JPH0477779A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To offer an easy-to-handle display device for a clock or a message board in which plural pieces of visual information and an alarm means are switched by changing the posture of a housing by switching the displayed contents of the visual information displayed by a display means based on the posture of the housing which is detected by a posture detecting means. CONSTITUTION:Setting parts 6b respectively provided with a pressure sensitive rubber switch 6a functioning as the posture detecting means 6 are provided on the four circumferential surfaces surrounding the display element 2 of the housing 1 which constitutes an alarm clock. As to the setting parts 6b, two pieces, three pieces, five pieces and four pieces are successively provided in a circumferential direction so that the total of the numbers thereof on the opposed surfaces of the four circumferential surfaces may be seven. Based on the detected posture of the housing 1 by the posture detecting means 6, a display switching means 13 switches a display state to be the same direction as the top and bottom of the housing 1 and also switches the displayed contents.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a display device, such as a clock or a message board, having a display means for displaying visual information such as time.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, some display devices of this type are capable of switching and displaying a plurality of visual information (for example, the time of day, temperature, message, etc. in different parts of the world) using a single display means.

There are also watches equipped with multiple alarm means that can be set individually.

Switching between the plurality of visual information and alarm means was performed by manually operating a changeover switch for selecting each information or function.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the display device according to the above-mentioned prior art, the changeover switch is provided in a very narrow area such as the back surface of the housing, and therefore has the disadvantage that it is extremely difficult to operate.

Furthermore, since other function switches are similarly provided in such a narrow area, there is a risk of erroneous operation.

Therefore, the change-over switch must be operated carefully, which is a disadvantage in that it is time-consuming.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.

[Means to solve the problem]

To achieve this objective, the first aspect of the display device according to the invention is to
The characteristic configuration includes an attitude detection means for detecting the attitude of the casing;
a display means that is incorporated into the housing and displays a plurality of pieces of visual information; and a display switching means that switches the display content of the visual information displayed by the display means based on the orientation of the housing detected by the orientation detection means. This is because it is composed of

A second characteristic configuration includes an attitude detection means for detecting the attitude of the casing, a display means incorporated in the casing for displaying time information, a plurality of alarm means that can be set individually, and the attitude detection means. The present invention is comprised of a selection means for selecting one of the alarm means in accordance with the detected attitude of the casing.

[For production]

According to the first characteristic configuration, the display switching means switches the display content of the visual information 1a displayed by the display means based on the orientation of the casing detected by the orientation detection means.

For example, if the case is turned upside down, the display will switch from time to temperature display, or from Japan Standard Time to Greenwich Mean Time.

According to the second characteristic configuration, the selection means selects the alarm means corresponding to the posture of the case from among the plurality of alarm means based on the posture of the casing detected by the posture detection means. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, according to the display device according to the present invention, in order to selectively display one of a plurality of pieces of visual information on the display means or to selectively function one of a plurality of alarm functions, it is extremely difficult to change the posture of the casing. Since these functions can be performed with simple and easy operations, it has become possible to improve the usability of these functions.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in Figure 2 (A) and (B), a cube (10c
mX lOcmx locm) on the - side of the housing (1),
A liquid crystal display element (2) is arranged inside a circular frame (3) to form a display surface, and on the back side there are six circular operation sections (4).
An operating means (5) consisting of the following is provided to constitute an alarm clock as a display device.

On the four peripheral surfaces surrounding the display element (2) of the housing (1), a pressure-sensitive rubber switch (
6a) is provided.

The installation portions (6b) are sequentially provided in two, three, five, and four locations in the circumferential direction so that the total number of opposing surfaces of the four circumferential surfaces is seven.

The circular frame (3) on the display surface and the operation section (4) on the back side.
), the installation portions (6b) on the four circumferential surfaces constitute a dice-shaped alarm clock.

The operation section (4) includes a lid (4a) for installing and removing batteries, a switch (4b) for setting the time and alarm, and an alarm selection switch (4C) for selecting a specific - alarm from four types of alarms for setting the alarm. ), a melody selection switch (4d) to select the type of melody as an alarm.
), display changeover switch (4e) to change the display contents
It is composed of etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the alarm clock includes a timer circuit (11) that measures time based on information set and input from the operation section (4), and a temperature detection means (12) containing a thermistor. A control circuit is constituted by the attitude detecting means (6), the display switching means (13), a liquid crystal drive circuit (14), and a liquid crystal display element (2).

The timer circuit (11) includes an alarm means (15) for individually operating four types of alarms, namely, alarm functions according to usage such as weekday, weekend, and one-time use.

