Variable color analog voltmeter

• US 4,812,744 A
• Filed: 12/24/1986
• Issued: 03/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Digital Systems, Inc. (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Karel Havel
• Inventors: Havel, Karel
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vinh P.
• Application Number:
  US06/946,036
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 324/115, 324/96, 324/122, 340/722, 340/753, 340/754
• US Class Current: 324/115
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/405 using a plurality of active, i.e. light emitting, e.g. electro-luminescent elements, i.e. bar graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/04 by controlling light sources, e.g. electroluminescent diodes G04G9/0058 takes precedence

Abstract

A voltmeter includes a variable color analog display for providing an analog indication of the value of a measured signal in a color in accordance with the relation of the measured value to predetermined limits.

Claims

1. A method of simultaneously indicating a measured value of a signal, a predetermined limit, and the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, on a single variable color analog display means, by causing said limit to be exhibited on said display means in a first color and by causing an analog indication of said value of the signal to be exhibited on said display means either in a second or in a third color in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

2. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

variable color analog display means for providing an analog indication of a measured value of the signal;

means for exhibiting a predetermined limit on said display means in a first color; and

color control means for illuminating said analog indication either in a second or in a third color in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

3. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

variable color analog display means for providing an analog indication of a measured value of the signal;

means for exhibiting predetermined low and high limits, defining an acceptable measurement field, on said display means in a first color; and

color control means for illuminating said analog indication either in a second color when said value of the signal does not lie within the bounds of said low and high limits or in a third color when said value of the signal lies within the bounds of said low and high limits, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

4. A measuring device as defined in claim 3 wherein said third color is obtained by blending said first and second colors.

5. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

analog display means including a plurality of variable color display elements arranged in an array, each said display element including a first light source for emitting upon activation light signals of a first primary color, second light source for emitting upon activation light signals of a second primary color, and means for combining said light signals in each said display element to obtain a composite light signal of a composite color;

value control means for providing on said display means an analog indication of a measured value of the signal by selectively activating a single one of said first light sources corresponding by a position in said array to said value of the signal, for illuminating it in said first primary color;

memory means for storing data representing values of predetermined low and high limits;

limit control means responsive to said memory means for selectively activating certain of said second light sources corresponding by positions in said array to a field between said low and high limits, for illuminating said field in said second primary color;

whereby said analog indication is illuminated either in said first primary color when said value of the signal does not lie within the bounds of said low and high limits or in said composite color when said value of the signal lies within the bounds of said low and high limits.

6. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

variable color analog display means for providing an analog indication of a measured value of the signal;

memory means for storing data representing the value of a limit, said memory means having a memory output indicative of the value of the stored data;

limit color control means responsive to said memory output for selectively exhibiting the value of said limit on said display means in a first color; and

value color control means for illuminating said analog indication either in a second or in a third color in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

7. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

variable color analog display means for providing an analog indication of a measured value of the signal;

memory means for storing data representing a field between predetermined low and high limits, said memory means having memory outputs indicative of the values of the stored data;

limit color control means responsive to said memory outputs for selectively exhibiting said field on said display means in a first color; and

value color control means for illuminating said analog indication either in a second or in a third color in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said field, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

8. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

analog display means including a plurality of side by side positioned variable color display elements;

value control means for selectively illuminating a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to a measured value of the signal; and

color control means for controlling the color of the illuminated display element in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to a predetermined limit.

9. A method of simultaneously indicating a measured value of a signal, a predetermined limit, and the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, on a single analog display means including a plurality of side by side positioned variable color display elements, by illuminating in a first color a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to the value of said limit, and by illuminating either in a second or in a third color a selective one of said display elements corresponding by its position to said value of the signal, in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

10. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

analog display means including a plurality of side by side positioned variable color display elements;

limit control means for selectively illuminating in a first color a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to the value of a predetermined limit; and

value color control means for selectively illuminating either in a second color or in a third color a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to a measured value of the signal, in accordance with the relation of said value of the signal to said limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

11. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

analog display means including a plurality of side by side positioned variable color display elements;

limit control means for selectively illuminating in a first color a first one of said display elements, corresponding by its position to the value of a predetermined low limit, and a second one of said display elements, corresponding by its position to a predetermined high limit; and

value color control means for selectively illuminating a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to a measured value of the signal either in a second color when said value of the signal does not lie within the bounds of said low limit and said high limit or in a third color when said value of the signal lies within the bounds of said low limit and said high limit, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.

12. A measuring device comprising:

signal measuring means;

analog display means including a plurality of side by side positioned variable color display elements;

limit control means for selectively illuminating in a first color certain of said display elements corresponding by their positions to a field between a predetermined low limit and a predetermined high limit; and

value color control means for selectively illuminating a single one of said display elements corresponding by its position to a measured value of the signal either in a second color when said value of the signal does not lie within said field or in a third color when said value of the signal lies within said field, said first, second, and third colors being respectively different.