JP2009025778A - Information display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information display device to be used for data display by using alphanumeric character, symbol, or Japanese syllabaries (kana) displayed by an LED or an liquid crystal display device on the medium which needs transparency in an electronic equipment, measurement instrument, medical instrument, and home electronic product etc. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of cells of tetragonal shape are arranged in a matrix which are arranged with long light emitting device to each side, diagonal line, and central line on a transparent glass plate. A light emitting device of a long-length can suppress the area, the transmission visibility of glass substrate can be secured. Thereby, the display raised in the flexibility and versatility of design can be realized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus on a medium requiring transparency.

Industrial application fields

  The present invention relates to an information providing device used for data display in electronic devices, measuring devices, medical devices, household electric appliances, etc., which express alphanumeric characters, symbols, and kana using LEDs or liquid crystal display devices.

Conventionally, a 7-segment display device using an LED element as a certain display element is known. 7-segment display devices are mainly used in calculators and electronic devices as elements for displaying numbers. FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of light emitting elements in a 7-segment display device. By selecting individual light emitting elements and emitting light, numbers can be expressed as shown in FIG. Since the 7-segment display device displays numbers by controlling the presence / absence of light emission of the eight display elements including the dot display indicating the decimal point, the light emission state can be controlled using an 8-bit signal. . Therefore, it is usually easy to handle in a microprocessor or the like that handles a 1-byte, that is, 8-bit signal.
However, this 7-segment display device can only indicate numbers and cannot indicate characters or symbols. As a means for solving this method, a method such as 16 segment display has also been proposed, but there is a problem that only uppercase letters can be expressed in the alphabet, and there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to understand in terms of shape.
Another conventional example different from the 7-segment display device is a matrix array display device. In the example shown in FIG. 9, 5 × 7 dot-like display elements are arranged in a matrix. This light emitting element can be selectively driven, and various characters and symbols can be arbitrarily shown as shown in FIG.
However, the matrix array display device has a large number of light emitting elements, and although there are few elements actually used for display in displaying characters, for example, an information providing device is arranged on a window glass of a home, a store, a building, etc. In such a case, there is a defect that impairs the permeability.

Problems to be solved by the invention

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information providing apparatus that uses a display element to represent not only numbers and uppercase letters but also lowercase letters and symbols, kana or kanji. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display device that does not impair its transparency even in applications that require the above.

Means for solving the problem

In order to solve the above-described problems, in the present invention, a plurality of long display elements are arrayed vertically and horizontally so that at least vertically and horizontally three or more quadrilaterals are formed. In addition, the display elements are arranged on a diagonal line connecting the intersections of the respective quadrilaterals and on a straight line connecting the midpoints of the display elements arranged opposite to each other.
This makes it possible to represent not only numbers but also complicated characters such as lowercase letters, symbols, kana or kanji as well as numbers and uppercase letters. In addition, since long display elements are arranged on the matrix and diagonal lines thereof, it is possible to ensure transparency both when displaying and when not displaying.

Action

  According to the present invention, the number of display elements and the simple drive control circuit compared with conventional methods are not limited to numbers, and not only numbers and uppercase letters but also lowercase letters, symbols, kana or kanji. Can represent characters.

Embodiment of the Invention

The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1A shows a display element matrix arrangement when LED light emitting elements are used. The light emitting elements are long, and in the example shown in FIG. 1, they are arranged in a matrix of 5 rows and 4 columns. On the diagonal of the quadrilateral surrounded by the light emitting elements arranged vertically and horizontally, another LED light emitting element is arranged in an oblique direction.
FIG. 1B shows a quadrilateral formed by the display elements arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions described above in order to show the configuration of the display element matrix arrangement shown in FIG. 1B in more detail. It is an enlarged view. The display elements 2 and 3 arranged in the horizontal direction and the display elements 4 and 5 arranged in the vertical direction are arranged to form a quadrilateral, and the display elements 6, 7, 8 and 9 are arranged respectively.
FIG. 2 shows a current driving circuit of each LED light emitting element in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1B, and each LED light emitting element energizes a PNP transistor 18 while Light can be emitted by selectively driving the NPN transistors 10 to 17. Actually, there are as many light emitting elements as shown in FIG. In order to cope with this, a plurality of PNP transistors 18 are arranged, and they are selectively energized by switching them every time. Strictly speaking, by switching the transistors 39 to 42, flashing light is emitted. This blinking is not visible to humans. For example, if the blinking is performed at a time interval of a unit of msec or less, the eyes of the person viewing the display element can recognize which light emitting element is selectively emitting light without being aware of the blinking. can do.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing means for controlling the current drive circuit shown in FIG. In the storage device in the CPU 43 or in the storage device 44 provided outside, a current conduction pattern of light emitting elements for expressing characters is built in as a character generator. When the CPU 43 wants to display a certain character, the CPU 43 receives a character code indicating the character, reads the character generator, and drives the LED light emitting element to energize.
FIG. 4 is an example in which alphanumeric characters are actually displayed using the display element arrangement shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to express various characters and symbols without feeling uncomfortable.
FIG. 5 shows an arrangement of display elements capable of displaying Chinese characters. Kanji is a complicated character, and it is generally said that the character “hawk” needs to use various lines for notation. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the display of a hawk. By using this display device, it is possible to display with a small number of display elements, and the vortex is not lost.

The invention's effect

    According to the present invention, not only numbers but also letters and symbols can be expressed with a simple drive control circuit with a small number of display elements. Therefore, a low-cost display device can be developed in a short period of time. In addition, this arrangement is different from the dot matrix arrangement, and is expressed using a long display element, so that the visibility is not greatly impaired. For example, when it is installed on a window glass at home or office, Even if it is placed on a transparent glass used for briefing, it is possible to express without any sense of incongruity.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an array of display elements of a display device that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display element driving circuit of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a light emission control circuit of a display element of a display device which is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display state by the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an array of display elements by a display device that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display state of Chinese characters by the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an arrangement of display elements of a display device in a conventional example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display state by a display device in a conventional example. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an array of display elements of a display device in another conventional example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display state by a display device in another conventional example.

Explanation of symbols

1. Display element matrix, 2-9. Display element, 10-17. NPN transistor, 18. 18. PNP transistor, CPU, 20. Storage device, 21. Bus, 22. Display pattern, 23. Display element matrix, 24. Kanji display pattern, 25-33. Light-emitting element, 33. Character symbol display example, 34. Display element, 35. Character display example

Claims (3)

  In an information providing apparatus for displaying characters and symbols provided with a display element that changes light emission or shading on a flat surface in contact with or close to a transparent medium, and has means for controlling energization to the display element In the information providing apparatus, the ratio of the area occupied by the display elements to the range in which the display elements representing the characters and symbols are arranged is 10% or less.   2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the display elements are arranged adjacent to each other in a substantially vertical direction and a substantially horizontal direction, and are arranged adjacent to each other in the substantially vertical direction and the substantially horizontal direction. A second display element is arranged on a diagonal of a quadrilateral formed by two pairs of display elements, one end of which is close to or in contact with the intersection of the quadrilateral diagonal and the other end is close to or in contact with the apex of the quadrilateral An information providing apparatus characterized by being configured.   In the information providing device described in claim 1, the display elements constituting the sides of the quadrilateral are divided at the midpoint of the sides or in the vicinity thereof, and each can independently control display, An information providing apparatus, wherein one end is arranged at the middle point or the vicinity thereof, and the other end is arranged at the center of the quadrilateral.

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