U.S. patent number 3,924,227 [Application Number 05/413,529] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-02 for digital display device.
Invention is credited to Michael Stolov.
United States Patent |
3,924,227 |
Stolov |
December 2, 1975 |
Digital display device
Abstract
A digital device for displaying any desired numeric figure in
any desired color, comprising in combination an arrangement of
seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display
devices, sources of light of the colors green, blue and red, and
means for illuminating any desired combination of the seven
segments with any of the colors or combination of colors. A
preferred embodiment comprises in combination seven groups of
wires, each of these arranged in the conventional manner of digital
display tubes, each group comprising three parallel wires at a
small distance from each other, a color filter of three colors
being provided so that in front of each of the three wires there is
located a transparent strip of a different color, a frosted screen
being provided in front of the color filter and a mask defining
narrow transparent strips coinciding with the arrangement of the
wires on or in vicinity of the color filter, leads being provided
for actuating any desired combination of the seven wires and for
actuating any of the three parallel wires of any combination
thereof. A further embodiment comprises a digital display system
wherein there are provided seven illumination elements, defining
the seven segments-display, each of these comprising a housing in
which there are provided three colored light bulbs of red, blue and
green color respectively, at least one frosted screen being
provided in front of these, means being provided for energinzing
any combination of the seven segments and any of the light bulbs,
or combination of these. Yet a further embodiment comprises a
display system wherein the seven segments of the digital display
are light valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and
green being provided behind the light valves, means being provided
for actuating any desired combination of the light valves of the
seven segment valve screen simultaneously with the actuation of one
or more of the colored light bulbs.
Inventors: |
Stolov; Michael (Nof-Yam,
Herzliya, IL) |
Family
ID: |
11046811 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/413,529 |
Filed: |
November 7, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/50; 40/451;
313/510; 345/88; 40/448; 313/112; 313/522 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09G
3/18 (20130101); G09F 9/3023 (20130101); G02F
1/133621 (20130101); G02F 1/133514 (20130101); G09F
9/30 (20130101); G09G 3/3607 (20130101); G02F
1/134327 (20130101); G02F 1/133604 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09G
3/18 (20060101); G09F 9/30 (20060101); G09G
3/36 (20060101); G02F 1/13 (20060101); G02F
1/1335 (20060101); G02F 1/1343 (20060101); G08B
005/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/378R,378A,336
;313/18D,109.5,112,510 ;350/16LC ;40/13N,132C,132E |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Trafton; David L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Browdy and Neimark
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired figure
in any desired color, comprising in combination:
an electronic digital display device including an arrangement of
seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display
devices, comprising in combination seven groups of wires, each
group comprising three parallel wires spaced apart at a small
distance from each other;
a color filter having three color sections being provided so that
in front of each of the three wires of each group there is located
a color section of a different color;
a frosted screen being provided in front of said color filter;
a mask defining narrow transparent strips coinciding with the
arrangement of said seven segments, on or in the vicinity of said
frosted screen;
actuating means being provided for actuating any desired
combination of the seven groups and for actuating at least one of
the three parallel wires in each group.
2. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
color filter comprises strips of the colors blue, red and
green.
3. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
width of the strips on the mask is less than the combined width of
the three colored sections of the color filter.
4. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mask
is applied to the transluscent frosted screen.
5. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of
said seven segments contains three filaments, one for each of the
three colors, characterized in that each of the 21 filaments is
provided with a diode or similar element; each group of three
filaments of the seven segments having a common terminal, connected
each to one of seven pins;
three further pins being provided, each one of said further pins
being connected to the seven filaments of one of the three color,
thereby making possible the actuation at will of any segment or
combination of segments in any of the three colors or in a color
resulting from a combination of two or three colors, by using only
10 pins from a DC current source.
6. A digital display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
seven segments of the digital display are comprised of light
valves, three light bulbs of the colors red, blue and green being
provided behind said valves, means being provided for actuating any
desired combination of said light valves of said seven segments
simultaneously with the actuation of at least one of said colored
light bulbs.
7. A device as claimed in claim 6, where the light valves are of a
liquid crystal type.
8. The digital display device as recited in claim 6 further
including means for actuating any desired combination of said light
valves of said seven segments simultaneously with two or more of
said colored light bulbs.
9. The digital display device as recited in claim 1 wherein said
actuating means includes means for actuating two or more of said
parallel wires in each desired group.
10. A digital display device for displaying a numeric desired
figure in any desired color, comprising in combination:
an electronic digital display device, including an arrangement of
seven segments in the conventional pattern of digital display
devices, each of said seven segments including a red light emitting
diode, a blue light emitting diode, and a green light emitting
diode, each of said light emitting diodes in each of said seven
segments being parallel to one another;
a frosted screen being provided in front of, and in close proximity
to said light emittind diodes;
a substantially opaque mask provided behind siad frosted screen
including transparent strips coinciding with the arrangements of
said seven segments, each of said strips having a width less than
the width of each corresponding segment so that the median line of
each of said transparent strips substantially coincides with the
median line of the middle light emitting diode of each of said
segments; and
actuating means being provided for actuating any desired
combination of said seven segments and for actuating at least one
of said light emitting diodes in each segment.
Description
STATE OF THE PRIOR ART
There are known various digital display devices which provide a
sharp, high-brightness numeric display. These known incandescent
devices permit the use of filters to obtain a display of any
desired color. It is clear, that once the color of the filter is
chosen, the color can only be changed by the change of the filter
in front of the display device. It is clear that individual
segments of such devices may be addressed to provide symbol or
alphabetic output, such as letters.
The known digital display devices comprise seven segments of
incandescent wire, a number of which may be actuated at will in any
desired combination, so as to obtain the desired display of the
wanted figure.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a possibility to present a variety
of information. The human memory for various colors is a good one,
and thus it is easy for a person to remember and associate a
certain color with a certain parameter. By indicating certain
measurements in varying and distinct colors, it is possible to use
one indicating mechanism for indicating information relating to
various parameters. The color indicates in this case the kind of
parameter, the digits appearing by means of the digital display
device indicate the quantity associated with the given
parameter.
For example, it is easy to associate a certain color with each of
the following: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Thus, when the result appears, the color confirms that the correct
operation has been carried out.
As further example, the same indicator panel may be used for
indicating varying parameters, as for example pressure,
temperature, altitude, velocity, etc., each of these being
associated with a given color; seven distinct colors being
possible.
According to the invention, it is thus possible to convey by one
numerical display device seven times the information conveyed by a
conventional device of this type.
According to the present invention, a similar device is provided,
the difference being the provision of three parallel incandescent
wires instead of each of the seven incandescent wires of the
conventional device, a composite color filter of the three basic
colors, blue, red and green being provided, one color in front of
each of the three parallel incandescent wires, means being provided
for actuating any combination of the basic seven wire groups as in
the conventional display device, further means being provided for
actuating at the same time, one or more of the three parallel
wires. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention there
is provided a transluscent frosted screen in front of the
three-colored filter. By actuating one or more of the closely
spaced parallel wires any desired color is obtained and by changing
the said wire or combination of wires, a change from one color to
another can be obtained practically immediately. Best results are
obtained when an opaque mask having transparent windows in front of
the wires is provided behind or on top of the frosted screen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated with reference to the enclosed
schematical drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an illustration of the arrangement of the eight wires in
the conventional device;
FIG. 6 is a schematical front view of a device according to the
invention;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the device according to FIG. 6,
but on a smaller scale;
FIG. 4 is a fractional view (seen from above) of one group of three
wires;
FIG. 2 is a section on line V--V of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5 is a schematical front view of an opaque mask with
transparent strips for use in a device according to the
invention.
FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram of a device of the type shown in FIG. 6
and FIG. 9.
FIG. 8 is a top view of the device of FIG. 9;
FIG. 9 is a schematical side view of an illumination unit for one
segment of a device according to the invention;
FIG. 10 is a schematical side view, in perspective and in partial
section of another device according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional display device of the type of
the "Numitron" devices comprises seven individually excitable
resistance wires, A to G. A combination of a predetermined number
of these makes possible to display any of the figures from 0 to 9;
the FIG. 8 being obtained by actuating all the wires, the FIG. 2 by
actuating wires A,B,G,E,D; the FIG. 4 by wires F,G,B,C etc.
As shown in FIG. 6 the same basic arrangement of wires is used in
the device according to the present invention. There are provided
seven groups of wires according to the arrangement of FIG. 1; but
instead of each individual wire there is provided a group of three
wires 11,12 and 13. A color filter of three parallel color strips
made of glass or a suitable plastic material is provided in close
proximity of the individual wires, in front of same. This is shown
in greater detail also in FIG. 2; the leads to the wires 11, 12 and
13 are designated by the numerals 14, 15 and 16; the color filter
comprises a blue middle section 18, and two adjacent sections 17
and 19, of green and red color, respectively. In front of the color
filter there is provided a frosted screen of glass or plastic 20.
On the frosted screen, either on its front or its back side, or in
close vicinity of same, there is provided a mask 24, which is
opaque. This mask has transparent sections 25 corresponding to the
arrangement of the seven segments and the width of each of these
sections is preferably less than the width of the three colored
sections of the colored filter. The provision of the narrow
transparent strips in front of the colored filter results in a
sharp and clear image of the desired color, when one or more of the
wires are actuated.
