Patent US3757511A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3757511A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Light emitting diode display for electronic timepiece
Assignee: Motorola Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1971-05-17
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Granted: 1973-09-11
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Expires: 1991-05-17
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed a light emitting diode timepiee display in which the output of the light emitting diode display is controlled with respect to ambient lighting conditions so as to provide the maximum amount of contrast with a minimum amount of power consumption. The contrast between the light emitted by the light emitting diodes and the ambient light in the immediate vicinity of the timepiece is enhanced by the use of absorption type filters, truncated pyramid type apertures in the display cover plate and a control circuit which adjusts the intensity of the output of the light emitting diodes to the ambient light conditions. Thereis further provided a series of solar cells on the face of the display, which recharge the timepiece batteries during ultra-high ambient light conditions and which supply additional power to the light emitting diodes during high ambient lighting conditions so as to increase the output of the light emitting diodes. This enhances the contrast of the diodes during high ambient lighting conditions while at the same time providing an additional source of power in parallel with that of the timepiece battery so as to increase the effective lifetime of the battery. Power distribution between the solar cells and the battery is controlled by the aforementioned control circuit. In addition, the control circuit varies the power available to the light emitting diodes such that in low ambient lighting conditions a lesser amount of power is delivered to the light emitting diodes while in high ambient lighting conditions, a larger amount of power is delivered to the diodes. In this manner the aforementioned contrast is kept constant and at that level which corresponds to the minimum level necessary for ready visibility. In addition, several structural embodiments are shown, all of which contribute to the enhancement of the light output of the light emitting diodes, the enhancement of display contrast, low power consumption, ease of fabrication, and mechanical stability of the final product.
Inventors
- 👤 R Burgess
- 👤 M Coleman
- 👤 L Grenon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 20:50
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D99/00; G; G01; G01J; G01J1/00; G01J1/42; G01J1/4204; G01J1/44; G04; G04C; G04C10/00; G04C10/02; G04G; G04G9/00; G04G9/0017; G04G9/02; G04G9/04; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/103; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
290 words
An electro-optical display for an electronic horologic instrument having a light emitting diode readout and a primary self-contained portable source of electric power therewithin comprising in combination: ambient light sensing means for detecting the amount of light falling on the exposed surface of said display and for generating an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of said light; power regulating means operative in response to said electric signal for varying the power available for energizing said light emitting diodes, the power varying function being such that a predetermined contrast is maintained between the surface brightness of any excited light emitting diode and the surface brightness of that portion of said exposed surface immediately adjacent said excited diode; a secondary power source, said power regulating means distributing the additional power available from said secondary power source during high ambient lighting conditions to portions of said horologic instrument in need of said additional power whereby the display configuration, said power regulating means, and said secondary power source contribute significantly to power conservation such that a prolonged substantially continuous readout of said instrument is possible over an extensive time period; a support member, said light emitting diodes being mounted on said support member and further including an opaque covering member positioned over said support member, said covering member having apertures therethrough corresponding in location to the locations of said light emitting diodes, to redirect and intensify the output of said light emitting diodes over a given viewing angle, each of said apertures having inclined sidewalls, configured so as to flare outwardly thereby reflecting light from said light emitting diodes at a viewing angle increased from that available by the use of non-inclined sidewalls having the same minimum aperture as said inclined sidewalled aperture.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
290 words
An electro-optical display for an electronic horologic instrument having a light emitting diode readout and a primary self-contained portable source of electric power therewithin comprising in combination: ambient light sensing means for detecting the amount of light falling on the exposed surface of said display and for generating an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of said light; power regulating means operative in response to said electric signal for varying the power available for energizing said light emitting diodes, the power varying function being such that a predetermined contrast is maintained between the surface brightness of any excited light emitting diode and the surface brightness of that portion of said exposed surface immediately adjacent said excited diode; a secondary power source, said power regulating means distributing the additional power available from said secondary power source during high ambient lighting conditions to portions of said horologic instrument in need of said additional power whereby the display configuration, said power regulating means, and said secondary power source contribute significantly to power conservation such that a prolonged substantially continuous readout of said instrument is possible over an extensive time period; a support member, said light emitting diodes being mounted on said support member and further including an opaque covering member positioned over said support member, said covering member having apertures therethrough corresponding in location to the locations of said light emitting diodes, to redirect and intensify the output of said light emitting diodes over a given viewing angle, each of said apertures having inclined sidewalls, configured so as to flare outwardly thereby reflecting light from said light emitting diodes at a viewing angle increased from that available by the use of non-inclined sidewalls having the same minimum aperture as said inclined sidewalled aperture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
