner of Fig.l, a beam of light is produced at a source 11 and passes through a filter 12 to arrive at reflector 14. Reflector 14 provides two or more angular direction change increments and thus produces a 90 degree change in direction of the beam. The beam will next arrive at a selectable 'y' reflector 15 and thus change to a horizontal direction. A selectable 'x' reflector 16 will now direct the beam onto the display panel area,via a refracted light path within the display panel substrate. For some panel sizes a further set of reflectors in the form of a ground plane may be stationed alongside the main reflectors Xn,16,to produce beam propagation between the Xn elements in short 'skip'transitions.

It will be seen from Fig.2 that the cross section of A-A shows a 'sawtooth' profile. This profile is produced on a surface of optical grade transparent material which is also an electrical insulator. A transparent and electrically conductive thin metal film 21 is deposited on the multi-facet sloped surface as shown.

This film has the property of becoming reflective to light, i.e.

electro-magnetic radiation, when supplied with an electrical potential from a suitable connection point 17. A similar process is utilized on the 'Y' direction array 15 and the first reflector 14. of Fig.3. Thus by a suitable selection of 'X' and 'Y' reflectors a illuminated pixel may be produced at any discrete point on the display panel surface 30 of Fig.1. In certain embodiments a modified version of the Xn element profile will be required ,this being a function of display panel area.

FIG.4 shows the management of the light beam by controlling reflectors 14,16 and 17 by electronic means.

The signal data supplied to interface 18 which may be of a digital or an analogue form (such as a Radio or T.V. signal via the ether) is digitised with reference to a system clock contained in timing unit 19.

This digitised information is managed by synchronizer 20 through four signal paths and is in the form of time divided multiplex square-wave switching signals. The 'x' and 'y' reflectors, 16 and 17 respectively, control data position on the display panel 30.

The other two signal paths are used to gate the light beam in reflector 14 and to control colour information in filter 12.

The light source 21 may be pulsed or modulated also from the Timing Unit 19 By using suitable timing techniques the horizontal Xn reflector elements may be switched on consecutively ,say from top left of the display to top right,using the uppermost Yn reflector.

This process may then be repeated but using the Yn-1, and then again using the Yn-2 reflector and so on until the Yn-n reflector is reached.

The whole process is then repeated from top left of the display continuously and rapidly and the display area 30 Fig.1 will appear as a cntinuously illuminated area. However pattern generation will occur when this 'mosaic' build-up of illuminated area is interrupted by light beam modulation due to interpretation of signal data from the interface unit 18.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A visual display panel comprising a flat area as an outside face and the means to to portray in monochrome or colour, pictorial or alpha-numeric information on that face by means of a system of controllable reflective surfaces, embedded on the rear face opposite the said outside face, which deflect a coherent or collimated light beam.

2. A visual display panel as claimed in claim 1 where the front outside viewing face and the rear reflector array face are formed on a block of light beam transmittive optical grade material where the means of controlling the reflector array is by voltage signals to conductive thin film metal depositions on the said reflectors.

3. A visual display panel as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 where the means of controlling the voltage signals to the electrically conductive films is by an electronic management system.

4. A visual display panel as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 where light source means may be modulated in intensity according to the beam travel distance via multiple reflective surfaces and light transmission mediums.

5. A visual display panel for monochrome or colour substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 - 4 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A visual display panel substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawing.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS 1. A visual display panel, comprising a flat area as a frontal outside face and a contoured rear face, which does not depend on incident light impinging onit's front or rear face nor electrical generation of light between it's front or rear face for it's operation.

2. A visual display panel as claimed in claim 1 where the means employed to generate a pictorial active mosaic on the visual outside front face is at least one coherent or collimated light beam directed into the edge of the rear face contour system at 90 degrees to the frontal outside face.

3. A visual display panel as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 where active alpha-numeric or pictorial images may be generated by addressing discrete pixels over the whole of the viewing area by manipulating the reflective properties of the rear contoured face to control a signaling light beam, which is chanelled within a parallel plane to the frontal outside face, immediately before progressive illumination of discrete pixels.

4. A visual display panel as claimed in preceeding claims, where the light source means may be modulated in intensity according to the beam travel distance via multiple reflective surfaces and light transmission mediums to automatically suit viewing conditions.