US3786307A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid state electroluminescent x-y display panels
Assignee: Atronics Corp
•
Filing: 1972-06-23
•
Granted: 1974-01-15
•
Expires: 1992-06-23
Abstract
Abstract One or more EL electrodes in the form of wire mesh strips coated with electroluminescent phosphor are sandwiched between a rigid, transparent cover and a sheet of dielectric insulation. This panel is removably secured above a printed circuit board which carries a plurality of metal electrode strips that extend transversely to the EL electrode or electrodes. A plurality of spaced, non-linear electrical elements are secured between the panel and board to register with, for example, points where the EL electrode(s) intersect the printed circuit electrodes. In one embodiment, when an AC or pulsating voltage is applied across a selected EL electrode and an intersecting circuit board electrode, the non-linear element at the intersection of these electrodes conducts and causes the phosphor coating on the registering portion of the energized EL electrode to glow with a regulated intensity. If the non-linear elements are SCR''s, the conduction of each SCR may be controlled by a pair of triggering signals arranged to be applied selectively as an X and Y coordinate, respectively, for each SCR. One or more spots, each registering with one of the non-linear elements, may thus be made to glow at selected points on the face of the panel, and with different colors, if desired.
Inventors
- 👤 T Robinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 11:00
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B33/00; H05B33/12; G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/30; H04; H04N; H04N3/00; H04N3/10; H04N3/14; G09G2300/00; G09G2300/08; G09G2300/088; G09G2300/0885; G09G2360/00; G09G2360/14; G09G2360/145; G09G2360/147; G09G2360/148
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
An electroluminescent display panel, comprising a pair of electrodes, one of which is coated on one side with electroluminescent material, a layer of dielectric material disposed at the opposite side of said one electrode, means for releasably securing said electrodes together with said layer of dielectric material positioned between and separating said electrodes, and with the coated side of said one electrode facing outwardly, means for applying a pulsating voltage across said electrodes to excite said electroluminescent material, a non-linear electrical element removably positioned between said layer of dielectric material and the other of said two electrodes with one end of said non-linear element releasably engaging said dielectric material and with its opposite end releasably and electrically connected to said other electrode, said element having an impedance operative normally to prevent significant current flow between said ends thereof and thereby to prevent the portion of electroluminescent material registering with said element from glowing, and control means operable during application of said pulsating exciting voltage selectively to reduce said impedance sufficiently to cause said registering portion of the electroluminescent material to glow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
An electroluminescent display panel, comprising a pair of electrodes, one of which is coated on one side with electroluminescent material, a layer of dielectric material disposed at the opposite side of said one electrode, means for releasably securing said electrodes together with said layer of dielectric material positioned between and separating said electrodes, and with the coated side of said one electrode facing outwardly, means for applying a pulsating voltage across said electrodes to excite said electroluminescent material, a non-linear electrical element removably positioned between said layer of dielectric material and the other of said two electrodes with one end of said non-linear element releasably engaging said dielectric material and with its opposite end releasably and electrically connected to said other electrode, said element having an impedance operative normally to prevent significant current flow between said ends thereof and thereby to prevent the portion of electroluminescent material registering with said element from glowing, and control means operable during application of said pulsating exciting voltage selectively to reduce said impedance sufficiently to cause said registering portion of the electroluminescent material to glow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means is operative for increasing and decreasing, selectively, the impedance of said non-linear element during application of said exciting voltage thereby to vary the intensity with which said registering portion of said electroluminescent material glows.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said element comprises a solid state switching device normally disposed in a non-conductive mode to present a high impedance to current flow between opposite ends of said element, and said impedance control means comprises means for selectively switching said device to its conductive mode, when said exciting voltage is applied across said electrodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 3, wherein said impedance control means comprises means for applying a pair of voltage signals to said device, means responsive to said signals to switch said device from its non-conductive to its conductive mode, and means for causing said registering portion of said electroluminescent material to glow with an intensity and duration proportionate to the intensity and duration of one of said signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 4, including means operative, once said device has been switched to its conductive mode, to maintain said device in the last-named mode while saId exciting voltage is applied across said electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
179 words
An electroluminescent display panel, comprising a first electrode having on one side a layer of dielectric insulation, and on its opposite side a layer of electroluminescent material, a substrate having thereon a second electrode, means for releasably securing said first electrode to said substrate with said insulation disposed in spaced, confronting relation to said substrate, a plurality of spaced, electrically conductive back electrodes disposed between said insulation and said substrate, and seated against the underside of said insulation to register with spaced portions of said electroluminescent material on said first electrode, a plurality of non-linear and normally non-conducting electrical elements connecting said back electrodes to said second electrode, means for applying a pulsating voltage across said first and second electrodes, and means for selectively switching said elements to conducting modes selectively to apply the potential on said second electrode to selected ones of said back electrodes thereby to cause only the portions of said electro-luminescent material in registry with said selected back electrodes to excite and glow, when said pulsating voltage is applied across said first and second electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
