JPH07104657B2 - Lightning character display - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a character display device using lightning.

[Conventional technology and its problems]

A so-called dot matrix method for drawing a character graphic by regarding a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode or a miniature lamp as one point, arranging the light emitting element in a matrix of 8 × 8, and turning on the light emitting element at a required position The electronic display device is known.

However, such a display device requires a large number of light emitters, so that the driver circuit of the light emitters becomes complicated and the device becomes large.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an electronic character display device capable of drawing a character graphic with a minimum of light emitters.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a rod-shaped support member having a plurality of light-emitting bodies arranged in a row, and a control means arranged on the support member are provided, and the control is performed. The means is
Driving means for selectively emitting the light-emitting body, pattern storage means for storing a character / graphic pattern formed by a dot matrix, and each row of the dot matrix one by one from the end at a predetermined cycle. The pattern storage means divides the stored character / graphic pattern into columns that are sequentially designated by the designating means and applies the divided patterns to the driving means. This column is displayed by selectively causing each of the light emitters to emit light each time they are given.

[Action]

The drive means is sequentially given each column of the pattern of the character graphic at a predetermined cycle, and displays each column by selectively causing each of the light emitters to emit light. At this time, when the support member is moved in the lateral direction of the rows of the respective light-emitting bodies, the row of the light-emitting bodies that have been previously emitted remains due to the afterimage phenomenon. Therefore, it is possible to observe the character / graphic pattern composed of each column.

〔Example〕

As shown in FIG. 1, the pattern memory 1 stores an arbitrary character / graphic pattern by the dot matrix method. For example, in the case of the Roman letter "A",
It is as shown in FIG. Of course, the method of forming this pattern is not limited to that shown in FIG. Also, the number of rows and columns is arbitrary.

On the other hand, the timing generation circuit 2 supplies a pulse to the address counter 3 at a constant timing t, and based on this, the address counter 3 sequentially scans the memory 1 from the column B ₁ (FIG. 2) to turn it on. The position of the memory address which is set to is supplied to the driver circuit 4.

The driver circuit 4 is connected with the same number of light emitting diodes D _{1 to} D _{n as the} number of elements of the column B of the matrix of the memory 1, that is, the number of rows A, and the diodes corresponding to the turned-on addresses are turned on. To be done. For example, in the case of FIG.
In column B ₁ , A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , A ₄ , and A ₅ are on, so the corresponding diodes D ₁ , D ₂ , D ₃ , D ₄ , and D ₅ are lit. Similarly, at the next timing t ₂ , the diode D ₃ ,
At D ₆ and timing t ₃ , the diodes D ₃ and D ₇ are lit.

In this way, the pattern "A" as shown in FIG. 2 is sequentially lit from the end row. The driver circuit 4 is supplied with timing pulses from the timing generation circuit 2 and is synchronized with the drive address command from the memory 1.

Although any pattern may be stored in the memory 1, the pattern to be displayed may be switched depending on the case of using this display device. For this purpose, the pattern switching circuit 5 is provided, and the external storage device 6 stores a plurality of patterns. The pattern switching circuit 5 instructs the memory 1 to switch the pattern. The memory 1 includes an external storage device 6 via a reading device 7.
A new pattern is read from and the new pattern is stored. As a result, each pattern in the external storage device 6 can be appropriately switched and displayed. Of course, memory 1
The light emitting diode may be turned on while reading.

Instead of the light emitting diode, a miniature bulb or other light emitting body can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the light emitting element 10 such as the light emitting diode is used.
However, they are arranged vertically in a row on a support member 11 such as a substrate. Also,
The control unit 12 including the circuits 1 to 5 shown in FIG. 1 may be fixed to the support member 11 or may be a separate body such as a chain line. In the figure, 13 is a power supply.

The support member 11 is arranged to rotate or move in parallel in the lateral direction of the row of the light emitters 10. Various means can be selected. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a shaft 14 may be fixed to the lower end of the support member 11, and a motor or a forward / reverse mechanism may be connected to the shaft 14 for automatic reciprocating rotation, or a handle shown by a chain line. A grip portion such as 15 may be provided and rotated by hand. In this case, the shaft 14 is unnecessary.

Alternatively, the support member 11 may be moved in parallel as shown in FIG. In the figure, 16 is a base having a moving mechanism.

〔effect〕

According to the present invention, as described above, the light emitters are arranged in a vertical line, and the character / graphic pattern formed from the dot matrix is sequentially lit from the end line. Therefore, it is possible to move the row of the light emitters in the lateral direction and display the character graphic by utilizing the afterimage. Moreover, since it is possible to display a character graphic with a minimum number of light emitters, and a circuit can be easily manufactured at low cost, it has a wide range of fields of use such as traffic signs, communication devices, and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an example of a display device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage state of a memory, FIG. 3 is a front view of the display device, and FIG. 4 is a front view showing another example. It is a figure. 10 ... Light emitter, 11 ... Support member, 12 ... Control unit, 13 ...
Power supply, 14 …… axis, 15 …… handle, 16 …… base.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rod-shaped support member in which a plurality of light emitters are arranged in a row, and a control means disposed on the support member, wherein the control means selectively drives the light emitters to emit light. And a pattern storage means for storing a character / graphic pattern formed by a dot matrix, and a designating means for sequentially designating each column of the dot matrix one by one from an end at a predetermined cycle. The means divides the stored character / graphic pattern into one column that is sequentially designated by the designating means and applies the row to the drive means. An electronic character display device for displaying by selectively emitting light from a light emitter.