Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-05-08
Sikes, William L. (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S146000, C349S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229590
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for displaying desired characters in different colors by selectively combining and illuminating a plurality of display segments; and, more particularly, to an improved digital display pattern for use in a display device such as a fluorescent display tube or a liquid crystal display.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is shown in
FIG. 1
an arrangement of display segments in a display device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 57-68280.
The display device in
FIG. 1
is a gear range indicator of an automatic transmission in a motor vehicle. The gear range indicator is a single display panel
11
including a first display segment to a tenth display segment
12
A to
12
J, each of which is, independently, arranged in close proximity to each other.
The above-mentioned display segments will now be described in detail. The first display segment
12
A is in a substantially rectangular shape with its longer sides being substantially parallel to a vertical axis of a display panel
11
and its lower end being pointed and shaped like a mountain peak, and is disposed in an upper left half of the display panel
11
.
The second display segment
12
B is co-linear with the first display segment
12
A, its upper end being connected to the lower end of the first display segment
12
A and disposed in a lower left half of the display panel
11
. Again, it is in a substantially rectangular shape with its longer sides being substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the display panel
11
and its upper end being pointed.
The third display segment
12
C is arranged in such a way that it has a substantially horse shoe shape or an inverse C shape, one end thereof being connected to an upper right side of the first display segment
12
A and the other end connected to a lower right side thereof.
The fourth display segment
12
D slantly extends from a substantially middle part of a lower arm of the horse shoe shaped third display segment
12
C, downwardly and rightwardly, in such a way that it has a substantially inclined parallelogram shape.
The fifth display segment
12
E has a substantially trapezoid shape with the longer sides lying parallel to a horizontal axis of the display panel
11
. Further, one side thereof is connected to a lower right side of the second display segment
12
B and the opposite side thereof is connected to a lower left side of the fourth display segment
12
D.
The sixth display segment
12
F is substantially rectangular with its longer sides being substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the display panel
11
, extends vertically upward from a location adjacent to a lower right side of the fourth display segment
12
D by a same height as the top of the first display segment
12
A and hence it is parallel to the first and the second display segments
12
A and
12
B.
The seventh display segment
12
G is disposed at right side of the sixth display segment
12
F at a predetermined distance therefrom so as to be parallel to the sixth display segment
12
F. Further, it has an identical shape and size as the sixth display segment
12
F.
The eighth display segment
12
H is disposed so as to have a substantially inclined parallelogram shape with one side thereof being adjacent to an upper top right side of the sixth display segment
12
F and the opposite side thereof being adjacent to a lower bottom left side of the seventh display segment
12
G.
The ninth display segment
12
I is disposed so as to have a substantially arc shape, wherein the arc rightwardly extends from a location in vicinity of a left top side of the eighth display segment
12
H for a predetermined distance and then is downwardly bent to terminate at a location in vicinity of a right top side of the eighth display segment
12
H.
The tenth display segment
12
J is disposed so as to have a substantially arc shape, wherein the arc rightwardly extends from a location in vicinity of a lower right side of the sixth display segment
12
F for a predetermined distance and then is upwardly bent to terminate at a lower right side of the eighth display segment
12
H.
The display panel having the display segments
12
A to
12
J arranged in the foregoing manner indicates the gear ranges of an automatic transmission with the following characters, e.g., “P” for park, “R” for reverse, “N” for neutral, “D” for drive, “2” for second, “L” for low, by selectively combining the display segments
12
A to
12
J.
To be more specific, the characters above can be indicated on the display device using the following: “P” by selecting the first to the third display segments
12
A to
12
C; “R” by selecting the first to the fourth display segments
12
A to
12
D; “N” by selecting the sixth to the eighth display segments
12
F to
12
H; “D” by selecting the six, the ninth and the tenth display segments
12
F,
12
I,
12
J; “2” by selecting the second, the third and the fifth display segments
12
B,
12
C,
12
E; and “L” by selecting the first, the second and the fifth display segments
12
A,
12
B,
12
E.
Each of the first to the third display segments
12
A,
12
B,
12
C used for indicating “P” on the display device is divided into a plurality of sub-segments
13
, each of which is composed of a hatched sub-segment
13
a
and an unhatched sub-segment
13
b
. Again, each of the sub-segments has a substantially inclined rectangular shape. In
FIG. 1
, the hatched first sub-segments
13
a
and the fourth display segment
12
D are different from other display segments
12
E to
12
J in terms of the color they provide. For example, if the fifth to the tenth display segments
12
E to
12
J provide a green color, then the hatched first sub-segments
13
a
and the fourth display segment
12
D provide a red color.
Further, the unhatched sub-segments
13
b
of the first, the second and the third display segments
12
A,
12
B,
12
C in
FIG. 1
are the segments for providing the identical display color, e.g, green, as the fifth to the tenth display segments
12
E to
12
J.
In such an arrangement as the one described above, “P” is displayed in red when a display signal is applied on the unhatched sub-segments
13
b
of the first to the third display segments
12
A to
12
C, thereby making it distingshable over the other characters.
In such a conventional display device shown in
FIG. 1
, by virtue of each of the first to the third display segments
12
A to
12
C having the plurality of hatched sub-segments
13
a
and the unhatched sub-segments
13
b
alternatively disposed, the hatched sub-segments
13
a
and the unhatched sub-segments
13
B providing different display colors from each other, it is possible to display “P” and “R” in different display colors from each other. Furthermore, although the above discussions have been presented referring to a situation where each of the first to the third display segments includes a plurality of rectangular sub-segments for providing different colors, identical results can be obtained by using display segments provided with a plurality of sub-segments shaped like the teeth of a comb or made up of dots.
However, there are a number of major shortcomings associated with the above described display panel: for instance, in displaying the desired characters or the like in different colors from each other, all of the segment arrangements described above include portions thereof which are not illuminated, making the displayed characters appear segmented or discontinuous, aesthetically degrading the appearance thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of displaying desired characters or the like which, when displayed, appear to look continuous, thereby enhancing the appearance thereof aesthetically.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for displaying desired characters in different colors by selectively combining and illuminating a plurality of display segments, the device comprising: a first dis
Bannai Masanori
Ohashi Makoto
Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Ngo Julie
Rosenman & Colin LLP
Sikes William L.
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