179 words
An electroluminescent display panel, comprising a first electrode having on one side a layer of dielectric insulation, and on its opposite side a layer of electroluminescent material, a substrate having thereon a second electrode, means for releasably securing said first electrode to said substrate with said insulation disposed in spaced, confronting relation to said substrate, a plurality of spaced, electrically conductive back electrodes disposed between said insulation and said substrate, and seated against the underside of said insulation to register with spaced portions of said electroluminescent material on said first electrode, a plurality of non-linear and normally non-conducting electrical elements connecting said back electrodes to said second electrode, means for applying a pulsating voltage across said first and second electrodes, and means for selectively switching said elements to conducting modes selectively to apply the potential on said second electrode to selected ones of said back electrodes thereby to cause only the portions of said electro-luminescent material in registry with said selected back electrodes to excite and glow, when said pulsating voltage is applied across said first and second electrodes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
73 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 6, wherein the last-named means includes means for simultaneously switching a plurality of said elements to their conductive modes thereby to cause registering portions of said electroluminescent material to be excited by said pulsating voltage, and certain of said registering portions of said material are tinted differently in color from other portions thereby to cause said display panel to glow in different colors, when excited.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 6, including a section of electrically conductive wire mesh connected to each of said elements and coated with a layer of electro-luminescent material and illuminable by said pulsating voltage when the non-linear element associated therewith is in its conducting mode, and a photoconductive member confronting each of said mesh sections and responsive to the illumination of the electroluminescent material thereon to maintain the associated element in its conductive mode until said pulsating voltage is removed from said first and second electrodes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 8, wherein a diode is connected in parallel with each of said photoconductive members between said second electrode and one of said wire mesh sections normally to prevent illumination of the said electroluminescent material on the last-named section, and said registering portion of the first-named electro-luminescent material, and said switching means includes means for selectively applying a forward bias to said diodes to switch the latter from non-conducting to conducting modes thereby to effect selective illumination of the associated electroluminescent material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 6, wherein said back electrodes are arranged in parallel rows and intersecting columns beneath said insulation, and said elements comprise a plurality of solid state switches normally disposed in non-conducting modes to impede current flow between said back electrodes and said second electrode, but operative, when conducting, to cause the voltage on said second electrode to be applied to the associated back electrode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
102 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 10, wherein said switching means comprises a first plurality of terminals corresponding in number to the number of rows of said back electrodes and arranged at spaced points along a first axis, a second plurality of terminals corresponding in number to the number of columns of said back electrodes and arranged at spaced points along a second axis transverSe to said first axis, and means connecting each of said switches to at least one of said terminals to be switched thereby to a conducting mode, when a predetermined signal appears at said one terminal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said switches is connected to one each of said first and second terminals to be switched selectively to a conducting mode upon the appearance of predetermined signals simultaneously at the two terminals to which the switch is connected.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
126 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 11, wherein a plurality of said first electrodes are secured on said substrate in parallel rows to register with said rows of said back electrodes, said means for applying said pulsating voltage across said first and second electrodes comprises an AC voltage source and a further plurality of solid state switches interposed between said first electrodes and said AC voltage source and normally disposed in a first mode to block AC current flow between said first and second electrodes, and means connecting each of said further switches to another of said terminals to be switched thereby to a second mode to allow AC current flow between the last-named electrodes, when a predetermined signal appears at said other terminal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 13, wherein each of the first-named solid state switches comprises an SCR element connected between one of said back electrodes and said second electrode with its gating terminal connected to one of said second plurality of terminals, and each of said further plurality of switches is connected to one of said first plurality of terminals to be controlled thereby.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
80 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 13, wherein each row of said first electrodes has the electro-luminescent material thereon tinted a color different from that of the two adjacent rows thereof, and said columns of said back electrodes are arranged so the back electrodes in each column register with rows of said first electrodes having electroluminescent material of the same color, and so that the back electrodes of adjacent columns register with different rows of said first electrodes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 12, including light sensitive means operative, when one of said switches is switched to its conducting mode, to maintain the last-named switch in its conducting mode after the disappearance of said predetermined signals from said one each of said first and second terminals, as long as said pulsating voltage is applied across said first and second electrodes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
106 words
