System for displaying alphanumeric messages

Claim 2

An alphanumeric visual display system including a multi-character station unitary visual display device (10) having a limited capacity character display, characterized by means (12) for storing a plurality of message units, each of said message units including a plurality of characters not greater in number than the number of character stations of said display device, said message units forming a plurality of complete messages at least one of which complete messages is made up of a number of said message units in sequence and each of said message units including a predetermined character display signal position; means (20) for scrolling a plurality of message units and for causing each of said message units of a complete message to be displayed in a time-spaced relationship by said visual display; first signal means (62) for indicating the end of the first message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; first sensing means (48) for sensing said first signal means; and means (50) responsive to the sensing of said first signal means for activating said scrolling means.

Claim 3

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said scrolling means includes a message unit selection means (14) for selectively providing a message unit address signal, each of said message units having an associated identifying address; a message unit address means (46) for receiving said message unit address signals from said message unit selection means and for transferring said address signal to said memory means (12) in response to a SELECT MESSAGE signal for selecting said message units therefrom; and a message unit clock pulsing means (52) for producing clock pulse signals in response to a START signal from said scrolling activation means (50).

Claim 4

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by said scrolling activation means (50) including means (84, 88, 90, 100, 102) for producing a signal to condition said message unit address means (46) to count up sequentially from said received message unit address in response to said clock pulse signals, each succeeding count being a message unit address signal representative of the next message unit in a sequence of message units comprising a said complete message.

Claim 5

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 3 further characterized by said first signal means (62) including a first predetermined binary coded signal, said first signal occurring at a first said predetermined character display signal position.

Claim 6

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 3 further characterized in that said character display signal position includes the Nth character display position in an N characater capacity display device (10).

Claim 7

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 5 further characterized by said first sensing means (48) including a first logic circuit means (84, 86, 88, 90, 100, 102) for detecting said first predetermined binary coded signal during said display of said Nth character.

Claim 8

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 3 further characterized by second signal means (72) for indicating the last message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; second means (86, 94, 98) for sensing said second signal means; and means (60) responsive to the second signal means (72) for deactivating said scrolling means (20) and for enabling said message unit selection means (14) to select a new message.

Claim 9

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 7 further characterized by said second signal means (72) including a second predetermined binary coded signal, said second signal occurring at a second said predetermined character display signal position.

Claim 10

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said second predetermined character signal position includes the Nth character display position in an N character capacity display device (10).

Claim 11

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 9 further characterized by said second sensing means (86, 94, 98) including a second logic circuit means (86, 88, 90, 94, 98) for detecting said second predetermined binary coded signal during said Nth character display location.

Claim 12

ll. An alphanumeric visual display system including a multi-character station unitary visual display device (10) having a limited capacity character display, characterized by means (12) for storing a plurality of message units, each of said message units including a plurality of characters not greater in number than the number of character stations of said display device, each of said message units including a predetermined character display signal position and at least one of which message units is made up of a stored message component and a real time message component, said stored message component having a plurality of characters which plurality of characters is smaller in number than the number of said character stations; real time signal means (14) associated with at least one real time condition and providing at least one real time message component varying in time with variations in the value of its corresponding real time condition so as to represent at any given instant the instantaneous value of said corresponding condition; reserve digit signal means for indicating a message unit having a stored message component and a real time message component; means (74) for sensing said reserve signal means in a said message unit; and means (78) responsive to the sensing of said reserve signal means for reserving a plurality of character display locations to display a corresponding number of characters comprising a said real time message component by said visual display.

Claim 13

ll. An alphanumeric visual display system including a multi-character station unitary visual display device (10) having a limited capacity character display, characterized by means (12) for storing a plurality of message units, each of said message units including a plurality of characters not greater in number than the number of character stations of said display device, each of said message units including a predetermined character display signal position and at least one of which message units is made up of a stored message component and a real time message component, said stored message component having a plurality of characters which plurality of characters is smaller in number than the number of said character stations; real time signal means (14) associated with at least one real time condition and providing at least one real time message component varying in time with variations in the value of its corresponding real time condition so as to represent at any given instant the instantaneous value of said corresponding condition; reserve digit signal means for indicating a message unit having a stored message component and a real time message component; means (74) for sensing said reserve signal means in a said message unit; and means (78) responsive to the sensing of said reserve signal means for reserving a plurality of character display locations to display a corresponding number of characters comprising a said real time message component by said visual display.

