US3234542A - Display device - Google Patents

Display device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3234542A
US3234542A US248317A US24831762A US3234542A US 3234542 A US3234542 A US 3234542A US 248317 A US248317 A US 248317A US 24831762 A US24831762 A US 24831762A US 3234542 A US3234542 A US 3234542A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
elements
display surface
segments
character
sectors
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US248317A
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English (en)
Inventor
Robert J Brown
Stanley A Manning
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Business Machines Corp
Original Assignee
International Business Machines Corp
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE641997D priority Critical patent/BE641997A/xx
Application filed by International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Priority to US248317A priority patent/US3234542A/en
Priority to GB46115/63A priority patent/GB995985A/en
Priority to DEJ24990A priority patent/DE1221931B/de
Priority to CH1591363A priority patent/CH405754A/de
Priority to FR958800A priority patent/FR1379946A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3234542A publication Critical patent/US3234542A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B5/00—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
    • G08B5/22—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
    • G08B5/36—Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission using visible light sources
    • 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
    • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/40—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 is selected from a number of characters arranged one beside the other, e.g. on a common carrier plate
    • G09F9/405—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 is selected from a number of characters arranged one beside the other, e.g. on a common carrier plate the selected character being projected on a common screen accommodating only one character at a time, to provide the same display position for all characters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/001—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/04—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of a single character by selection from a plurality of characters, or by composing the character by combination of individual elements, e.g. segments using a combination of such display devices for composing words, rows or the like, in a frame with fixed character positions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N3/00—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages
    • H04N3/10—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages by means not exclusively optical-mechanical
    • H04N3/12—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages by means not exclusively optical-mechanical by switched stationary formation of lamps, photocells or light relays