The entire assembly is encased in a glass bulb 21, which may be
flat in front of the display arrangement, the wires being held in
position by means of the support member 22. As shown in FIG. 6,
with respect to two groups of three wires, each only, there is
provided a common lead 23 and 23' respectively, for each group of
wires 11, 12 and 13, and one common lead 14, 15 and 16 respectively
for each of the three colours. Thus, there is provided a total of
seven common leads 23 (designated as E,F,A,B,D,C,G, respectively)
for each of the seven wire groups and three common leads (g,b,r)
for each of the color groups. By means of these it is possible to
obtain a display of any of the desired figures from 0 to 9, and
each of the figures may be obtained in a desired color; by
actuating the wires located behind the color filter 19, a red
display is obtained, by that behind 18 -- a blue one; behind 17 --
a green one; by the simultaneous actuation of red and green a
yellow color; all three-- a white color, etc.
In actual practice, and for a size of about that of the
conventional digital display tubes, the three parallel wires are
spaced at a distance of about 1 mm from each other; the distance
from the wire to the filter in front of it being about 1 mm, the
distance from the color filter to the frosted screen and mask in
front of same being of the same order of magnitude. The width of
the parallel colored strips comprising the filter is also about 1
mm for each of the colors. Due to the geometric configuration of
the color filter, the light emanating from any portion thereof is
projected onto the frosted screen in front of the mask, resulting
in the desired mixed color. The non-transparent mask results in a
sharp and bright image of the desired color and intensity.
According to a modification of the present invention, there may be
used instead of the wires and the corresponding color- filters, a
combination of three differently colored light emitting diodes
(red, blue and green), in the form of narrow, parallel strips,
close to each other arranged in a similar manner behind a frosted
screen and mask. Each of these strips can also be made up from a
plurality of separate dots.
The wiring diagram of FIG. 7 illustrates further the arrangement of
the wiring of a device of the type shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9. As
can be seen from the diagram, the device has only a total of ten
pins for all the necessary connections, namely the pins of the
seven segments designates as A to G, and the three pins of the
three different colors, red (r), blue (b) and green (g). Each of
the 21 leads (three each for each of the seven segments) is
provided with a diode, 71,72,73 or other similar element having
suitable thresholds. The provision of the diodes eliminates the
cross-talk effect, which is the result of a half-voltage
energization of the other segments of the same row, resulting in
some light emmission which is undesired. The diodes prevent this
effect and only the segments which are intended to be under current
emit light. Due to the use of the diodes, or similar elements, it
is possible to use a multiplex circuit for the actuation of a
plurality of numbers.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the desired
colored numbers are obtained by the use of seven segments of the
type illustrated in Fig. 8 and 9, which are arranged in the
conventional arrangement shown in FIG. 1. Each of these segments
comprises a housing 81, made of light-impervious material, in each
of these being provided three miniature light bulbs 82, 84 and 83,
of red, green and blue color, respectively. These are wired in such
manner that any one can be actuated at will, or that any
combination of these can be lit simultaneously. In front of the
light bulbs there is provided a frosted screen 85 and another
transparent or translucent screen 86. When a suitable combination
of such element is actuated, any desired number can be displayed in
any desired color. It is clear that each of these illumination
elements is arranged perpendicular to the surface of the display
element, the frosted screen 86 in front constituting part of the
frontal surface of such element. FIG. 7 illustrates the wiring of
all segments.
The display element illustrated in FIG. 10 is another embodiment of
the present invention. This comprises an opaque housing 91, in
which there are provided three color light-bulbs, 92, 93 and 94,
which are red, blue, and green, respectively. In front of these are
arranged a frosted screen 95, and parallel thereto the front
display screen 96, which is light impervious, and which comprises
seven segment 97, each of which is connected to an electric
connection, all of which are designated as 98, these being
connected with the pins designated as A to F. Each of the lamps
92,93 and 94 is connected with one of the pins g,b, and r,
respectively, there being provided a common connection "O." The
front screen is a liquid-crystal cell, which consists of a liquid
crystal between two plates of glass on which electrodes have been
deposited. The seven-segment electrode on the inner surface of the
front plate is transparent. The rear glass plate is provided with a
continuous electrode. In the absence of an electric voltage the
liquid crystal is clear. When an electric field is applied to any
of the segments, the liquid crystal in that region becomes turbid
and scatters light. Numbers are formed by energizing appropriate
segments, and these are displayed in any desired color by
simultaneously lighting one or more of the colored light bulbs
92-94. Liquid crystal digital display devices are known, and the
construction need not be described in detail. The novelty resides
in the simple arrangement of the three colored light bulbs, which
make it possible to display the desired number in any desired
color.
* * * * *