Abstract:
Body scales include an LCD display panel for displaying information such as body weight and body fat of a user standing upon the scales, and LED backlighting behind the display panel having variable multicoloured output dependent upon reference meanings of that information.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to body scales. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to body scales for measuring body weight, body fat, body hydration, bone mass, muscle mass etc, such scales having an LCD display with a coloured backlighting feature. 
         [0002]    Known body scales comprise a platform having a number of conductive pads upon which a user stands. A small current passes through the body via the pads and an estimated body fat reading is displayed upon an LCD display panel situated forward of the pads. The LCD panels display a significant amount of information including body weight, body fat estimates, gender indication, age etc. and can be difficult to read and interpret quickly, especially under poor lighting conditions. Some manufacturers have incorporated simple backlighting into the LCD displays for improving readability in poor lighting conditions, but such backlighting provides no other useful information. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an improved set of body scales having a backlit LCD display panel in which a number of coloured backlighting effects are provided with different colours indicating different information. 
       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    There is disclosed herein body scales comprising an LCD display panel for displaying information such as body weight and body fat of a user standing upon the scales, and LED backlighting behind the display panel having variable multicoloured output dependent upon reference meanings of said information. 
         [0005]    Preferably, said LED backlighting comprises a light-transmissive panel and one or more LEDs illuminating the panel. 
         [0006]    Preferably, each LED comprises internal R, G and B emission diode circuitry. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a set of body scales, 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view of an LCD display panel of the body scales, 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic plan view of a backlight panel for the LCD display panel, 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic circuit diagram of a pair of multi-coloured LEDs for the backlight panel of  FIG. 3 , 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic plan view of the display panel, 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of the display panel, 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic circuit diagram associated with one of the multi-coloured LEDs, and 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a detailed overall circuit schematic of the body scales. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    In  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a set of body scales  10  comprising a weight-bearing platform  13  having from one to four electrical contact pads  14  upon which the bare heels and soles of a user&#39;s feet rest in use. A display panel  11  is situated forward of the pads  14  and a number of control keys  15  are provided aft of the pads  14 . The display panel  11  shows alphanumerical and graphic information typical of that of other known body scales on the market. 
         [0017]    The LCD panel  11  as shown in  FIG. 6  is mounted within a plastics frame  20  with a light transmissive backlight panel  19  situated immediately behind it. Mounted behind the backlight panel  19  is a printed circuit board (PCB)  18  held in place to the frame  20  by screws  21 . A light transmissive compound  22  extends from the PCB  18  to the backlight panel  19 . A pair of LEDs  16   a  and  16   b  is mounted upon the PCB and shine into the light transmissive compound  22  such that light emitted by the LEDs is conveyed to the backlight panel  19 . 
         [0018]    The LEDs  16   a  and  16   b  are shown in  FIG. 3  upon PCB  18 . Four conductors  17  feed the PCB  18 . One of these is a common anode A, whereas others are for red, green and blue (RGB) LED activation. Each LED  16   a  and  16   b  is multicoloured in operation. As shown in  FIG. 4 , LED  16   a  comprises three internal diodes as does LED  16   b . The anode of each diode is connected to anode rail A, whereas the individual internal RGB diodes are connected to the RGB rails respectively. 
         [0019]      FIG. 7  shows the circuitry directly associated with one of the multi-coloured LEDs  16   a  or  16   b . Moreover, this figure depicts a single LED package. Diode D 1  emitted red light. Diode D 2  emits green light. Diode D 3  emits blue light. D 1  is controlled by transistor Q 1 , resistor R 21  and resistor R 26 . D 2  is controlled by transistor Q 2 , resistor R 22  and resistor R 28 . D 3  is controlled by transistor Q 3 , resistor R 23  and resistor R 29 . Resistors R 21 , R 22  and R 23  are connected to ground, whereas resistors R 26 , R 28  and R 29  are fed with control inputs P 1 , P 2  and P 3  respectively. 
         [0020]    The components shown in  FIG. 7  form part of the overall circuit diagram of  FIG. 8  where it can be seen that the output of the micro-control unit MCU feeds inputs P 1 , P 2 , and P 3 . 
         [0021]    The MCU provides output to the LCD panel  11  as well as switching control for transistors Q 1 , Q 2  and Q 3  so that each LED  16   a  and  16   b  can emit multiple combinations of red, green and blue light to thereby emitted one or more simultaneous wavelengths into the backlighting panel  19 . For example, if both Q 1  and Q 3  are switched to ON and Q 2  is switched to OFF, a purple illumination effect will be achieved. The level of brightness emitted by each LED is determined by the values chosen for R 21 , R 22  and R 23 . 
         [0022]    The circuitry can be programmed to provide say a red backlighting effect for excessively high body fat readings and say a blue backlighting effect for excessively lower body fat readings. 
         [0023]    It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present Utility Model. For example, instead of providing a pair of the LEDs at one end of the backlighting panel  19 , one or more LEDs might be provided at respective opposite ends of the panel for a more even lighting effect.