Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for assistance in learning binary number notation. Various examples of the apparatus are disclosed, each example comprising symbols each of which can be switched between two states in which it is respectively visible and invisible. Further, each symbol is oriented differently to the other symbols or alternatively the apparatus is provided with other insignia which enables each symbol to be distinguished from the others without reference to the others. Similar apparatus with symbols other than visible symbols is suggested.

Abstract: The time of day is displayed on clock face (10) through the use of two, two-digit numerical stations (20) and (30) and a minutes scale comprised of marks (40). The left-hand station (20) indicates the actual hour of the day and the right-hand station (30) indicates the next hour of the day so that display (30) always indicates one hour past the time shown by display (20). A series of lamps (40) between the two stations are used to form a bar-graph display of the minutes of the hour. A number of display modalities are possible. Electronic and mechanical versions of the timepiece are shown.

Abstract: The present invention provides an appliance for fixing an electronic display board, comprising a body of a flat plate-like support structure, elastic retaining members adjacent to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the fixing appliance body through thin-walled connections, the elastic retaining members being bendable through the thin-walled connections to hold the electronic display board on the surface of the fixing appliance body, pawl retaining pieces adapted to engage pawls of the elastic retaining members, and snaps projecting from the back of the fixing appliance body and adapted to be inserted into fixing holes formed in a chassis substrate to fix the fixing appliance body to the substrate in a spaced relation to each other, and further having leg portions capable of being fixed to the substrate, thereby permitting the electronic display board to be firmly held in place.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display element is provided which can clearly and simultaneously produce analog and digital displays. The analog display is produced by a first liquid crystal layer provided near a reflecting plate while the digital is made by a second liquid crystal layer disposed adjacent to the first liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A watch display comprises time display hands (3, 4) and a reflecting digital display (5) which acts as dial for the hands, the display being transparent under the effect of an electric field and opaque in the absence of the field.

Abstract: A simplified dual format time display provides easy-to-read "count up" and "count down" digital readouts which indicate either the hour and the minutes after the hour or the next hour and the minutes before the next hour using conventionally positioned hour and minute digits of substantially equal size. In the "count down" mode, a minus sign appears immediately to the left of the minute digits to provide a readily interpreted algebraic representation of the number of minutes which must yet elapse before the next hour arrives.

Abstract: A timepiece including an analog display of time and a digital display of time is provided. The analog display includes at least an hour hand and a minute hand with the digital display disposed within the region between the analog dial and the cover glass in a region adjacent to the analog display. In another embodiment of the invention, the digital display of the electro-optical type is inclined at an angle between about 5.degree. and 30.degree. with respect to the analog display dial.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell of annular form is provided with a central aperture to accommodate an analog time display section having time indicating hands. The annular liquid crystal cell is characterized in that a plurality of common electrodes are provided on one substrate of the cell, to enable multiplexed drive of the display elements of the cell. Each of the plurality of common electrode comprises a plurality of separate common electrode portions which are electrically connected by connecting lead portions. Half of the connecting lead portions can be arranged to be outside the display area of the cell, thereby enabling the available display area to be maximized.

Abstract: A watch which comprises movable analog display members, a dial and a digital display cell surrounded by said dial. The watch is further provided with means that can be controlled by the user of the watch, for making the digital display device visible or invisible, as desired.The digital display cell is of the twist nematic type.A liquid crystal layer 60a is positioned between two polarizers 60b and 60c. Polarizer 60c can be rotated about an axis 12 perpendicular to its plane by actuating means 13a, 14, 15, 17 which is accessible from the outside of the casing of the watch. The cell can be made substantially invisible by rotating the movable polarizer 60b in order to position its polarizing plane either parallel or perpendicular to the polarizing plane of the other polarizer 60c, depending on whether the color of the dial around the cell is dark or light respectively.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece with an animated display is provided. The animated display includes flickering display elements for providing the animation. The timepiece includes a timekeeping circuit for generating actual time signals in at least hours and minutes and a corresponding time display region for displaying time in response to the time signals generated by the timekeeping circuit. The flickering animated display elements are driven independently of the timekeeping display.A digital display timepiece may include the animated display elements within a picture pattern. In this case, the flickering display elements form a part of the pattern. In a liquid crystal display timepiece, the flickering display elements may comprise portions of segments of display terminals and may be driven in response to seconds signals generated by a seconds counter of the timekeeping circuit.

