Display having addressable characters

Abstract

An addressable display comprises a woven article including functional yarn woven therein, each functional yarn having an addressable device for controlling display elements thereon. Addressing signals applied via conductive yarn of the woven article address the addressable devices of the functional yarn for selectively energizing the display elements.

1 . An addressable display embodied in a woven article comprising: 
 a plurality of yarn interwoven to define a woven article;    a plurality of electrically functional yarn woven into the woven article adjacent each other in one of the warp and the weft of the woven article, wherein groups of adjacent ones of said plurality of electrically functional yarn define plural adjacent characters;    each of said electrically functional yarn including: 
 an elongate electronic substrate having electrical conductors thereon and a plurality of electrical contact sites connecting to ones of said electrical conductors,  
 a plurality of display elements disposed along said electronic substrate, and  
 an addressable electronic device on said substrate connected to said electrical contact sites and to said plurality of display elements via said electrical conductors for controllably energizing said plurality of display elements responsive to electrical power and electrical control signals applied to said electrical contact sites;  
   a plurality of electrically conductive yarn woven into the woven article in a direction transverse to said plurality of electrically functional yarn, wherein ones of said plurality of electrically conductive yarn overlie and make respective electrical contact with at least two of the electrical contact sites of said plurality of electrically functional yarn;    insulating yarn woven into the woven article in a direction transverse to said plurality of said electrically functional yarn and between ones of said electrically conductive yarn, whereby the ones of said electrically conductive yarn are electrically insulated from each other;    a first of said plurality of electrically conductive yarn for receiving a source of electrical power connected thereto, whereby electrical power is applied to the addressable electronic devices of each of said plurality of electrically functional yarn via the first electrically conductive yarn; and    a second of said plurality of electrically conductive yarn for receiving electrical control signals for addressing said addressable electronic devices for controllably energizing selected ones of said plurality of display elements of said electrically functional yarn,    whereby electrical power and electrical control signals may be applied to said plurality of electrically functional yarn for controllably energizing ones of said plurality of display elements responsive to the electrical control signals applied to said addressable electronic devices.    
     
     
         2 . The addressable display of  claim 1  wherein the addressable electronic devices of the electrically functional yarn defining an addressable character have the same address, and wherein that address is different from the addresses of the electrically functional yarn defining any other addressable character, whereby each addressable character is addressed by one address.  
     
     
         3 . The addressable display of  claim 2  wherein the address of said addressable electronic device is determined either (a) prior to said addressable electronic device being on said substrate, or (b) after said addressable electronic device is on said substrate.  
     
     
         4 . The addressable display of  claim 2  wherein the address of said addressable electronic device determined after said addressable electronic device is on said substrate is determined either (a) prior to said electrically functional yarn being woven into said woven article or (b) after said electrically functional yarn is woven into said woven article.  
     
     
         5 . The addressable display of  claim 1  wherein each of the adjacent characters comprises a plurality of column groups of one or more adjacent functional yarn, and wherein the addressable electronic devices of said electrically functional yarn defining a column group has the same address, and wherein that address is different from the addresses of the electrically functional yarn defining any other column group, whereby each addressable character is addressed by a number of addresses of like number to the number of column groups thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The addressable display of  claim 5  wherein the address of said addressable electronic device is determined either (a) prior to said addressable electronic device being on said substrate, or (b) after said addressable electronic device is on said substrate.  
     
     
         7 . The addressable display of  claim 5  wherein the address of said addressable electronic device determined after said addressable electronic device is on said substrate is determined either (a) prior to said electrically functional yarn being woven into said woven article or (b) after said electrically functional yarn is woven into said woven article.  
     
     
         8 . The addressable display of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a common substrate on which said woven article is disposed;    at least one additional woven article as set forth in  claim 1  disposed on said common substrate;    a first electrical conductor of said common substrate coupled to the respective first electrically conductive yarn of each of said woven articles for coupling electrical power thereto; and    a second electrical conductor of said common substrate coupled to the respective second electrically conductive yarn of each of said woven articles for coupling electrical control signals thereto; and    whereby electrically power and electrical control signals are applied via the electrical conductors of said common substrate for addressing said addressable electronic devices for controllably energizing selected ones of said plurality of display elements of said electrically functional yarn of said woven article and of said additional woven article.    
     
     
         9 . The addressable display of  claim 8  wherein the characters defined by said woven article are of like shape and size to the characters defined by said at least one additional woven article, or wherein the characters defined by said woven article are of different shape or are of different size or are of different shape and size than the characters defined by said at least one additional woven article.  
     
