U.S. patent number RE29,033 [Application Number 05/607,569] was granted by the patent office on 1976-11-09 for alphanumeric display system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Digicourse, Inc.. Invention is credited to James M. Lapeyre.
United States Patent |
RE29,033 |
Lapeyre |
November 9, 1976 |
Alphanumeric display system
Abstract
An alphanumeric display system including an array of sixteen
electrically energizable, light-emitting elements capable, when
selectively energized, of forming legibly all numerals and a
substantial number of upper and lower case alphabet letters and/or
mathematical and punctuation symbols. A similar array is disclosed
having a maximum of twenty four light-emitting elements and capable
of providing all numerals, upper and lower case alphabet letters
and a majority of the symbols employed for punctuation and in
mathematics. Both of the arrays disclosed are characterized by
arrangement of the light-emitting elements in closely nested
relation to form horizontal rows and columns inclined to the right
and left at 60.degree. with respect to the horizontal. A solid
state system including light-emitting diodes and switching
transistors is disclosed. ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY SYSTEM
Inventors: |
Lapeyre; James M. (New Orleans,
LA) |
Assignee: |
Digicourse, Inc. (New Orleans,
LA)
|
Family
ID: |
27026706 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/607,569 |
Filed: |
August 25, 1975 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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244425 |
Apr 17, 1972 |
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Reissue of: |
425499 |
Dec 17, 1973 |
03872463 |
Mar 18, 1975 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
345/46;
178/30 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F
9/302 (20130101); H01L 33/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01L
33/00 (20060101); G09F 9/302 (20060101); G09F
009/32 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/336,324R,324M
;40/280 ;178/30 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Curtis; Marshall M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schiller & Pandiscio
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation application of Ser. No. 244,425
filed Apr. 17, 1972, now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An alphanumeric display system comprising in combination:
an array of at least 16 electrically energizable, light-emitting
elements .Iadd.being energizable in selected combinations to form
numerals, letters and other symbols; .Iaddend..[.and means for
energizing selected combinations of said elements to form numerals,
letters and other symbols;.].
said array consisting of four horizontal rows each including at
least three of said elements and one row including at least four of
said elements, all arranged in nested relation so as to form plural
element columns inclined with respect to said horizontal rows at an
angle of about 60.degree. both to the right and to the left as seen
by the viewer.
2. A display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said four-element
row is the row next above the bottom row of the array.
3. A display system as defined in claim 1 including a maximum of
sixteen of said elements.
4. A display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said rows are
arranged to form in order from left to right, a four-element
column, two five-element columns and a two element column, all
inclined to the right.
5. A display system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said
elements is substantially circular and is tangent to all adjacent
elements.
6. A display system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said
elements is substantially hexagonal and is in contiguous relation
with all adjacent elements.
7. A display system as defined in claim 1 including a maximum of 24
of said elements.
8. A display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said rows each
include, from top to bottom, five, four, four, five and six of said
elements.
9. A display system as defined in claim 8 including, from left to
right, four right-inclined columns of five elements each and one
column of two elements.
10. In an alphanumeric display system, a closely nested array of at
least 16 light-emitting elements consisting of five horizontal rows
of at least three or four elements and at least four plural-element
columns inclined with respect to said horizontal rows at an angle
of about 60.degree. to the right as seen by the viewer including in
order from left to right, at least one four-element column, two
five-element columns and a two-element column.
11. An array of light-emitting elements as defined in claim 10
including a maximum of 16 of said elements.
12. An array of light-emitting elements as defined in claim 10
wherein four of said rows include at least three of said elements
and one of said rows includes at least four of said elements.
13. An array of light-emitting elements as defined in claim 10
wherein said elements are arranged in four plural-element columns
inclined to the right, said columns each including, from left to
right, four, five, five and two of said elements.
14. An array of light-emitting elements as defined in claim 10
including a maximum of 24 of said elements. .Iadd. 15. A display
system as defined in claim 1 further including means for energizing
selected combinations of said elements to form numerals, letters
and other symbols. .Iaddend.
Description
Alphanumeric display systems of the type with which the present
invention is concerned generally comprise an array or raster of
light-emitting elements which can be individually activated or
deactivated, or otherwise made visible selectively to form
numerals, alphabet letters and/or other symbols such as used in
mathematics, punctuation or the like. The light-emitting elements
are usually of an electrically energized type including, for
example, conventional lamps such as incandescent, gaseous
discharge, etc., and solid state devices such as light-emitting
diodes, the latter being preferable in relatively small displays
and/or in embodiments wherein energizing current is to be
minimized. Display systems of this type are finding increasing
numbers of applications as readout devices on many different types
of apparatus such as measuring instruments, recorders, computors
and the like, that are electrically operated and where a clearly
legible display with rapid response is desirable.
