GB2246009A

GB2246009A - Controllable display means

Info

Publication number: GB2246009A
Application number: GB9114929A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony James Singleton
Original assignee: SOUTHERN METAL FABRICATIONS LI
Current assignee: SOUTHERN METAL FABRICATIONS LI
Priority date: 1990-07-11
Filing date: 1991-07-10
Publication date: 1992-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-10
Also published as: GB9114929D0; GB2246009B; GB9015257D0

Abstract

Display apparatus uses a row of rotatable prisms (12) that are indexed by a motor (26) so that the faces create composite displays. The driving of the prisms (12) is controllable (40, 42) so that different faces can be displayed for different lengths of time and/or the sequences in which faces appear is variable. This control can be exercised from a distance, e.g. by transmitting data by radio, infrared (56, 58) or over a telephone line (62). The apparatus is provided with control data input means located outside of the apparatus. Thus, this means may include a radio or infrared receiver or may be coupled to a telephone line. The apparatus may include means for detecting the rotational positions of the display means and providing corresponding data for controlling the display. <IMAGE>

Description

Controllable Display Means The present invention relates to controllable display means, and in particular to display means that provides a changing display.

A known type of display apparatus uses a row of parallel elongate display members, generally trigonal prisms, which are rotatable between display configurations in each of which a different planar display is made up of a respective face of each member.

Patent GB 2105895 discloses particularly advantageous examples, in which individual faces of the prisms are removable after bolts are unscrewed. Thus it is possible to change just one of the planar displays. Each face is provided by a metal plate to which display material is applied, e.g. by adhesion of a strip of poster. There is a driving mechanism for causing the trigonal prisms to rotate synchronously, in steps of one third of a revolution. Thus there may be a motor which is coupled to a shaft via gearing and a Geneva drive mechanism, so that the shaft is rotated stepwise. The shaft extends across the top or bottom of the row of prisms and has a respective pinion for each prism, engaging with a gearwheel thereof.

Such apparatus serves to change the display successively, in un-varying sequence, with constant display times for each of the three composite displays.

It would be desirable to have more flexibility, e.g. so that if the composite displays are referred to as I, II and III, the normal display of I then II then III then I etc., with all display times equal, can be varied, e.g.

by altering one or more display times to favour one or more displays, and/or by changing the sequence, e.g. to I, II, I, II, I (omitting III altogether) or to I, II, I, III, I, II...., or I, II, I, II, III, I, II, I.... It would be convenient to be able to alter the display patterns without having to gain access to the interior of the apparatus, and preferably without the need for physical contact.

In one aspect the invention provides display means comprising display apparatus having a row of parallel elongate display members each having a plurality of display faces and being rotatable to create a plurality of composite displays, and drive means for effecting rotation of said display members; and control means for controlling said rotation; said control means including control data input means located generally outside the apparatus for receiving control data for controlling said rotation. Said data input means may comprise a control panel such as a keyboard or socket means for coupling a control panel, and/or non-contact data input means, e.g.

an infra red or radio receiver associated with a data transmitter, e.g. of the same general type as used for T.V. remote control mechanisms. Alternatively or additionally the apparatus may be adapted to receive control data over a telephone line, in which case the apparatus may include a modem.

Data transmission means (IR, radio, telephone or other) may include a keyboard for inputting data to be transmitted and, preferably, data storage means in which data can be stored prior to transmission.

Whereas the drive means will generally be arranged to drive all display members synchronously, this need not be the case. There may be a plurality of individually controllable drive means comprising a plurality of motors and/or a plurality of controllable gears and/or clutches, e.g. so that a predetermined display member or group thereof can be left stationary while others are rotated, or can be rotated in a different sense. Whatever the nature of the drive means, it is desirable for there to be position sensors monitoring the drive positions and providing feedback to the control means.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the lower region of a display apparatus, showing the drive means; and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the whole apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows the drive means of a display apparatus 10. In this case it is shown as being located generally beneath the array of trigonal display prisms 12, though in some embodiments it is at the top. The Example shows four prisms 12 mounted on drive hubs 14, two more examples of which are shown to the left of the hubs bearing prisms. One of the hub means 14' is shown in more detail. It can be seen that it has a coaxial bevel gear 16. A shaft 18 extends transversely beneath all of the hub assemblies 14 and carries, adjacent each one, a corresponding bevel gear 20. Thus rotation of the shaft urges rotation ofall of the hubs 14, and prisms 12 when these are mounted thereon. The shaft 18 also carries a plurality of cams 22. The number of cams 22 is equal to the number of display faces of the prisms 12 and therefore, in this example, is three.There are corresponding limit switches 24 arranged to be actuated by their associated cams when the corresponding display faces are in the display configuration. As an alternative, the display positions can be monitored optoelectronically, e.g. using an apertured disc that rotates with the shaft, and a light source and a light detector that communicate via the disc apertures in a generally known way.

