Display device for planning purposes

• US 4,745,404 A
• Filed: 11/19/1986
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edding AG
• Original Assignee: Edding AG
• Inventors: Kallenberg, Rudiger
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBERLEY, ALVIN E
• Application Number:
  US06/932,785
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 340/784, 340/752, 340/717, 340/525, 340/286 M, 340/825.35, 340/706, 340/710, 340/825.53, 340/825.52
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/001 Planning boards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/903 Modular display

Abstract

An improved planning purpose display device includes a board bearing a display surface with an electrically isolated matrix of conductors embedded therein, with the display surface having at least one hole at each intersection of conductors. A plurality of LCD display elements are conductively mountable in the holes of the display surface, and each LCD display element is controllable by a microprocessor therein. A computer connected to the conductors is adapted to communicate with the LCD display elements mounted on the display surface, interrogate each LCD display element with respect to its position on the display surface, the contents of the memory of its microprocessor and/or to program the memory of that microprocessor.

Claims

1. A display device, particularly for planning purposes comprising board means having an approximately plane display surface, a plurality of electrical conductors being arranged on or embedded in the said board, said conductors defining a pattern of perpendicularly crossing coordinates, said conductors being isolated from each other, said board having at least one hole at each crossing of said conductors, leading to both conductors adjacent said crossing, and comprising further a plurality of display elements, said display elements having a housing including a pattern of LCD elements for displaying purposes to be observed on a front side of said housing, and a micro processor including a programmable memory, said micro processor being adapted to control the LCD elements, said housing including further at least one pin extending from a rear side of said housing, said pin being adapted to be inserted in one of said holes to releasably retain said display elements on said display surface of said display board, said pin including at least one conducting portion contacting said conductors adjacent their respective crossing, said conducting portions being connected to said micro processor, and computer means coupled to the plurality of conductors, said computer being adapted to be connected to the individual conductors on or in said display board and to communicate with the display elements on said display surface if the pin is contacting said conductors at the respective crossing in order to interrogate the position of the display element and the contents of said memory thereof and/or to program said memory.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein two holes per conductor crossing are provided on said display board, two respective pins extending from the rear side of said display elements.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of keys or the like are provided on the front side of said display elements, said keys being adapted to be manually actuated in order to program said micro processor.