Display generation apparatus
AssigneeSunrise Systems, Inc.
InventorPaul A. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Display generation apparatus utilizing a matrix of lamps with solid state switching elements, e.g., an active solid state device in series with an incandescent lamp or a light emitting diode (LED) with micro-computer control utilizing the matrix of solid state devices as a memory portion and providing image generation in a memory portion remote from the display matrix with shifting between such "memory" portions and control to effect column to column movement at high speed within the display and, further, effecting the transfer of image between memory portions under a normal/reverse/freeze control, the overall combination affording dynamic display effects difficult to achieve in software alone.
Claims5
A display generation apparatus comprising:
- (a) means defining a plurality of lamps arranged in an elongated matrix, with columns transverse to the direction of elongation of the matrix, for the purpose of displaying alphanumeric and/or graphic patterns which can be rapidly changed,
- (b) a microcomputer for controlling the lamp matrix in accordance with a stored display program,
- (c) means defining a similar matrix of semiconductor bit storage cells,
- (d) means for causing the lamps in the matrix to respond on a lamp for bit basis to the data patterns stored as the content of the corresponding group of semiconductor bit storage cells,
- (e) said storage cells being arranged to respond to the microcomputer's busses and control signals in such a fashion tha the microcomputer can load column data patterns intended to effect change in the state of the lamps in a particular column by storing the data pattern at a memory address or output port address corresponding to the position of the designated column in the overall array of lamp columns, according to a selected address to column position translation function,
- (f) the plurality of said storage cells in conjunction with the memory address space acting as the lamp data buffer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.