The shaft 18 is arranged to be driven by a geared motor 26, through a clutch 28 and a Geneva movement 30 (in this example, a six station Geneva movement). Thus constant running of the motor causes the shaft 18 and the prisms 12 to be indexed through steps of one third of a revolution. The motor 27 is coupled to the Geneva movement 30 via a shaft 32. This bears a cam 34, which cooperates with an associated limit switch 36 to detect the dwell positions of the Geneva movement. Thus there are the three cams 22 on the main shaft 18 which act as face position sensors; and there is the cam 34 on the Geneva drive shaft 32 which acts as a dwell position sensor. (Alternatively, optoelectronic sensing can employ a single apertured disc mounted on the Geneva drive shaft 32, with an associated radiation source and sensor.This single disc assembly can serve for both face identification and dwell position sensing, thus replacing all four cams and limit switches.) As shown in Fig. 2, the motor 26 is controlled by a motor control unit 40. This receives data from the dwell position sensor switch 36 and the face position sensor switches 24, and also from data input means. The various types of data are fed to the motor control unit 40 via a logic programme unit 42 which determines the action of the motor control. Thus it may have separate input lines for braking (44), forward drive (46), and reverse drive (48). The voluntary data input sources may include a key pad 50 permanently associated with the display apparatus and/or a key pad 52 which is releasable connectable via a plug-in connection 54. There may be an infra-red receiver 56 for receiving data transmitted by an infrared transmitter 58. There may be a modem receiver 60 for receiving data transmitted over an ordinary telephone line 62.

Thus in normal running of the device in conventional mode, the cams and limit switches 22, 24, 36 provide feedback control to ensure that the prisms are rotated correctly, so that each halt of the Geneva mechanism corresponds to presentation of a flat composite display.

Non-standard display behaviour can be instructed by means of one of the alternative data input means (50, 52, 56, 60). Thus for example, a remote operator can instruct that one of the displays should receive an unequal amount of display time, or be omitted altogether. Data constituting display programmes can be stored in suitable data storage means, e.g. the memory of a 'personal organiser' or other type of computer. A user can then transmit data for a desired display programme to a control means.

Claims

1. Controllable display means comprising display apparatus having a row of parallel elongate display members each having a plurality of display faces and being rotatable to create a plurality of composite displays, and drive means for effecting rotation of said display members; and control means for controlling said rotation; said control means including control data input means located generally outside the apparatus for receiving control data for controlling said rotation.

2. Controllable display means according to claim 1 wherein said control means is selectively operable to vary the sequence in which composite displays are created and/or to vary the times for which composite displays are displayed.

3. Controllable display means according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said data input means comprises a control panel for inputting data and/or socket means to which a source of data can be coupled.

4. Controllable display means according to any of claims 1-3 wherein said data input means comprises receiving means for receiving data transmitted from afar.

5. Controllable display means according to claim 4 wherein said receiving means comprises an infrared or radio signal receiver.

6. Controllable display means according to claim 4 or 5 wherein said receiving means comprises means for coupling to a telephone line to receive data sent over said line.

7. Controllable display means according to any of claims 4-6 including data transmission means.

8. Controllable display means according to claim 7 wherein said data transmission means includes a keyboard for inputting data to be transmitted.

9. Controllable display means according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said data transmission means include data storage means in which data can be stored prior to transmission.

10. Controllable display means according to any preceding claim wherein the display apparatus includes means for detecting the rotational positions of- the display members and providing corresponding data to the control means.

11. Controllable display means according to claim 11 including a first shaft drivable by the drive means; a second shaft indexable by the first shaft via a Geneva movement, the display members being coupled to the second shaft; and a dwell position sensor coupled to the first shaft; the dwell position sensor being connected to the control means to supply data to it.

12. Controllable display means substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompany drawings.