Compact, low-cost semiconductor device for receiving arbitrary input parameters and driving selected display devices, and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for physical measurement and display of a parameter, comprising:
- (a) a programmable semiconductor element;
(b) said programmable semiconductor element having means to accept an input signal representative of a value of said parameter, said input signal having arbitrary shape and amplitude;
(c) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide an output signal to cause a display to display said value of said parameter in an arbitrary shape;
(d) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate a mating transducer in at least one power conserving mode;
(e) said programmable semiconductor element having means to treat said input signal in one of a normal ascending mode and an inverted descending mode;
(f) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in one of an absolute and a ratio mode;
(g) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in a selected degree of damping or slew rate control;
(h) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide at least one over and/or under warning output signal;
(i) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive at least one light-emitting diode;
(j) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive light-emitting diodes in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(k) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a liquid crystal display;
(l) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a low power liquid crystal display in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(m) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to drive a continuously operating liquid crystal display;
(n) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide color coded status information;
(o) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide flashing modes at at least one range limit;
(p) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide various conversion rate intervals to reduce apparent flicker when a borderline reading is made in a noisy environment;
(q) said programmable semiconductor element having means to introduce hysteresis against said input signal to lessen likelihood of borderline flicker;
(r) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide for programming all integratable options in a non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element at the time of manufacture of an instrument of which said apparatus is a part;
(s) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate said apparatus at a low quiescent current while maintaining high current drive capability;
(t) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim an oscillator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element; and
(u) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim a band gap voltage regulator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said nonvolatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element.
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Abstract
In a preferred embodiment, a system of physical measurement and display of a parameter, including: accepting an input signal representative of a value of the parameter, the input signal having an arbitrary shape and amplitude; and displaying the value of the parameter in an arbitrary shape; including the use of analog and digital circuitry and nonvolatile memory.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. An apparatus for physical measurement and display of a parameter, comprising:
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(a) a programmable semiconductor element;
(b) said programmable semiconductor element having means to accept an input signal representative of a value of said parameter, said input signal having arbitrary shape and amplitude;
(c) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide an output signal to cause a display to display said value of said parameter in an arbitrary shape;
(d) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate a mating transducer in at least one power conserving mode;
(e) said programmable semiconductor element having means to treat said input signal in one of a normal ascending mode and an inverted descending mode;
(f) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in one of an absolute and a ratio mode;
(g) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate in a selected degree of damping or slew rate control;
(h) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide at least one over and/or under warning output signal;
(i) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive at least one light-emitting diode;
(j) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive light-emitting diodes in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(k) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a liquid crystal display;
(l) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to directly drive a low power liquid crystal display in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(m) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to drive a continuously operating liquid crystal display;
(n) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide color coded status information;
(o) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide said output signal to provide flashing modes at at least one range limit;
(p) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide various conversion rate intervals to reduce apparent flicker when a borderline reading is made in a noisy environment;
(q) said programmable semiconductor element having means to introduce hysteresis against said input signal to lessen likelihood of borderline flicker;
(r) said programmable semiconductor element having means to provide for programming all integratable options in a non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element at the time of manufacture of an instrument of which said apparatus is a part;
(s) said programmable semiconductor element having means to operate said apparatus at a low quiescent current while maintaining high current drive capability;
(t) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim an oscillator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element; and
(u) said programmable semiconductor element having means to trim a band gap voltage regulator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said nonvolatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of physical measurement and display of a parameter, comprising:
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(a) providing a programmable semiconductor element;
(b) using said programmable semiconductor element to accept an input signal representative of a value of said parameter, said input signal having arbitrary shape and amplitude;
(c) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide an output signal to cause a display to display said value of said parameter in an arbitrary shape;
(d) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate a mating transducer in at least one power conserving mode;
(e) using said programmable semiconductor element to treat said input signal in one of a normal ascending mode and an inverted descending mode;
(f) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate in one of an absolute and a ratio mode;
(g) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate in a selected degree of damping or slew rate control;
(h) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide at least one over and/or under warning output signal;
(i) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive at least one light-emitting diode;
(j) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive light-emitting diodes in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(k) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive a liquid crystal display;
(l) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to directly drive a low power liquid crystal display in one of pointer and bar graph modes;
(m) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to drive a continuously operating liquid crystal display;
(n) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to provide color coded status information;
(o) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide said output signal, of element (c), to provide flashing modes at at least one range limit;
(p) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide various conversion rate intervals to reduce apparent flicker when a borderline reading is made in a noisy environment;
(q) using said programmable semiconductor element to introduce hysteresis against said input signal to lessen likelihood of borderline flicker;
(r) using said programmable semiconductor element to provide for programming all integratable options in a non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element at the time of manufacture of an instrument of which said programmable semiconductor is a part;
(s) using said programmable semiconductor element to operate said instrument at a low quiescent current while maintaining high current drive capability;
(t) using said programmable semiconductor element to trim an oscillator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said non-volatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element; and
(u) using said programmable semiconductor element to trimming a band gap voltage regulator in said programmable semiconductor element with instructions from said nonvolatile memory in said programmable semiconductor element. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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Specification