Abstract: An electronic watch having a liquid crystal display which presents time information in a substantially conventional presentation of hour, minute and second hands which appear to circulate around the watch face. The display contains sixty equidistant radial hands on an outer circle for the display of both minutes and seconds, and twenty-four equidistant radial hands on an inner circle for the display of hours and half hours. The hands are divided into sets, and each hand in each set is interconnected to form strings of hands with each string having no more than one hand in a set. The circuit interconnections of the hands are provided on a surface of a substrate of the display without crossover of the connecting leads. A parallel substrate has formed thereon transparent electrodes each associated with and overshadowing a set of hands.

Abstract: A display system comprising at least one display element, for example in the form of a pivoted pointer for indication of a changing measured value in association with a scale. The display element is implemented by an electro-optical cell filled with a liquid, the cell having two transparent plates separated by a distance frame with an associated illuminating device at the back side. Portions of one of the transparent plates is rendered opaque, the remaining areas on that plate providing transparent windows. Transparent areas are also provided between the plates. One of said transparent areas has a contour corresponding with the contour of the scale. The other of said areas extends over a larger surface.

Abstract: A method for driving a liquid crystal display element so as to give a simultaneous analogue display of 3 kinds of information. The liquid crystal display element is driven over 1/3-duty periods by applying 4 kinds of voltage waveforms to one electrode formed on one of paired substrates, and at least 5 kinds of voltage waveforms to the other electrode on the other substrate, said electrodes being divided into a multiplicity of electrode patterns. In particular, one of the 4 kinds of voltage waveforms applied to the electrodes of one of said substrates is set to provide an OFF condition for the display regardless of which of the at least 5 voltage waveforms is applied to the electrodes of said other substrate. In this driving method only one chip of the element driving LSI is sufficient for a simultaneous analogue display of 3 kinds of information e.g. hour, minute, and second.

Abstract: An LCD analog timepiece employs a multiplexing driving circuit to supply voltages to the liquid crystal display segments in the proper sequential relationship so as to activitate the desired portions of the display in time-multiplex fashion to show hours, minutes and seconds. The multiplex driving circuit connects a minimum number of combinations of simple waveforms in proper phase to one or more of 16 strings of radial segments and to one or more of 8 backplane segments in a prescribed manner. Special radial segments are located so as to straddle the juncture of the backplane segments, in order to simplify circuit connections for using an hour hand which appears to be three segments wide.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece has a liquid crystal display device in which a plurality of liquid crystal display elements each in the shape of a time-indicating hand are radially arrayed and the liquid crystal display elements are selectively turned on responsive to time-divided time information. A set of counters produce the time data only during time adjustment when the contents in the counters are adjusted, predetermined time units of the time data are selected extending over a longer time than other remaining time units so that there is obtained a larger effective value of voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal display elements in comparison with the case of non-adjustment so that even if the time adjustment is quickly made, one may recognize a display portion which is sequentially turned on in response to the time data.

Abstract: An analogue display with a panel having an electro-optic medium contained between two sets of electrodes. One set is arranged in a plurality of segments each divided into inner and outer portions. Each portion is planar and has a plurality of digits. The digits of one portion are interposed alternate with, and in between, the digits of the other. The other set has a planar meander configuration modified by an electrode interposed in its folds. The sets of electrodes when registered one over the other define two subsets of different selectable index positions. Selected alternating voltages are applied simultaneously to the electrodes maintaining the panel ON at two selected index positions and OFF elsewhere a dial shaped display area which is other than circular or arcuate, e.g. Preferably the voltages are selected from the set (+2V, +V, -V) of RMS magnitudes (2V.sub.c, V.sub.c, V.sub.c) where V.sub.c is equal to the threshold voltage of the panel.

Abstract: An analogue display includes an electrical sensitive medium enclosed between two sets of electrodes. The two sets of electrodes are registered and overlap to provide background and one or more shaped index characters, each at a plurality of selectable positions. Voltage signals are applied to the electrodes so that the medium is held in an OFF state in the region between selected electrodes, while simultaneously voltage signals are applied so that in other regions of the medium, the medium is in an ON state. The medium may be of liquid crystal, electroluminescent or gaseous material. One set of electrodes may have a meander configuration, the other set a segmented configuration. The index character or characters may be displayed at one, two or three positions, each character being of different shape, for meter or timepiece applications. The voltage signals applied may be binary coded and in preference pseudo-random sequence binary codes.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having time indicating hands driven by a motor through a gear train, and having an analog-to-digital conversion system for time data comprising code disks rotated by the wheel train to provide hours and minutes information in digital coded form, together with means for converting this encoded digital information into digital signals representing hours and minutes information corresponding to the time information indicated by the hands and synchronized with the time indicated by the seconds hand of the timepiece.

