Signal indicating lamp, method for indicating operation state of equipment and bistable display

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a signal indicating lamp, a method for indicating the operation state of equipment and a bistable display. The indicator light includes: a bistable display including a bistable display panel and a light source, the display panel being switchable between a reflection state in which a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the display panel and a transmission state in which the predetermined pattern is blanked; the bistable display driving module is used for providing switching voltage for the display panel; a power supply module; the light source driving module is connected to the power supply module and is used for driving the light source under the condition that the power supply module is normally electrified; an energy storage module; the power failure management module is connected to the power supply module, the bistable display driving module and the energy storage module, and is used for supplying power to the display driving module and charging the energy storage module by using the electric energy of the power supply module under the condition that the power supply module is normally electrified; under the condition that the power supply module is powered down, the electric energy of the energy storage module is used for supplying power to the display driving module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of electrical equipment, and more particularly, to a signal indicator light, a method for indicating an operating state of an electrical equipment using the signal indicator light, and a bi-stable display. Background Art

[0002] Signal indicator lights are widely used in industrial sites and instruments. Indicator lights can indicate different working states of equipment by displaying different colors or using different flashing frequencies, so that on-site workers or visual perception devices can clearly distinguish the current working state of the equipment and perform corresponding operations in time to ensure the reliable operation of the equipment. The operation of indicator lights usually requires electrical drive, such as on-site power supply or battery power supply. In the absence of electricity, indicator lights usually do not indicate anything. How to ensure that signal indicator lights can indicate the operating state of the equipment when the electrical equipment is powered on or off is crucial to the safety and continuity of electricity use. Summary of the invention

[0003] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, a signal indicator light is provided for indicating the operating state of an electrical device. The signal indicator light comprises: a bistable display, comprising a bistable display panel and a light source, wherein the bistable display panel can switch between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the drive of a switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; a bistable display driving module, configured to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel; a power module; a light source driving module, connected to the power module, and configured to drive the light source based on a light source control signal when the power module is normally powered on; an energy storage module; a power-off management module, connected to the power module, the bistable display driving module and the energy storage module, and configured to use the power of the power module to power the bistable display driving module and charge the energy storage module when the power module is normally powered on, and to use the power of the energy storage module to power the bistable display driving module when the power module is powered off.

[0004] In some embodiments, the light source control signal includes at least one of a light source color switching signal, a flickering frequency switching signal, and a light source switch signal, and driving the light source based on the light source control signal includes at least one of the following: changing the color of the light source based on the light source color switching signal; changing the flickering frequency of the light source based on the flickering frequency switching signal; and turning on or off the light source based on the light source switch signal.

[0005] In some embodiments, the light source driving module is further configured to: drive the light source to display a warning color or turn off the light source when a fault occurs in the electrical device.

[0006] In some embodiments, the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module is normally powered on, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel based on an icon switching signal to switch the bistable display panel between the reflective state and the transmissive state.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bistable display panel is configured to display different predetermined patterns in the reflective state in response to the switching voltage applied via different icon display electrodes, and wherein the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module is normally powered on, based on the icon switching signal, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel via one or more icon display electrodes so that the bistable display panel displays one or more predetermined patterns in the reflective state.

[0008] In some embodiments, the bistable display driving module is further configured to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the transmission state to the reflection state when the power module changes from a normal power-on state to a power-off state.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when a fault occurs in the electrical device, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the transmissive state to the reflective state to indicate the fault type.

[0010] In some embodiments, the bistable display driving module is further configured to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the reflective state to the transmissive state when the power module changes from the power-off state to the normal power-on state.

[0011] In some embodiments, the energy storage module includes an energy storage capacitor.

[0012] In some embodiments, the power-off management module includes: a power input terminal, connected to the power module to receive electric energy from the power module; a charging unit, connected to the power input terminal and configured to charge the energy storage module using the electric energy of the power module when the power module is normally powered on; a power supply unit, connected to the power input terminal and the energy storage module, and configured to power the bistable display driving module using the electric energy of the power module when the power module is normally powered on, and to power the bistable display driving module using the electric energy of the energy storage module when the power module is powered off; and a power-off monitoring unit, connected to the power input terminal and configured to generate a power-off signal indicating that the power module is powered off when the power module is powered off.

[0013] In some embodiments, the charging unit includes a diode D1 and a resistor R1, which are connected in series between the power input terminal and the energy storage module; the power supply unit includes a diode D2 and a diode D3, the diode D2 is connected between the power input terminal and the bistable display driving module, and the diode D3 is connected between the energy storage module and the bistable display driving module; and the power-off monitoring unit includes a resistor R4 and a resistor R5, which are connected in series between the power input terminal and ground, and the node between the resistor R4 and the resistor R5 is connected to the bistable display driving module to provide the power-off signal when the power module loses power.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bistable display driving module includes: a boosting unit, connected to the power supply unit and configured to boost the voltage output by the power supply unit; at least one pair of switching devices, each pair of switching devices is connected in series between the output end of the boosting unit and the ground, each pair of switching devices includes a high-side switching device connected to the output end of the boosting unit and a low-side switching device connected to the ground, and the node between each pair of switching devices is connected to the icon display electrode to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel; and a control unit, connected to the control end of the at least one pair of switching devices, and configured to control the on-off state of the at least one pair of switching devices based on the icon switching signal or the power-off signal to provide the corresponding switching voltage to the bistable display panel.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control unit includes a high-side control unit and at least one low-side control unit. The high-side control unit includes: a resistor R2 and a resistor R3, which are connected in series between the power supply unit and the ground; a NOT gate U1, whose input end is connected to the node between the resistor R2 and the resistor R3; an AND gate U2, whose first input end is an icon switching control end for receiving the icon switching signal, and whose second input end is connected to the power-off monitoring unit to receive the power-off signal; an OR gate U3, whose first input end is connected to the output end of the AND gate U2, whose second input end is connected to the output end of the NOT gate U1, and whose output end is connected to the control end of each high-side switch device. Each low-side control unit is used to control the on-off state of the corresponding low-side switch device and includes: a latch, whose input end is an icon control end for receiving an icon selection signal; an AND gate, whose first input end is connected to the output end of the OR gate U3, whose second input end is connected to the output end of the latch, whose output end is connected to the control end of the corresponding low-side switch device and is connected to the ground via a resistor and a capacitor, and the node between the resistor and the capacitor is connected to the reset end of the latch.

[0016] In some embodiments, the bistable display further includes a light guide plate and a substrate film, wherein the light guide plate is disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the bistable display panel and extends parallel to the bistable display panel, the light source is disposed at an end of the light guide plate and is configured to emit light toward the light guide plate, and the substrate film covers a surface of the light guide plate that is opposite to the bistable display panel.

[0017] In some embodiments, the substrate film is printed, coated or adhered on the surface of the light guide plate, and / or the substrate film is black.

[0018] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for indicating the operating status of an electrical device using a signal indicator light is provided, comprising: when a power module of the signal indicator light is normally powered on, using the electric energy of the power module to power a bistable display driving module, the bistable display driving module being configured to provide a switching voltage to a bistable display panel of the signal indicator light, the bistable display panel being capable of switching between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the drive of the switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; when the power module is normally powered on, using the electric energy of the power module to charge an energy storage module of the signal indicator light; and when the power module is powered off, using the electric energy of the energy storage module to power the bistable display driving module.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining whether the electrical device fails; if the electrical device does not fail, driving the light source of the signal indicator light based on a light source control signal; if the electrical device does not fail, providing a switching voltage to the bistable display panel of the signal indicator light based on an icon switching signal to switch the bistable display panel between a reflective state and a transmissive state, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; if the electrical device fails, driving the light source to display a warning color or turning off the light source; and if the electrical device fails, providing a switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from a transmissive state to a reflective state to indicate the type of fault.

[0020] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a bistable display is provided, comprising: a bistable display panel capable of switching between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the drive of a switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; a light guide plate disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the bistable display panel and extending parallel to the bistable display panel; a light source disposed at an end of the light guide plate and configured to emit light toward the light guide plate; and a substrate film covering a surface of the light guide plate facing away from the bistable display panel.

[0021] In some embodiments, the bi-stable display panel is configured to display different predetermined patterns in the reflective state in response to switching voltages applied via different icon display electrodes.

[0022] In some embodiments, the substrate film is printed, coated or adhered on the surface of the light guide plate, and / or the substrate film is black.

[0023] It should be understood that the content described in this content section is not intended to limit the key features or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other features, advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of a signal indicator light according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a bi-stable display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein Figure 2 The bistable display panel in the embodiment is in the transmissive state, while Figure 3 The bistable display panel in is in a reflective state;

[0027] Figure 4 A circuit schematic diagram of a power-off management module, an energy storage module, and a bistable display driving module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 A flow chart of driving a signal indicator lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0030] As used herein, the term "including" and its variations mean open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "an example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects.

[0031] Unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0032] As mentioned above, ensuring that the signal indicator light can indicate the operating status of the equipment when the electrical equipment is powered on or off is crucial to the safety and continuity of electricity use.

[0033] Conventional signal indicator lights usually include light sources such as bulbs or LED lights of various colors, which are connected to a driving circuit through leads. Electric current can be passed through one or more of the light sources of various colors as needed, and the light sources will emit light of the color specified by the user. The disadvantages of this signal indicator light are that the information prompt is too simple, and the user sometimes does not know the meaning of the color or flashing of the indicator light, and requires advance training, and the signal indicator light does not give any indication when there is no electricity.

[0034] As user needs continue to deepen, sometimes it is hoped that the indicator light can provide not only color and flashing indications, but also text or icon indications, so that users can more easily understand the current working status of the equipment. In addition, when the indicator light has no power, it is also hoped that the text and icon indications can be maintained to maintain the display and maintain the indication of certain specific signal states of electrical equipment, such as equipment fault warnings, to facilitate the understanding and rapid diagnosis of equipment maintenance personnel. The most common application of text and icons is the indication of equipment fault type. For example, in a low-voltage power distribution system, if the circuit breaker trips and cuts off power due to a fault, if the indicator light of the circuit breaker can keep the trip warning icon indication, the on-site staff can quickly find the circuit breaker in the tripped state and identify the type of line fault according to the icon or text display. In this way, the line and cause of the trip can be quickly located so that effective measures can be taken to quickly troubleshoot the fault and ensure the safety and continuity of electricity use.

[0035] Conventional bistable displays can maintain a certain color display without power, but they are reflective displays that rely on reflecting ambient light to display colors, and usually do not have backlight. If a conventional bistable display is used to indicate the various states of a device when it is powered on, the brightness is very weak, so it cannot be used as a signal indicator when the device is working normally.

[0036] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a signal indicator light that can keep the status prompt in the power-off state, so that the indicator light can display the specified color or flashing frequency and the text prompt or icon of the device status according to the user's needs when the power is on, and the indicator light can keep displaying the text prompt or icon of the device status when the device is powered off, so that the user can quickly diagnose and eliminate the device fault and ensure the safety and continuity of electricity use. Figures 1 to 5 The principles of the present disclosure are described.

[0037] Figure 1 The structure block diagram of the signal indicator light 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The signal indicator light 100 is used to indicate the operating status of various electrical devices, such as circuit breakers, air switches, production line equipment, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the signal indicator light 100 described herein generally includes a bistable display 10 , a bistable display driving module 20 , a power module 30 , a light source driving module 40 , an energy storage module 50 and a power failure management module 60 .

[0039] In one embodiment, the bi-stable display 10 includes a bi-stable display panel 101 and a light source 103 .

[0040] The bistable display panel 101 can switch between the reflective state and the transmissive state under the drive of the switching voltage. Both the reflective state and the transmissive state can remain stable without the need for electricity, and only when you want to switch between the two states, you need to power on and drive. The bistable display panel 101 can reflect ambient light and present an inherent color in the reflective state, so that a pre-designed predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel 101. When designing the bistable display panel 101, the material of the bistable display panel 101 can be adjusted to adjust the inherent color of the reflective state, thereby obtaining the required color. When the indicator light is powered on and no icon switching signal is received, the bistable display driver module 20 can send a drive signal to put the bistable display panel 101 in the transmissive state, and the predetermined pattern is blanked, so that the light emitted by the light source 103 can pass through the bistable display panel 101 to realize the light indication. As an example, the predetermined pattern can include at least one of text and icons to indicate the operating state of the electrical device. It should be understood that the predetermined pattern can also be other types, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this. In addition, according to user needs, multiple predetermined patterns can be designed on the bistable display panel 101 to indicate different operating states of the electrical device. The bistable display panel 101 can display different predetermined patterns in the reflective state in response to switching voltages applied via different icon display electrodes.

[0041] The light source 103 can indicate the operating state of the electrical device in various available ways, such as displaying different colors, presenting different flashing frequencies, or changing the switch state. In one embodiment, the light source 103 may include one or more LED lamps. For example, the light source 103 may include LED lamps of multiple colors to indicate different operating states of the electrical device by displaying different colors. It should be understood that the light source 103 may use any other suitable type of lamp, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0042] like Figure 1As shown, the bistable display driving module 20 is connected to the bistable display 10 to provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101, so as to drive the bistable display panel 101 to switch between the reflective state and the transmissive state. For example, when the power module 30 is normally powered on, the bistable display driving module 20 can receive an icon switching signal via the user interface 70, and the icon switching signal can provide a text or icon switch signal for the signal indicator 10. The bistable display driving module 20 can provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101 based on the signal, so that the bistable display panel 101 switches between the reflective state and the transmissive state, thereby controlling the display state of a predetermined pattern on the bistable display panel 101.

[0043] In one embodiment, when a plurality of predetermined patterns are designed on the bistable display panel 101, the bistable display driving module 20 may be configured to: when the power module 30 is powered on normally, based on the icon switching signal, provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101 via one or more icon display electrodes, so that the bistable display panel 101 displays one or more predetermined patterns in the reflective state. The exemplary arrangement of the plurality of icon display electrodes and the exemplary display methods of different predetermined patterns on the bistable display panel 101 will be described below in conjunction with Figure 4 Describe in detail.

[0044] In one embodiment, when the power module 30 changes from a normal power-on state to a power-off state, the bistable display driving module 20 can provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101 to switch the bistable display panel 101 from a transmission state to a reflection state, thereby displaying a corresponding predetermined pattern to indicate the power-off reason of the electrical device. For example, when a fault occurs in the electrical device, the bistable display driving module 20 can provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101 to switch the bistable display panel 101 from a transmission state to a reflection state to indicate the type of fault.

[0045] In one embodiment, the bistable display driving module 20 is further configured to: when the power module 30 changes from the power-off state to the normal power-on state, provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101 to switch the bistable display panel 101 from the reflective state to the transmissive state. In this way, when the power module 30 resumes power supply, the bistable display panel 101 can be placed in the transmissive state so that all predetermined patterns are blanked. Subsequently, according to user needs, the bistable display panel 101 can be turned into the reflective state based on the icon switching signal to display the corresponding predetermined pattern.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, the light source driving module 40 is connected to the power module 30 and can receive the light source control signal via the user interface 70. When the power module 30 is normally powered on, the power module 30 can use the power signal received via the user interface 70 to power the light source driving module 40 and the power failure management module 60. The light source driving module 40 can drive the light source 103 based on the light source control signal so that the light source 103 presents different states, thereby indicating different operating states of the electrical device. For example, the light source driving module 40 can drive the light source 103 to display different colors, present different flashing frequencies, or change the switch state to indicate different states of the electrical device.

[0047] In one embodiment, the light source control signal includes at least one of a light source color switching signal, a flicker frequency switching signal, and a light source switch signal. Accordingly, the light source driving module 40 can drive the light source 103 in at least one of the following ways: changing the color of the light source 103 based on the light source color switching signal, changing the flicker frequency of the light source 103 based on the flicker frequency switching signal, and turning on or off the light source 103 based on the light source switch signal. In this way, the light source 103 can present different states to indicate different operating states of the electrical device.

[0048] In one embodiment, when an electrical device fails, the light source driving module 40 can drive the light source 103 to display a warning color or turn off the light source 103 so that on-site staff or visual perception equipment can clearly distinguish the current working status of the device.

[0049] In actual applications, it is often the case that the icon switching signal is received and the power module 30 loses power almost simultaneously, such as the tripping protection when the power line has overvoltage, overcurrent and short circuit faults. At the moment these fault signals appear, the power line is also powered off, and the state switching of the text or icon of the bistable display 10 has not yet been completed. Figure 1As shown, in order to ensure that the bistable display driver module 20 has enough time to complete the state switching of the text or icon of the bistable display 10 after the power line is powered off, the power-off management module 60 is connected to the power module 30, the bistable display driver module 20 and the energy storage module 50. When the power module 30 is normally powered on, the power-off management module 60 can use the power of the power module 30 to power the bistable display driver module 20 and charge the energy storage module 50 at the same time. When the power module 30 is powered off, the power-off management module 60 can use the power of the energy storage module 50 to power the bistable display driver module 20. With this arrangement, when the indicator light is powered on, the power-off management module 60 charges the energy storage module 50 while powering the bistable display driver module 20; when the voltage of the power supply line is lower than the preset value, that is, when the power is off, the power-off management module 60 switches the switch of the energy storage module 50 so that it powers the bistable display driver module 20 to complete the state switching process of the icon of the bistable display 10.

[0050] In some embodiments, the energy storage module 50 includes an energy storage capacitor. It should be understood that the energy storage module 50 may include any appropriate type of energy storage element, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the bi-stable display 10 further includes a light guide plate 102 and a substrate film 104 . Figure 2 and Figure 3 An exemplary structure of such a bi-stable display 10 is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the bistable display panel 101, the light guide plate 102, the light source 103 and the substrate film 104 are generally surrounded and supported by the housing 105. The bistable display panel 101 is at the front of the bistable display 10, facing the user. There are pre-designed texts, icons or other types of patterns in the bistable display panel 101, which can be displayed or hidden under the action of the bistable display driving module 20 for the user to observe. The light guide plate 102 is arranged adjacent to the inner surface of the bistable display panel 101 and extends in parallel with the bistable display panel 101. The light source 103 is arranged at the end of the light guide plate 102 to emit light toward the light guide plate 102. By arranging the light guide plate 102 to guide the light emitted by the light source 103, a surface light source can be formed, so that the light indication of the bistable display 10 is more easily perceived by the staff or the sensing device. The substrate film 104 covers the surface of the light guide plate 102 facing away from the bistable display panel 101. The substrate film 104 can improve the contrast of the text or icon in the bistable display 10, making the color of the text or icon more obvious. The substrate film 104 can be printed, coated or pasted on the surface of the light guide plate 102, or formed on the surface of the light guide plate 102 in any other appropriate manner. The substrate film 104 can be black, which can provide a strong display contrast for the text or icon. It should be understood that the substrate film 104 can be any other appropriate color, as long as the text or icon displayed by the bistable display panel 101 in the reflective state can be clearly presented, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, when the bistable display panel 101 is in the transmissive state, the light emitted by the light source 103 can be guided by the light guide plate 102 to pass through the bistable display panel 101, thereby providing a light indication of the operating state of the electrical device. Figure 3 As shown, when the bistable display panel 101 is in the reflective state, natural light is incident on the bistable display panel 101, and after being reflected by the predetermined pattern, a colored reflected light is formed, so that the predetermined pattern can be presented on the bistable display panel 101, providing, for example, text or icon indications. In other words, the predetermined pattern has a light shielding effect, so that the user can see the text or icon indication against the background of the light source 103. In addition, under the action of the substrate film 104, the display contrast of the text or icon in the bistable display 10 can be improved, making the color of the text or icon more obvious. Both the transmission state and the reflection state are stable states of the bistable display panel 101, and do not require continuous electrical energy to maintain. Therefore, in the reflective state, when the power module 30 is powered off, the text or icon will still be presented on the bistable display panel 101, and will not disappear, so that the bistable display 10 can maintain the text or icon indication even when the power is off.

[0053] Figure 4 A circuit schematic diagram of a power-off management module 60 , an energy storage module 50 , and a bistable display driving module 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0054] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the power-off management module 60 includes a power input terminal IN, a charging unit 601, a power supply unit 602, and a power-off monitoring unit 603. The power input terminal IN is connected to the power module 30 to receive the electric energy of the power module 30. The charging unit 601 is connected to the power input terminal IN to charge the energy storage module 50 with the electric energy of the power module 30 when the power module 30 is normally powered on. The energy storage module 50 may include an energy storage capacitor C1. The power supply unit 602 is connected to the power input terminal IN and the energy storage module 50. When the power module 30 is normally powered on, the power supply unit 602 can use the electric energy of the power module 30 to power the bistable display driving module 20. When the power module 30 is powered off, the power supply unit 602 can use the electric energy of the energy storage module 50 to power the bistable display driving module 20. The power-off monitoring unit 603 is connected to the power input terminal IN to generate a power-off signal for indicating that the power module 30 is powered off when the power module 30 is powered off.

[0055] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the charging unit 601 includes a diode D1 and a resistor R1, which are connected in series between the power input terminal IN and the energy storage module 50. When the power module 30 is powered normally, the energy storage module 50 can be charged by the power of the power module 30 via the diode D1 and the resistor R1.

[0056] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the power supply unit 602 includes a diode D2 and a diode D3. The diode D2 is connected between the power input terminal IN and the bistable display driving module 20. The diode D3 is connected between the energy storage module 50 and the bistable display driving module 20. When the power module 30 is normally powered on, the power supply unit 602 can use the power of the power module 30 to power the bistable display driving module 20 via the diode D2. When the power module 30 is powered off, the power supply unit 602 can use the power of the energy storage module 50 to power the bistable display driving module 20 via the diode D3.

[0057] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the power failure monitoring unit 603 includes a resistor R4 and a resistor R5 connected in series between the power input terminal IN and the ground GND. The node between the resistor R4 and the resistor R5 is connected to the bistable display driving module 20 to provide a power failure signal when the power module 30 fails to power.

[0058] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the charging unit 601, the power supply unit 602 and the power failure monitoring unit 603 may have any other appropriate structures, which can also implement the functions of the power failure management module 60, and these implementations also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the bistable display driving module 20 includes a boost unit U7, paired switching devices M1 / Q1, M2 / Q2, M3 / Q3 and a control unit 21. The boost unit U7 is connected to the power supply unit 602 to boost the voltage output by the power supply unit 602, thereby providing a voltage VLCD at which the bistable display panel 101 can work. Each pair of switching devices is connected in series between the output end of the boost unit U7 and the ground GND. Each pair of switching devices includes a high-side switching device connected to the output end of the boost unit U7 and a low-side switching device connected to the ground GND. Switching devices M1, M2 and M3 are high-side switching devices, and switching devices Q1, Q2 and Q3 are low-side switching devices. The node between each pair of switching devices is connected to the icon display electrode to provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel 101. For example, the node between the switching devices M1 and Q1 is connected to the first icon display electrode. The node between the switching devices M2 and Q2 is connected to the second icon display electrode. The node between the switching devices M3 and Q3 is connected to the third icon display electrode. The control unit 21 is connected to the control terminals of the paired switching devices to control the on / off states of the paired switching devices M1 / Q1, M2 / Q2, and M3 / Q3 based on the icon switching signal or the power-off signal, thereby providing corresponding switching voltages to the bistable display panel 101.

[0060] The three pairs of switch devices M1 / Q1, M2 / Q2, and M3 / Q3 can control the bistable display panel 101 to display three predetermined patterns. It should be understood that when more or fewer predetermined patterns need to be displayed, the number of paired switch devices can be increased or decreased.

[0061] In one embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the control unit 21 includes a high-side control unit 211 and a plurality of low-side control units 212. The high-side control unit 211 is used to control the on-off state of each high-side switch device M1, M2 and M3, and each low-side control unit 212 is used to control the on-off state of the corresponding low-side switch device Q1, Q2 and Q3.

[0062] like Figure 4As shown, the high-side control unit 211 includes a resistor R2 and a resistor R3, which are connected in series between the power supply unit 602 and the ground GND. The high-side control unit 211 also includes a NOT gate U1, whose input end is connected to the node between the resistor R2 and the resistor R3. The high-side control unit 211 also includes an AND gate U2, whose first input end is an icon switching control end for receiving an icon switching signal, and whose second input end is connected to the power-off monitoring unit 603 to receive the power-off signal. The high-side control unit 211 also includes an OR gate U3, whose first input end is connected to the output end of the AND gate U2, whose second input end is connected to the output end of the NOT gate U1, and whose output end is connected to the control end of each high-side switch device M1, M2 and M3.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, each low-side control unit 212 is used to control the on-off state of the corresponding low-side switch device and includes a latch and an AND gate. For example, the low-side control unit 212 for controlling the low-side switch device Q1 includes a latch U8 and an AND gate U4, the input end of the latch U8 is a first icon control end for receiving an icon selection signal, the first input end of the AND gate U4 is connected to the output end of the OR gate U3, the second input end of the AND gate U4 is connected to the output end of the latch U8, the output end of the AND gate U4 is connected to the control end of the corresponding low-side switch device Q1 and is connected to the ground GND via the resistor R9 and the capacitor C2, and the node between the resistor R9 and the capacitor C2 is connected to the reset end of the latch U8.

[0064] Similarly, the low-side control unit 212 for controlling the low-side switching device Q2 includes a latch U9 and an AND gate U5, wherein the input end of the latch U9 is a second icon control end for receiving an icon selection signal, the first input end of the AND gate U5 is connected to the output end of the OR gate U3, the second input end of the AND gate U5 is connected to the output end of the latch U9, the output end of the AND gate U5 is connected to the control end of the corresponding low-side switching device Q2 and is connected to the ground GND via a resistor R10 and a capacitor C3, and the node between the resistor R10 and the capacitor C3 is connected to the clear end of the latch U9.

[0065] Similarly, the low-side control unit 212 for controlling the low-side switching device Q3 includes a latch U10 and an AND gate U6, wherein the input end of the latch U10 is a third icon control end for receiving an icon selection signal, the first input end of the AND gate U6 is connected to the output end of the OR gate U3, the second input end of the AND gate U6 is connected to the output end of the latch U10, the output end of the AND gate U6 is connected to the control end of the corresponding low-side switching device Q3 and is connected to the ground GND via a resistor R11 and a capacitor C4, and the node between the resistor R11 and the capacitor C4 is connected to the clear end of the latch U10.

[0066] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the bistable display driving module 20 may have any appropriate structure and can also realize driving the bistable display panel 101 , and these implementations also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] Combine the following Figure 4 The exemplary working principles of the power-off management module 60 , the energy storage module 50 and the bistable display driving module 20 are described.

[0068] like Figure 4 As shown, when the power module 30 is powered on normally, a voltage input can be obtained at the power input terminal IN. Therefore, the energy storage capacitor C1 can be charged through the diode D1 and the resistor R1, and the boost module U7 obtains the voltage input through the diode D2, which is converted into the voltage VLCD on which the bistable display panel 101 can work. When the power is turned on normally, the icon switching control terminal maintains a high level, so that the AND gate U2 outputs a high level, thereby driving the OR gate U3 to output a high level. At this time, the high-side switch devices M1, M2 and M3 are in the cut-off state, and the icon of the bistable display panel 101 maintains the existing state. If you want to display a certain icon, for example, you want to display the first icon, first input a high level pulse at the first icon control terminal, and the latch U8 can latch the high level pulse input. Then, input a low level pulse at the icon switching control terminal, so that the AND gate U2 and the OR gate U3 output a low level pulse respectively. When the pulse of the icon switching control terminal is at a low level, the high-side switch devices M1, M2 and M3 are turned on, so that all icons of the bistable display panel 101 are in a transmissive state, that is, a cleared state. When the pulse of the icon switching control terminal returns to a high level, the high-side switch devices M1, M2 and M3 are turned off. At this time, since the latch U8 outputs a high level, the AND gate U4 is driven to output a high level, so the low-side switch device Q1 is turned on, so that the voltage of the first icon display electrode is instantly reduced to 0 volts, and the first icon will be displayed. As for other icons, since the latches U9 and U10 do not latch a high level, the AND gates U5 and U6 maintain a low level output, so the low-side switch devices Q2 and Q3 remain in a cut-off state, and their icon display states remain in a cleared transmissive state. When the AND gate U4 outputs a high level, the charging circuit formed by the resistor R9 and the capacitor C2 gradually increases the voltage of the capacitor C2. When the voltage reaches a certain threshold, it triggers the latch U8 to clear the state, thus completing the icon display process of the entire bistable display panel 101.

[0069] During the short time when the power module 30 is powered off, the energy storage capacitor C1 can supply power to the boost module U7 through the diode D3, so that the bistable display panel 101 can maintain the operating voltage for a period of time. At the same time, the energy storage capacitor C1 is also discharged through the resistors R2 and R3. When the discharge starts, the NOT gate U1 outputs a low level, and the AND gate U2 receives the low-level power-off signal, thereby outputting a low level, so that the OR gate U3 outputs a low level. At this time, the high-side switching devices M1, M2 and M3 can be turned on, so that all icons of the bistable display panel 101 are in a transmission state, that is, a reset state. If the user wishes to display a certain icon on the signal indicator light 100 after power failure, for example, wishing to display the first icon, the user system can use its own energy storage system to output a high level at the first icon control terminal, and the latch U8 will latch the high level state so that it is not affected by the subsequent input terminal level. In the process of discharging energy storage capacitor C1 gradually, the input terminal voltage of NOT gate U1 gradually decreases, and when reaching its low level threshold value, outputs high level, so OR gate U3 outputs high level, and high side switch device M1, M2 and M3 are cut off. Simultaneously, because latch U8 outputs high level, AND gate U4 outputs high level, drives low side switch device Q1 to conduct, and the first icon display electrode voltage is instantly reduced to 0 volt, and the first icon will be displayed. And other icons are due to latch U9 and U10 do not latch high level, so AND gate U5 and U6 keep low level output, thereby low side switch device Q2he Q3 keeps cut-off state, and its icon display state keeps the transmission state of zero clearing. After AND gate U4 outputs high level, the charging circuit formed by resistor R9 and capacitor C2 makes capacitor C2 voltage raise gradually, and can trigger latch U8 state zero clearing when its voltage is high to certain threshold value, so completes the process of icon display of whole bistable display panel 101.

[0070] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a method for indicating the operating status of an electrical device using a signal indicator light 100, comprising: when a power module 30 of the signal indicator light 100 is normally powered on, using the electric energy of the power module 30 to power a bistable display driving module 20, the bistable display driving module 20 is configured to provide a switching voltage to a bistable display panel 101 of the signal indicator light 100, the bistable display panel 101 can switch between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the drive of the switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel 101, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; when the power module 30 is normally powered on, using the electric energy of the power module 30 to charge an energy storage module 50 of the signal indicator light 100; and when the power module 30 is powered off, using the electric energy of the energy storage module 50 to power the bistable display driving module 20.

[0071] Figure 5A flow chart of driving a signal indicator lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The driving process is a part of a method of using a signal indicator lamp 100 to indicate the operating status of an electrical device.

[0072] like Figure 5 As shown, in block 501, the user circuit is powered on. At this time, the power module 30 will be in a normal power-on state.

[0073] In block 502, the main control module of the user circuit sends an icon switching signal to make all icons of the bi-stable display 10 displayed in a transmissive state.

[0074] In block 503, the main control module of the user circuit obtains the result of the fault monitoring module. The fault monitoring module can continuously monitor whether the electrical equipment has a fault, such as whether an overvoltage, overcurrent, or short circuit fault occurs.

[0075] In block 504 , it is determined whether the electrical device has failed. If not, the method proceeds to block 505 , and if a failure has occurred, the method proceeds to block 508 .

[0076] In block 505 , the main control module of the user circuit controls the output of the light source driving module 40 according to user needs, so that the light source 103 displays the color specified by the user.

[0077] In block 506, the main control module of the user circuit switches one or more icons to a transparent state according to user needs.

[0078] In block 507 , the main control module of the user circuit switches one or more other icons to the reflection state according to the user's needs.

[0079] In block 508, the main control module of the user circuit sends a corresponding icon switching signal according to the fault type, so that one or more icons are switched to a reflective state.

[0080] In block 509 , the main control module of the user circuit controls the output of the light source driving module according to the user's needs, so that the light source displays a warning color or turns off the light source.

[0081] It should be understood that in the above Figures 1 to 4 The structure and working process of the signal indicator light 100 described herein may be incorporated into the method for indicating the operating status of an electrical device using the signal indicator light 100 described herein, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0082] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A signal indicator light for indicating the operating status of an electrical device, the signal indicator light comprising: A bistable display, comprising a bistable display panel and a light source, wherein the bistable display panel can be switched between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the driving of a switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; a bistable display driving module configured to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel; Power module; a light source driving module connected to the power module and configured to drive the light source based on the light source control signal when the power module is normally powered on; Energy storage module; A power-off management module is connected to the power module, the bistable display driving module and the energy storage module, and is configured to utilize the electric energy of the power module to power the bistable display driving module and charge the energy storage module when the power module is normally powered on, and to utilize the electric energy of the energy storage module to power the bistable display driving module when the power module is powered off.

2. The signal indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the light source control signal comprises at least one of a light source color switching signal, a flashing frequency switching signal and a light source switch signal, and driving the light source based on the light source control signal comprises at least one of the following: changing the color of the light source based on the light source color switching signal; changing the flickering frequency of the light source based on the flickering frequency switching signal; and The light source is turned on or off based on the light source switching signal. 3 . The signal indicator light according to claim 1 , wherein the light source driving module is further configured to: drive the light source to display a warning color or turn off the light source when a fault occurs in the electrical device.

4. The signal indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module is normally powered on, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel based on an icon switching signal so that the bistable display panel switches between the reflective state and the transmissive state.

5. The signal indicator light according to claim 4, wherein the bi-stable display panel is configured to display different predetermined patterns in the reflective state in response to the switching voltages applied via different icon display electrodes, and The bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module is normally powered on, based on the icon switching signal, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel via one or more icon display electrodes so that the bistable display panel displays one or more predetermined patterns in the reflective state.

6. The signal indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module changes from a normal power-on state to a power-off state, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the transmission state to the reflection state.

7. The signal indicator light according to claim 6, wherein the bistable display driving module is further configured to: in the event of a fault in the electrical device, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the transmissive state to the reflective state to indicate the type of fault.

8. The signal indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the bistable display driving module is further configured to: when the power module changes from a power-off state to a normal power-on state, provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from the reflective state to the transmissive state. 9 . The signal indicator light according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage module comprises an energy storage capacitor.

10. The signal indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the power-off management module comprises: A power input terminal, connected to the power module to receive power from the power module; a charging unit connected to the power input terminal and configured to charge the energy storage module using the power of the power module when the power module is normally powered on; a power supply unit connected to the power input terminal and the energy storage module, and configured to use the power of the power module to power the bistable display driving module when the power module is normally powered on, and to use the power of the energy storage module to power the bistable display driving module when the power module is powered off; as well as The power failure monitoring unit is connected to the power input terminal and is configured to generate a power failure signal for indicating that the power failure occurs in the power module when the power failure occurs in the power module.

11. The signal indicator light according to claim 10, wherein the charging unit comprises a diode D1 and a resistor R1, which are connected in series between the power input terminal and the energy storage module; The power supply unit includes a diode D2 and a diode D3, wherein the diode D2 is connected between the power input terminal and the bistable display driving module, and the diode D3 is connected between the energy storage module and the bistable display driving module; and The power-off monitoring unit includes a resistor R4 and a resistor R5 connected in series between the power input terminal and ground, and a node between the resistor R4 and the resistor R5 is connected to the bistable display driving module to provide the power-off signal when the power module is powered off.

12. The signal indicator light according to claim 10, wherein the bi-stable display driving module comprises: a boost unit, connected to the power supply unit and configured to boost the voltage output by the power supply unit; at least one pair of switch devices, each pair of switch devices is connected in series between the output terminal of the boost unit and the ground, each pair of switch devices comprises a high-side switch device connected to the output terminal of the boost unit and a low-side switch device connected to the ground, and a node between each pair of switch devices is connected to the icon display electrode to provide the switching voltage to the bistable display panel; as well as A control unit is connected to the control end of the at least one pair of switch devices and is configured to control the on-off state of the at least one pair of switch devices based on the icon switching signal or the power-off signal to provide the corresponding switching voltage to the bistable display panel.

13. The signal indicator lamp according to claim 12, wherein the control unit comprises a high-side control unit and at least one low-side control unit, The high-side control unit comprises: Resistors R2 and R3 are connected in series between the power supply unit and ground; a NOT gate U1 having an input terminal connected to a node between resistor R2 and resistor R3; An AND gate U2, whose first input terminal is an icon switching control terminal for receiving the icon switching signal, and whose second input terminal is connected to the power failure monitoring unit to receive the power failure signal; An OR gate U3, a first input terminal of which is connected to the output terminal of the AND gate U2, a second input terminal of which is connected to the output terminal of the NOT gate U1, and an output terminal of which is connected to the control terminal of each high-side switch device; as well as Each low-side control unit is used to control the on-off state of a corresponding low-side switching device and includes: A latch, whose input terminal is an icon control terminal for receiving an icon selection signal; An AND gate, whose first input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the OR gate U3, whose second input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the latch, whose output terminal is connected to the control terminal of the corresponding low-side switching device and connected to the ground via a resistor and a capacitor, and the node between the resistor and the capacitor is connected to the clear terminal of the latch.

14. The signal indicator light according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the bistable display further comprises a light guide plate and a substrate film, the light guide plate being arranged adjacent to an inner surface of the bistable display panel and extending in parallel with the bistable display panel, the light source being arranged at an end of the light guide plate and being configured to emit light toward the light guide plate, and the substrate film covering a surface of the light guide plate facing away from the bistable display panel. 15 . The signal indicator light according to claim 14 , wherein the substrate film is printed, coated or adhered on the surface of the light guide plate, and / or the substrate film is black.

16. A method for indicating the operating status of an electrical device using a signal indicator light, comprising: When the power module of the signal indicator light is powered on normally, the power of the power module is used to power the bistable display driving module, wherein the bistable display driving module is configured to provide a switching voltage to the bistable display panel of the signal indicator light, wherein the bistable display panel can switch between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the driving of the switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; When the power module is powered on normally, the energy storage module of the signal indicator light is charged by using the electric energy of the power module; as well as When the power module loses power, the electric energy of the energy storage module is used to supply power to the bistable display driving module.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: determining whether the electrical device is faulty; In the case that the electrical device does not fail, driving the light source of the signal indicator light based on the light source control signal; In the case that the electrical device does not fail, providing a switching voltage to the bistable display panel of the signal indicator light based on the icon switching signal, so that the bistable display panel switches between a reflective state and a transmissive state, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; In the event of a fault in the electrical device, driving the light source to display a warning color or turning off the light source; as well as In the event of a fault in the electrical device, a switching voltage is provided to the bistable display panel to switch the bistable display panel from a transmissive state to a reflective state to indicate the type of fault.

18. A bistable display comprising: A bistable display panel capable of switching between a reflective state and a transmissive state under the driving of a switching voltage, wherein in the reflective state, a predetermined pattern can be displayed on the bistable display panel, and in the transmissive state, the predetermined pattern is blanked; a light guide plate disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the bistable display panel and extending in parallel with the bistable display panel; a light source disposed at an end of the light guide plate and configured to emit light toward the light guide plate; as well as A substrate film covers a surface of the light guide plate that is opposite to the bistable display panel.

19. The bi-stable display of claim 18, wherein the bi-stable display panel is configured to display different predetermined patterns in the reflective state in response to switching voltages applied via different icon display electrodes.

20. The bistable display according to claim 18, wherein the substrate film is printed, coated or pasted on the surface of the light guide plate, and / or the substrate film is black.

Images