JP2001142449A - Unit, device, system, and method for displaying characters - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such problem that, since a display control part 21 allocates image data, a character display unit 1 is coupled and integrated into a character display device 4, and it has been difficult to change the combination of the character display unit 1 and it has been impossible to display separate information by changing or dividing the combination. SOLUTION: When character display data D3 from a communication control part 12 are plotting, a display image generation part 13 creates and stores an image data, and when the character display data D3 are display, the display image generation part outputs the stored image data as image data D6. Then, a display area selection part 17 selects the image data D6 matched with an address data D7 and outputs a display image data D8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character display unit for displaying a combination of a plurality of display units, a character display device, a character display system, and a character display method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional character display system. In the figure, 1 is a character display unit, 2 is a character display data transmission device for transmitting character data to be displayed, 21 is a communication control, includes a display image generation and a drawing memory, and receives the transmitted character display data. A display control unit for converting the image data into a lighting signal for the light emitting element of each character display unit 1, a communication cable 3 for connecting the character display data transmitting device 2 and the display control unit 21, and a display control unit 21 and a character The display unit 1 and the light emitting element lighting cables 4 connecting the adjacent display units 1 are character display devices each including the character display unit 1. Here, the display control unit 21 receives the entire character display data of the character display device 4, converts the data into image data, and divides all the character display units 1 of the character display device 4 into the corresponding addresses. It is output as unit display image data and displayed.

[0003]

In such a prior art, the display control section 21 allocates image data to each character display unit 1 to form unit display image data. Device 4
It is difficult to change the combination of the character display units 1 and cannot change the combination or divide and display different information. Further, when a failure occurs in the display control unit 21, the entire character display device 4 cannot be displayed, and the system is brought down. Further, when the number of dots of the character display device 4 is large, it takes time for communication of character data and conversion to image data, and it is difficult to update and display many characters at the same time and to control display timing.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to easily change the configuration of a character display device so that even if an abnormality occurs in one character display device, the other character display device can be used. An object of the present invention is to provide a character display unit, a character display device, a character display system and a character display method which do not affect the operation of a normal character display device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a character display unit, a character display device, a character display system, and a character display method for easily matching display update timings of a plurality of character display units.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a display character unit comprising: a communication control unit for outputting data having the same group number among the received character display data; and an image data from the output from the communication control unit. A display image generation unit that generates and outputs the display image data as display image data; a display area selection unit that outputs unit display image data corresponding to an address of a character display unit among the display image data; and stores the unit display image data A display memory, a driver for inputting an output from the display memory, and a light emitting element that emits light with an output from the driver.

[0006] The apparatus further comprises a group setting section for setting a group to which the character display unit belongs, and an address setting section for setting an address number of the character display unit.

Further, a character display device according to the present invention is provided.
The character display units are arranged vertically or horizontally to constitute the same group.

A character display system according to the present invention comprises a character display device and a character display data transmitting device for transmitting character display data.

Still further, in the character display method according to the present invention, a step of receiving character display data including a type, a display group and display data, and a step of outputting character display data of the character display data whose group matches. Generating the image data from the display data if the type of the character display data is drawing; and outputting the image data as display image data if the type of the character display data is display. A step of selecting the display image data according to the address of the character display unit and outputting it as unit display image data, and a step of emitting light according to the unit display image data.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG.
1 is a block diagram of a character display system showing a configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a character display unit, 2 is a character display data transmission device for transmitting character display data D2 including a type, a display group and display data, 3 is a communication cable for transmission, and 4 is a character display unit 1 connected. It is a character display device. In this character display system, three character display devices 4 are provided, the character display device of display group 0 has two character display units 1, the display device 4 of display group 1 has m + 1 character display units 1, The display device of the display group n includes p + 1 character display units 1. In the present embodiment, unlike the prior art, there is no character display control unit 21 and character display data D2 is sent to each character display unit, so that even if one character display unit 1 fails, another character Since it is only necessary to replace the failed character display unit 1 without affecting the display on the display unit 1, the recovery operation is easy with high reliability.

FIG. 2 shows a display example in the present character display system. In the figure, L1, L2, and L3 are display examples on the character display devices 4 of the display groups 0, 1, and 2, respectively. In this example, from the character display data transmitting device 2, as the character display data D2, the display group 0: the character code of "welcome," and the display group 1: "replacement of new units! Today 12 ... large open." Character code, display group n: Character code data of "Southern Nagasaki Haruhokuku ... Northern Nagasaki Kumo ... Goto area" is output and displayed as L1, L2, L3. ing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of data in the character display unit 1. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a group setting unit for setting a group to which the character display unit 1 belongs and outputting group data D1. Reference numeral 12 denotes character display data D2 which is data received from the character display data transmission device 2.
Among the group data D1 from the group setting unit 11
And a communication control unit 13 for outputting character display data D3 having the same group number as the group number. If the type of the character display data D3 from the communication control unit 12 is "drawing", the communication control unit 13 generates image data D4 and displays the image data D4. 14, and when the type of the character display data D3 is “display”, the display image generation unit that outputs the image data D4 stored in the display image storage unit 14 as the display image data D6, A display image section for storing the display image of the entire group, 15 is a font data storage section for storing font display images and outputting font data, and 16 is for setting an address number of the character display unit 1 and outputting address data D7. The address setting unit 17 corresponds to the address data D7 in the display image data D6. Display area selection unit for selecting and outputting data of the range as a unit display image data D8, 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a display memory that stores the unit display image data D8, 19 denotes a driver that inputs an output from the display memory 18, and 20 denotes a light emitting element that emits light by an output from the driver.

Since each character display unit 1 is provided with the display image generating unit 13, it is possible to convert each character display unit 1 into image data D4, and the display area selecting unit 17 uses the area corresponding to the address data D7. Display image data D6 of the display memory 18
The character display unit can be easily changed by combining with the character display unit 1.

The provision of the group setting section 11 and the address setting section 16 allows the character display units 1 to be freely rearranged without being restricted by the display control device 21.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a character display method according to the present embodiment. In the figure, step S
Numeral 11 receives character display data D2 composed of a type, a display group, and display data from the display data transmission device 2. In step S12, it is determined whether or not the display group included in the character display data D2 matches the group data D1 from the group setting unit 16, and if they match, output is made to step S13.

A step S13 decides whether or not the type of the character display data D3 output from the step S12 is "drawing". If the type of the character display data D3 is "drawing", the display image generation unit 13 converts the character display data D3 into a character by using a display image in the process of step S14, and converts the image data D4 and the font data. From D5, display image data D6 of the character display unit is generated.

On the other hand, if the type of the character display data D3 is "display" in step S15, step S16
In, the data of the portion corresponding to the address number of the address data D7 from the display image data D6 is transferred to the display memory 18 as the unit display image data D8, and the display unit is caused to emit light in accordance with the unit display image data D8.

According to the above display method, the image data D
4 does not need to be divided into each character display unit 1,
The conversion time can be shortened, and the rearrangement of the character display unit is not restricted by the control of the division operation of the image data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing actual data processing in the configuration of the present embodiment. Come here! ! Open today! "In the character display unit 1 of the display group 0 and the address 1 in response to the drawing request and the display request. In this example, when the type of the character display data D2 is “drawing”, all the character codes of “Welcome! Today open!” Of the display data are converted to image data D4 of “Welcome! Today open!”. After the conversion, in response to a display request for the character display data D2, the character display data D2 is output to the display area selection unit 17 as display image data D6, and among the coordinate data of the display image data D6, the coordinates corresponding to the address 1 are displayed. Is stored in the display memory 18 as the unit display image data D8. On the other hand, usually, drawing is performed for each group for which the display is to be changed, and character display data D2 of the display is transmitted to a plurality of groups whose drawing is changed, so that the display unit 1 is simultaneously displayed. Has changed. When it is desired to shift the display change timing for each group, this is realized by transmitting this display message separately for each group at a desired display timing.

[0020]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

A display image generating section for generating image data and outputting the same as display image data, and a display area selecting section for outputting unit display image data corresponding to the address of the character display unit among the display image data. This makes it possible to convert each character display unit into image data, and to transfer and hold the corresponding portion of the image data to the display memory for display based on the address number. The configuration of the character display device can be easily changed by combining the character display units.

In addition, since a group setting unit for setting the group to which the character display unit belongs and an address setting unit for setting the address number of the character display unit are provided, the rearrangement of the character display unit imposes restrictions on the display control device. You can do it freely without receiving it.

Further, the character display units are arranged vertically or horizontally to form the same group, so that even if a failure occurs in the character display unit, the display of other character display units is not affected. Since it is only necessary to replace the failed character display unit, it is highly reliable and the recovery operation is easy.

Further, since the character display system includes the character display device and the character display data transmitting device for transmitting the character display data, the display update for each group can be controlled at a desired timing.

Further, a step of receiving character display data including a type, a display group, and display data; a step of outputting character display data of which group matches the character display data; If drawing, generating image data from the display data; if the type of character display data is display, outputting the image data as display image data; and displaying the display image data in a character display unit. The step of selecting and outputting as unit display image data in accordance with the address of the image data and the step of emitting light in accordance with the unit display image data eliminates the need for dividing the image data into character display units. , The conversion time can be shortened and the character display unit Place is not limited to the control of the division operation of the image data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a character display system showing a configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a display example in the character display system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data flow in the character display unit 1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the character display unit 1 displays characters.

FIG. 5 is an example in which actual data is processed in the configuration of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional character display system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 character display unit, 2 character display data transmission device, 3 communication cable, 4 character display device, 11
Group setting unit, 12 communication control unit, 13 display image generation unit, 14 display image storage unit, 15
Font data storage unit, 16 address setting unit, 1
7 display area selection unit, 18 display memory, 19 driver, 20 light emitting element.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A communication control unit that outputs data having the same group number among the received character display data, and a display image generation unit that generates image data from an output from the communication control unit and outputs the image data as display image data. A display area selection unit that outputs unit display image data corresponding to the address of the character display unit among the display image data, a display memory that stores the unit display image data, and an output from the display memory. A character display unit comprising: a driver that emits light; and a light emitting element that emits light when output from the driver. 2. The character display according to claim 1, further comprising a group setting unit for setting a group to which the character display unit belongs, and an address setting unit for setting an address number of the character display unit. unit. 3. A character display device, wherein the character display units according to claim 1 or 2 are arranged vertically or horizontally to constitute a same group. 4. A character display system comprising: the character display device according to claim 3; and a character display data transmission device that transmits the character display data. 5. A step of receiving character display data including a type, a display group, and display data; a step of outputting character display data whose group matches the character display data; If so, a step of generating image data from the display data; a step of outputting the image data as display image data if the type of the character display data is display; and a step of outputting the display image data to a character display unit. A character display method, comprising: selecting according to an address and outputting as unit display image data; and emitting light according to the unit display image data.