Abstract: A self-luminescent light source for a liquid crystal display watch characterized by comprising a fluorescent substance layer which has a light reflectivity and which contains radioactive element promethium (.sup.

Abstract: In an electronic timepiece having a liquid crystal display and a dynamic driving circuit for producing a display driving signal having an effective driving voltage, the dynamic driving circuit is provided with a device for detecting the capacitance of the liquid crystal to sense a change in ambient temperature. The effective driving voltage of the display driving signal is adjusted in response to changes in the detecting capacitance and thereby the ambient temperature to compensate for the changes. In this way, the "on" voltage of the display is maintained above the saturation voltage and the "off" voltage of the display is maintained below the threshold voltage thereof over a wide temperature range so as to eliminate cross talk.

Abstract: A self-luminescent light source for a liquid crystal display watch characterized by comprising a fluorescent substance layer which has a light reflectivity and which contains a radioactive substance in at least a part thereof, a reflective layer which is disposed on one surface of the fluorescent substance layer and which serves to reflect and scatter fluorescence from the fluorescent substance layer, a case which is disposed on the side of the reflective layer remote from the fluorescent substance layer and which serves to perform shielding from radiation given out from the radioactive substance, and a cover which is disposed on the side of the fluorescent substance layer remote from the reflective layer and which serves to absorb the radiation given out from the radioactive substance and to transmit the light from the fluorescent substance layer.

Abstract: An electronic watch module structure adapted to be disposed and supported by a case body of the watch. The module structure comprises a plastic base which has a first axial recess formed on one side of the plastic base, a second axial recess formed on the other side of the plastic base, a circuit board disposed in the first axial recess, an electro-optical display cell disposed on one side of the circuit board, and retaining means for retaining the display cell in a fixed place relative to the circuit board.

Abstract: An electro-optical display device comprises electro-optical material sandwiched between a pair of substrates each having formed thereon electrodes. The electrodes on one substrate comprise a segment display electrode part comprised of a plurality of seven-segment electrodes, and a dot matrix display electrode part comprised of a plurality of parallel linear electrodes. The electrodes on the other substrate comprise a complementary counter electrode part corresponding to the segment display electrode part, and a complementary counter electrode part comprised of a plurality of parallel linear electrodes perpendicularly intersecting the linear electrodes formed on the other substrate. The electrode leads which are connected to some of the seven-segment electrodes also comprise some of the linear electrodes of the dot matrix display thereby reducing the overall number of separate electrodes and enabling construction of a more simple display device.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell for use in an electronic timepiece having an analog display of time by time indicating hands combined with a digital display, said liquid crystal display cell being of polygonal profile in plan, with one internal angle of said profile being in the range 180 degrees to 360 degrees.

Abstract: A display for an electronic timepiece or the like has an analog electro-optical display comprising a plurality of segment electrodes radially disposed about a center point and at least one first counterelectrode each bridging at least two radial segment electrodes and a digital electro-optical display comprising a plurality of digital electrodes which define at least one alphanumeric character and at least one second counterelectrode. By using at least two first counterelectrodes each having a different set of radial segment electrodes associated therewith and electrically connecting at least one radial segment electrode of one set in parallel with one radial segment electrode of the other set and in parallel with one digit electrode, the display may be driven in a time multiplex manner with a minimum number of external display connections.

Abstract: An electronic watch adapting a matrix drive display system. An electronic watch comprises a single voltage level power source serving as the energy source for a circuit of the watch, a matrix drive type liquid crystal display device providing digital indications of times by means of line and column electrodes, a crystal oscillator producing a time reference signal, a frequency divider circuit dividing said time reference signal into time unit signals, a time keeping counter counting the time unit signals to provide a time keeping signal, matrix drive circuit means converting said time keeping signal into drive signals for said line and column electrodes and pitch measurement signal transmission means act on the matrix drive circuit means to momentarily supply at least some of the wave forms of outputs of the time line and column electrode drive signals.