Typically, a widely used system is the seven-segment display in
which seven elongated elements or bars are arranged to form two
squares sharing a common side. The selective energization of
light-emitting element forming or activating the bars will provide
recognizable displays of all of the arabic numerals. However, the
seven-segment displays cannot duplicate all of the alphabetical
characters. Other typical display systems having a relatively large
number of light-emitters yet limited alphanumeric, mathematic and
punctuation character capability include arrays of thirty-five dots
arranged in five columns and seven rows; and a display of sixteen
bars arranged to form four squares each sharing two common sides,
and four diagonals one in each square, arranged to form an X.
Objects of the invention are: to provide a display system of the
type described comprising a novel array or matrix consisting of the
fewest number of individual light-emitting elements (which appear
as dots), capable of forming the largest number of alphanumeric
characters and mathematic and punctuation symbols; to provide
arrays of the type described capable of forming all numerals and
depending upon the number of dots, a substantially large number of
all upper and lower case alphabet letters, and most symbols used in
mathematics and punctuation; and to provide an array of
light-emitting elements as described capable of forming numerals,
letters and symbols that are clearly legible and aesthetically
pleasing. The object of forming all numerals and a substantially
large number of alphabet, mathematic and punctuation characters is
realized by providing a novel array containing only sixteen closely
nested, individual light-emitting elements specially arranged in
five horizontal rows and four plural-element columns inclined to
the right as seen by the viewer. Complete upper and lower case
alphabet plus substantially greater mathematic and punctuation
capability is achieved by providing an array comprising a maximum
of twenty-four elements similarly arranged to form five horizontal
rows and five plural element columns inclined to the right.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in
part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the
construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts
which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the
scope of the application of which will be indicated in the
claims.
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be had to the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view that shows diagramatically a plurality of
arrays of sixteen light-emitting elements arranged in accordance
with the invention and illustrating how selective energization
produces numerals 0-9,
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a twenty-four element array arranged in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the formation of
all numerals, upper and lower case alphabet letters and various
mathematical and punctuation symbols employing the twenty-four dot
arrangement of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a solid state alphanumeric display
system including means for energizing selected light-emitting
elements.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein there is
illustrated one embodiment of an array, designated 20, of
light-emitting elements arranged in accordance with the invention.
Each light-emitting element is shown as a circle or circular dot
although other geometric shapes, particularly hexagons or ovals,
may be employed so long as they provide for close nesting of the
individual elements. According to the invention, each alphanumeric
array is formed of sixteen light-emitting elements supported in
means such as frame 22 and arranged, as seen by the viewer, in five
horizontal rows each containing three or four elements. In the form
shown in FIG. 1, the three upper rows and the bottom row of array
20 each contain three elements and the other (next to the bottom)
row contains four elements. The elements are arranged in closely
nested relation similar to a mosaic composed of contiguous hexagons
so as to form plural-element columns inclined, as seen by the
viewer at about 60.degree. to the right and left relative to the
horizontal rows. This will mean that some letters, numbers and
symbols, particularly those with long components that are normally
vertical such as numerals 1 and 0, upper case letters such as D, E,
F, I, etc., and many lower case letters such as b, d, f, h, i, t,
etc., will appear inclined to the right which is both pleasing in
appearance and consistant with accepted practice such as cursive
writing.
The arrangement of the rows is such that there are four plural
element columns inclined to the right each containing in order from
left to right, four, five, five and two elements respectively; and
five plural element columns inclined to the left containing (from
left to right) two, three, four and two elements respectively.
Array 20 is capable of generating all of the numerals as
illustrated plus a large number of upper and lower case alphabet
characters, mathematical and punctuation symbols. If the elements
are numbered consecutively from 1 to 16 as shown beginning at the
left end of each row and working from top to bottom, then all of
the numerals can be formed by energizing selected ones of the
light-emitting elements. For example, the numeral 1 is formed by
energizing elements numbered 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14, or elements 3, 6,
9, 12 and 15; numeral 3 by elements numbered 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 and 13
through 16; and numeral 4 by elements numbered 1, 3, 4, 6, 7
through 9, 12 and 15.
Another embodiment composed of a maximum of 24 light-emitting
elements arranged in closely nested relation in horizontal rows and
columns slanted or inclined as in FIG. 1, is illustrated in FIGS. 2
and 3. The arrangement of the array 30, which may be enclosed in a
frame 32, is composed of five rows including, from top to bottom,
five, four, four, five and six elements each to form five
multi-element columns inclined, as seen by the viewer at about
60.degree. to the right and left relative to the horizontal rows.
