Electro-optical display with circuitry for applying predetermined potentials to all display segments to effect activation of a selected segment only

Claim 2

An electro-optical display comprising: a first and a second plate each having on one side thereof a pattern formed by segments, said segments being layers of conductive material, at least some of said segments being electrically connected together; said plates being spaced from each other and with the segments on each plate aligned; a thin layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between said plates, said liquid crystal material characterized by a threshold voltage of V t ;

Claim 3

a driver circuit connected to said segments and a voltage source of V s connected to said driver circuit, said driver circuit having first voltage supply means to provide a first selectable segments of the first plate a voltage V 1 which is a fraction of V s and less than V 2 , second voltage supply means to provide to first selectable segments of said second plate with a voltage V 2 greater than V 1 and a fraction of V s , wherein V 1 + V 2 = V s and V 2 < V t > V 1 , third voltage supply means to supply voltage V s , to second selectable segments of the first plate and fourth means to switch second selectable segments of the second plate to zero voltage, whereby the liquid crystal material between the first segments is not activated and the liquid crystal material between the second segments is activated.

Claim 4

a driver circuit connected to said segments and a voltage source of V s connected to said driver circuit, said driver circuit having first voltage supply means to provide a first selectable segments of the first plate a voltage V 1 which is a fraction of V s and less than V 2 , second voltage supply means to provide to first selectable segments of said second plate with a voltage V 2 greater than V 1 and a fraction of V s , wherein V 1 + V 2 = V s and V 2 < V t > V 1 , third voltage supply means to supply voltage V s , to second selectable segments of the first plate and fourth means to switch second selectable segments of the second plate to zero voltage, whereby the liquid crystal material between the first segments is not activated and the liquid crystal material between the second segments is activated.

Claim 5

An electro-optical display as in claim 1 wherein said first plate and the segments thereon are transparent.

Claim 6

An electro-optical display as in claim 1 wherein the said third voltage supply means and fourth voltage supply means rapidly interchange to provide alternating current to the segments on both plates.

Claim 7

An electro-optical display as in claim 1 wherein V 1 is about one-third of V s and V 2 is about two-thirds of V s .

Claim 8

An electro-optical display comprising: a first and second plate each having on one side thereof a pattern formed by segments, said segments being layers of conductive material, at least some of said segments being electrically connected together; said plates being spaced from each other and with the segments on each plate aligned; a thin layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between said plates; said liquid crystal material characterized by threshold voltage of V t ; a driver circuit connected to said segments and a voltage source of V s connected to said driver circuit, said driver circuit having first voltage supply means to provide a first selectable segments of the first plate a voltage V 1 which is a fraction of V s and less than V 2 , second voltage supply means to supply voltage V s to second selectable segments of the first plate voltage V s , and third means to switch second selectable segments of the second plate to zero voltage, whereby the liquid crystal material between the first segments is not activated and the liquid crystal material between the second segments is activated.

Claim 9

An electro-optical display comprising: a first and second plate each having on one side thereof a pattern formed by segments, said segments being layers of conductive material, at least some of said segments being electrically connected together; said plates being spaced from each other and with the segments on each plate aligned; a thin layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between said plates; said liquid crystal material characterized by threshold voltage of V t ; a driver circuit connected to said segments and a voltage source of V s connected to said driver circuit, said driver circuit having first voltage supply means to provide a first selectable segments of the first plate a voltage V 1 which is a fraction of V s and less than V 2 , second voltage supply means to supply voltage V s to second selectable segments of the first plate voltage V s , and third means to switch second selectable segments of the second plate to zero voltage, whereby the liquid crystal material between the first segments is not activated and the liquid crystal material between the second segments is activated.

Claim 10

An electro-optical display as in claim 5 wherein said first plate and the segments thereon are transparent.

Claim 11

An electro-optical display as in claim 5 wherein the said second and third means rapidly interchange to provide alternating current to the segments on both plates.

Claim 12

An electro-optical display as in claim 5 wherein V 1 is about one-half of V s .

Claim 13

In a wrist watch, the combination comprising: an electrical optical display comprising first and second plates parallel to each other, each having on the facing sides thereof a pattern formed of segments, said segments being layers of a conductive material, said first plate having a multiplicity of relatively large segments and a plurality of terminals, each plate being connected to a terminal, said second plate having a multiplicity of smaller segments arranged in groups, one group each facing one segment of said first plate, corresponding segments in each of said groups being electrically connected together and to a terminal thereby forming a matrix of elements, a thin layer of liquid crystal material of threshold voltage V t sealed between said plates, driver circuit means connected to said segments and to a voltage source V s , said driver circuits having first voltage supply means to selectively provide voltage V s or zero to one desired selectable segment of said first plate, second voltage supply means to supply alternately zero voltage or V s to desired selectable electrically connected together corresponding segments on said second plate, third voltage supply means to supply alternately V s 13 to all other segments of said first plate and fourth voltage supply means to supply alternately 2V s /3 to all other segments of said second plate thereby ensuring that the maximum voltage between any undesired segments of first and second plates is V s /3<V t .

Claim 14

In a wrist watch, the combination comprising: an electrical optical display comprising first and second plates parallel to each other, each having on the facing sides thereof a pattern formed of segments, said segments being layers of a conductive material, said first plate having a multiplicity of relatively large segments and a plurality of terminals, each plate being connected to a terminal, said second plate having a multiplicity of smaller segments arranged in groups, one group each facing one segment of said first plate, corresponding segments in each of said groups being electrically connected together and to a terminal thereby forming a matrix of elements, a thin layer of liquid crystal material of threshold voltage V t sealed between said plates, driver circuit means connected to said segments and to a voltage source V s , said driver circuits having first voltage supply means to selectively provide voltage V s or zero to one desired selectable segment of said first plate, second voltage supply means to supply alternately zero voltage or V s to desired selectable electrically connected together corresponding segments on said second plate, third voltage supply means to supply alternately V s 13 to all other segments of said first plate and fourth voltage supply means to supply alternately 2V s /3 to all other segments of said second plate thereby ensuring that the maximum voltage between any undesired segments of first and second plates is V s /3<V t .

Claim 15

A wrist watch in accordance with claim 9 wherein: the segment pattern on the first and second plates each comprise a series of radial segments circularly arranged about a common center to provide an analog watch display.

Claim 16

A wrist watch in accordance with claim 10 wherein: 24 segments are provided in an inner ring to indicate half hours and 60 segments are provided on an outer ring to indicate minutes on one of said plates, wherein said 24 half-hour segments are arranged in a suitable matrix arrangement and said minute segments are arranged in an 8 × 8 matrix with four unused matrix positions.