Claim 14

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 11 further characterized in that said reserve digit signal means includes a predetermined binary coded signal, said signal occurring at said predetermined character display signal position of a message unit containing a said stored and real time message component.

Claim 15

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 12 further characterized in that said predetermined character signal position includes the character display location immediately preceding the first character display location of said plurality of character display locations to be reserved.

Claim 16

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by said first sensing means including decoding means (74, 76) for detecting said predetermined signal during said predetermined character display signal position to produce a reserve character display location signal.

Claim 17

An alphanumeric display system as set forth in claim 14 further characterized in that said responsive means (78) includes a reserve character select logic circuit means (132, 136) for enabling each real time character of a real time message component one character at a time corresponding to the character display location of each said enabled real time character.

Claim 18

An alphanumeric visual display system including a multi-character station unitary visual display device (10) having a limited capacity character display, characterized by means (12) for storing a plurality of message units, each of said message units including a plurality of characters not greater in number than the number of character stations of said display device, each of said message units including a predetermined character display signal position, said message units forming a plurality of complete messages at least one of which complete messages is made up of a number of said message units in sequence, said message units including at least one of which message units is made up of a stored message component and a real time message component, said stored message component having a plurality of characters which plurality of characters is smaller in number than the number of said character stations; real time signal means (14) associated with at least one real time condition and providing at least one real time message component consisting of at least one character; means (20) for scrolling a plurality of message units and for causing each of said message units of a complete message to be displayed in a time-spaced relationship by said visual display; first signal means (62) for indicating the first message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; second signal means (72) for indicating the last message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; first means (84, 88, 90) for sensing the presence of said first signal means in a first said predetermined character display signal position; means (102) responsive to the sensing of said first signal means for activating said scrolling means (20); second means (94, 98, 86, 88) for sensing the presence of said second signal means in a second said predetermined character display signal position; means (48, 50) responsive to the sensing of said second signal means for deactivating said scrolling means (20); third signal means for indicating a message unit having a stored message component and a real time message component; third means (74, 76) for sensing the presence of said third signal means in a third said predetermined character display signal position; and means (78) responsive to the sensing of said third signal means for reserving a plurality of character display locations to display in such reserved locations a corresponding number of characters comprising a said real time message component by said visual display.

Claim 19

An alphanumeric visual display system including a multi-character station unitary visual display device (10) having a limited capacity character display, characterized by means (12) for storing a plurality of message units, each of said message units including a plurality of characters not greater in number than the number of character stations of said display device, each of said message units including a predetermined character display signal position, said message units forming a plurality of complete messages at least one of which complete messages is made up of a number of said message units in sequence, said message units including at least one of which message units is made up of a stored message component and a real time message component, said stored message component having a plurality of characters which plurality of characters is smaller in number than the number of said character stations; real time signal means (14) associated with at least one real time condition and providing at least one real time message component consisting of at least one character; means (20) for scrolling a plurality of message units and for causing each of said message units of a complete message to be displayed in a time-spaced relationship by said visual display; first signal means (62) for indicating the first message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; second signal means (72) for indicating the last message unit in a said plurality of message units in a complete message; first means (84, 88, 90) for sensing the presence of said first signal means in a first said predetermined character display signal position; means (102) responsive to the sensing of said first signal means for activating said scrolling means (20); second means (94, 98, 86, 88) for sensing the presence of said second signal means in a second said predetermined character display signal position; means (48, 50) responsive to the sensing of said second signal means for deactivating said scrolling means (20); third signal means for indicating a message unit having a stored message component and a real time message component; third means (74, 76) for sensing the presence of said third signal means in a third said predetermined character display signal position; and means (78) responsive to the sensing of said third signal means for reserving a plurality of character display locations to display in such reserved locations a corresponding number of characters comprising a said real time message component by said visual display.