Patent ID: 6535186
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: G01R,G09G

Abstract:
A display element comprising:a plurality of display areas arranged in a pattern for exhibiting, upon selective activation, a plurality of display units, each said display area including a plurality of light emitting diodes for emitting, when forwardly biased, light signals of a plurality of primary colors, respectively, and means for combining said light signals in said display area to obtain a light signal of a composite color, each said light emitting diode including a first terminal and a second terminal, all said first terminals being of the same polarity, and all said second terminals being of the same polarity, opposite of the polarity of said first terminals; means for decoding including a decoder input, for receiving an input code defining a selected display unit, and a plurality of decoder outputs, said decoder outputs being coupled to said first terminals of said light emitting diodes in accordance with their positions in said pattern, said decoder outputs producing selective decoder output signals for selecting certain of said display areas, corresponding by their positions in said pattern to the selected display unit, in response to a specific input code; a plurality of buses, equal in number to said plurality of primary colors and respectively associated therewith, to which all said second terminals of said light emitting diodes are coupled in accordance with their colors, for being forwardly biased upon activation of the respective buses; and color control means for activating said buses in selective combinations, for forwardly biasing certain ones of said light emitting diodes, in accordance with said decoder output signals, for illuminating one of said display units in a selective composite color, in accordance with the buses which are activated.