Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graph generating
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-19
2004-02-24
Jankus, Almis R. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graph generating
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697069
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to measuring equipment and, more specifically, to a measuring device for measuring various values such as pressure, altitude and temperature etc. and a display method for displaying the measurements electronically, and particularly relates to a highly portable measuring device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This kind of portable measuring equipment is, for example, incorporated into the body of a wristwatch and has become widely publicized together with the recent increase in participation in outdoor activities. A block view of the essential parts of the configuration of this kind of related portable measuring equipment is shown in FIG.
8
. The portable measuring equipment in
FIG. 8
is an altimeter that measures pressure and obtains and displays an altitude based on this pressure, and is configured so as to be incorporated integrally with a wristwatch.
Specifically, this portable measuring equipment comprises an oscillating circuit
100
outputting a reference signal using oscillation, a dividing circuit
101
for dividing this reference signal, a pressure sensor
102
for measuring pressure, an A/D converter
103
for converting pressure outputted from the pressure sensor
102
in the form of an analog signal into a digital signal, a pressure/altitude calculator
104
for calculating altitude by known conversion methods based on pressure outputted from the A/D converter
103
, a button group
105
consisting of a plurality of buttons for performing arbitrary instructions, a display panel
106
for displaying time and altitude, a display driver circuit
107
for controlling the display panel
106
, a ROM
108
for storing measurement processing programs, etc., a RAM
109
for temporarily storing measured values, and a CPU
110
for controlling each of these parts.
With this related portable measuring equipment, normally, a current time obtained via the oscillating circuit
100
and the dividing circuit
101
is displayed at the display panel
106
via the display driver circuit
107
. When an altimeter measurement is designated via the button group
105
, an altitude obtained via the pressure sensor
102
, A/D converter
103
and pressure/altitude calculator
104
is stored in the RAM
109
and this altitude is displayed at the display panel
106
via the display driver circuit
107
.
This altitude measurement is carried out in one period selected from a prescribed plurality of periods and this plurality of periods can be switched over between at the button group
105
. For example, the normal period is set to five minutes, and a switched over to period is set to five seconds (in the following, taking measurements in the normal period is referred to as normal mode, and taking measurements in the short period is referred to as short period mode). Measurement can then be carried out by switching over between these periods. By switching over between normal mode and short period mode, the user can be aware of trends in the overall change in altitude and the trend of finer changes in altitude at a specific time. As the storage capacity of the RAM
109
is limited, when altitudes measured in normal mode or short period mode exceed the storage capacity, the oldest altitudes are sequentially overwritten with the newest altitude, which is stored.
A method of displaying altitudes acquired in this manner is now described.
FIGS. 9A-9C
show examples of altitude displayed using the display panel
106
. In
FIGS. 9A-9C
, a first display region
111
displaying a graph showing the altitude in detail and a second display region
112
displaying the current altitude using characters are provided at the display panel
106
. At the first display region
111
, seven-segment display lines
113
are arranged in parallel in 24 lines. One altitude is then shown as a bar graph by, for example, inverting segments corresponding to the altitude of the segments of one display line
113
. The display lines as a whole then show the altitude as a time series going from the left side to the right side in the drawings. For example, the display line
113
at the left end shows the oldest altitude of the altitudes stored in the RAM
109
and the right end of the display line
113
shows the newest altitude. At the second display region
112
, seven-segment display sections
114
are arranged in parallel in 3 lines and the newest of the altitudes stored in the RAM
109
is displayed using characters.
FIG. 9A
is an example display of altitude measured in normal mode, with altitude measured in a normal period being displayed sequentially along a time series at the first display region, and the newest altitude=112 (m) being displayed at the second display region.
When the measured mode is changed over to the short period mode at the button group
105
, the newest altitude is measured using a short period. The newest altitude is then stored in the RAM
109
in place of the oldest altitude and this altitude is displayed at the display panel
106
.
FIG. 9B
is an example of a display for an altitude measured in the short period mode, where altitude measured in a short period is displayed continuously along a time series so as to follow on from the altitude taken in the normal period at the first display region
111
(here, segments corresponding to the altitude for the short period are given using diagonal lines in
FIG. 9
so that altitude measured in the short period can be distinguished from altitude measured in the normal period). A newest altitude of 135 (m) is displayed at the second display region
112
.
When measurement in short mode continues, as shown in
FIG. 9C
, altitude measured in short periods are displayed consecutively at the first display region
111
and a newest altitude of 117 (m) is displayed at the second display region
112
.
When normal mode is then later returned to from short period mode as a result of operation of the button group
105
or the elapsing of a prescribed time limit, etc., a new altitude is measured in a normal period and the newly measured altitude is stored in the RAM
109
in place of the oldest altitude. At the same time, altitudes measured in short periods are shown consecutively at the first display region
111
and altitudes newly measured in normal periods are displayed consecutively, as shown in FIG.
9
D.
In a further related example disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 7-280651, in a temperature measuring device for measuring temperature of a measurement subject using an amount of infra-red energy emitted from the measurement subject, consecutive measurements are made possible and temperature trends can be understood.
[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
However, related portable measuring equipment simply stores altitudes measured in normal mode and altitudes acquired in short-period mode together in a single RAM
109
without providing any separation. An altitude acquired in normal mode is therefore lost every time an altitude measured in a short period is stored during changing over from normal mode to short-period mode. This means that while switching back to normal mode, data for measurements of the altitude made in normal mode on previous occasions has already been lost and therefore cannot be re-displayed.
For example, while switching over from
FIG. 9C
to
FIG. 9D
, the altitude measured in normal mode of
FIG. 9A
cannot be redisplayed and only the altitude taken in normal mode following on from the altitude for the short period mode can be displayed as shown in FIG.
9
D. This means that the overall trend in the change in altitude measured in normal mode up until this point cannot be seen and this is detrimental to the usefulness of the measured information.
There is also provided related portable measuring equipment where, when a prescribed designation switch is pressed, a measurement is carried out in a prescribed period of time differing from the normal period of time and stored, with the results of this measurement th
Adams & Wilks
Jankus Almis R.
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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