GB2273600A - Flip disk information board with disk position detection system - Google Patents

Abstract

A flip disk information board is provided with a monitoring coil (24) for each disk (10) and the disks (10) have an electrically conductive layer or loop of material (12) on their rear faces. In operation a power supply not connected to the main drive energises the coil 24. When flipped, the disk (10) changes its attitude with respect to the coil (24) and consequently either damps or undamps the energy therein. A signal is derived from this and is used to enable indication to a station as to the disks attitude. Other means for detecting the disk position, using electrical contacts, optical fibres, reflective optical switches or proximity switches, are also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN FLIP DISC INFORMATION BOARDS The present invention relates to flip disk information boards, eg those used to display messages and sporting scores.

More specifically the invention relates to a flip disk board wherein the flip discs are electrically flipped between an attitude in which their display faces can be seen and an attitude wherein they cannot be seen.

It is essential that the boards display the correct message and or number and where the board is situated before static or effectively static viewers, such as at the entrance to a business or in a sports stadium, monitoring of the board is simple and local. However, where the boards are used on public highways, monitoring has to be achieved remotely, and reported at a central station for a given area. Moreover as the viewer will be travelling at speed, it is vital that the board displays the correct message and/or number or, if it doesn't, that the error is very rapidly discovered and rectified.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved flip disk information board.

According to the present invention a flip disk information board includes disk attitude monitoring means adjacent each disk and adapted to cooperate therewith to cause generation of a monitorable electrical signal on its associated disk being in one or other of display and non display attitudes and an electrical power supply connected to said means and adapted for sole enabling of a said signal.

Preferably but not restrictively, the means comprises an electrical coil wherein cooperation of its adjacent disk therewith is enabled by providing the disk with an electrically conductive surface or peripheral loop (not shown) which in operation damps or undamps the energy in the coil, depending on the attitude of the disk with respect thereto.

Alternatively the means may comprise electrical contacts adapted and positioned for making and breaking the power supply circuit by said associated disk on said disks changing their attitude.

The contacts may include a bridge which the discs on flipping can urge into bridging contact with said contacts depending on the attitude of the disk.

The disk may provide the bridge.

Alternatively, the means may comprise fibre optics or reflective opto switch means or slotted opto switch means which cooperate with the disk via its display surface so as to transmit light reflected therefrom to conversion means in the power supply circuit for converting said light to electrical signals for enabling indication of the attitude of the disk.

The invention will now be described, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is a view on the display face side of flip disks in a frame which incorporates an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig 2 is a side view of a flip disk of Fig 1 incorporating the embodiment of the invention.

Fig 3 is a view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig 2.

Fig 4 is a block diagram of circuitry embodying the invention of Figs 1 to 3.

Referring to Fig 1. A group 8 of plastic disks one of which is indicated by the numeral 10, are mounted in known manner on a flip disk information board 11. Zingthe example herein the disks 10 are circular, but could be rectangular.

The disks 10 are pivotable through 90" between the attitude shown in Fig 1 which is a message display attitude and an attitude which is edge on to the viewer.

Again this feature is known.

The disks are pivoted in known manner by electrcnic means and on command, so that messages and/or numbers may be displayed and varied.

A novel addition is made to the assembly of disks 10 described hereinbefore, in that an electrically conductive film 12 (Fig 2) of material is added to the rear, non displayed side of each disk 10. Further a rectangular frame structure 14 having a bore 16, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the disks 10 is positioned concentrically about each disk 10, so that each disk 10 can pivot within the bore 16 of its associated frame 14. It should be noted that the bore 16 can be rectangular without detriment to operation of the invention.

Referring now to Figs 2 and 3. The frame 14 consists of a short tubular portion 18 which terminates in square end flanges 20, 22. The tubular portion 18 carries an electrically energisable coil 24 and the flanges 20, 22 are provided with springy hooks 26 and slots 28 by means of which adjacent frames 14 are held together in the co-planer pattern shown in Fig 1.

Further simple connectors, eg press studs 30 may be used to hold the frames 14 against the known framework 32 of the display board proper.

The disk 10 in Fig 2 and 3 is shown in its display attitude and consequently the whole periphery of the layer 12 is closely adjacent the coil 24. When the disk 10 is rotated through 90" to its non display attitude, only small diametrically opposed portions of the periphery of the layer 12 are adjacent the coil 24. This is important with regard to the operation of the invention, as is explained later in this specification.

Whilst the disk 10 is shown as being positioned within the end of the frame 14, its actual position is dictated by its function with respect to the coil 24.

