Patent ID: 6097302
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G09F

Abstract:
A monitoring system for a display unit including a plurality of selectively energizable light-emitting segments, each of said light-emitting segments having an energized state and a non-energized state, with said light-emitting segments emitting light in said energized state, said monitoring system comprising:means for detecting light emitted from said light-emitting segments in said energized state and for generating an electrical signal which is representative of said light emitted from said light-emitting segments in said energized state;means for filtering ambient light from said means for detecting light and for passing said light emitted from said light-emitting segments in said energized state;means for generating a comparison signal for each of said light-emitting segments, with said comparison signal being representative of a comparison between a predetermined reference signal and said electrical signal for each of said light-emitting segments;means for conditionally energizing said light-emitting segments in response to an energizing signal;means for providing display data;means for receiving said comparison signal for each of said light-emitting segments and generating said energizing signal in order to operate said means for conditionally energizing when said comparison signal for each of said light-emitting segments indicates that each of said light-emitting segments is operating fault-free; andmeans cooperating with said means for conditionally energizing and said means for receiving said comparison signal for selectively gating said display data to said light-emitting segments.