TRAVELING MESSAGE DISPLAY

• US 3,651,511 A
• Filed: 12/02/1969
• Issued: 03/21/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard G. Posner, Paul M. Kolesar, Robert M. Payne, Russell W. Andrews
• Original Assignee: Howard G. Posner, Paul M. Kolesar, Robert M. Payne, Russell W. Andrews
• Inventors: Andrews, Russell W., Payne, Robert M., Posner, Howard G., Kolesar, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Curtis, Marshall M.
• Application Number:
  US04/881,546
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 178/15,30 340/324,334,336,337,339,152,154,168SR
• US Class Current: 345/691
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0286 Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/282 using DC panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/222 Control of the character-code memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1804 for stock exchange and similar applications

Abstract

A completely electronic traveling message display system in which the input data is loaded into a buffer at the rate received and read out to a lamp encoder for actuating the lamps at a rate dependent on but nonsynchronous with the input rate. A control circuit determines the contents of the buffer and controls the readout rate so that a smooth transition is made in the visual display rate despite fast changes in the rate of input. A shift register is shown for sequentially enabling the lamps in a lamp matrix display board and the control circuit controls the shift rate through the register. Provisions are made to fire the lamps a controlled number of times for each shift of the shift register and only for a short period to prevent image distortions to the observer. The brightness of the display is both automatically and manually controllable to adjust for variations in the display rate and for ambient light conditions.

Claims

1. In a traveling information display system for displaying characters in dot matrix form on a matrix of short decay transient lamps arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a storage device associated with each row of lamps, each of said storage devices having a plurality of storage stages at least equal to the number of said columns and adapted to cause each of said display lamps to operate with the presence of a signal therein, a display signal encoder comprising a matrix of elements for providing encoding signals arranged in rows corresponding to said rows of lamps and in a number of columns sufficient to display any desired character, means connecting each row of encoder elements to the input of the associated storage device to provide encoding signals to be read out thereto, means for receiving display data, means responsive to the receipt of said display data for preparing certain elements in said encoder matrix for the generation of encoding signals to be read out depEndent on the particular character to be displayed, means for sequentially strobing each of said columns of encoder elements at a column by column display shift frequency to read out the prepared elements for each row therein and provide encoding signals to the associated row inputs of said storage devices corresponding to the prepared elements, and means for shifting the encoding signals so read out in said storage devices to actuate said device in accordance with said encoding signals sequentially from column to column at said column by column display shift frequency.

2. In the system of claim 1 wherein means are provided for producing display device strobe pulses at said frequency to cause said display devices to actuate once for each column shift of said encoding signals, the duty cycle of said display device strobe pulses being approximately 0 to 50 percent of the period of said frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said strobe pulse producing means comprises means for varying the width of said strobe pulse as a function of changes in the rate of receipt of said input data to control the visual brightness of the display.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said strobe pulse producing means comprises means for selectively changing the width of said strobe pulses for controlling the visual brightness of the display.

5. In the system of claim 4, wherein said pulse width selectively changing means comprises a manually operable control.

6. In the system of claim 2, wherein said strobe pulse width selectively changing means comprises means for periodically changing the width of said strobe pulses and hence the visual brightness of the display for attracting attention.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said strobe pulse producing means comprises means for selectively changing the width of said strobe pulses for controlling the visual brightness of the display.

8. In the system of claim 7, wherein said pulse width selectively changing means comprises a manually operable control.

9. In the system of claim 7, wherein said strobe pulse width selectively changing means comprises means for periodically changing the width of said strobe pulses and hence the visual brightness of the display for attracting attention.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said encoded element enabling means comprises a buffer storage memory having a plurality of storage stages including a first storage stage connected at said receiving means and a last stage connected to said encoder, means operable responsive to said receiving means for reading said display data into said first buffer stage, means for decoding display data in said last buffer stage to prepare said certain encoder matrix elements, means for shifting display data through said buffer, and timing means operable responsive to the time rate of receipt of display character signals for controlling the operating rate of said buffer shifting means, said encoder strobing means and said shift register shifting means.

11. In the system of claim 10, wherein means are provided for detecting a change from one type of display character to another type and causing said extra stage shifting means to change the number of extra stage shifts by a predetermined number to provide a different visual spacing between the types of display characters.

12. In the system of claim 10, wherein means are provided for producing display device strobe pulses at said frequency to cause said display devices to actuate not more than once for each column shift of said encoding signals, the duty cycle of said display device strobe pulses being substantially 0 to 50 percent of the period of said frequency.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said strobe pulse producing means comprises means for changing the width of said strobe pulses for controlling the visual brightness of the display.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said timing means comprises means for providing a slow and substantially linear change in the operating Rates of said buffer shifting means, said encoder strobing means and said shift register shifting means.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said timing means comprises means for providing a slow and substantially linear change in the operating rates of said buffer shifting means, said encoder strobing means and said shift register shifting means.