Thus in operation when the disk 10 is in its display attitude as shown in figure 2 and the coil 24 is energised, the disk must be close enough thereto for the electrically conductive layer 12 to damp the energy in the coil. However when the disk 10 is pivoted through 90C to its non displaying position its position with respect to the coil 24 should be such that negligible flux linkage (damping) occurs therebetween.

Referring now to Fig 4. The coils 24 are arranged in a circuit matrix comprised of columns of wires 'A' and rows of wires 'B'. Each coil 24 has an input from a wire 'A' and an output via a diode 34 to a wire 'B'.

Columns 'A' are driven from mains supply 36 via a column driver card 38, eg as sold by Ferranti Packard.

Rows 'B' however are driven from a low voltage, isolated power supply 40 via a row driver 41 again, eg as sold by Ferranti Packard. The power supply 40 also drives an oscillator 42 which imposes an ac current on the circuit matrix 'A' and 'B'.

A detection coil 44 is driven by the AC current imposed on the circuit by the oscillator 42. This current will vary with the attitude of the disc 10 being monitored, relative to its associated coil 24. Thus monitoring of respective discs 10 at any point between display and non display, is enabled since variation in current effects a variation in voltage across the inductor, which voltage is used as described hereinafter.

The new voltage value is passed via a detector 46 to a micro-processor 48 which interprets the voltage level and hence the attitude of the disk 10, movement of which relative to its respective coil 24 had brought about the voltage change.

The microprocessor 48 is programmed to cause monitoring of the attitude of one disk 10 at a time, this being achieved by the isolator circuit block 58, and the row and column drivers 41 and 38 respectively. On receipt of the scan result of each of the discs 10, the microprocessor 48 stores the state values of the detector 46 until a computer in a central station calls for it.

The individual scanning could be selective, ie the attitude of any one disk could be selectively monitored and stored in the microprocessor.

The invention described herein provides a number of advantages in remote monitoring of flip disk display boards. Thus the invention adds no moving parts, the coils 24 and their associated circuitry being static.

Moreover, by using separate power supplies 40 and 36 for energising the coils 24, involvement of the disk monitoring system in the circuitry which actuates the disks in their flip action is avoided, a consequence of this is that if the disk flipping circuitry malfunctions, the monitoring circuit can observe the malfunction without malfunctioning itself.

Whilst the preferred embodiment utilises the coils 24 as described hereinbefore, monitoring of the attitudes of the disks 10 may alternatively be achieved by substituting contact mechanisms (not shown). Thus a pair of contacts would be fixed to the board 11 against each flip disk 10. An electrically conductive bridge would be provided and positioned such that on the associated disk 10 being flipped into one attitude, the contacts would be bridged and a signal developed, to be processed as described hereinbefore. The bridge may be mounted on the board 11 or may be on the rear face of the disk 10.

Alternatively, fibre optics (not shown) may be used and arranged so as to pick up light from the disks and pass it to transducers, the resulting electrical output again being processed as described hereinbefore.

Claims (10)

Claims:

1. A flip disk information board including disk attitude monitoring means adjacent each disk and adapted to cooperate therewith to cause generation of a monitorable electrical signal on its associated disk being in one or another of display and non display attitudes and an electrical power supply connected to said means and adapted for sole enabling of a said signal.

2. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises an electrical coil wherein cooperation of its adjacent disk therewith is enabled by providing the disk with an electrically conductive element which in operation damps or undamps electrical energy in the coil, depending on the attitude of the disk with respect thereto.

3. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises electrical contacts adapted and positioned for making and breaking the power supply circuit by said associated disk on said disk changing its attitude.

4. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 3 including a bridge which the disk, on flipping, can urge into bridging contact with said contacts, depending on the attitude of the disk.

5. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 4 wherein the disk may provide the bridge.

6. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means comprises optical fibres which cooperate with the disk via its display surface so as to transmit light therefrom to conversion means in the power supply circuit for converting said light to electrical signals for enabling indication of the attitude of the disk.

7. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means comprises reflective opto switch a means which cooperate with the disk display surface so as to transmit light therefrom to conversion means in the power supply circuit for converting said light to electrical signals for enabling indication of the attitude of the disk.

8. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means comprises a slotted opto switch means which cooperates with a disk display surface so as to transmit light therefrom to conversion means in the power supply circuit for converting said light to electrical signals for enabling indication of the attitude of the disk.

9. A flip disk information board as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means comprises a proximity switch which cooperates with a metal portion on associated disk to produce a signal when said associated disk moves to produce a signal when said associated disk moves and adopts an attitude which places said metal portion in activating range of said switch.

10. A flip disk information board as claimed in any previous claim wherein the electrical power supply comprises an inverted direct current.