U.S. patent number 3,668,686 [Application Number 04/831,185] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-06 for control apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Honeywell Inc.. Invention is credited to Garry G. Strohmeyer.
United States Patent |
3,668,686 |
Strohmeyer |
June 6, 1972 |
CONTROL APPARATUS
Abstract
Information is displayed on a color cathode ray tube in a color
that contrasts with a background color. This information may be
optionally obliterated by causing the information and background to
be displayed in the same color. Logic circuitry combines
information and color data to control display color.
Inventors: |
Strohmeyer; Garry G. (Hacienda
Heights, CA) |
Assignee: |
Honeywell Inc. (Minneapolis,
MN)
|
Family
ID: |
25258475 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/831,185 |
Filed: |
June 6, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/22; 345/600;
348/32 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09G
1/28 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09G
1/28 (20060101); G08G 1/09 (20060101); G08b
005/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/324,324A
;178/5.4R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Caldwell; John W.
Assistant Examiner: Trafton; David L.
Claims
1. Apparatus for visually presenting information comprising:
a cathode ray tube having a display surface on which a multicolor
display can be generated;
input means for receiving first, second, third, fourth, fifth and
sixth binary signals each having first and second states, of which
the first and second signals are of opposite binary states, the
third and fourth signals are of opposite binary states, the first,
second, third and fourth signals are representative of the
information to be presented, and of which the fifth and sixth
signals are independently representative of the color in which the
information is to be presented and the background color;
first, second, third and fourth NOR circuits, each having first and
second inputs;
means for connecting said input means to the first and second
inputs of said first, second, third and fourth NOR circuits so that
the first and fifth signals are supplied to said first NOR circuit,
the fourth and sixth signals are supplied to said second NOR
circuit, the second and fifth signals are supplied to said third
NOR circuit, and the third and sixth signals are supplied to said
fourth NOR circuit;
first and second color control means for generating output signals
suitable for producing distinct colors on the display surface of
said cathode ray tube;
signal combining means for receiving the output signals of said
first and second color control means and transmitting only a
characteristic one of the output signals to said cathode ray
tube;
a fifth NOR circuit having a pair of inputs;
means for connecting the outputs of said first and second NOR
circuits to the inputs of said fifth NOR circuit;
a sixth NOR circuit having a pair of inputs;
means for connecting the outputs of the third and fourth NOR
circuits to the inputs of said sixth NOR circuit; and
means for controlling said first and second color control means in
response to signals produced by said fifth and sixth NOR circuits
respectively, whereby said first and second color control means
generate characteristic signals only at mutually exclusive times,
and whereby the color of the information to be presented and the
background color can be transposed, the information can be
presented in the background color, or the background can be made
the same color as the information by providing first and third
binary signals of the same one of the first and second states, by
providing the first binary signal of the first state and the third
binary signal of the second state, or by providing the first binary
signal of the second state and the third binary signal of the first
state.
Description
THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally concerned with electronics and
more specifically concerned with color displays and even more
particularly in color transposition of information signals.
While the prior art contains many types of character displays or
information displays, there has always been a problem of quickly
generating the information from a blank screen or making the
information stand out so that it is easily noticed at a prescribed
time. As will be realized, a changing condition attracts the eye
much more readily than a steady state condition. The present
invention, in a preferred embodiment, illustrates the principle of
changing color which is believed to be one of the more significant
changes of information as far as being noticed by the eye is
concerned.
In operation, the present invention displays information on a
screen, cathode ray tube, or other display in the same color as the
background material. Upon command, this information is changed to a
color different from the background so that it will be readily
noticeable and may be acted upon. An additional feature is that the
information may always be displayed and merely changed from one
color to another both of which colors are different from the
background for additional emphasis.
Many situations are evident for use of such a display. On roadside
signs, for instance, there is the need of stored information which
would not be useful to the motorist in most instances. However, in
conditions of ice or snow it may be desirable to display this
information so that he may act accordingly, it may also be
desirable to have one color for a particular caution or bit of
information and a different color for more urgent notice. An
example would be "Accident Ahead" in yellow letters where the
accident was not serious and did not seriously impede traffic.
However, the letters could be changed to red if there were a
serious accident and traffic were impeded or virtually stopped.
Other examples will readily appear to the minds of those skilled in
the art.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide improved
display apparatus.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent after a reading of the specification and appended claims
in conjunction with the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of a simple embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a presentation of signal levels at various points within
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a presentation of a possible display; and
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the type of signal presentation used
in the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1 a first NOR circuit N1 which is labeled 10 has inputs A1
and C1. An output 12 of NOR circuit 10 is supplied to a NOR circuit
N3 which is designated as 14 and has an output 16 supplying signals
to a gate 18. A further NOR circuit N2 which is labeled 20 has
inputs A2 and C2. An output 22 from NOR circuit 20 supplies further
input signals to NOR circuit 14. A fourth NOR circuit 24 has inputs
A1 and C1 while a fifth NOR circuit N5 or 26 has inputs A2 and C2.
The outputs of NOR circuits 24 and 26 supply signals to a NOR
circuit N6 designated as 28 via lines 30 and 32, respectively. An
output 34 of NOR circuit 28 supplies signals through a gate 36 to a
bias amplifier circuit 38 containing in this embodiment three
channels operating from a single input through three amplifiers
38R, 38B and 38G to separate outputs. The outputs of bias amplifier
circuit 38 are supplied to a cathode ray tube generally designated
as 40 through a logic or OR circuit 42. The bias amplifier circuit
38 includes individually variable bias signals from a power supply
44 to the amplifiers 38R, 38B and 38G. Power supply 44 also
supplies variable power signals to individual amplifiers 50R, 50B
and 50G within a bias amplifier circuit 50 which receives signals
from gate 18 and supplies signals to the OR circuit 42 antecedent
CRT 40. CRT 40 is one example of a display which may be used in a
3-gun version for supplying as many as eight color hues on the
display with the proper biasing and logic circuits.