The columns, in order from left to right, include four five-element
columns and one two-element column. The first and last columns
comprise single elements.
With the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, it is possible as shown to
form all of the numerals, upper and lower case letters, and various
mathematical and punctuation symbols. Furthermore, alternative ways
of forming selected characters are available as, for example,
numerals 1 and 2 (illustrated) and the letters A, B, E, V,
(illustrated), X (illustrated), a, b, e and w (illustrated). All of
the letters, numerals and symbols formed are easily recognizable
and for the most part, correspond very closely in form and basic
appearance to the commonly accepted form and appearance of the
particular letter, number or symbol.
For example, numbering the elements of array 30 from 1 to 24
consecutively from left to right and commencing with the top row,
one can readily identify the selected elements which form each
letter or numeral. For example, to form the numeral two, one
energizes (see FIG. 3) elements 2, 3, 8, 12, 16 and 21 through 23.
To form a lower case j, one energizes elements 4, 12, 16, 20 and
21. To form a lower case s, one energizes elements 7, 8, 11, 14, 20
and 21. To form an upper case E one simply energizes elements 2-4,
6, 10-12, 14 and 19-21. Other combinations will be clearly apparent
to yield other alphanumeric characters.
The alphanumeric display array of light-emitting elements of the
invention is particularly adapted for use as a rapid response
readout for electrically operated devices such as measuring
instruments, recorders, computers or indicators, In applications in
which factors such as minimum size, low power requirements and
rapid response are particularly desirable, the light-emitting
elements may be light-emitting diodes. FIG. 4 shows an example of a
solid state circuit for exciting a 16 light-emitting diode array
(only four of the 16 diodes being shown) and including switching
means for controlling the energization of selected light-emitting
diodes. Light-emitting diodes are desirable as light sources
because of their small size which enables the formation of arrays
measuring a small fraction of an inch and because such diodes have
a fast response and require only small operating currents in the
order of milliamperes. In the system show, light-emitting diodes
40, 41, 42 and 43 are connected in series with one another and to
the emitter of transistor Q.sub.p which serves as a constant
current supply. The collector of the latter is connected to a
terminal 44 at which a suitable voltage is applied, and its base is
connected to the collector through resistor 46. Switching of each
diode as required for a particular symbol or character is achieved
by connecting across each diode a transistor which when turned on,
functions as a shunt for turning off the particular light-emitting
diode.
The collector-emitter circuits of transistors designated Q.sub.1,
Q.sub.2, Q.sub.3, . . . Q.sub.16 are connected, respectively,
across light-emitting diodes 40, 41, 42, . . . 43 and bases of the
transistors are coupled to character generators such as a group of
current sources activated manually, or by computer, or in
accordance with the output of an encoder or decoder which will
provide the requisite character signals. The character generator
provides signals that serve to turn on the transistors controlling
those diodes that are not required for a specific character
display. Thus, for example, when employing the array shown in FIG.
1, the numeral 4 is formed when light-emitting diodes corresponding
to elements 1, 3, 4, 6, 7-9, 12 and 15 are activated and the
transistors controlling the other elements are turned on thereby
preventing energization of the corresponding remaining diodes.
While the circuitry shown is designed to produce a static display,
it will be apparent that other circuitry may be employed, the
design of which is known and within the skill of the art, for
producing not only static displays, but strobed dynamic displays in
which the emitter (LED's) are energized in rapid sequence. Dynamic
strobing may have advantages in a number of applications,
particularly in simplifying the interfacing of the display with a
computer.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the particular array of
16 or 24 nested, light-emitting elements provides for the formation
of a maximum number of easily legible and aesthetically pleasing
alphanumeric characters as well as a multiplicity of symbols
employed in punctuation, mathematics and the like. These arrays
have the advantages of versatility combined, if desired, with small
size, rapid response and low power requirements. A plurality of the
arrays can be arranged in adjacent relation to provide for a visual
display of multiple digit numbers, words, multiple word messages,
mathematical and chemical equations, and the like, while the
individual arrays can be of varying sizes as required and/or need
be disposed only at locations where characters are required for a
multi-character display. For example, where letters and numbers are
employed together with numerical subscripts or superscripts as in
chemical or mathematical formulae, both 16 and 24 element arrays
can be employed to advantage in the same group.
Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without
departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is
intended that all matter contained in the above description or
shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
* * * * *