     
         10 . An addressable display comprising: 
 a woven article including electrically conductive yarn woven transversely to functional yarn woven therein for defining a display having one or more character regions;    each functional yarn having an addressable device and plural display elements thereon, wherein the addressable device is responsive to addressing signals received via said electrically conductive yarn for selectively controlling energization of the plural display elements;    wherein adjacent ones of said functional yarn define a character region of the display or define column groups defining a character region of the display; and    said electrically conductive yarn of the woven article conducting addressing signals to serially address said addressable devices of said functional yarn for selectively energizing said plural display elements thereof.    
     
     
         11 . The addressable display of  claim 10  wherein the addressable devices of the functional yarn defining a character region have the same address, and wherein that address is different from the addresses of the functional yarn defining any other character region, whereby each character region is addressed by one address.  
     
     
         12 . The addressable display of  claim 11  wherein the address of said addressable device is determined either (a) prior to said addressable device being on said functional yarn, or (b) after said addressable device is on said functional yarn.  
     
     
         13 . The addressable display of  claim 11  wherein the address of said addressable device determined after said addressable device is on said functional yarn is determined either (a) prior to said functional yarn being woven into said woven article or (b) after said functional yarn is woven into said woven article.  
     
     
         14 . The addressable display of  claim 10  wherein the addressable devices of the functional yarn defining a column group have the same address, and wherein that address is different from the addresses of the functional yarn defining any other column group, whereby each character region is addressed by a number of addresses of like number to the number of column groups thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The addressable display of  claim 14  wherein the address of said addressable device is determined either (a) prior to said addressable device being on said functional yarn, or (b) after said addressable device is on said functional yarn.  
     
     
         16 . The addressable display of  claim 14  wherein the address of said addressable device determined after said addressable device is on said functional yarn is determined either (a) prior to said functional yarn being woven into said woven article or (b) after said functional yarn is woven into said woven article.  
     
     
         17 . The addressable display of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 a common substrate on which said woven article is disposed;    at least one additional woven article as set forth in  claim 10  disposed on said common substrate;    a first electrical conductor of said common substrate coupled to a respective first electrically conductive yarn of each of said woven articles for coupling electrical power thereto; and    a second electrical conductor of said common substrate coupled to a respective second electrically conductive yarn of each of said woven articles for coupling electrical control signals thereto,    whereby electrically power and electrical control signals are applied via the electrical conductors of said common substrate for addressing said addressable devices for controllably energizing selected ones of said plural display elements of said functional yarn of said woven article and of said additional woven article.    
     
     
         18 . The addressable display of  claim 17  wherein the characters defined by said woven article are of like shape and size to the characters defined by said at least one additional woven article, or wherein the characters defined by said woven article are of different shape or are of different size or are of different shape and size than the characters defined by said at least one additional woven article.  
     
     
         19 . A method for providing an addressable display embodied in a woven article having a plurality of functional yarn woven therein, wherein each functional yarn includes an addressable device and plural display elements, wherein the addressable device has an address and is responsive to addressing signals including that address for selectively controlling energization of the plural display elements, said method comprising: 
 providing functional yarn including the addressable device and plural display elements;    weaving the functional yarn into the woven article in defined positions or order;    providing a list or table of the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn in relation to its position or order in the woven article from which addressing signals may be generated,    whereby the list or table of addresses may be employed for generating addressing signals including the address of the addressable device of a particular functional yarn for selectively controlling energization of the plural display elements thereon.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn is unknown at said weaving the functional yarn into the woven article, the method after said weaving further comprising: 
 determining the address and position or order of each functional yarn in the woven article; and    storing the determined address and position or order in the list or table of addresses.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn is known at said weaving the functional yarn into the woven article, and wherein said providing a list or table of the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn in relation to its position or order in the woven article comprises: 
 recording the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn in the list or table of addresses in the order in which the functional yarn are woven into the woven article.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said providing functional yarn includes: 
 providing functional yarn in an order having a known sequence of addresses of the addressable devices thereon; or    determining the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn before or in conjunction with said weaving the functional yarn into the woven article.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn is programmable but is not programmed at said weaving the functional yarn into the woven article, and 
 wherein said providing a list or table of the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn in relation to its position or order in the woven article includes providing a predetermined list or table of addresses in relation to position or order in the woven article;    the method after said weaving further comprising:    programming the address of the addressable device of each functional yarn in accordance with the predetermined list or table of addresses in relation to position or order in the woven article.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said providing functional yarn includes providing functional yarn of different types; and wherein said weaving the functional yarn into the woven article in defined positions or order includes selecting functional yarn by particular type in a sequence of types for defining a character or for defining column groups of a character.