FIG. 2 is a presentation showing signal levels as either a "zero"
signal level or a "one" signal level at each of various points in
FIG. 1. Each of columns D, E, F, and G have the same conditions for
the colors C1 and C2 but different conditions for the control
signals A1 and A2. As will be noted, the A signals are the
complements of the corresponding A signals.
In FIG. 3 a display 75 is shown with the letters or information
generally designated as 77 depicting the word "Fire" and the words
generally designated as 79 depicting the word "Oil."
In FIG. 4 the letter F is broken up into many little bricks or bits
of information and the individual bricks or information spaces
illustrate the information presented by each of the "ones" supplied
by the bias amplifiers 38 and 50 to the CRT 40. As will be noted,
the letter F in this particular embodiment is 6 time slots long and
12 lines in height. This, of course, provides good definition and
this amount of definition is not always required for a particular
presentation.
OPERATION
As previously mentioned, the chart of FIG. 2 represents the voltage
amplitudes at various places within the schematic diagram of FIG.
1. The A and C quantities appear at the inputs of the respective
NOR circuits while the N quantities appear at the outputs of the
respective NOR circuits. Under normal conditions, the A1 and A2
signals will be zero while the A1 and A2 signals will have a one
output. As will be realized, a NOR circuit will provide an output
only when there is no signal at either one or the other input.
Thus, the ones obtained from the A signals prevent any transmission
of signal through the particular NOR circuit. With A1 and A2 having
zero signal, the color signals being supplied on C1 and C2 are then
transmitted through the NOR circuits N3 and N6 and accordingly
through the gate circuits 18 and 36 and bias curcuits 38 and 50 to
the OR circuit portion 42 of the CRT 40. As will be noted, the C1
and C2 signals are complementary and are utilized to provide color
signals to the CRT at complementary times. With only the two
signals shown, the outputs from the bias amplifiers may be applied
directly to one or the other of the three color guns. However, with
more complicated versions wherein it may be desired to provide as
an output any one of eight color hues, the signals would be applied
to the OR circuit 42 at a level determined by the bias
potentiometers 46 and 48. The OR circuit will activate the color
guns in accordance with the voltage level supplied thereto to
produce a particular color. Further, the OR circuit will be voltage
sensitive and select only the highest of a plurality of voltages
applied to it in the remote event that more than one level voltage
signal is accidentally or intentionally applied thereto.
Thus, it will be realized that the circuitry is slightly more
complex than necessary for a two or three color presentation but is
based upon circuitry utilized in an eight color presentation
wherein the biasing circuits and the OR circuits provide a
preferred method of applying signals to the CRT 40.
In the beginning of the description of operation, the normal
presentation was mentioned and this is shown in column D of FIG. 2.
In this presentation there will be in the first brick or
information space a color corresponding to signal C2 while in the
second brick a color corresponding to C1. In the third and fourth
bricks there will be color corresponding to C2 and in the fifth
brick color corresponding to C1.
In column E a signal is applied at A1 which will provide a
continuous signal at the output of NOR gate 14 and prevent the
presentation of signals at the output of NOR gate 28. Thus, the CRT
40 will receive continuous signals from the bias circuit 50 at the
levels set by the biasing amplifiers so that the entire
presentation as far as is shown will be of a single color. As will
be realized, the two color signals C1 and C2 are still applied to
the NOR gates but are merely prevented from being transmitted to
the CRT.
In column F the A2 signal is applied. This, of course, provides a
continuous signal at the output of N6 and accordingly from the bias
circuit 38 to the CRT 40. In this instance, none of the color
signals will be transmitted through NOR circuit 14.
It may be determined from FIG. 2, column G that if both signals A1
and A2 are applied, the inverse of the signals will be applied at
the outputs of NOR circuits 14 and 28 so that an inverse of colors
of the presentation will appear at CRT 40. Thus, four possible
presentations are obtainable with the simple two color circuit. One
is the normal or preferred mode of presentation of a given color on
a given background. The second is a presentation entirely in the
color of the normal background. The third is the entire
presentation in the normal color of the information. And finally
the background and information colors can be reversed.
It may be determined from the previous discussion that the
presentation of information as shown in FIG. 3 could have the
background 75 in a given color, the word "Fire" in a second color
and the word "Oil" in a third color. By merely applying a signal
such as A1, assuming that C1 is the background color, the entire
presentation would be of the background color and there would be no
visible or active information. However, upon the removal of the A1
signal the word "Fire" would appear. Since the word "Oil" is at a
different position in the presentation, the A1 signal would have to
be applied continuously if it is desired that the word "Oil" should
not appear either. However, the A1 signal can be timed to produce
selective removal or appearance of a given word.
On the other hand, with a three color presentation and with
additional circuitry for FIG. 1, the presentation may be designed
such that supplying either one of two inputs would alter the color
of one or the other of the words in FIG. 3 so that it would be the
same as the background color. In this type of presentation there
would be no timing involved since all the words of that given color
would be changed to the background color.
While the present disclosure describes a simplified embodiment
utilizing two colors, it will be realized by those skilled in the
art from the above description of operation that the logic
circuitry can be easily modified to provide as many as eight color
hues and possibly more color hues upon a display such as a CRT. The
logic circuitry may take many forms and for more than two colors
will necessarily be somewhat more complex than that shown in FIG.
1.
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