Importance

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Abstract

A monitoring system for a display unit includes phototransistors for detecting light emitted from a plurality of selectively energizable light-emitting diode (LED) segments in an energized state and for generating a voltage which is representative of the light emitted from the LED segments in the energized state. A glass filter filters ambient light from the phototransistors and passes the light emitted from the LED segments in the energized state. A comparator for each of the LED segments generates a comparison signal, with the comparison signal being representative of a comparison between a predetermined reference voltage and the voltage for each of the LED segments. A conditional power supply conditionally energizes the LED segments in response to an energizing signal. A routine of a central processing unit generates display data. The CPU receives the comparison signal for each of the LED segments and generates the energizing signal in order to operate the conditional power supply when the comparison signal for each of the LED segments indicates that each of the LED segments is operating fault-free. A control block cooperates with the conditional power supply and the CPU for selectively gating the display data to the LED segments.

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First Claim