Display means for displaying a plurality of visual information, such as the time, which is the output of the display element (2) and the drive circuit (14), or the timer circuit (11), and the temperature, which is the output of the temperature detection means (12). (7) is configured.

The display switching means (13) is configured to switch between the display switching means (13) and the attitude detection means (6).
), the display state is switched to a state in which the orientation is the same as the top and bottom of the case (1), and the display contents are also switched.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, pressure-sensitive rubber switches (6
Among a), the rubber switch (
6a) is detected as the bottom surface, and changes the display status of characters, long hand, short hand, etc. according to the vertical posture of the housing (1) at that time, and also switches the display state of the four types of alarms. One of them is selected and displayed in correspondence with the rubber switch (6a).

Here, the triangular shape displayed on the liquid crystal display corresponds to the long hand, the round shape corresponds to the short hand, and the square shape divided into four parts in the center corresponds to the alarm -.

Furthermore, by operating the display changeover switch (4e) of the operation means (5), as shown in FIGS. 4(A) to (D), the Japan Standard Time and the temperature detection The display contents are switched and displayed, such as the temperature output from the means (12), New York time, London time, and Paris time.

The display switching means (13) is an alarm means (15).
It serves as a selection means for selecting one of the following.

[Another example]

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

1. In the previous example, in order to ensure that the switch is installed securely, pressure-sensitive rubber switches are placed on all the installation parts as posture detection means, but one of the installation parts, that is, the four One may be placed on each side of the surface. This reduces costs.

2. In the previous embodiment, a pressure-sensitive rubber switch is used as the attitude detection means, but the attitude detection means is not limited to this and may be any arbitrary one. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, a rotatable magnetic ball (17) is provided inside the housing along a circular guide groove (16), and a reed switch (18) is placed on each surface of the outer periphery of the trajectory. The installation orientation may be detected by providing a. Alternatively, a tilt angle from a predetermined position may be detected using a potentiometer.

3. In the previous embodiment, the casing was installed in four positions, the same as the number of peripheral surfaces, but the shape of the casing is not limited to this, and may be polygonal, circular, etc. when viewed from the display surface. It can take any shape. In this case, the housing may be of a floor-standing type or a wall-mounted type.

4. In the previous embodiment, a liquid crystal is used as the display element, but the display element is not limited to this, and any display element such as an LED panel, a plasma display, or even a mechanical type may be used.

5. In the previous embodiment, liquid crystals were provided as display elements on a single display surface, but display elements may be provided on all six surfaces. In this case, any of the surfaces can be used as the installation surface, and the degree of freedom in installation is increased by displaying only the four surfaces that stand upright to the installation surface, or only a specific surface among them.

6. The time and characters displayed on the liquid crystal are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be designed as desired. A second hand may be added to the liquid crystal display, or a digital display may be used instead of an analog display.

7. In the previous embodiment, the display state is adjusted to match the top and bottom of the casing, but the display state is not limited to this and can be changed arbitrarily.

8. In the previous embodiment, the display contents are the times and temperatures of various parts of the world, but the display is not limited to this, and any function such as a timer function that issues an alarm after a predetermined period of time has elapsed may be used. For example, an hourglass function that starts a timer by flipping upside down may be included.

9. In the previous embodiment, the melody used for the alarm is switched by the melody selection switch of the operation section, but it may be linked with the posture detection means.

10. In the previous embodiment, the case where a clock is configured as the display device is explained, but the display device is not limited to this, and may be a message board on which any message can be displayed. good.

11. Although reference numerals are written in the claims for convenient comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the accompanying drawings.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of a display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit, and FIG. 2 (A). (B) is an external view of the display device, Figures 3 (A), (B),
(C). (D) is an explanatory diagram of the display state of the liquid crystal, Fig. 4 (A), (B
). (C) and (D) are explanatory diagrams of the display contents of the liquid crystal, and the fifth
The figure shows another embodiment and is a configuration diagram of the posture detecting means. (1)... Housing, (6)... Posture detection means, (7)... Display means, (13)...
...Display switching means. Figure (A) (B) Figure (A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Attitude detection means (6) for detecting the attitude of the housing (1); display means (7) incorporated in the housing (1) for displaying a plurality of visual information; A display comprising display switching means (13) for switching display content of visual information displayed by the display means (7) based on the orientation of the housing (1) detected by the orientation detection means (6). Device. 2. Attitude detection means (6) for detecting the attitude of the housing (1), display means (7) incorporated in the housing (1) for displaying time information, and a plurality of alarm means that can be set individually. (
15), and the alarm means (15) corresponding to the attitude of the casing (1) detected by the attitude detecting means (6).
) A display device comprising selection means for selecting one of the following.