JPH04143693A - Electro-chromic display clock and time display method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To intend substantial life extension of repeating function by maintaining display segments at a certain coloring condition for 60 seconds after switching of coloring of the display segment and by conducting next switching of the coloring after the 60 seconds. CONSTITUTION:A decoder 211 of a display selection circuit 21 converts time signal which is time-counted by a time counting circuit 13 with one second cycle, into display signal of a display segment 3a which is inputted to a drive circuit 14 of a display part 3 with one second cycle and designates the switching of coloring of 60 elements segment 3a, according to arrangement thereof, for every second. Also, a circuit 13 switches signal to H or L at every 60 seconds to input a writing signal circuit 201 or to an erasing signal circuit 203, and coloring signal and extinguishing signal which are under reverse relationship, are switched one another at every 60 seconds and are output to a display part 3 from the drive circuit 14. By this process, the display of the second is carried out by every second switching of coloring and therefore stepping of the second is confirmed. In this occasion, one of the segments 3a is maintained at a certain coloring condition for 60 seconds after the switching of coloring, and is switched to next coloring condition after the 60 seconds, and therefore almost 60 times of repeating function life can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides an engineered Reftro 20 meter display clock in which timekeeping is displayed by appropriately switching the coloring of display segments using an electrochromic display substance. and its time display method.

(Prior Art) Generally, liquid crystal display means are widely used as a time display for electronic watches. However, this LCD display clock has
There is a problem that it is difficult to see due to low contrast and viewing angle dependence. Therefore, in recent years, electrochromic display watches using electrochromic display substances in the time display portion have been developed.

This electrochromic display clock has display segments made of an electrochromic display material arranged in the time display section, and the display segments are supplied with coloring voltages of different levels from a display drive circuit at regular intervals. By changing the applied voltage, the color development of the display segment is changed in accordance with the time. According to such an electrochromic display timepiece, it is possible to expand the viewing angle, obtain good coloring properties, and have the advantage that the time display section is easy to see.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, the electrochromic display material used in the display segment of this electrochromic display watch is
It is generally known that the repeated operation life is short and cannot withstand long-term use. Therefore, it has been considered impossible to use an electrochromic display watch to display seconds that change colors many times in short cycles. There is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrochromic display timepiece and a time display method thereof, which can display seconds favorably using display segments made of an electrochromic display material.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a display segment using an electrochromic display material.
In addition to being arranged in the time display section, the coloring of the display segment is switched by applying a plurality of different coloring voltages to the electrochromic display material of the display segment from the display drive circuit while being switched at regular intervals, thereby displaying the time. In the electrochromic display timepiece, the time display section is provided with a seconds display section formed by arranging 60 display segments in a ring shape, and the display drive circuit includes a plurality of display segments. A write/erase circuit that applies different coloring voltages to the display segments while switching them every 60 seconds, and a write/erase circuit that applies different coloring voltages to the display segments while switching between them every 60 seconds. Among the 60 display segments, the one whose coloring voltage should be switched is applied to the display segments for 1 second in the arrangement direction of the display segments. The configuration includes a display selection circuit for sequentially specifying each display.

The invention according to claim 2 provides a time display method for an electrochromic display timepiece in which a time display is performed by switching the color of a display segment using an electrochromic display material. The coloring of each of the display segments of the body is sequentially switched every second in the arrangement direction of the display segment, and the coloring after switching remains unchanged until the next coloring change 60 seconds later. The configuration is such that it is maintained.

(Function) In the means having such a configuration, seconds are displayed by changing the color of each of the 60 display segments in the seconds display section every second in the order in which the display segments are arranged. At this time, one display segment is maintained in a constant coloring state for 60 seconds after one coloring switching operation, and the next coloring switching operation is performed 60 seconds later. Therefore, a 60 times longer cycle life is obtained than when one display segment is switched once per second.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an hour and minute display section 2 is disposed approximately at the center of the time display board 1, and a second display section 3 is disposed at the periphery of the time display board 1. It is being These hour/minute display section 2 and second display section 3 are
It is formed by appropriately arranging display segments made of an electrochromic display material.

First, the hour and minute display section 2 includes a display segment 2a made of, for example, a Prussian blue type electrochromic display material.
are arranged in seven segments representing hours and minutes, and the coloring voltage applied from a display drive circuit (not shown) is switched at the hour and minute cycle to change between blue and colorless. The color changes to display hours and minutes.

The second display section 3 is formed by arranging minute display segments 3a made of, for example, a Prussian blue type electrochromic display material in a ring shape, with a total of 60 minute display segments 3a.
A body is provided. Fifteen of these display segments 3a are linearly arranged along each side of the time display board 1, and are divided into four small blocks on each of the four sides of the time display board 1. ing.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the second display section 3 is provided with a display drive circuit for switching the color of the display segment 3a. This display drive circuit has a circuit configuration that applies coloring voltages of different levels to the display segments 3a while switching them at a constant cycle, and the circuit configuration will be described in detail below.

First, this display drive circuit includes an oscillator 11 having a circuit configuration for generating a time reference signal, and a frequency divider 1 having a circuit configuration for dividing the signal from the oscillator 11 to a required frequency.
2. A clock circuit 13 that receives the output signal from the frequency divider 12 to measure time, and a drive circuit 14 for the second display section 3 are provided, and a write/erase circuit that shares these 11, 12, 13, and 14 is provided. A circuit 20 and a display selection circuit 21 are provided.

First, a decoder 211 provided in the display selection circuit 21
has a function of converting the time signal clocked by the clock circuit 13 at a cycle of 1 second into a display signal for the display segment 3a, and the display signal output from the decoder 211 is the second display signal. The signal is input to the drive circuit 14 of the unit at a cycle of 1 second. The display signal inputted to this drive circuit 14 is used to select which of the 60 display segments 3a to perform color changeover.
The signal is set to be specified sequentially every second in the order of arrangement.

Further, the clock circuit 13 outputs a signal that is switched between H level and L level every 60 seconds. This output signal is input to the write signal circuit 201 of the write/erase circuit 20, and is also input to the inverter 20.
2 to the erase signal circuit 203. The write signal circuit 201 and the erase signal circuit 203 have a circuit configuration in which the drive circuit 14 outputs a coloring voltage signal and a color erasing voltage signal to the seconds display section 3, respectively. These coloring voltage signals and color erasing voltage signals have different voltage levels in an inverse relationship, and these two signals are applied to the display segment 3a of the seconds display section 3 while being switched and selected every 60 seconds. Ru.

In this embodiment, each of the 60 display segments 3a arranged in an annular manner changes color every second in the clockwise direction in response to a signal from the write/erase circuit 20.

Furthermore, after the color development is switched, the color development after the change is maintained as it is until the next color development change is made 60 seconds later.

In this way, seconds are displayed by changing the color every second, and the progress of seconds is confirmed. At this time, one display segment 3a is maintained in a constant coloring state for 60 seconds after the coloring switching operation, and the next coloring switching operation is performed 60 seconds later. Therefore, compared to the case where one display segment 3a is switched and driven once per second, a repeatable operation life that is 60 times longer can be obtained.

On the other hand, returning to FIG. 1, a fixed display section 4 is provided at a slightly upper portion of the hour and minute display section 2 on the time display board 1. As shown in FIG. 3, this fixed display section 4 is made by laminating a PUT film 4a with silk-printed characters on the back side to the top of a one-display segment 4tl. The fixed display section 4 may use an electrochromic material instead of a fixed display to change the displayed symbol, for example, every noon. If cobalt phthalocyanine is used in addition to Prussian blue, the design can be changed to blue, green, or brown.

In addition, all electrochromic display substances can be adopted for each display segment in the present invention, and by switching and applying coloring voltages in multiple stages such as 2 stages and 3 stages to each display segment. Of course, it is also possible to change the color of each display segment in multiple stages.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, the display segment is maintained in a constant coloring state for 60 seconds after the coloring switching operation of the display segment, and the next coloring switching drive is performed after 60 seconds. Even when a display segment made of an electrochromic display material is used for the seconds display section, the repeated operation life can be greatly extended, and seconds can be displayed satisfactorily over a long period of time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front explanatory view showing the display board configuration of an electrochromic display timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the display drive circuit of the seconds display section, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the structure of the fixed display section. 3... Second display section, 3a... Display segment, 20.
...Writing/erasing circuit, 21...Display selection circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A display segment made of an electrochromic display material is disposed in a time display section, and a display drive circuit applies coloring voltages of different levels to the display segment while switching at a constant cycle; In an electrochromic display timepiece in which a time display is performed by switching the coloring of display segments, the time display section includes a seconds display section formed by arranging 60 display segments in a ring shape, and The display drive circuit includes a write/erase circuit that switches coloring voltages of different levels every 60 seconds and applies them to the display segments, and a display drive circuit that selects one of the 60 display segments for which coloring should be switched. An electrochromic display timepiece characterized by comprising: a display selection circuit that sequentially specifies the arrangement order of the display selection circuit every second. 2. In a time display method for an electrochromic display watch that displays time by appropriately switching the color of display segments made of electrochromic display substances, the color of 60 display segments arranged in a ring is changed. , the arrangement of the display segments is sequentially switched every second, and the color development after the switching is performed is 60
A time display method for an electrochromic display watch, characterized in that the time display is maintained until the next color change after seconds.