An electroluminescent display panel as defined in claim 16, wherein said light-sensitive means comprises a further plurality of spaced electrodes secured to the underside of said insulation adjacent said back electrodes and coated with electroluminescent material which is caused to glow whenever the adjacent back electrode is energized by the switching of one of said switches to its conducting mode, and a photoconductor interposed between each of said back electrodes and said second electrode and responsive to the light emitted by the electroluminescent on the adjacent one of said further electrodes to conduct and apply the voltage on said second electrode to the associated back electrode.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
172 words
An electroluminescent display panel comprising a first plurality of spaced electrodes coated with electroluminescent material, a layer of dielectric material on which said electrodes are mounted, a substrate disposed below said layer of dielectric material and having a second plurality of spaced electrodes mounted thereon and angularly disposed transverse to the first-named electrodes, so that portions of the second-named electrodes register vertically with portions of said first-named electrodes, a plurality of non-linear, electrically-conductive elements releasably dispOsed between said substrate and said dielectric material at the points of registry of the first-named and second-named electrodes, and each being in contact at one end with said dielectric material and at its opposite end with one of said second-named electrodes, and means for selectively applying to one each of said first and said second pluralities of electrodes, respectively, and across the associated conductive element disposed between the registering portions of the selected electrodes, a pulsating voltage operative to cause the electroluminescent material on the registering portion of the selected first-named electrode to excite and glow.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
172 words
An electroluminescent display panel comprising a first plurality of spaced electrodes coated with electroluminescent material, a layer of dielectric material on which said electrodes are mounted, a substrate disposed below said layer of dielectric material and having a second plurality of spaced electrodes mounted thereon and angularly disposed transverse to the first-named electrodes, so that portions of the second-named electrodes register vertically with portions of said first-named electrodes, a plurality of non-linear, electrically-conductive elements releasably dispOsed between said substrate and said dielectric material at the points of registry of the first-named and second-named electrodes, and each being in contact at one end with said dielectric material and at its opposite end with one of said second-named electrodes, and means for selectively applying to one each of said first and said second pluralities of electrodes, respectively, and across the associated conductive element disposed between the registering portions of the selected electrodes, a pulsating voltage operative to cause the electroluminescent material on the registering portion of the selected first-named electrode to excite and glow.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first plurality of electrodes extend at right angles to said second plurality of electrodes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electrodes of one of said two pluralities of electrodes are circular and concentric of one another and the electrodes of the other of said pluralities of electrodes are arranged radially of the center of said circular electrodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
75 words
An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of said electrically conductive elements includes a solid state switching device normally disposed in a non-conducting state to prevent excitation of said electroluminescent material on said registering portion of the selected first-named electrode, and said voltage applying means including means for selectively switching a plurality of said devices to their conducting states to enable excitation of said electro-luminescent portions thereof by said pulsating voltage.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
202 words
An electroluminescent display panel comprising a transparent cover, an electrically conductive grid, comprising a first plurality of spaced electrodes, mounted on one side of said cover and coated on one side with an electroluminescent material facing said cover, a dielectric sheet disposed on the side of said grid remote from said cover, a substrate, having a second plurality of electrodes mounted thereon in spaced relation, means releasably securing said cover, grid and sheet on said substrate with said sheet disposed in spaced relation to said substrate, and with said second electrodes disposed in angular relation to said first electrodes, a plurality of spaced, non-linear and normally non-conducting electrical elements removably mounted in the space between said sheet and said substrate, and contacting at opposite ends with said sheet and the last-named electrodes, respectively, said elements being disposed between registering portions of said first and second pluralities of electrodes, and means for simultaneously applying a pulsating voltage to selected electrodes in each of said first and second pluralities selectively to switch the elements between the registering portions of the selected electrodes to their conducting modes thereby to cause the portions of the electroluminescent material registering with said conducting elements to excite and glow.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
202 words
An electroluminescent display panel comprising a transparent cover, an electrically conductive grid, comprising a first plurality of spaced electrodes, mounted on one side of said cover and coated on one side with an electroluminescent material facing said cover, a dielectric sheet disposed on the side of said grid remote from said cover, a substrate, having a second plurality of electrodes mounted thereon in spaced relation, means releasably securing said cover, grid and sheet on said substrate with said sheet disposed in spaced relation to said substrate, and with said second electrodes disposed in angular relation to said first electrodes, a plurality of spaced, non-linear and normally non-conducting electrical elements removably mounted in the space between said sheet and said substrate, and contacting at opposite ends with said sheet and the last-named electrodes, respectively, said elements being disposed between registering portions of said first and second pluralities of electrodes, and means for simultaneously applying a pulsating voltage to selected electrodes in each of said first and second pluralities selectively to switch the elements between the registering portions of the selected electrodes to their conducting modes thereby to cause the portions of the electroluminescent material registering with said conducting elements to excite and glow.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3184635A
Cited
US3522473A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-14 | 1977-07-16 | 1978-01-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-14 | 1981-07-16 | 1982-01-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-14 | 1985-07-16 | 1986-01-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |