WO1992006464A1 - Liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Liquid crystal display Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1992006464A1
WO1992006464A1 PCT/US1991/007080 US9107080W WO9206464A1 WO 1992006464 A1 WO1992006464 A1 WO 1992006464A1 US 9107080 W US9107080 W US 9107080W WO 9206464 A1 WO9206464 A1 WO 9206464A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
displays
character
delineator
liquid crystal
crystal display
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1991/007080
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Douglas S. M. Sutherland
Habib Amirzadeh
Jose M. Aleman
Original Assignee
Motorola, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motorola, Inc. filed Critical Motorola, Inc.
Publication of WO1992006464A1 publication Critical patent/WO1992006464A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/04—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of a single character by selection from a plurality of characters, or by composing the character by combination of individual elements, e.g. segments using a combination of such display devices for composing words, rows or the like, in a frame with fixed character positions
    • G09G3/16—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of a single character by selection from a plurality of characters, or by composing the character by combination of individual elements, e.g. segments using a combination of such display devices for composing words, rows or the like, in a frame with fixed character positions by control of light from an independent source
    • G09G3/18—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of a single character by selection from a plurality of characters, or by composing the character by combination of individual elements, e.g. segments using a combination of such display devices for composing words, rows or the like, in a frame with fixed character positions by control of light from an independent source using liquid crystals

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
  • Liquid crystal displays have become common in portable communications equipment. As that equipment has become more sophisticated the LCDs used in them are required to display information relating to a greater variety of functions. However, the the number of character displays that fits on portable radios is limited. Thus, a need exists for more versatile LCDs that use the same number of character displays as prior portable radio LCDs to display a greater variety of information.
  • a liquid crystal display module comprises a plurality of character displays, at least one delineator display, and driver means coupled to the. character displays and to the delineator display(s).
  • the driver means comprises a first plurality of outputs for driving the character displays, and a second plurality of outputs for driving the delineator display(s).
  • Each delineator display forms a border for a set of character displays so that the character displays are separated into sets that each display different information.
  • Figure 1 shows a radio having a liquid crystal display in accordance with the invention.
  • Figure 2 shows an individual character of the liquid crystal display.
  • Figure 3 shows the liquid crystal display and a display driver.
  • the LCD module 12 includes fourteen character displays 14 and nine annunciator symbol displays 16.
  • the LCD glass contains three boxes (or "box-like" shapes) 20 that each enclose a set of four character displays, for a "soft key” type of menu structure.
  • a set of three buttons 18 correspond to first, second, and third sets of character displays, respectively.
  • the first set is defined by the first delineator 20 from the left.
  • the second set is defined by the middle delineator 20, and the third set is defined by the right-most delineator 20.
  • the display shows menu information relating to a mode of operation of the radio corresponding to that key.
  • the first button from the left on the radio 10 is pressed (i.e., the one corresponding to the first set of characters, which would read as "PHON") the information displayed would correspond to the phone mode.
  • an individual character display 14 is shown.
  • the character displays are five-by-seven arrays of dots or pixels 15.
  • the "sides" of the boxes 20 are formed with the fifth and tenth character displays in a manner similar to that for forming symbols in the character displays 14, and can be lit as if they were one pixel, or for example, the extreme left and right columns could be lit up in each the fifth and tenth character displays to delineate sets of character displays.
  • the dot 15 on the upper left corner of the display 14 represents a first symbol.
  • the dot below that represents a second symbol, and so forth until the lowest dot in the rightmost column represents the 35th symbol.
  • the LCD driver 30 is a character-only driver
  • the display 12 contains any number (up to fifteen or more, space permitting) of custom symbols, such as a low battery level indicator 22, a secure communication indicator ("PVT") 24, a
  • the boxes or delineators are formed by lighting up the fifth and tenth characters in such a manner so as to indicate a separation of the first four characters from the sixth through ninth characters, and a separation of the sixth through ninth characters from the eleventh though fourteenth characters.
  • the characters forming the boxes could be lit up as if they were one pixel.
  • the resulting four-character display sets each may display different information in one mode of operation, or all the character displays may display one item of information in another mode.
  • a display driver such as the H044780 only generates characters in a display such as the display 14.
  • some of the character displays may generate graphical boxes using the same number of bits as would be required to generate characters (e.g., eight bits), instead of the 35 bits that would normally be required to generate graphics in a 5x7 display such as display 14. All of the symbols and the boxes are mapped from one 5x7 location in the driver's pixel map, which is the 15th location(i.e., the dot 15' in Fig. 2). When any of these dots are lit in the driver's pixel map, the corresponding symbol on the display 14 is lit. This is accomplished by using the bit mapping CG RAM utility of the
  • the symbols displayed in the display 14 are arranged as common-column to save interconnections.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Control Of Indicators Other Than Cathode Ray Tubes (AREA)

Abstract

A liquid crystal display module comprises a plurality of character displays (14), a plurality of delineator displays (20), and driver circuitry (30) coupled to the character displays (14) and to the delineator displays (20). The driver means (30) comprises a first plurality of outputs for driving the character displays, and a second plurality of outputs for driving the delineator displays. Each delineator (20) forms a border for a set of character displays (14) so that the character displays (14) are separated into sets that each display different information.

Description

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY
T chnical Field
This invention relates generally to liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
BacKgrouπtf
Liquid crystal displays have become common in portable communications equipment. As that equipment has become more sophisticated the LCDs used in them are required to display information relating to a greater variety of functions. However, the the number of character displays that fits on portable radios is limited. Thus, a need exists for more versatile LCDs that use the same number of character displays as prior portable radio LCDs to display a greater variety of information.
Summary of the Invention
Briefly, according to the invention, a liquid crystal display module comprises a plurality of character displays, at least one delineator display, and driver means coupled to the. character displays and to the delineator display(s). The driver means comprises a first plurality of outputs for driving the character displays, and a second plurality of outputs for driving the delineator display(s). Each delineator display forms a border for a set of character displays so that the character displays are separated into sets that each display different information.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 shows a radio having a liquid crystal display in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 shows an individual character of the liquid crystal display.
Figure 3 shows the liquid crystal display and a display driver.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a portable radio 10 having an LCD module 12 in accordance with the invention. The LCD module 12 includes fourteen character displays 14 and nine annunciator symbol displays 16. The LCD glass contains three boxes (or "box-like" shapes) 20 that each enclose a set of four character displays, for a "soft key" type of menu structure. A set of three buttons 18 correspond to first, second, and third sets of character displays, respectively. The first set is defined by the first delineator 20 from the left. The second set is defined by the middle delineator 20, and the third set is defined by the right-most delineator 20. When one of these buttons is pressed the display shows menu information relating to a mode of operation of the radio corresponding to that key. Thus, for example, if the first button from the left on the radio 10 is pressed (i.e., the one corresponding to the first set of characters, which would read as "PHON") the information displayed would correspond to the phone mode.
Referring to Figure 2, an individual character display 14 is shown. The character displays are five-by-seven arrays of dots or pixels 15. The "sides" of the boxes 20 are formed with the fifth and tenth character displays in a manner similar to that for forming symbols in the character displays 14, and can be lit as if they were one pixel, or for example, the extreme left and right columns could be lit up in each the fifth and tenth character displays to delineate sets of character displays. The dot 15 on the upper left corner of the display 14 represents a first symbol. The dot below that represents a second symbol, and so forth until the lowest dot in the rightmost column represents the 35th symbol.
The latter symbol is designated as the soft key boxes symbol.
Referring to Figure 3, there is shown the liquid crystal display module 12 and a display driver 30 that is coupled to the display module 12. The LCD driver 30 is a character-only driver
(preferably a Hitachi H044780 described in the LCD Controller
Driver data Book, Hitachi, August 1989, at pages 98-126, which are hereby incorporated by reference) which is used as a graphics The display 12 contains any number (up to fifteen or more, space permitting) of custom symbols, such as a low battery level indicator 22, a secure communication indicator ("PVT") 24, a
VOX indicator 26, and a program scanner (P SCAN) and direction of scan indicator 28. The boxes or delineators are formed by lighting up the fifth and tenth characters in such a manner so as to indicate a separation of the first four characters from the sixth through ninth characters, and a separation of the sixth through ninth characters from the eleventh though fourteenth characters.
By writing a "1" to a certain location in the LCD driver) the characters forming the boxes could be lit up as if they were one pixel. The resulting four-character display sets each may display different information in one mode of operation, or all the character displays may display one item of information in another mode.
Generally, a display driver such as the H044780 only generates characters in a display such as the display 14.
However, according to the invention, some of the character displays may generate graphical boxes using the same number of bits as would be required to generate characters (e.g., eight bits), instead of the 35 bits that would normally be required to generate graphics in a 5x7 display such as display 14. All of the symbols and the boxes are mapped from one 5x7 location in the driver's pixel map, which is the 15th location(i.e., the dot 15' in Fig. 2). When any of these dots are lit in the driver's pixel map, the corresponding symbol on the display 14 is lit. This is accomplished by using the bit mapping CG RAM utility of the
H04478 driver. The symbols displayed in the display 14 are arranged as common-column to save interconnections.
What is claimed is:

Claims

Claims
1. A liquid crystal display module comprising: a plurality of character displays; a plurality of delineator displays, each delineator display forming a border for a set of characters ; and driver means coupled to the character displays and to the delineator displays, the driver means comprising a first plurality of outputs for driving the character displays, and a second plurality of outputs for driving the delineator displays.
2. The liquid crystal display module of claim 1 wherein the driver means comprises a third plurality of outputs, and the liquid crystal display module further comprises a plurality of enunciator symbol displays, the third plurality of outputs being coupled to the enunciator symbol displays to drive the enunciator symbols.
3. The liquid crystal display module of claim 1 wherein the plurality of character displays comprises at least five character displays, and the plurality of delineator displays comprises at least one delineator display.
4. A liquid crystal display module for use in a radio comprising: a plurality of character display means for displaying characters, each character display means operating in at least a first mode and in a second mode; and driver means for driving the plurality of character display means so that when the plurality of character display means operates in the first mode at least one of the character display means operates as a delineator dividing the plurality of character display means into at least two sets, each set displaying different information.
5. The liquid crystal display module of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of enunciator symbols, the driver means being coupled to the enunciator symbols to drive the enunciator symbols.
6. The liquid crystal display module of claim 4 wherein the plurality of characters comprises at least five characters, and the plurality of delineators comprises at least one delineator.
PCT/US1991/007080 1990-10-01 1991-09-26 Liquid crystal display WO1992006464A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US59075290A 1990-10-01 1990-10-01
US590,752 1990-10-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1992006464A1 true WO1992006464A1 (en) 1992-04-16

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1991/007080 WO1992006464A1 (en) 1990-10-01 1991-09-26 Liquid crystal display

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO1992006464A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5815083A (en) * 1993-07-01 1998-09-29 Bull Cp8 Process for entry of a confidential piece of information and associated terminal

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3971012A (en) * 1973-06-18 1976-07-20 Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. Display device employing special-purpose monograms
US4091609A (en) * 1975-12-04 1978-05-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Daini Seikosha Digital electronic timepiece

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3971012A (en) * 1973-06-18 1976-07-20 Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. Display device employing special-purpose monograms
US4091609A (en) * 1975-12-04 1978-05-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Daini Seikosha Digital electronic timepiece

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5815083A (en) * 1993-07-01 1998-09-29 Bull Cp8 Process for entry of a confidential piece of information and associated terminal

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