Appeal No. 96-2752
Application 08/224,202
the application.
The invention pertains to a message display sign. Claim 1 is illustrative and reads as
follows:
1. A variable message display sign having a power source and operative to display a
variable message, comprising:
(a) a plurality of interchangeable character displays each having a plurality of signal
elements organized in a plurality of distinct sets, each said signal element having an on state and an off
state;
(b) a controller located remotely from said character displays and operative to produce
an address signal containing character address data for identifying an addressed character display which
resides at a desired address location within said message display sign, a set signal containing set
address data for identifying an addressed set of signal elements and a data signal containing display data
corresponding to desired on/off states for each signal element in the addressed state;
(c) a logic circuit associated with each of said character displays and having a unique
character address therefor, each said logic circuit secured to a respective one of said character displays
and having a memory operative in response to the address signal containing character address data
corresponding to the unique character address of said logic circuit to receive and store the display data
according to the set address data for an addressed set of signal elements, said logic circuit operative to
switch the signal elements of its associated character display to a desired pattern of on/off states
according to the display data stored in said memory thereby to display a desired character irrespective
of which one of said plurality of character displays resides at the desired address location; and
(d) a data bus interconnected [sic] said controller and said logic circuits whereby said
character address data, said set address data and said display data is communicated.
2
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Last modified: November 3, 2007