Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Single display system having stacked superimposed display...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-03
2003-07-15
Saras, Steven (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Single display system having stacked superimposed display...
C345S040000, C368S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06593901
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to electronic device employing a multi-layer display apparatus, in which multiple layers are combined such as liquid crystal display panel layers, and more specifically to electronic device so designed as to combine display states of the multi-layer display panel layers.
BACKGROUND ART
Electronic device has been commercialized with more functions than before, such as multifunction digital electronic watches. By featuring more functions, these products are extremely convenient for users. Products combining two layers of upper and lower digital liquid crystal display panels have also been commercialized.
The prior art will first be described with reference to
FIGS. 6
,
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
).
FIG. 6
shows one example of a conventional multifunction digital electronic watch. The watch, which combines two layers of upper and lower digital liquid crystal display panel layers, features a calendar function, an alarm function, a world time function, and a timer function. Shown are a date display section
610
, a time display section
620
, and a day-of-week display section
630
.
FIG.
7
(
a
) shows an upper digital liquid crystal display panel layer of the multifunction digital electronic watch in which two layers of upper and lower layers of
FIG. 6
are combined, time display segments
710
formed from 7-segment digit columns and AM/PM segments, and day-of-week segments (position)
720
.
FIG. 7
(
b
) shows a lower digital liquid crystal display panel layer of the multifunction digital electronic watch in which two layers of upper and lower layers of
FIG. 6
are combined. The digital liquid crystal panel of
FIG. 6
is divided into the upper layer digital liquid crystal display panel of Fig. (a) carrying mode symbols for the alarm function, the world time function, and the timer function, and the lower layer digital liquid crystal display panel of Fig. (b) carrying the calendar function. Shown are calendar display segments
730
capable of displaying all the days of one month, month/date display segments
740
combining a month display for indicating what calendar month is shown on the calendar display segments
730
and a date display for indicating the date in a time calendar mode (to be described hereinafter), day-of-week designation segments
750
for displaying a predetermined day of week by masking the other days, a world time mode symbol segment
780
, a stopwatch mode symbol segment
790
, and a timer mode symbol segment
800
.
In the time calendar mode shown in
FIG. 6
, by driving the digital liquid crystal display panel layers, in which two layers of upper and lower layers are combined, the time, date, and day-of-week are displayed as the current time of “12 o'clock, 36 minutes, and 48 seconds AM” on the 7-segment digit columns and the AM/PM segments of the time display segments
710
of FIG.
7
(
a
), the date of “3” on the month/date display segments
740
, the day-of-week of “Wednesday” on the day-of-week display segments
720
and the day-of-week designation segments
750
.
However, because the display operations are performed by combining the upper layer and lower layer segments of the upper digital liquid crystal display panel layer shown in FIG.
7
(
a
) and the lower digital liquid crystal display panel layer shown in FIG.
7
(
b
), various functional mode displays, such as the time calendar mode shown in
FIG. 6
, are performed, and the display control operations for the multifunction digital electronic watch, in which two layers of upper and lower layers are combined, require complex control operations for turning on the upper layer and lower layer segments in combination.
Furthermore, in the upper layer digital liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG.
7
(
a
) and the lower layer digital liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG.
7
(
b
), the 7-segment digits and symbol segments, or only the symbol segments, are provided. Since functional information can only be displayed on the segments provided on the upper layer digital liquid crystal display panel or on the lower layer digital liquid crystal display panel even though the multifunction digital electronic watch has a combination of two layers of upper and lower layers, this configuration cannot flexibly meet the needs of the present day information-oriented society.
Furthermore, after a sudden switch to the next functional mode display during switching of various functional modes, a predetermined mode symbol is turned on among the alarm mode symbol segment
760
, the alarm set symbol segment
770
, the world time mode symbol segment
780
, the stopwatch mode symbol segment
790
, or the timer mode symbol segment
800
, resulting in an uninteresting display during changes in the functional mode display.
A general TN-type liquid crystal cell has a configuration where two opposing plates of glass attached with an orientation film and a transparent electrode have the orientation of the orientation film twisted by 90 degrees, between which liquid crystal material is injected, and a polarizing plate is affixed to the outer side of each glass with the polarized light axis aligned with the orientation direction of the orientation film.
A liquid crystal molecule has a property of aligning with a plate having fine grooves in a fixed direction, namely, along the orientation direction when in contact with the orientation film. At the liquid crystal layer sandwiched between glass forming the orientation film, the orientation direction of which is shifted by 90 degrees, the liquid crystal molecule is twisted 90 degrees between the top and the bottom. Then, when light passes through the liquid crystal layer, the oscillation plane of the light bends in the direction of the liquid crystal molecule.
Furthermore, the polarizing plates affixed to the outer side of the two plates of glass of the above-mentioned liquid crystal cell use polarizing plates called absorption-type polarizing plates having a polarized light axis that allows light to be transmitted in the fixed oscillation direction and an absorption axis that causes light to be absorbed in an oscillation direction shifted by 90 degrees from the polarized light axis.
In the foregoing configuration, when external light strikes the liquid crystal cell, the light transmitted through one polarizing plate is bent and twisted 90 degrees in the direction of the liquid crystal molecules at the liquid crystal layer at the parts where no voltage is applied to the transparent electrodes provided on the inner surface of each of the two plates of glass, and is transmitted through the other polarizing plate. On the other hand, at the parts where voltage is applied to the transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules align along the direction of the electric field so that the light is not affected by the influence of the liquid crystal molecules and travels straight without twisting of the oscillation plane. When the light reaches the other polarizing plate, the light cannot be transmitted and is absorbed since the polarized light axis of the polarizing plate and the oscillation direction of the light are shifted by 90 degrees.
In the liquid crystal cell of an ordinary watch, by placing a reflecting plate or a semi-transparent reflecting plate under the polarizing plate on the inner side of the watch, the incident light strikes the reflecting plate and returns so as to appear bright at the parts where the voltage of the electrodes arranged on the glass is off, and the incident light is absorbed by the polarizing plate and does not return so as to appear black at the parts where the voltage of the electrodes is on. Thus, by manipulating the voltages of the electrodes formed on the glass and from the combination of shapes of the electrodes above the liquid crystal cell, letters and numerals can be displayed.
Heretofore, besides wristwatches having watch hand displays, many watches performing time display or graphic display operations using liquid crystal cells have been commercialized. However, for watches having only one l
Fujioka Hiroshi
Kitazawa Isao
Okigami Tomio
Osa Takashi
Sase Masahiro
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Jorgensen Leland R.
Koda & Androlia
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