127 words
The display as recited in claim 1 and further including narrow band-pass filtering means of said horologic instrument between said light emitting diodes and the user of said instrument for increasing the contrast between said light emitting diodes and the face of said instrument immediately surrounding said diodes herein said filtering means is in the form of a hemi-toroidal cover and is of a material absorbent to all light except that generated by said light emitting diodes, said material being of the same color as the light generated by said light emitting diodes and further including a circular substrate wherein said light emitting diodes are arranged along the periphery of said substrate, a central portion of said substrate being left free of both diodes and filtering means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
257 words
An electro-optical display for an electronic horologic instrument having a primary self-contained portable source of electric power therewithin comprising in combination: a light emitting diode readout wherein said light emitting diodes are arranged in concentric circles with diodes in one of said circles representing minutes and seconds, the diodes in another of said Circles representing hours such that the time of day is read out from a maximum of three light emitting diodes, thus conserving on the number of diodes necessary to represent the time of day and thus the power consumption of the horologic instrument; ambient light sensing means for detecting the amount of light falling on the exposed surface of said display and for generating an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of said light; power regulating means operative in response to said electric signal for varying the power available for energizing said light emitting diodes, the power varying function being such that a predetermined contrast is maintained between the surface brightness of any excited light emitting diode and the surface brightness of that portion of said exposed surface immediately adjacent said excited diode; and a secondary power source, said power regulating means distributing the additional power available from said secondary power source during high ambient lighting conditions to portions of said horologic instrument in need of said additional power whereby the display configuration, said power regulating means, and said secondary power source contribute significantly to power conservation such that a prolonged substantially continuous readout of said instrument is possible over an extensive time period.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
257 words
An electro-optical display for an electronic horologic instrument having a primary self-contained portable source of electric power therewithin comprising in combination: a light emitting diode readout wherein said light emitting diodes are arranged in concentric circles with diodes in one of said circles representing minutes and seconds, the diodes in another of said Circles representing hours such that the time of day is read out from a maximum of three light emitting diodes, thus conserving on the number of diodes necessary to represent the time of day and thus the power consumption of the horologic instrument; ambient light sensing means for detecting the amount of light falling on the exposed surface of said display and for generating an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of said light; power regulating means operative in response to said electric signal for varying the power available for energizing said light emitting diodes, the power varying function being such that a predetermined contrast is maintained between the surface brightness of any excited light emitting diode and the surface brightness of that portion of said exposed surface immediately adjacent said excited diode; and a secondary power source, said power regulating means distributing the additional power available from said secondary power source during high ambient lighting conditions to portions of said horologic instrument in need of said additional power whereby the display configuration, said power regulating means, and said secondary power source contribute significantly to power conservation such that a prolonged substantially continuous readout of said instrument is possible over an extensive time period.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The display as recited in claim 1 wherein said covering member is made from (100) crystallographically oriented silicon and wherein said apertures having inclined sidewalls are formed by masking said covering member and etching all exposed areas with a potassium hydroxide etching solution.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The display as recited in claim 4 wherein the apertures in said mask are square and the apertures in the covering member thus formed are in the form of truncated pyramids with the smaller portion adjacent to the top of said light emitting diodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
The display as recited in claim 1 wherein said light emitting diodes have significant emissions in directions non-perpendicular to the plane of said covering member and wherein said diodes are positioned within said apertures when said covering member is in place such that emissions non-perpendicular to the plane of said covering member are redirected towards the user of said horologic instrument thereby decreasing the amount of power necessary in driving said last mentioned light emitting diodes to obtain said predetermined contrast.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
