Multicolor display element with enable input

A multicolor display element comprising:

• a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a first light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said first primary color, a second light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said second primary color, a third light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a third primary color, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals;
• a first bus to which said second terminals of all said first light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a second bus to which said second terminals of all said second light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a third bus to which said second terminals of all said third light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a first semiconductor device of controllable conductivity including a control input, for receiving a control signal having an active level, for causing said first semiconductor device to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said first semiconductor device to be non-conductive, a device input, for receiving first color control signals, and a device output, coupled to said first bus;
• a second semiconductor device of controllable conductivity including a control input, for receiving a control signal having an active level, for causing said second semiconductor device to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said second semiconductor device to be non-conductive, a device input, for receiving second color control signals, and a device output, coupled to said second bus;
• a third semiconductor device of controllable conductivity including a control input, for receiving a control signal having an active level, for causing said third semiconductor device to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said third semiconductor device to be non-conductive, a device input, for receiving third color control signals, and a device output, coupled to said first bus;
• a single enable input for receiving an enable signal having an active level and an inactive level;
• said control input of said first semiconductor device, said control input of said second semiconductor device, and said control input of said third semiconductor device being jointly connected to said enable input;
• whereby said enable signal of said active level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be conductive, for illuminating the selected display unit in a color in accordance with said first color control signals, said second color control signals, and said third color control signals, and said enable signal of said inactive level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be non-conductive, for extinguishing the selected display unit.

A multicolor display element comprising:

• a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a first light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a first primary color, a second light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a second primary color, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals;
• a plurality of decoder inputs for receiving decoder signals for selectively activating said light emitting diodes in said display areas, said decoder inputs being coupled to said first terminals of said light emitting diodes, in accordance with their positions in said pattern,
• a first bus to which said second terminals of all said first light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a second bus to which said second terminals of all said second light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a first tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, for receiving first color control signals, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a second tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, for receiving second color control signals, and a buffer output, coupled to said second bus;
• a single enable input for receiving an enable signal having an active level and an inactive level;
• said buffer control input of said first tri-state buffer and said buffer control input of said second tri-state buffer being jointly connected to said enable input;
• whereby said enable signal of said active level causes said first bus and said second bus to be conductive, for illuminating those of said first light emitting diodes and those of said second light emitting diodes selected by said decoder signals, in a color in accordance with said first color control signals and said second color control signals, and said enable signal of said inactive level causes said first bus and said second bus to be non-conductive, for extinguishing all said first light emitting diodes and said second light emitting diodes.

A multicolor display element comprising:

• a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a first light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said first primary color, a second light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said second primary color, a third light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a third primary color, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals;
• a plurality of decoder inputs for receiving decoder signals for selectively activating said light emitting diodes in said display areas, said decoder inputs being coupled to said first terminals of said light emitting diodes, in accordance with their positions in said pattern,
• a first bus to which said second terminals of all said first light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a second bus to which said second terminals of all said second light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a third bus to which said second terminals of all said third light emitting diodes are coupled;
• a first tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, for receiving first color control signals, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a second tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, for receiving second color control signals, and a buffer output, coupled to said second bus;
• a third tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said third tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said third tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, for receiving third color control signals, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a single enable input for receiving an enable signal having an active level and an inactive level;
• said buffer control input of said first tri-state buffer, said buffer control input of said second tri-state buffer, and said buffer control input of said third tri-state buffer being jointly connected to said enable input;
• whereby said enable signal of said active level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be conductive, for illuminating those of said first light emitting diodes, those of said second light emitting diodes, and those of said third light emitting diodes selected by said decoder input code, in a color in accordance with said first color control signals, said second color control signals, and said third color control signals, and said enable signal of said inactive level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be non-conductive, for extinguishing all said first light emitting diodes, said second light emitting diodes, and said third light emitting diodes.

A multicolor display element comprising:

• a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a first light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said first primary color, a second light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said second primary color, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals;
• a plurality of decoder inputs for receiving decoder signals for selectively activating said light emitting diodes in said display areas, said decoder inputs being equal in number to the plurality of said display areas, said decoder inputs being respectively coupled to said first terminals of said light emitting diodes, in accordance with their positions in said pattern,
• a first bus to which said second terminals of all said first light emitting diodes are coupled, said first bus including a first color control input for receiving first color control signals;
• a second bus to which said second terminals of all said second light emitting diodes are coupled, said second bus including a second color control input for receiving second color control signals;
• a first tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, coupled to said first color control input, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a second tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, coupled to said second color control input, and a buffer output, coupled to said second bus;
• a single enable input for receiving an enable signal having an active level and an inactive level;
• said buffer control input of said first tri-state buffer and said buffer control input of said second tri-state buffer being jointly connected to said enable input;
• whereby said enable signal of said active level causes said first bus and said second bus to be conductive, for illuminating those of said first light emitting diodes and those of said second light emitting diodes selected by said decoder input code, in a color in accordance with said first color control signals and said second color control signals, and said enable signal of said inactive level causes said first bus and said second bus to be non-conductive, for extinguishing all said first light emitting diodes and said second light emitting diodes.

A multicolor display element comprising:

• a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a first light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said first primary color, a second light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of said second primary color, a third light emitting diode for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a third primary color, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals;
• a plurality of decoder inputs for receiving decoder signals for selectively activating said light emitting diodes in said display areas, said decoder inputs being equal in number to the plurality of said display areas, said decoder inputs being respectively coupled to said first terminals of said light emitting diodes, in accordance with their positions in said pattern,
• a first bus to which said second terminals of all said first light emitting diodes are coupled, said first bus including a first color control input for receiving first color control signals;
• a second bus to which said second terminals of all said second light emitting diodes are coupled, said second bus including a second color control input for receiving second color control signals;
• a third bus to which said second terminals of all said third light emitting diodes are coupled, said third bus including a third color control input for receiving third color control signals;
• a first tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said first tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, coupled to said first color control input, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a second tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said second tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, coupled to said second color control input, and a buffer output, coupled to said second bus;
• a third tri-state buffer including a buffer control input, for receiving a buffer control signal having an active level, for causing said third tri-state buffer to be conductive, and an inactive level, for causing said third tri-state buffer to be non-conductive, a buffer input, coupled to said third color control input, and a buffer output, coupled to said first bus;
• a single enable input for receiving an enable signal having an active level and an inactive level;
• said buffer control input of said first tri-state buffer, said buffer control input of said second tri-state buffer, and said buffer control input of said third tri-state buffer being jointly connected to said enable input;
• whereby said enable signal of said active level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be conductive, for illuminating those of said first light emitting diodes, those of said second light emitting diodes, and those of said third light emitting diodes selected by said decoder input code, in a color in accordance with said first color control signals, said second color control signals, and said third color control signals, and said enable signal of said inactive level causes said first bus, said second bus, and said third bus to be non-conductive, for extinguishing all said first light emitting diodes, said second light emitting diodes, and said third light emitting diodes.