Abstract: An electro-optical time-indicating system displays the time by simulating a clock using dial hands. The electrodes of a liquid crystal display are formed by radial track segments and the backing electrodes are subdivided into inner and outer electrodes. The driving of the track segments to indicate hours, minutes and seconds is accomplished by a time division multiplex technique. In order to keep the number of electrode terminals for the track segments to a minimum, the track segments are combined into L track segment cascades with L input terminals. The track segments are arranged in K twin sets such that, as viewed in the clockwise direction, an n.sup.th track segment (where n ranges from 1 to L) of one set of the twin sets is always connected with the L+1-n.sup.th track segment of the other set of a twin set. The inner backing electrodes are subdivided into M inner blocks with one terminal each, and the outer backing electrodes are divided into N outer blocks with one terminal each.

Abstract: A watch module construction including a digital display device composed of a liquid crystal display cell and an analog display device composed of time indicating hands. A cell support frame is disposed on one side of each of a base plate and a circuit board aligned substantially on the same plane as the base plate. The cell support frame has a first recess in which the liquid crystal display cell is disposed, and a second recess in which the time indicating hands are disposed. An IC chip is mounted on the other side of the circuit board in substantially axial alignment with the display cell, and a wheel train mechanism is disposed on the other side of the base plate in substantially axial alignment with the time indicating hands.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece, in particular, a battery-operated quartz wristwatch including a housing in which there is arranged an analog display mechanism as well as a liquid crystal display unit which facilitate a display of different time magnitudes. The display surface of the liquid crystal display is practically as large as the watch dial surface of the analog display mechanism. The liquid crystal display unit is arranged in the housing of the watch in front of so as to superimpose the analog display mechanism. Preferably, the liquid crystal display is transparent and constructed as a replacement for the usual watch crystal as the generally viewed protective cover for the watch housing.

Abstract: A digital watch including a clocking signal generator is disclosed wherein a control circuit provides phasing signals for multiplexing data representing seconds, minutes, hours, and date information in successive cycles to a visual display panel. In the normal mode of operation of the watch, minutes and hours are displayed. The watch further includes circuitry for selectively displaying seconds and date information as well as for setting the hours, minutes, and date. The aforementioned functions require the utilization of only three functional switches which may be incorporated into a stem of the watch. By selectively closing and opening one switch, as for example, pushing in and releasing the stem, seconds information is first displayed and then the date information is momentarily displayed for a predetermined interval after which the watch returns to a normal mode of operation of displaying hours and minutes.

Abstract: A chronometric indicator for a watch has concentric arrays of angularly equispaced electrodes and analog display segments. The electrodes are staggered relative to the display segments so that each electrode overlaps halves of two adjacent segments, so that by selective energization of the electrode and the segments any half can be optically activated. In addition a digital display is provided within the two annular arrays, with each digit segment of the display being connected to a respective analog segment. A common connection for this digital display can be energized simultaneously with any of the outer analog segments to cause the corresponding digit segment to glow. The overlapping arrays of electrodes and analog display segments are energized to indicate the hour and minute, and the digital display is energized to indicate the second.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having liquid crystal or light-emitting diode display elements provides a logic network for flickering a part or all segments of the display element at a plurality of repetition rates and duty cycles, whereby additional intelligence associated with the repetition rate and duty cycle is conveyed by the display element. The logic network gives priority of display to any one preselected supplemental flickering intelligence function when there is a coincident demand for more than one supplemental function for display. Flickering draws attention to the supplemental intelligence contained in an otherwise continuous display.

Abstract: A device for displaying variable and fixed indicia is provided by liquid crystal cells which give variable as well as fixed information. The variable and fixed information is in the form of alpha and/or numerical characters and/or punctuation characters, such as colons in a digital clock. The fixed characters are formed by members such as spacers which simultaneously space two carrier plates relative to one another as part of a liquid crystal cell. In a preferred embodiment, the display is a so-called twisted nematic display with spacers consisting of a glass solder enriched with a spacer element. The invention may be used in all types of displays having a relatively low tolerance of plate spacing and which contain fixed characters. It is particularly suited for liquid crystal displays in measuring equipment such, for example, as tachometers or watches.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display cell having an upper polarizing plate and at least two lower polarizing plates each of a different color, with the liquid crystal display portion being divided into display segment blocks of different colors, a structure of a multicolor liquid crystal display cell characterized in that a non-transparent member is integrally disposed on a transparent member that is used to construct the liquid crystal display cell and stacked on the boundary line between colors of adjacent display segment blocks so as to cover said boundary line.

Abstract: A number of analog type time displays for electronic watches and the like use electro-optical elements, such as liquid crystals, to present hour and minute hand positions. The embodiments use 12 and 24 hour elements to show the hour positions and to cooperate with 24 or 60 minute elements to show the minute positions. One set of embodiments uses 24 minute elements in combination with 12 or 24 hour elements to show 24 minute hand positions and, additionally, to indicate the other 36 minute positions as one minute before or after the 24 minute hand positions by periodically turning on the before or after adjacent minute element. Another set of embodiments uses 60 minute elements shaped to combine with 12 or 24 hour elements to form 60 different minute hands. The hour elements in the latter set are shaped to effectively function as part of 2, 3, and 5 minute hands. One of the embodiments uses a combination of elements for each hour hand to provide a better shaped hand with a greater area.

Abstract: A digital display for an electronic timepiece having first visual indication display segments peripherally disposed around numerical display digits for selectively indicating predetermined integral time zones corresponding to the time displayed by the numerical display digits and further visual indication display segments for discriminating time zones that are not integrally related to the time zones indicated by the first indication display segments is provided. The display is characterized by a bezel surrounding the plurality of visual indication display segments, the bezel having a plurality of first distinct indicia disposed therearound. Each of the first indicia are disposed proximate to the position of the first visual indication display segments to identify the predetermined global time zone selectively indicated thereby. At least one second indicia is disposed on the bezel intermediate a pair of first indicia.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, especially, for use in a liquid crystal display watch is disclosed, which is provided with a liquid crystal display element and a reflector comprising a luminescent phosphor, and only in a limited partial area of the reflector corresponding to a specified display portion which should be visible in the dark or at night in the whole time display area of the liquid crystal display element, the luminescent phosphor includes a radioactive nuclide such as promethium (.sup.147 Pm) or tritium (.sup.3 H).

Abstract: A watch, and more particularly a wristwatch is disclosed in which the hours are only displayed in an analog manner and the minutes are only displayed in a digital manner. In the suggested display concept, the time of day is not illustrated in multiple fashion, but rather in a partially analog and partially digital manner. An analog hour display immediately provides a first overview completely sufficing in many cases, whereas a precise display for minutes and, if necessary, for seconds in digital form supplements the feeling for time provided by the hour display with effortless precision. The analog display is advantageously formed by chronologically, consecutively actuated, luminescence elements normally grouped in the shape of a wreath ("quasi-analog display").

Abstract: An electronic system, such as an electronic timepiece, utilizes multi-level, integrated injection logic circuitry and a liquid crystal display. A low-power voltage regulator is provided for driving the liquid crystal display which has a negative temperature coefficient. The voltage regulator provides a negative temperature coefficient which tracks the negative temperature coefficient of the liquid crystal display by utilizing the multi-levels of the integrated injection logic circuit to provide the electrical equivalent of a plurality of series-connected diodes without additional current drain.

Abstract: A chronometric indicator has a multidigit display each of whose digits is formed by a plurality of individually energizable digit segments having respective digit-segment connections and having a common digit-display connection so that simultaneous energization of the common connection with any of the digit-segment connections will optically activiate the respective digit segments. An annular array of sixty angularly equispaced analog display segments surrounds the multidigit display and has an analog-segment connection for each part and inner and outer rings subdividing the analog display segments into inner and outer parts. Simultaneous energization of the inner or outer rings and one of the analog-segment connections will optically activate the corresponding inner or outer part. Each of the digit-display connections is connected to a respective one of the analog display segments.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display electronic wristwatch having a lamp therein to illuminate the liquid crystal display mounted in the watch case beneath the display panel so as to overlap with the display and cover glass in plan view. Wristwatches constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention may be of reduced size without having to reduce the size of the display panel.

Abstract: A horological instrument includes a liquid crystal electro-optical display which simulates the movement of hands about a center by activating circumferentially spaced radial conductive segments. Generally, for the liquid crystal material between two corresponding segments to be activated an electrical potential must be applied between the segments which is, typically to achieve full brightness, substantially greater than the activation voltage of the liquid crystal material. The present invention effects activation of a selected segment-hand by applying an electrical potential, predetermined greater than the activation voltage, between the selected segment-hand and a corresponding segment or electrode.