78 words
The display as recited in claim 1 wherein said secondary power source includes solar cells mounted on top of said covering member and wherein said ambient light sensing means is also located on top of said covering member, whereby the output of said ambient light sensing means can be correlated to the output of said solar cells in order to distribute the power from said solar cells properly between said primary power source and said light emitting diodes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The display as recited in claim 7 wherein said solar cells and said ambient light sensing means are embedded in said covering member and insulated one from another.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The display as recited in claim 8 wherein said solar cells and said light sensing means are dielectrically isolated one from another in said covering member, said solar cells, said light sensing means and said covering member being formed monolithically.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The display as recited in claim 9 wherein said covering member is silicon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
The display as recited in claim 7 wherein all electrical components embedded within said covering member include metallization strips, said metallization strips being insulated from each other and running from respective electrical elements to the periphery of said covering member, whereby said metallization strips may be contacted at said periphery by conducting strips within an overlying portion of an outer casing for said horologic instrument thereby to connect electrical components on said covering member with components located underneath said covering member either underneath or on top of said support member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The display as recited in claim 2 wherein said secondary power source includes solar cells mounted on said substrate at said central portion and wherein said ambient light sensing means is also located at said central portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The display as recited in claim 3 wherein additional light emitting diodes in said hour indicating circle also indicates half hours.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The display as recited in claim 3 and further including an additional circle of light emitting diodes indicating the half hour.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The display as recited in claim 3 and further including means for inactivating the diodes representing seconds by the user of the instrument thereby preventing user fatigue or mesmerization in addition to decreasing power consumption.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for improving the contrast between light emitting diodes having light emissions in more than one direction, mounted on a substrate in a horologic display and portions of said display surrounding said diodes comprising: a cover plate for said display, said cover plate having apertures therethrough over each light emitting diode, each of said apertures having inclined sidewalls tapered outwardly, said plate positioned such that each diode extends into a corresponding aperture a distance sufficient to provide that any exposed portion of the junction of each diode lies wholly within each aperture, said diodes being provided with a reflective backing plate such that any light generated by said diodes is redirected towards the user of said horologic display within a predetermined viewing angle.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for improving the contrast between light emitting diodes having light emissions in more than one direction, mounted on a substrate in a horologic display and portions of said display surrounding said diodes comprising: a cover plate for said display, said cover plate having apertures therethrough over each light emitting diode, each of said apertures having inclined sidewalls tapered outwardly, said plate positioned such that each diode extends into a corresponding aperture a distance sufficient to provide that any exposed portion of the junction of each diode lies wholly within each aperture, said diodes being provided with a reflective backing plate such that any light generated by said diodes is redirected towards the user of said horologic display within a predetermined viewing angle.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein said cover plate is made from (100) crystallographically oriented silicon which has been selectively etched by potassium hydroxide to form said apertures.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for improving the contrast between light emitting diodes mounted so as to convey time in a horologic display and portions of said display surrounding said diodes comprising in combination: a cover plate for said display, said cover plate having apertures therethrough over each light emitting diode in the display, said apertures having outwardly inclined sidewalls to permit a maximum viewing angle for said display, and narrow band-pass filtering means located at the surface of said display between said light emitting diodes and the user of said display, said means acting so as to absorb light impinging on said display from outside sources, and so as to pass light generated by said diodes whereby said contrast is improved by increasing the amount of diode generated light reaching said user while decreasing light reflected from said display.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for improving the contrast between light emitting diodes mounted so as to convey time in a horologic display and portions of said display surrounding said diodes comprising in combination: a cover plate for said display, said cover plate having apertures therethrough over each light emitting diode in the display, said apertures having outwardly inclined sidewalls to permit a maximum viewing angle for said display, and narrow band-pass filtering means located at the surface of said display between said light emitting diodes and the user of said display, said means acting so as to absorb light impinging on said display from outside sources, and so as to pass light generated by said diodes whereby said contrast is improved by increasing the amount of diode generated light reaching said user while decreasing light reflected from said display.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said filtering means is material which absorbs all light except that generated by said diodes, said material being of the same color as the light from said diodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