Definitions

  • This invention relates to display devices and more particularly to a character display device wherein segments are selectively combined to form characters.
  • Character display devices of the prior art have included large display boards fabricated of incandescent lamp groupings which are adapted to be energized according to a preselected pattern to produce the desired characters.
  • Character displaydevices have been fabricated of a plurality of conformed neon lamps wherein each character is separately formed from an individual neon lamp. Also suggested have been character displays formed from glow discharge devices.
  • Another form of display device consist of a plurality of electrically actuatable segments.
  • the segments are so arranged that, by selectively energizing various combinations of segments, any desired character or image can be formed.
  • the present invention makes possible the use of a much larger number of segments than was formerly possible and provides these segments without any overlapping which would tend to obliterate portions of the character formed.
  • a large number of line segmeans are distributed over four separate areas (quadrants). and selected segments from one or more quadrants are projected onto a common display surface to form a composite character.
  • This arrangement of segments permits a much wider variety of characters to be dis.- played and the shape of the displayed characters is considerably more sophisticated than those displayed by known devices of this general type.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide a character display device wherein the resulting displayed characters are well formed and readily distinguishable.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a character display device wherein a plurality. of segment containing sectors are provided and segments from one or more such sectors are selected to form a composite image.
  • the individual segments which are selectively activated to form a com posite character are arranged in a plurality of sectors and are projected through a lens structure to a single dis play surface to form a composite character.
  • FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation of the device taken along the line 11 in FIGURE 2.
  • FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 and shows the lens structure.
  • FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1 and shows the character segments arranged in four quadrants.
  • FIGURES 4a, 4b and 40 arranged one above the other as shown in FIGURE 4 form a circuit schematic for selective energization of the character forming segments.
  • the character display device generally designated 10, consists of a lower lens portion 12 and an upper cap portion 14.
  • the lens portion 12 is a composite structure having four light gathering lobes 12-1, 122, 12-3 and 124 which correspond respectively to the segment quadrants 184, 182, 183 and 18-4 as shown in FIGURE 3.
  • the cap section in FIGURE 3 is shown schematically as being divided into four quadrants by dotted lines x and y.
  • the material of which the lens 12 is formed is not of particular significance and it may he glass, lucite, plastic or any other suitable material. Similarly, the lens need not be a unitary construction but may be four individual lenses corresponding to the lobes 12-1 through 12-4 that are mounted in proper orientation with respect to the segment cap 14.
  • the lower surface 29 is ground to form a display surface.
  • the display surface could be separate from the lens structure.
  • the display surface need not be ground but may be a phosphorescent or any other suitable surface depending upon the requirements of the specific device.
  • the wires 30 represent connections to the individual segments which are given the general designation 32 and are given numeric postscripts 321 through 32-33 to distinguish them. While only six wires 30 appear in FIGURE 1, it will be understood that there are two such wires for each segment 32 and that the application of an electric potential across a pair of wires associated with a particular segment 32 cause that segment to be activated whereby'its image is projected through the lens 12 to the display surface 20.
  • the particular structure of the segments 32 is not critical to the invention and may be electroluminescent devices, glow filaments or any other suitable devices. Such devices are well known in the art and will not be described in detail.
  • Reference to the dotted lines 34 in FIGURE 1 illustrates the optical path from representative points at the segments 32 to the display surface 20. It is noted that the projection of each quadrant is magnified to cover the entire display surface 24 ⁇ whereby segments from the Character:
  • FIGURES la-4c a circuit schematic is shown for energizing selected ones of the segments 32 to form the digits -9.
  • the characters 0-9 and the alphabetic characters A-Z are listed in the left hand column. Adjacent to each such character, the segments 32 which are actuated to form each of the characters are indicated. For example, the digit .0' is formed by energizing the segments 32 having the postscript designations 1, 28, 15, 24, 16, 30, 3 and 18in FIGURE 3. Similarly, the digit 9 is formed by energizing the segments having postscripts 15, i
  • -1 s- 3-22-29 6-16-24-15 11 30 2s 19- 5-29-14 27 1s 1o-17- 4-29 6-16-24-15 3-1'8- 1-28-15-24-16- 6-29-20 -18-27-11-30-25 7 1-18- 3-22-29-20-15-24-16-6-12 -24-16-30- 3-1s- 1-12 22 zs-zs- 1 1s 3-30-25 23-2s-17-10-1s- 3-22-29- 4- 6-16-24-31 3-18- 1-28-15-24-16 17 2s 23 10-1s- '3-30-16-24-31 3-1s 1-28-15-24-16-14 17 2s 23 11 30-25- 4-29-14 10-1s-27- 2 21 s 31-24-33 11-30-16-24-15 1-28-15-24-16-30- 3-1 17-2s-23-10-1s 3 22 29- 4 1-28-15-24-16-30- 3 1s 9 17 2s 23 10- 3-22-29- 4- 9 3-18- 1 12-29- 6-16-24
  • circuitry to actuate the segments 32 for the alphabetic characters A-Z is obvious. Therefore, it is within the scope of this invention to form any of the digital characters 0-9 or the alphabetic characters A-Z or any. special characters or images as may be desired. It also will be apparent that the four-part segment 32-13 may be divided into two or three or four individual segments in order to better form certain characters. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide other'segments which are not shown hereon which would assist in forming better characters.
  • ten digit keys 39-0 through 39-9 are provided. Depression of a key contact 39 closes a corresponding contact and energizes a corresponding one of electromagnets 40 through 49. Closing a key contact 39 completes-a circuit from a plus potential terminal 54, in FIGURE 46, through a common line 56 and through a line 58 corresponding to the operated key, through the engaging coil of the corresponding electromagnet 40-49 and through the closed contact 39 and a common line 60 to a ground connection at point 62 in FIGURE 40.
  • Each electromagnet 40-49 has associated therewith one or more relay contacts which are arranged directly therebelow and which are closed when the corresponding electromagnetv is energized.
  • the closed relay contacts complete a circuit-from the positive line 56 through one ormore segments 32 to the negative potential line 60, whereby the selected segment or segments are illuminated and thus projected by the lens 12 to the display surface 20.
  • the relay 40 when the key 39-0 is operated the relay 40 is energized and the contacts 40-1 through 40-8 corresponding to this relay are closed.
  • the segments 32 having the postscripts 1, 28, 15, 24, 16, 30, 3 and 18 are energized whereby the composite character 0 is formed on the display surface 20.
  • the relay 41 When the key 39-1 is closed the relay 41 is energized and the single relay point 42-1 is closed to energize the segments 32-8, 32-2 and 32-21.
  • the relay 42 When the. key 39-2 is closed the relay 42 is energized to close the corresponding relay contacts 42-1 through 42-8 whereby appropriate segments 32 are energized to form the digit 2.
  • segments 32-5, 32-7, 32-9, 32-13, 32-19, 32-26 and 32-32 are not included in the circuitry shown in FIGURES 4a-4c.
  • the reason for this omission is that the foregoing segments are not utilized in forming the digits 0-9 but would be used as indicated in the foregoing tabulation in forming selected ones of the alphabetic characters A-Z.
  • Display apparatus for forming composite designs 7 comprising:
  • projecting means adapted to project images of all said sectors onto the display surface in a superimposed manner with each projected sector image being coextensive with said display surface such that selected said elements in said .sectors form the particular composite design.
  • said means for projecting includes a lens structure operativeto project images of said sectors. 7 q
  • Display apparatus for forming composite designs comprising:
  • a display surface comprising a single sector
  • a lens structure for projecting images of operated said elements from each of said plurality of sectors to said single sector of said display surface to form a composite design.
  • said lens structure is a unitary structure having a light gathering lobe corresponding to each of said plurality of sectors in which said elements are arranged.
  • said lens strucu ture is a unitary structure havin a light gathering lobe corresponding to each of said plurality of sectors in which said elements are arranged and said display surface is formed on said lens structure.
  • said lens structure is formed of a single piece of refractory material and one surface is rendered light diffusing to form a display surface.
  • Apparatus for forming composite designs comprising:
  • a cap portion containing a plurality of elements each repesenting a fragment of a plurality of designs, said elements being operable to be illuminated and being arranged in groups, each group forming a sector,
  • a lens portion having a display surface and a plurality of light gathering portions one associated with each said sector, each said light gathering portion being operative to project an image of operated elements in said associated sector onto said display surface to form a composite design in cooperation with other projected images.
  • Display apparatus for forming composite designs comprising:
  • Apparatus for forming composite designs comprising:
  • a cap portion containing a plurality of elements each representing a fragment of a plurality of designs, said elements being operable to be illuminated and being arranged in four groups, each group forming a sector,
  • a lens portion having a display surface and four light gathering lobes, one associated with each said sector, each said light gathering lobe being operative to project an image to operate elements in said associated sector onto said display surface to form a composite design in cooperation with other projected images.
  • said lens portion is formed of a single piece of refractory material and the surface opposite said lobes is rendered light diffusing to provide said display surface.
  • Display apparatus for forming composite designs comprising:
  • projecting means adapted to project images of all said sectors onto the display surface in a superimposed manner with each projected sector image being coextensive with said display surface such that selected said elements in said sectors form the particular composite design.
  • Display apparatus for forming a composite design comprising:

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
US248317A 1962-12-31 1962-12-31 Display device Expired - Lifetime US3234542A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE641997D BE641997A (en:Method) 1962-12-31
US248317A US3234542A (en) 1962-12-31 1962-12-31 Display device
GB46115/63A GB995985A (en) 1962-12-31 1963-11-22 Display device
DEJ24990A DE1221931B (de) 1962-12-31 1963-12-21 Optische Anzeigevorrichtung fuer Buchstaben, Ziffern oder Zeichen
CH1591363A CH405754A (de) 1962-12-31 1963-12-24 Optische Anzeigevorrichtung für Buchstaben, Ziffern und sonstige Zeichen
FR958800A FR1379946A (fr) 1962-12-31 1963-12-30 Dispositif d'affichage

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US248317A US3234542A (en) 1962-12-31 1962-12-31 Display device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3234542A true US3234542A (en) 1966-02-08

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ID=22938581

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US248317A Expired - Lifetime US3234542A (en) 1962-12-31 1962-12-31 Display device

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US (1) US3234542A (en:Method)
BE (1) BE641997A (en:Method)
CH (1) CH405754A (en:Method)
DE (1) DE1221931B (en:Method)
GB (1) GB995985A (en:Method)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3863246A (en) * 1973-07-09 1975-01-28 Collins Radio Co Backlighted display apparatus for preventing direct viewing of light sources

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2794977A (en) * 1955-11-23 1957-06-04 Atomic Instr Company Optical transposer
US2909973A (en) * 1958-09-15 1959-10-27 Ibm Electro-optical display apparatus
US2931027A (en) * 1956-10-19 1960-03-29 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Visual display apparatus
US2985873A (en) * 1957-05-21 1961-05-23 Beckman Instruments Inc Luminous character display unit
US3041600A (en) * 1957-01-31 1962-06-26 Gumpertz Character projection apparatus
US3081450A (en) * 1958-05-01 1963-03-12 Senn Custom Inc Digit display apparatus

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1085351B (de) * 1954-02-11 1960-07-14 Perkin Elmer Corp Bildwerfgeraet zur Abbildung einer Teilflaeche aus einer Gruppe in eine einzige Bildflaeche
DE954428C (de) * 1955-06-30 1956-12-20 Siemens Ag Einrichtung zur Anzeige von Zugnummern od. dgl. im Eisenbahnsicherungswesen
GB862594A (en) * 1957-01-31 1961-03-15 Donald Godfrey Gumpertz Improved optical projection apparatus
US2922993A (en) * 1958-02-05 1960-01-26 Westinghouse Electric Corp Display device
DE1837003U (de) * 1960-11-29 1961-08-31 Siemens Ag Justier- und haltevorrichtung fuer linsenplatten von mehrfachprojektionssystemen fuer leuchtzeichenfelder, insbesondere fuer zugnummernmeldefelder.

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2794977A (en) * 1955-11-23 1957-06-04 Atomic Instr Company Optical transposer
US2931027A (en) * 1956-10-19 1960-03-29 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Visual display apparatus
US3041600A (en) * 1957-01-31 1962-06-26 Gumpertz Character projection apparatus
US2985873A (en) * 1957-05-21 1961-05-23 Beckman Instruments Inc Luminous character display unit
US3081450A (en) * 1958-05-01 1963-03-12 Senn Custom Inc Digit display apparatus
US2909973A (en) * 1958-09-15 1959-10-27 Ibm Electro-optical display apparatus

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3863246A (en) * 1973-07-09 1975-01-28 Collins Radio Co Backlighted display apparatus for preventing direct viewing of light sources

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1221931B (de) 1966-07-28
GB995985A (en) 1965-06-23
CH405754A (de) 1966-01-15
BE641997A (en:Method)

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