87 words
The apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said filtering means is material which circularly polarizes light therethrough such that while the light generated by said diode passes only once through said material and is thereby circularly polarized, the light impinging on said display from the outside thereof acquires a circular polarization when it first passes through said material, is phase shifted as it is reflected from inside said display and is attenuated as it passes back through said material as it passes therethrough a second time.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
216 words
In combination: a substrate, light emitting diodes mounted on said substrate arranged to indicate the time of day and electrically isolated one from another, a logic circuit mounted on said substrate, said logic circuit generating signals in a timed sequence for activating selected light emitting diodes to represent the time of day, metallization connecting said light emitting diodes to said logic circuit so as to energize said light emitting diodes in a sequence determined by said logic circuit, a covering memBer over top said substrate, said covering member having inclined sidewall apertures flaring outwardly from said substrate at each of said light emitting diodes, narrow band-pass filtering means at said covering member in position to pass light generated by said diodes and to absorb light impinging on the exposed surface of said cover adjacent said diodes, solar cells mounted on said cover, and ambient light detecting means mounted on said cover, whereby said combination permits the formation of a horologic instrument in which light impinging on instrument aids in the powering of said instrument and whereby said filtering means in combination with said inclined sidewall apertures increases the contrast between light generated by said diodes and light reflected from the exposed portions of said horologic instrument such that a portable battery powered timepiece is made feasible.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
216 words
In combination: a substrate, light emitting diodes mounted on said substrate arranged to indicate the time of day and electrically isolated one from another, a logic circuit mounted on said substrate, said logic circuit generating signals in a timed sequence for activating selected light emitting diodes to represent the time of day, metallization connecting said light emitting diodes to said logic circuit so as to energize said light emitting diodes in a sequence determined by said logic circuit, a covering memBer over top said substrate, said covering member having inclined sidewall apertures flaring outwardly from said substrate at each of said light emitting diodes, narrow band-pass filtering means at said covering member in position to pass light generated by said diodes and to absorb light impinging on the exposed surface of said cover adjacent said diodes, solar cells mounted on said cover, and ambient light detecting means mounted on said cover, whereby said combination permits the formation of a horologic instrument in which light impinging on instrument aids in the powering of said instrument and whereby said filtering means in combination with said inclined sidewall apertures increases the contrast between light generated by said diodes and light reflected from the exposed portions of said horologic instrument such that a portable battery powered timepiece is made feasible.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination as recited in claim 21 wherein said substrate is selected from the group of materials consisting of: semiconductors, plastics, ceramics and glasses.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
The combination as recited in claim 22 wherein said covering member is made from an anisotropically etchable crystalline material, said inclined sidewalled apertures being formed by etching said crystalline material with an anisotropic etchant.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
66 words
The combination as recited in claim 21 and further including metallization on said covering member running from said diodes, said solar cells and said ambient light detecting means to the periphery thereof, and a housing member overlying said periphery, said housing member including means for contacting various portions of said metallization at said periphery and for connecting said portions to points interior to said housing member.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
The combination as recited in claim 21 wherein said light emitting diodes and said logic circuit are formed in said substrate and said solar cells and said ambient light detecting means are formed in said covering member.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The combination as recited in claim 21 wherein said solar cells and said ambient light detecting means are embedded in said covering member and dielectrically isolated one from another.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The combination as recited in claim 50 wherein embedding includes epitaxial deposition and diffusion techniques.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-09-10 | 1977-03-12 | 1977-09-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-09-10 | 1981-03-12 | 1981-09-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-09-10 | 1985-03-12 | 1985-09-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |