Milestone-Proposal talk:Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967

Advocates’ Checklist

1. Is the proposal for an achievement rather than for a person? If the citation includes a person's name, have the proposers provided the required justification for inclusion of the person's name?
2. Was the proposed achievement a significant advance rather than an incremental improvement to an existing technology?
3. Were there prior or contemporary achievements of a similar nature? If so, have they been properly considered in the background information and in the citation?
4. Has the achievement truly led to a functioning, useful, or marketable technology?
5. Is the proposal adequately supported by significant references (minimum of five) such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or citations to pages in scholarly books? At least one of the references should be from a peer-reviewed scholarly book or journal article. The full text of the material, not just the references, shall be present. If the supporting texts are copyright-encumbered and cannot be posted on the ETHW for intellectual property reasons, the proposers shall email a copy to the History Center so that it can be forwarded to the Advocate. If the Advocate does not consider the supporting references sufficient, the Advocate may ask the proposer(s) for additional ones.
6. Are the scholarly references sufficiently recent?
7. Does the proposed citation explain why the achievement was successful and impactful?
8. Does the proposed citation include important technical aspects of the achievement?
9. Is the proposed citation readable and understandable by the general public?
10. Will the citation be read correctly in the future by only using past tense? Does the citation wording avoid statements that read accurately only at the time that the proposal is written?
11. Does the proposed plaque site fulfill the requirements?
12. Is the proposal quality comparable to that of IEEE publications?
13. Are any scientific and technical units correct (e.g., km, mm, hertz, etc.)? Are acronyms correct and properly upper-cased or lower-cased? Are the letters in any acronym explained in the title or the citation?
14. Are date formats correct as specified in Section 6 of Milestones Program Guidelines? Helpful Hints on Citations, plaque locations
15. Do the year(s) appearing in the citation fall within the range of the year(s) included at the end of the title?
16. Note that it is the Advocate's responsibility to confirm that the independent reviewers have no conflict of interest (e.g., that they do not work for a company or a team involved in the achievement being proposed, that they have not published with the proposer(s), and have not worked on a project related to the funding of the achievement). An example of a way to check for this would be to search reviewers' publications on IEEE Xplore.

Independent Expert Reviewers’ Checklist

1. Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?
2. Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?
3. Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?
4. Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?
5. Have proposers shown a clear benefit to humanity?

In answering the questions above, the History Committee asks that independent expert reviewers apply a similar level of rigor to that used to peer-review an article, or evaluate a research proposal. Some elaboration is desirable. Of course the Committee would welcome any additional observations that you may have regarding this proposal.

Submission and Approval Log (For staff use only)

Submitted date: 28 October 2024
Advocate approval date: 17 November 2024
History Committee approval date:
Board of Directors approval date:

Message from Advocate to Proposers -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 20:19, 20 October 2024 (UTC)

Dear Proposers

I have been appointed by the History Committee as Advocate for your proposal. According to the Status Report, your proposal is currently in stage B1. Could you please send the proposal and the required documents listed in the table checkbox to the IEEE. This will allow your proposal to proceed to stage C1. I will review the content of the proposal at stage C1 and then continue with the Review Process.

Best regards, Dr. Tomohiro Hase, Advocate.

Suggestions for Title and Citation Improvements -- Bberg (talk) 18:38, 10 November 2024 (UTC)

This is an interesting proposal! Please consider these suggestions:

Title
I suggest you add "(VFDs)" to the title since this acronym is used in the citation, and is also found in online discussion of this technology. Continue to use just 1967 as the year.

Citation
A person's name should not be the first words to appear in a citation since the accomplishment is most important in a Milestone. I suggest the following 70-word citation since it fixes this issue, and also includes more information:

Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFDs) were first commercialized in 1967 by Tadashi Nakamura, founder of Ise Electronics Corp. This device revolutionized the calculator industry by replacing the large, expensive, and high-voltage Nixie tubes used for character display. By 1972, VFDs could display various symbols and numbers in a flat panel format. Their exceptional visibility and durability in later years made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics.

Thank you. Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: Suggestions for Title and Citation Improvements -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 23:59, 10 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Brian Berg,

Thank you so much for your suggestions for title and citation improvements.
Based on your suggestions, I have added "(VFDs)" to the title and also changed the words in the citation.

Best Regards. Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Suggestions for Title and Citation Improvements -- Bberg (talk) 16:32, 11 November 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for your changes. In looking at the citation again, I have a recommendation for a slight change to the second sentence, which currently reads:

This device revolutionized the calculator industry by replacing the large, expensive, and high-voltage Nixie tubes used for character display.

Please consider this version as including "then" adds a bit of clarity:
These revolutionized the calculator industry by replacing the large, expensive, and high-voltage Nixie tubes then used for character display.

Thank you. Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: Re: Re: Suggestions for Title and Citation Improvements -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 23:37, 11 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Brian Berg, Thank you again for your advice. I agree and changed the words as you advised.
Thank you. Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Re: Re: Suggestions for Title and Citation Improvements -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 04:38, 14 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Brian Berg,
According to your additional advice to change some words on citation, I changed the words in the last sentence of citation as follows:

From: Their exceptional visibility and durability in later years made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics.
To: Their exceptional visibility and durability made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics through the 1990s.

Thank you. Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Expert Reviewer's Report_1_Okumura uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 09:21, 11 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase

I would like to submit my review report for the IEEE milestone of VFD, as follows.

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, it is completely accurate.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, I confirmed main references of [M1],[A1] and [A2].

(3) The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, it is. It is proved by many patents of [P1]-[P5] and the awards given by the biggest display society of SID(Society for Information Display), such as [A1] and [A2].　So, I completely agree with Justification of name-in-citation.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, it is very valuable technical achievement as the first invention of VFD in the world. Because VFDs were used as calculator displays during the calculator wars from the late 1960s to the 1970s and have been extending calculator market.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes, main differential point with other conventional technologies is low voltage driving with high intensity. His proposed VFD solved the most difficult issue of the tradeoff between for high intensity and low cost at that time, that has extended the display market, as described in Features Setting This Work Apart from Similar Achievements.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend the VFD for the IEEE milestone.

Dr. Haruhiko Okumura. Toshiba Corp. IEEE Fellow/SID Fellow

[Advocate's remarks] Dr. Okumura is not only an IEEE Fellow but also a Fellow of the Society for Information Display (SID).

Expert Reviewer's Report_2_Nonaka uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 10:23, 13 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Prof. Tomohiro Hase

I will send you the review report as requested.

（１）Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, I believe the proposed wording of the citation on the plaque is accurate.

（２）Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, it is believed that good enough evidence is presented in the proposal to support the plaque citation by reviewing the reference of [M1], [N1], [N2], and [N3] to confirm of the invention and commercialization of the VFDs in 1967 by Ise Electronics Corp.

（３）The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, I agree to include Tadashi Nakamura’s name in the citation. It is an indisputable fact that he invented the VFDs according to t the reference of ［O1］ and ［O2］ at least.

（４）Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes. The VFDs, which was invented and successfully commercialized in 1967, brought a major revolution in the calculator industry and was subsequently used for a variety of purposes, making it an extremely important technological achievement.

（５）Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes, there were similar achievements at the time, but they all had issues such as high patent fees, the need for high-voltage operation, or poor visibility, and it was well explained that VFDs solved these issues in the proposal.

In conclusion, I believe that the invention of the VFD is unique, and is a valuable technological legacy both technologically and historically. Therefore, I strongly recommend that VFDs be recognized as an IEEE Milestone.

Takako NONAKA, Dr. Eng. Shonan Institute of Technology

[Advocate's remarks] Prof. Nonaka is an expert in display technology and has published numerous IEEE papers in this field.

Slight Edit to Last Sentence of Citation -- Bberg (talk) 06:28, 14 November 2024 (UTC)

I had suggested that the proposers make a slight change to the last sentence of the citation from:

Their exceptional visibility and durability in later years made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics.

to:

Their exceptional visibility and durability made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics through the 1990s.

They agreed. This kept the citation at 70 words, and provided a better context for the time period when VFDs were being replaced by LEDs and LCDs.

Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: Slight Edit to Last Sentence of Citation -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 07:49, 14 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Brian Berg,
Thank you for your suggestion. I have changed the words in the last sentence of the citation accordingly.

Best Regards, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Expert Reviewer's Report_3_Sugiura uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 00:44, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Prof. Hase,

I am honored to have been selected as a reviewer.

As a researcher in display technology, I would like to answer your inquiries below.

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, the wording of the Plaque Citation is accurate.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes, evidence presented in the proposal is sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation.

(3) The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes, I agree with the Citation which mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFDs.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes, the proposed milestone represents a significant technical achievement. VFDs are the world's first flat displays that can display characters and symbols.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

There are several similar/competing technologies listed below, but VFDs are superior to them.

・VFD that can be driven at a lower voltage than "Nixie Tube"

・VFD that is cheaper than "Light Emitting Diode(LED)"

・Self-illuminating VFD that is brighter than "reflective Liquid Crystal Display(LCD)"

In Conclusion, as a display technology researcher, I strongly recommend the VFDs developed and manufactured by Ise Electronics Corp. (now Noritake Itron Corp.) as they are valuable as technological and historical assets and are worthy of being recognized as the IEEE Milestone.

Best regards,

Hiroaki Sugiura, IEEE Fellow. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Corporate R&D Group

[Advocate’s remarks] Dr. Sugiura is an IEEE Fellow to contribute to design for video camera and display device.

Expert Reviewer's Report_4_Nagao uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 12:05, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear IEEE History Committee

Expert Reviewer’s Report (#2024-26) Friday, November 15, 2024

I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute as a reviewer for the IEEE Milestone Program. Below, I provide the results of the review for Milestone-Proposal: “Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967”.

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes, I agree that the following points, which will be included on the plaque, are accurate:

・In 1967, Tadashi Nakamura commercialized Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFDs).

・VFDs have evolved to display various symbols and numbers in a flat panel format in diverse industrial fields and especially revolutionized the calculator industry.

・The exceptional visibility and durability of VFDs bring about their popularity.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes. The following points are adequately demonstrated in the proposal and accompanying materials:

・Dr. Tadashi Nakamura commercialized Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFDs) in 1967.

・The developing process, the distinguished features, including exceptional visibility and durability, and the applied industrial fields, including calculator industry, of VFDs are clearly presented and supported by sufficient substance.

(3) The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes. Dr. Tadashi Nakamura’s contribution of development and commercialization of VFDs is essential and too great. Without him the past and present industrial situation of VFDs has not been realized.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes. This proposal is significant for the following reasons:

・The VFDs, which has been developed as a low-cost, low-voltage solution to replace Nixie tubes, revolutionized the calculator industry and had a profound impact on various industrial fields such as home appliances, automobiles, and industrial equipment.

・The technological innovation of VFDs offered exceptional visibility and durability as well as low costs, making them popular in numerous applications. This VFDs technology was used in Two IEEE Milestones, Mitsubishi Aurora Vision and Toyota Prius

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes. While there were similar or competing display technologies such as LCDs, plasma displays, LEDs, OLEDs, and CRTs, TFDs has the following distinguished key characteristics as display devices; Self-emissive with high brightness; Low operating voltage, directly drivable by LSI, with low power consumption; Easy multi-color display due to special phosphors; Flexible display patterns; Excellent heat and moisture resistance, suitable for various operating environments from high temperatures to extremely low temperatures. Many of these characteristics have been evolved by unique ideas and technological innovations of Dr. Tadashi Nakamura. Leveraging their bright and easily visible characteristics and high reliability, new markets were continuously pioneered. As a result, even more than half a century after their development, VFDs are still being produced today.

Conclusion:

As stated above, the achievement of VFDs developed by Dr. Tadashi Nakamura has had a significant impact on the display industrial applications. I strongly recommend registering this proposal as an IEEE Milestone.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Masayuki NAGAO. Emeritus Professor, Toyohashi University of Technology, JAPAN

Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 06:22, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase, This is my review of the IEEE Milestone Proposal, Docket #:2024-2, Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967.

Right now, my scanner refuses to work, so I will attach the scanned memos in another e-mail, not this e-mail.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this Milestone proposal.

Regards, Chiaki Ishikawa

---

The advocate will explain that I have studied physics and as someone who was born in mid-20th century has a basic knowledge of vacuum tube, so I could check the basic technical features although I am not an expert on display technology.

I have general knowledge of how the IEEE Milestone proposal should be written since I have written the proposals a few times, I have some suggestions for improvements, which I will send to the advocate as a scanned hand-written memo.

By the way, I HAVE USED a CASIO calculator that used VFDs as a college student in the 1970s and I am delighted to learn the background of the light blue digits shown on that calculator which I no longer own. The digits certainly appeared on the same plane at the same depth in contrast to the “dancing” of digits with Nixie tubes which I remember seeing when I was much younger.

1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

The suggested wording of the Plaque Citation is more or less acceptable. But I would go for “mass-produced” instead of “commercialized”, thus Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFDs) were first mass-produced in 1967 by Tadashi Nakamura, founder of Ise Electronics Corp.

These revolutionized the calculator industry by replacing the large, expensive, and high-voltage Nixie tubes then used for character display.

By 1972, VFDs could display various symbols and numbers in a flat panel format. Their exceptional visibility and durability made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics through the 1990s

2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

I believe so.

The following documents have been reviewed as evidence:

Regarding Tadashi Nakamura, founder of Ise Electronics's successful mass production of vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs) in 1967:

I confirmed from an article in Electronics Magazine [M1] that Tadashi Nakamura, president of Ise Electronics, mass produced the VFDs in 1967, and that Hayakawa Electric (today’s SHARP) incorporated it into a series of calculators that were scheduled to be released in the fall of that year.

Note that [M1] stated that Nakamura “invented” VFDs, but it is in contradiction to the description in [03[ that says “At the request of Sharp's Sasaki, Masao Okubo, who was the president of Japan Electronic Materials at the time, invented the fluorescent display tube. Tadashi Nakamura, who worked at Kobe Kogyo, left the company and established Ise Electronics, which succeeded in mass production.".

I believe this MILESTONE is about the mass-production (or commercialization) aspect of VFDs. So the Milestone stands.

I confirmed from an article in Dempa Shimbun [N1] that Tadashi Nakamura's Ise Electronics successfully developed a VFDs in 1967 in collaboration with Hayakawa Electric.

I confirmed from an article in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun [N2] that Tadashi Nakamura's Ise Electronics developed the VFDs in 1967, expanded its factory in the fall of 1967 to mass-produce it, and planned to produce 100,000 units per month from April 1968.

I confirmed from an article in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun [N3] that production of the VFDs developed by Tadashi Nakamura's Ise Electronics began in April 1967. Regarding how VFDs revolutionized the calculator industry as a replacement for the large, expensive, high-voltage Nixie tubes used to display characters: An article in [M1] Electronics Magazine confirmed that Hayakawa Electric, which co-developed VFDs that VFDs were not only small but also low-cost and required almost no power, would incorporate them into a series of calculators that the company was planning to release.

An article in [N1] Dempa Shimbun confirmed that VFDs, which can be driven at low voltage and directly by ICs, will be fully adopted in all MOS-type IC electronic desk calculators developed by Hayakawa Electric, and that VFDs, which solve the problems of the conventional Burroughs patent and the Nixie tubes, which required a driving voltage of several hundred volts, were attracting attention as a large demand for desk calculators.

An article in [N2] Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun confirmed that VFDs, which were the first in the world to display characters at a low voltage of about 25 volts and solved the shortcomings of the Nixie tubes patented by Burroughs, were expected to have a major impact on the electronic calculator industry, which is expected to grow in the future.

An article in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun [N3] confirmed that VFDs were used in the “Compet 16” electronic desktop calculator released by Hayakawa Electric (CS-16 mentioned elsewhere in the submission), which cooperated in the development of VFDs, and that their development at a time when there was hope for the appearance of a product that did not infringe on Burroughs' patents caused them to suddenly gain attention and interest in VFDs to rapidly increase.

A document at [O3] dentaku-museum.com/Sharp desktop calculator/Compet 16 (CS-16A) confirmed that the CS-16A, listed in the documents for Sharp's electronic calculators that were certified as milestones in 2005 [O2], was equipped with the world's first VFD developed by Ise Electronics.

By 1972, VFDs were able to display a variety of symbols and numbers in a flat panel format: From the patent documents [P2] PATENT 3723789 (1973) Flat Composite Fluorescent Display Tube and [P3] PATENT 3786295 (1974) Anode Substrates for Multi-Digit Type Fluorescent Display Tubes, I confirmed that flat-panel VFDs and multi-digit types had been put to practical use after these patents were issued.

They became popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics due to their excellent visibility and durability:

From an article in [N3] Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, I confirmed that VFDs were praised for their high brightness, as well as for the fact that they emit green light so the eyes don't get tired, and that the characters are displayed on the same plane at the same depth making them easy to see, and especially for their high brightness.

From the photograph in Figure 3, I can see that alphabetic displays and 5x7 dot character displays were developed, and from the Paper in [3] Vacuum Fluorescent Display for TV Video Images (1981) and [6] Vacuum fluorescent displays: from single digits to color TV Displays (1981), and from the photograph in Figure 4, I can see that graphic displays were developed.

From the photograph in Figure 5 and [5] MOS-Addressed VFD Image Display on a Chip (1983), I can see that ultra-small image displays were developed for camcorder viewfinders.

From the photograph in Figure 6, I can see that VFDs were used in the internal guide panels of the Sumida Aquarium. (I think the application document should indicate that the display is current and the aquarium is under the popular Tokyo Sky Tree tower and should give a reference to the web.

From [7] A large screen full color display for indoor use (1987), I can see that the ordinary CRT and the manufacturing technology of vacuum fluorescence displays were used for large screen full color displays.

3) The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

I think the citation mentions Dr. Nakamura as someone who succeeded in MASS-PRODUCING VFDs and that I agree, and I agree and support having Nakamura Tadashi's name in the citation.

4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

The VFDs, which Tadashi Nakamura successful mass-produced in 1967 based on his observation that the phosphorate shines brighter when seen from the cathode side, brought about a major revolution in the calculator industry. Since then, it has evolved to include more digits, flat panel, more diverse displays, and more colors, making it possible to display a wide variety of information. This has had a major impact on a wide range of fields, including automobile meters, game consoles, and industrial equipment, and I believe it was an extremely important technological achievement in 1970s and 1980s and beyond.

5) Are there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

It was well explained that when the VFDs was invented, the Nixie tube, which had been invented overseas, required high patent fees to Burroughs Corporation, and high-voltage operation, The proposes explained well that LEDs had only just been commercialized as expensive point light source displays and were not yet perfected. The reflective LCDs of the time had issues such as poor visibility and slow response times in low temperatures, but once LCDs became widely adopted for battery-powered calculators, the use of VFDs dropped off significantly.

6) In Conclusion Since the VFD, which Nakamura Tadashi successfully mass-produced and polished along its life history, is an original and valuable technological asset both technically and historically, I highly recommend it as a worthy IEEE Milestone.

Chiaki Ishikawa

[Advocate's remarks] Mr. Ishikawa is an expert in physics. He has already been responsible for three proposals for IEEE Milestones, all of which have been certified.

---

As I noted above, I would attach a couple of hand-drawn memos of my comments while I check the proposal after my scanner starts to work again. Hopefully later today.

But I list some changes that are very important for the review of the proposal here as well. This is because, without these changes, the proposal is a bit difficult to understand. (The scanned memo files will mention places where some clarifications and additional references are deemed necessary and will improve the proposal. They will improve the proposal. The immediate comments below fixes some issues that hinder the understanding of the proposal.)

They are related to some incorrect English phrases. (I think they were caused by Japanese to English translation.)

1. In the ABSTRACT section.

Original: However, there are several technical issues, and one of them is solved by viewing the display upside down, like the “Egg of Columbus”.”

CI’s comment: “upside down” is WRONG. It means something like “.. viewing the display in the opposite direction (from the cathode side) as opposed to the case of the conventional CRT (from the anode side, i.e., the phosphorus plane).

2. VFD Structure and Operation

  Overview section.

Original: VFDs were also used in the "Casio Mini", known as the world's first personal calculator [O4], which displayed single digits.

CI’s comment: it says “single” digits. It is a typo of “SIX” digits. I know from my recollection of CASIO’s TV ads, and the reference [O3] also mentions it has six digits display.

3. 4.3.4 Game Machines

Original: Subsequently, low-speed excitation phosphors were developed, and game machines were equipped with sophisticated multi-color displays.

CI’s comment: “low-speed” here does not make sense. It probably should be rewritten “high-speed” or “low-latency”.

4. “Flat Panel development in 1972” The use of the term “fire: Original: - Warping and dimensional accuracy of large substrates: Ensuring flatness and dimensional accuracy with low-temperature-fired glass substrates. - Low electron emission from the cathode: Solved by improving paste materials and optimizing firing conditions.

CI comment: I think the term “fire” should be replaced with “heat”, i.e, “-heated” and “heating” respectively.

5. “VFD that can be driven at a lower voltage than Nixie Tube” We have an expression “not flat” Original: Moreover, the numeric display method, which involved stacking metal electrodes, was time-consuming and not flat, resulting in poor visibility.

CI’s comment: Many readers in the 21st century may not know Nixie tubes. We may want to add an explanation such as “not flat (digits of 1, 2, 3, etc. were shown at different depths).

6. In the English translation of [N1]. The word “pressure” is used. This is incorrect. I think this is the problem of English translation. Original: The display method is to pressurize the mesh grid to 25V, and only the necessary parts of the character pieces behind it are also pressurized to 25V, while the other character pieces are kept at 0V, and the space charge from the filament hits the pressurized parts with electrons, causing them to light up, as in the conventional method.

CI’s comment: The sentences probably should be re-written like this.

The display method is to apply 25V to the mesh grid, and only the necessary parts of the character pieces behind it are also applied the same 25V while the other character pieces are kept at 0V, and the electrons from the filament hits the parts with positive voltage, causing them to light up, as in the conventional method.

• BUT*, the above does not make sense to me now. I think the voltage mentioned (25V) is incorrect? I checked the original Japanese text, and the above is correct.

So maybe I misunderstood certain aspect of the VFD operation.

7. In the English translation of the reference [N7] There are a few issues.

7-1: Something is wrong in the next paragraph. Among domestic computer manufacturers, Ise Electronics's Digitron Hayakawa Electric, which cooperated in the development, was one of the first to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator "Compet 16" and interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitrons.

CI's comment: This should be rewritten, and we should mention “Compat 16” in the article is the same (I think) as “CS-16” mentioned elsewhere in the proposal.

New: Among domestic computer manufacturers which helped Ise Electronics to develop Digitron, Hayakawa Electric was one of the firsts to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator "Compet 16" (CS-16 mentioned elsewhere in this proposal) and the interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitrons.

7-2: Another strange sentence. Original: On the same plane It also has features such as being easy to read and displaying characters, and Professor Eiji Sugata, …

CI’s comment: the first part should read something as follows.

It also has features such as ease of reading because all the digits are shown at the same depth, and Professor Eiji Sugata, …

7-3: Spelling mistake. Maybe due to OCR failure.

CI’s comment: Tesitron should read Degitron

8. In the reference description of the reference [8]

Original: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used a separate display tube (single tube).

CI’s comment: This is confusing. I suggest the following modification.

New: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used separate display tubes (single symbol display tubes).

BTW, I found a typo in [P1], a patent document. It only shows how difficult it is to proof-read or understand a technical document. We should try to make this proposal easy to read so that many understand its content.

--- I am sending the scanned memo in a separate e-mail. I have a problem with my scanner at the moment.

Chiaki Ishikawa

Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 10:54, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

I have sent three files as follows to the advocate, and at his suggestion, I am uploading them here. These may be helpful to the proposers to correct some minor English grammar issues and add proper citations, etc.

There are three files.

File:No-1-Review-directly-written-in-VFD-by-CI.pdf - I wrote down some comments directly in the printed proposal HTML pages.

File:No-2-Hand-drawn-memo-VFD-by-CI-Scan.pdf - Since I could not write much in the printed HTML pages, I wrote down some comments on blank papers.

File:No-3-Transcribed-and-edited-memo-VFD-by-CI-v2.pdf - My handwriting is difficult to read, and so I transcribed the comments in the second document above (No-2-Hand-drawn-memo-VFD-by-CI-Scan.pdf) into an MS-WORD document (and further converted into a PDF file to upload to ethw discussion board) and I modified it further a little. So this has "-v2" string in the pathname. Some issues have already been mentioned in my previous e-mail (which was posted following my review text by the advocate.)

These PDF files and the docx file as of now should be helpful to the proposers to check/correct the proposal to improve it.

I appreciate the opportunity to review this interesting proposal of VFD, which was used in the calculator I used during college days.

Chiaki Ishikawa

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 00:18, 20 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Chiaki Ishikawa-san, Thank you so much for your review report and detailed suggestions to improve our proposal.
We would like to edit the wording in the proposal one by one according to your suggestions.

200-250 word abstract
I changed the following words in this section.

From: The historical context includes the calculator boom of the 1960s and 1970s, where VFDs were critical in the "calculator wars."
To: The historical context includes the calculator boom of the 1960s and 1970s, where VFDs were critical in cutthroat competition in the Japanese calculator market, which some called "calculator wars".

From: Dr. Nakamura's collaboration with academic institutions and other corporations, such as the Noritake Group, underscores "Frontier spirits" and "cooperative" in technological advancement.
To: Dr. Nakamura's collaboration with academic institutions and other corporations, such as the Noritake Group, underscores “Frontier spirits” and "cooperative spirit" in technological advancement.

From: However, there are several technical issues, and one of them is solved by viewing the display upside down, like the "Egg of Columbus".
To: However, there are several technical issues, and one of them is solved by viewing the display viewing in the opposite direction from the cathode side in comparison to the conventional CRT viewed from the anode side, like the "Egg of Columbus".

[Remarks] Please note that the number of words in this section has increased from 218 to 246 by the above changes.

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 02:07, 2 December 2024 (UTC)

Dear Matsumoto san,

I read the edited proposal with added figures and references.

I have written a few proposals of IEEE Milestones. So, I know it is very difficult

locate reliable sources of historical events. So, thank you for adding valuable references.

I believe the addition of figures and references, and the clarifications

done by the editing have made the proposal to be an excellent

and easy to read proposal about VFD.

It explains the VFD's advantage in its prime time very well.

The value of VFD as IEEE Milestone has become clearer IMHO.

Thank you for the editing to reflect my review comment.

Chiaki Ishikawa

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 02:55, 21 November 2024 (UTC)

Justification of Name in Citation
I changed the following figures and words in this section.

I added a simple schematic of comparison between CRT and VFD as Figure 1-1, and also I separated the original Figure 1 to two figures, Figure 1-2 for photo of the actual DG12B products, Figure 1-3 for its datasheet.

From: After World War II, Dr. Nakamura successfully developed ultra-high frequency cathode-ray tubes at the same company, gaining international recognition.
To: After World War II, Dr. Nakamura successfully developed ultra-high frequency cathode-ray tubes at the same company, gaining international recognition [O5].
[Remarks] Publication "The Traveling-Wave Cathode-Ray Tube" added as the reference.

From: Despite his achievements in the technical field, the merger with Fujitsu threatened to close off his research paths, and the termination of other projects reinforced his determination to establish his own company to develop and bring his technologies to market.
To: Despite his achievements in the technical field, the merger with Fujitsu threatened to close off his opportunity of research, and the termination of other projects reinforced his determination to establish his own company to develop and bring his technologies to market.

From: In 1959, Sharp Corporation and Canon Inc. introduced electronic desktop calculators to the market, but the early calculators were expensive, large, and used Nixie tubes for character display, which operated at high voltage and had visibility issues.
To: In 1959, Sharp Corporation and Canon Inc. introduced electronic desktop calculators to the market, but the early calculators were expensive, large, and used Nixie tubes for character display, which operated at high voltage and had visibility issues having multiple electrodes displaced in depth as shown in Fig. 2 of US Patent 2962698 [O6].
[Remarks] US Patent 2962698 "Visual indicator system" added as the reference for better understanding about Nixie tube's visibility issues.

From: Moreover, high patent fees posed a cost-cutting obstacle for Japanese manufacturers.
To: Moreover, high patent fees to Burroughs posed a cost-cutting obstacle for Japanese manufacturers.

From: Dr. Nakamura founded Ise Electronics Corp. in 1966, aiming to contribute to local development as well. The earliest VFDs were based on the idea of combining single-digit CRTs and triode vacuum tubes. At the time, CRTs required voltages of several hundred volts to excite the phosphor. He knew that zinc oxide phosphor could luminesce at even lower voltages. Furthermore, he knew from experience that viewing the luminescence directly from the side where the electrons hit the phosphor was brighter than viewing the luminescence through the phosphor layer as with CRTs.
To: Dr. Nakamura founded Ise Electronics Corp. in 1966, aiming to contribute to regional development as well.
(Space added)
The earliest VFDs were based on the idea of combining single-digit CRTs and triode vacuum tubes. At the time, CRTs required voltages of several hundred volts to excite the phosphor and he knew that zinc oxide phosphor could luminesce at even lower voltages. Furthermore, he knew from experience that viewing the luminescence directly from the side where the electrons hit the phosphor was brighter than viewing the luminescence through the phosphor layer as with CRTs.

From: This led to the "Columbus' egg" idea of a display tube that could be viewed directly through the cathode side, the opposite of a CRT [P1].
To: This led to the "Columbus' egg" idea of a display tube that could be viewed directly through the cathode side, the opposite of a CRT [P1], refer to Figure 1-1 for the schematic of comparison between CRT and VFD.

From: He succeeded to make the prototype of Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) in 1966 [O1], then he commercialized the first VFD by starting the mass production of DG12B shown in Figure 1 and some other VFDs in 1967 [M1],[N1],[N2].
To: He succeeded to make the prototype of Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) in 1966 [O1], then he commercialized the first VFD by starting the mass production of DG12B shown in Figure 1-2, 1-3, and some other VFDs in 1967 [M1],[N1],[N2].

From: The successful development of fluorescent display tubes at the time of establishment involved many technical experts and researchers from academia working together.
To: The successful development of VFD at the time involved many technical experts and researchers from academia working together.

From: This involved gathering personnel at the Central Research Laboratories during the venture stage and forming a network of joint research with universities and domestic and international partners.
To: This involved gathering personnel during the venture stage and forming a network of joint research with universities and domestic and international partners.

From: Nakamura's collaboration with academic institutions and other corporations, such as the Noritake Group, underscores “Frontier spirits” and "cooperative" in technological advancement.
To: Nakamura's collaboration with academic institutions and other corporations, such as the Noritake Group, underscores “Frontier spirits” and "cooperative spirit" in technological advancement.

Broken link to [A1], [A2] was repaired.
I added a short description about SID in reference [A1] and also added a short description about K. F. Broun Award in reference [A2].

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 00:47, 25 November 2024 (UTC)

Historical Significance
I changed the following figures and words in this section.

From: In mid-1960s, the patent fees for Nixie tubes invented overseas were high, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were only commercialized as very expensive point-source indicators, with numerical display devices not yet completed.
To: In mid-1960s, the patent fees to Burroughs Corp. for Nixie tubes invented overseas were high, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were only commercialized as very expensive point-source indicators, with numerical display devices not yet completed.

From: Therefore, VFDs were adopted and technological advances were made to serve as calculator displays during the calculator wars from the late 1960s to the 1970s.
To: Therefore, VFDs were adopted and technological advances were made to serve as calculator displays in the very competitive Japanese calculator market from the late 1960s to the 1970s.

From: VFDs were also used in the "Casio Mini", known as the world's first personal calculator [O4], which displayed single digits.
To: VFDs were also used in the "Casio Mini", known as the world's first personal calculator [O4], which displayed six digits by using six single digit tubes.

The following last sentence in VFD Operating Principle section was moved to the last portion in VFD Structure section.
Observing the luminescence from the side where the electrons hit the phosphor makes it brighter than viewing the luminescence through the phosphor layer as with CRTs.

The Figure 3 "32 Digits 14-Segment VFD and 20 Digits 5x7 Dot Character VFD" was separated and replaced with two figures, Figure 3-1 "Example of 14-segment numeric and alphabetic VFD and 5x7 dot character VFD in 1976-1982" and Figure 3-2 "240 character VFD with photoetched alminum thin film technology in 1978".

From: Initially developed as numeric display elements for calculators, the practical application of flat glass multi-digit tubes allowed the creation of arbitrary display patterns, leading to the development of 14-segment numeric and alphabetic display tubes and 5x7 dot character display tubes shown in Figure 3.
Due to the increased wiring density in the case of multi-line dot character displays, internal wiring using thick film became difficult. To address this, in 1978, Ise Electronics established a technology for wiring using photoetched aluminum thin films [2].
To: Initially developed as numeric display elements for calculators, the practical application of flat glass multi-digit tubes allowed the creation of arbitrary display patterns, leading to the development of 14-segment numeric and alphabetic display tubes and 5x7 dot character display tubes in 1976 as shown in Figure 3-1.
Due to the increased wiring density in the case of multi-line dot character displays, internal wiring using thick film became difficult. To address this, in 1978, Ise Electronics established a technology for wiring using photoetched aluminum thin films [2] as shown in Figure 3-2.

A photograph of "VFD used in Toyota Prius instrument cluster panel" was added as Figure 4.

The following sentence in VFD Operating Principle section was removed due to its uncertainty.
Examples include those installed in high-end Subaru cars in the early 1980s, dubbed "Digi-dash" or "digital dashboards" by Subaru enthusiasts.

A photograph of "Multi-Color VFD used in Game Machine. (Copyright 1981 Sega Enterprises, Inc.)" was added as Figure 5., and the numbering of following figures were shifted accordingly.

From: Subsequently, low-speed excitation phosphors were developed, and game machines were equipped with sophisticated multi-color displays.
To: Subsequently, phosphors for low-energy electron ray were developed, and game machines were equipped with sophisticated multi-color displays.

From: Examples include the use of VFDs for internal guide panels at the Sumida Aquarium shown in Figure 6 and digital signage in Izu Kyuko 8000 series trains.
To: Examples include the use of VFDs for internal guide panels at the Sumida Aquarium shown in Figure 8.

From: In 1982, Mitsubishi Electric began developing a high-resolution, close-range Aurora Vision using VFDs. However, insufficient merging of light-guide emission elements resulted in image quality issues. The VFD display devices lacked sufficient brightness and longevity, with brightness rapidly decreasing under high brightness due to heat generation.
In response, Mitsubishi Electric began developing a new light-emitting element using VFD manufacturing technology and CRT principles in 1985. By developing the FMCRT, the indoor Aurora Vision Mark II with a brightness of 1,300 cd/m2 was commercialized in June 1986 [7]. Sony Corporation exhibited the JumboTron at the 1985 International Science and Technology Exposition (popularly known as the Science Expo). This ultra-large display device, measuring 40m x 25m, utilized phosphor emission elements made by Futaba for its Trinilite light-emitting elements containing red, blue, and green emission parts.
To: In 1982, Mitsubishi Electric began developing a high-resolution, close-range Aurora Vision using VFDs of Ise Electronics. However, insufficient merging of light-guide emission elements resulted in image quality issues. The VFD display devices lacked sufficient brightness and longevity, with brightness rapidly decreasing under high brightness due to heat generation. In response, Mitsubishi Electric began developing a new light-emitting element, FMCRT [O1-2] collaborated with Ise Electronics using VFD manufacturing technology and CRT principles in 1985. By developing the FMCRT, the indoor Aurora Vision Mark II with a brightness of 1,300 cd/m2 was commercialized in June 1986 [7],[O2-2].
Sony Corporation exhibited the JumboTron [O2-3] at the 1985 International Science and Technology Exposition (popularly known as the Science Expo). This ultra-large display device, measuring 40m x 25m, utilized phosphor emission elements made by Futaba for its Trinilite [O1-3], light-emitting elements containing red, blue, and green emission parts.

In conjunction with the above changes, the following references were added to Others section.
［O1-2］National Museum of Nature and Science, Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, Essential Historical Materials for Science and Technology, Registration in fiscal year 2023, Number 354, Light-Emitting Devices for Second-Gen Aurora Vision, (1) Matrix Light-Emitting Devices for Second-Gen Aurora Vision, (2) Display Unit for Second-Gen Outdoor High-Luminance Aurora Vision
［O1-3］National Museum of Nature and Science, Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology, Essential Historical Materials for Science and Technology, Registration in fiscal year 2024, Number 371, Trini-Lite for JumboTron (JTS-1)
［O2-2］Milestones: Outdoor large-scale color display system, 1980, Retrieved 22 November 2024: https://ethw.org/Milestones:Outdoor_large-scale_color_display_system,_1980
［O7］ SID Paper about Sony's JumboTron, A. Ohkoshi; "Ultra-Large-Screen Color Display, SID 1985, P18-21, 1985

From:When Sharp released the CS-16A calculator [O1],[O2] with the first installed VFD in December 1967 and after that, many calculator manufacturers proliferated, leading to price smashes and the start of a period known as the "Calculator Wars".
To:When Sharp released the CS-16A calculator [O1],[O2] with the first installed VFD in December 1967 and after that, many calculator manufacturers proliferated, leading to price decrease and the start of a period known as the "Calculator Wars".

From: Consequently, Ise Electronics Corp. alone could not meet the demand, so they licensed patents to NEC and signed production consignment agreements with Futaba to handle the rapidly increasing domestic and international demand [N3].
To: Consequently, Ise Electronics Corp. alone could not meet the demand, so the VFD patents were licensed to NEC and Futaba and production agreements were also signed with them to handle the rapidly increasing domestic and international demand [N3].

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 00:49, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Overcoming Obstacles
I changed the following words in this section.

Single-Digit Tube Development in 1967

From:

• Lowering the cathode emission voltage: Adoption of zinc oxide phosphor instead of conventional CRT phosphors.
• Increasing brightness: Direct viewing of cathode-side luminescence instead of through the phosphor layer.
• Preventing the cathode from obstructing the view: Development of fine cathode wires by Japan Electronic Materials.
• Improving phosphor efficiency: Development cooperation with Dai Nippon Toryo and guidance from Professor Takagi at Shizuoka University Faculty of Engineering.
• Revising electrode structures: Switching from two-electrode to three-electrode tubes for higher brightness.

To:
The problems and solutions from the single-digit tube develpment:

• Lowering the cathode emission voltage: Adoption of zinc oxide phosphor instead of conventional CRT phosphors.
• Increasing brightness: Direct viewing of cathode-side luminescence instead of through the phosphor layer.
• Preventing the cathode from obstructing the view: Development of fine cathode wires by Japan Electronic Materials.
• Improving phosphor efficiency: Development cooperation with Dai Nippon Toryo and guidance from Professor Takagi at Faculty of Engineering, Shizuoka University.
• Revising electrode structures: Switching from two-electrode to three-electrode tubes for higher brightness.

Multi-Digit Tube Development in 1971

From:
NEC, Toshiba, and Futaba also developed multi-digit tubes with multiple elements enclosed in a round glass tube. By 1972, each company shifted to 12mm round glass multi-digit tubes for handheld calculators.

• Assembly work for using many single-digit tubes: Development of multi-digit tubes with flat glass and metal enclosures.
• Inconsistent display performance among single-digit tubes: Minimally noticeable variations by using a single vacuum tube.

To:
NEC and Futaba also developed multi-digit tubes with multiple elements enclosed in a round glass tube. By 1972, each company shifted to 12mm round glass multi-digit tubes for handheld calculators.

The problems and solutions from the multi-digit tube development:

• Assembly work for using many single-digit tubes: Development of multi-digit tubes with flat glass and metal enclosures.
• Inconsistent display performance among single-digit tubes: Minimally noticeable variations by using a single vacuum tube.

Flat Panel Development in 1972
From:

• Cost reduction: Switching from ceramic to cheaper glass substrates.
• Warping and dimensional accuracy of large substrates: Ensuring flatness and dimensional accuracy with low-temperature-fired glass substrates.
• Low electron emission from the cathode: Solved by improving paste materials and optimizing firing conditions.
• Low phosphor luminescence efficiency: Solved by improving paste materials and optimizing firing conditions.
• Mass production challenges: Introducing new dedicated equipment due to different production processes from conventional products.

To:
The problems and solutions from the flat panel development:

• Cost reduction: Switching from ceramic to cheaper glass substrates.
• Warping and dimensional accuracy of large substrates: Ensuring flatness and dimensional accuracy with low-temperature-heated glass substrates.
• Low electron emission from the cathode: Solved by improving paste materials and optimizing heating conditions.
• Low phosphor luminescence efficiency: Solved by improving paste materials and optimizing heating conditions.
• Mass production challenges: Introducing new dedicated equipment due to different production processes from conventional products.

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 23:05, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Features Setting This Work Apart from Similar Achievement
I changed the following words in this section.

From: Moreover, the numeric display method, which involved stacking metal electrodes, was time-consuming and not flat, resulting in poor visibility.
To: Moreover, the numeric display method, which involved stacking metal electrodes, was time-consuming and each digit, such as "1", "2", "3", etc., were shown at different depth, resulting in poor visibility.

From: Additionally, high royalties were a significant issue.
To: Additionally, high royalty was a significant issue.

From: The red LEDs was invented by Nick Holonyak in 1962.
To: The red LEDs was invented by Nick Holonyak in 1962 [O8].

From: Monsanto introduced the first commercial numeric display, the MAN-1A.
To: Monsanto introduced the first commercial numeric display, the MAN-1A [O9].

From: HP and other companies also entered the numeric display market, leading to cost competition and a market share battle with fluorescent display tubes. Fluorescent display tubes maintained their market by advancing multi-digit displays and reducing costs.
To: HP and other companies also entered the numeric display market, leading to cost competition and a market share battle with VFDs. VFDs maintained their market by advancing multi-digit displays and reducing costs.

From: The existence of liquid crystals was discovered by Reinitzer in 1888.
To: The existence of liquid crystals was discovered by Reinitzer in 1888 [10].

From: In 1968, RCA in the United States developed a liquid crystal display device (cholesteric liquid crystal) that becomes opaque when a voltage is applied, scattering incident light; however, it did not reach commercialization.
To: In 1968, RCA in the United States developed a liquid crystal display device (cholesteric liquid crystal) [11] that becomes opaque when a voltage is applied, scattering incident light; however, it did not reach commercialization.

From: In 1973, Sharp Corporation adopted LCDs technology for the display of its EL-805 calculator, which used CMOS-LSI technology allowing battery operation.
To: In 1973, Sharp Corporation adopted LCDs technology for the display of its EL-805 calculator [12], which used CMOS-LSI technology allowing battery operation.

From: The development of color LCDs technologies began with a paper on color filter methods for LCDs published by Professor Uchida of Tohoku University in 1981.
To: The development of color LCDs technologies began with a paper on color filter methods for LCDs published by Professor Uchida of Tohoku University in 1981 [13].

From: While there were many phosphors that could be excited by high-speed electron beams like in CRTs, phosphors other than green zinc oxide scarcely emitted light below 100V.
To: While there were many phosphors that could be excited by high-energy electron beams like in CRTs, phosphors other than green zinc oxide scarcely emitted light below 100V.

From: Research on phosphors that could emit light when excited by low-speed electron beams began around 1975 at NHK's Science & Technical Research Laboratories, but their lifespan and luminous efficiency were insufficient.
To: Research on phosphors that could emit light when excited by low-energy electron beams began around 1975 at NHK's Science & Technical Research Laboratories [14], but their lifespan and luminous efficiency were insufficient.

In conjunction with the above changes, the following references were added to Others section.
[O8] IEEE Xplore: Red hot "light emitting diodes"
Retrieved 26 November 2024: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1203072

[O9] Industrial Alchemy, https://www.industrialalchemy.org/

[O10] Reinitzer, F.,“Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Cholesterins,”Monatschr, Fur Chem., vol.9, pp.421-441, 1888.

[O11] 1968 "Dynamic Scattering: A New Electrooptic Effect in Certain Classes of Nematic Liquid Crystals" (with Zanoni, L. A. and Barton, L. A.), Proceedings of the IEEE, 56: 1162.

[O12] World's First LCD Calculator <EL-805> 1973
Retrieved 26 November 2024: https://global.sharp/corporate/info/his/only_one/item/t13.html

[O13] T. Uchida, “A Liquid Crystal Multicolor Display Using Color Filters”, Proc. Eurodisplay '81, pp.39-42, Sep., 1981

[O14] Research into colorization began around 1975 with the following two patents as references:
Patent No. Showa 52-23912, "Blue-emitting low-energy electron beam excited fluorescent display tube"
Patent No. Showa 52-23914, "Green-emitting low-energy electron beam excited fluorescent display tube"

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 05:35, 27 November 2024 (UTC)

References
I changed the following words in this section.

Newspaper
[N1] Dempa Shimbun Daily, July 21, 1967 Issue
From: The display method is to pressurize the mesh grid to 25V, and only the necessary parts of the character pieces behind it are also pressurized to 25V, while the other character pieces are kept at 0V, and the space charge from the filament hits the pressurized parts with electrons, causing them to light up, as in the conventional method.
To: The display method is to apply 25V to the mesh grid and only the necessary parts of the character pieces behind it, while the other character pieces are kept at 0V, and the space charge from the filament only hits the necessary character pieces with electrons, causing them to light up, as in the conventional method.

[N2] The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, July 17, 1967 Issue, P4
From: "Digitron" has the following features: 1) a brightness of over 100 lux at a low voltage of 20 to 25 volts, 2) characters painted with green phosphor are displayed on the same plane, and 3) low power consumption. The low voltage is particularly noteworthy as it can be used immediately with IC-based desktop calculators.
To: "Digitron" has the following features: 1) a brightness of over 100 lux at a low voltage of 20 to 25 volts, 2) characters painted with green phosphor are displayed on the same plane at the same depth, and 3) low power consumption. The low voltage is particularly noteworthy as it can be used immediately with IC-based desktop calculators.

[N3] The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, January 25, 1968 Issue, P14
From: Although low voltage and high brightness technologies have been overcome, problems remain in terms of "Life".
To: Although low voltage and high brightness technologies have been overcome, problems remain in terms of "Lifespan".

From: Among domestic computer manufacturers, Ise Electronics's Digitron Hayakawa Electric, which cooperated in the development, was one of the first to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator "Compet 16" and interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitrons.
To: Among domestic computer manufacturers, Ise Electronics's Digitron Hayakawa Electric, which cooperated in the development, was one of the first to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator "Compet 16" (CS-16A elsewhere in this proposal) and interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitrons.

From: On the same plane It also has features such as being easy to read and displaying characters, and Professor Eiji Sugata, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Osaka University, has praised it for its low voltage and high brightness, saying, "It is an electron tube that goes beyond conventional wisdom and will contribute greatly to the development of the electronics industry."
To: It is low voltage, high brightness, and emit green light, so our eyes won't get tired. It also has feature of ease of reading because all the digits are shown at the same depth and displaying characters, and Professor Eiji Sugata, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Osaka University, has praised it for its low voltage and high brightness, saying, "It is an electron tube that goes beyond conventional wisdom and will contribute greatly to the development of the electronics industry."

From: The development of the Tesitron was initiated when Hayakawa Electric Industries commissioned the company to carry out research into "whether it is possible to create a low-voltage numeric display tube for use in IC-based desktop calculators." So they started development.
To: The development of the Degitron was initiated when Hayakawa Electric Industries commissioned the company to carry out research into "whether it is possible to create a low-voltage numeric display tube for use in IC-based desktop calculators." So they started development.

Others
[O3] dentaku-museum.com/Sharp desktop calculator/CS-16A
From: The world's first fluorescent tube was thus produced and was installed in the CS-16A. After the appearance of the CS-16A, the combination of MOS and fluorescent display tubes became the basis for calculators, and various calculators followed this line.
To: The world's first fluorescent tube was thus produced and was installed in the CS-16A. After the appearance of the CS-16A, the combination of MOS and fluorescent display tubes became the basis for calculators, and various calculators followed this approach.

Proposer's comment added regarding a sentence about VFD's inventor in the article.

[O4] dentaku-museum.com/Casio Mini
From: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used a separate display tube (single tube).
To: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used separate display tubes (single tube).

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Expert Reviewer's Report_5_Ishikawa uploaded by Advocate -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 06:07, 2 December 2024 (UTC)

The following sentences have been edited today. Again, Ishikawa-san, many thanks for your comments and suggestions to our proposal.

References
Patent
From: [P1] PATENT 3508101 1970-04-21, Mikiharu Tanji, Character Indicating Electron Tube - VFD Basic Patent
To: [P1] PATENT 3508101 1970-04-21, Mikiharu Tanji, Character Indicating Electron Tube - VFD Basic Patent
[Remarks] Proposer's note: There is a typo in this patent document at around column 4-line 60 in page 3 of 4:
Typo: As described above, the numerals can be readily observed from the front of the tube, notwithstanding the presence of the cathode 25 or the grid 20 since they are both made of very fine wire.
Correct: As described above, the numerals can be readily observed from the front of the tube, notwithstanding the presence of the cathode 35 or the grid 20 since they are both made of very fine wire.

We have added our comment about the typo in the patent [P1]. Ishikawa-san, thank you finding it out.

Newspaper
[N3] The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, January 25, 1968 Issue, P14
From: Among domestic computer manufacturers, Ise Electronics's Digitron Hayakawa Electric, which cooperated in the development, was one of the first to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator "Compet 16" (CS-16A elsewhere in this proposal) and interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitrons.
To:Among domestic computer manufacturers, Hayakawa Electric Industry, which cooperated with Ise Electronics in the development of Digitron, was one of the first to adopt it as the numeric display tube for its recently released electronic desktop calculator, "Compet 16" (Proposer’s note: "Compet 16" = "CS-16A" elsewhere in this proposal) and the interest in the product is rapidly growing, with NEC entering into a technical partnership with Ise Electronics to begin production of Digitron.

Others
[O4] dentaku-museum.com/Casio Mini
From: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used separate display tubes (single tube).
To: Looking at the inside, we can see that it used separate display tubes (single symbol display tubes).

Thank you, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Expert Reviewer's Report_6_Hattori uploaded by Advocate -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 17:11, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Dr. Hase

I am pleased to respond as follows. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

(1) Is suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

Yes; I think the suggested wording is accurate.

(2) Is evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Plaque Citation?

Yes; I think the accurate evidences are supported. For example, it is clear that VFDs were released in 1967 in magazine[M1] and newspapers [N1]~[N3].

(3) The Citation mentions Tadashi Nakamura, as an inventor of the VFD. Do you agree with this Citation?

Yes; According to the section "Justification of Name in Citation," it is clear that Tadashi Nakamura is the inventor of the VFD. The VFD is innovative display device for example, the VFD revolutionized the calculator industry. After that, the exceptional visibility and durability made the VFD popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics. Like this, the VFD had a big impact on industry, and I consent to the inclusion of the name Tadashi Nakamura in the citation.

(4) Does proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

Yes; the proposed milestone represent not only the first product in 1967 with the innovative technology, but also subsequent developments to Especially, first product was a significant and historical achievement with the innovative technology and impact on society.

(5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

Yes; Nixie Tube is introduced as a competing achievements at that time with adequate　comparison. For example, Nixie Tube had issues such as high patent fees, the need for high-voltage operation and poor visibility. It was explained that VFDs solved these issues in the proposal.

In conclusion, Noritake Itron's VFD is a valuable technological and historical asset, and I highly recommend it as a worthy IEEE Milestone.

Dr. Reiji Hattori Department of Global innovation, Faculty of Engineering Sciences / Major of Device Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences Kyushu University

[Advocate's remarks] Prof. Hattori is the SID Japan Chapter Chair.

Advocate’s Recommendation -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 17:16, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

Advocate’s Recommendation for the IEEE Milestone #2024-26 “Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967”

November 17th, 2024.

Dear IEEE History Committee.

I’m honored to be an advocate to review for the Milestone Proposal, #2024-26 “Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967”.

(1) Expert Reviewers:

I asked five independent experts in the field of the proposal to conduct a detailed review from a technical point of view.

I asked expert reviewers following five questions.

(Q1) Is the suggested wording of the Plaque Citation accurate?

(Q2) Is the evidence presented in the proposal of sufficient substance and accuracy to support the Citation?

(Q3) There is a personal name in Citation, Tadashi Nakamura. Proposer describes Vacuum Fluorescent Display in his own achievements in the name-in-citation section. Do you agree with this claim?

(Q4) Does the proposed milestone represent a significant technical achievement?

(Q5) Were there similar or competing achievements? If so, have the proposers adequately described these and their relationship to the achievement being proposed?

I’ve upload six Expert Reviewer's Reports to ETHW website as following URL:

https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone-Proposal_talk:Vacuum_Fluorescent_Display,_1967

As far as I can tell from reading the five Expert Reviewer Reports, I have received positive ratings from them all that are appropriate for Milestone.

(2) Advocates’ Checklist:

Following <Yes> is my check for lists.

1. Is the proposal for an achievement rather than for a person? If the citation includes a person's name, have the proposers provided the required justification for inclusion of the person's name? <Yes>

2. Was the proposed achievement a significant advance rather than an incremental improvement to an existing technology? <Yes>

3. Were there prior or contemporary achievements of a similar nature? If so, have they been properly considered in the background information and in the citation? <Yes>

4. Has the achievement truly led to a functioning, useful, or marketable technology? <Yes>

5. Is the proposal adequately supported by significant references (minimum of five) such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or citations to pages in scholarly books? At least one of the references should be from a peer-reviewed scholarly book or journal article. The full text of the material, not just the references, shall be present. If the supporting texts are copyright-encumbered and cannot be posted on the ETHW for intellectual property reasons, the proposers shall email a copy to the History Center so that it can be forwarded to the Advocate. If the Advocate does not consider the supporting references sufficient, the Advocate may ask the proposer(s) for additional ones. <Yes>

6. Are the scholarly references sufficiently recent? <Yes>

7. Does the proposed citation explain why the achievement was successful and impactful? <Yes>

8. Does the proposed citation include important technical aspects of the achievement? <Yes>

9. Is the proposed citation readable and understandable by the general public? <Yes>

10. Will the citation be read correctly in the future by only using past tense? Does the citation wording avoid statements that read accurately only at the time that the proposal is written? <Yes>

11. Does the proposed plaque site fulfill the requirements? <Yes>

12. Is the proposal quality comparable to that of IEEE publications? <Yes>

13. Are any scientific and technical units correct (e.g., km, mm, hertz, etc.)? Are acronyms correct and properly upper-cased or lower-cased? Are the letters in any acronym explained in the title or the citation? <Yes>

14. Are date formats correct as specified in Section 6 of Milestones Program Guidelines? Helpful Hints on Citations, plaque locations. <Yes>

15. Do the year(s) appearing in the citation fall within the range of the year(s) included at the end of the title? <Yes>

16. Note that it is the Advocate's responsibility to confirm that the independent reviewers have no conflict of interest (e.g., that they do not work for a company or a team involved in the achievement being proposed, that they have not published with the proposer(s), and have not worked on a project related to the funding of the achievement). An example of a way to check for this would be to search reviewers' publications on IEEE Xplore. <Yes>

(3) Advocate’s Comment and Conclusion:

I received the satisfactory peer review results from six experts in the field of proposals. These expert reviewer's reports and discussions were very useful for my decision as an advocate for Milestone #2024-26.

1. Citation:

Six expert reviewers responded that citation is accurate, judging by the answers to question Q1. They also reported that they confirmed that the contents of the citation are supported by evidences, judging by the answers to question Q2. As an advocate, I have the same judgments as reviewers, too.

2. Name-in-Citation:

Six reviewers decided that it was appropriate for Tadashi Nakamura's name to be included in the Citation. judging by the answers to question Q3. It is because they acknowledged that he alone had accomplished this feat. As an advocate, I have the same judgments as reviewers, too.

3. Technical significance and historical value:

Six expert reviewers gave me detailed reviews of the answers of Q4 and Q5. They acknowledged the historical significance of the Tadashi Nakamura's Vacuum Fluorescent Display and its great impact for historical value. As an advocate, I have the same judgments as reviewers, too.

4. Advocate’s Conclusion:

All six expert reviewers gave the proposal strong recognition and support that it deserves the IEEE Milestone certification. I have considered carefully both the proposal and the expert reviewer’s reports, and have the same thought as expert reviewers. In conclusion, I strongly recommend this proposal, #2024-26 “Vacuum Fluorescent Display, 1967”, to the IEEE Milestone as an advocate.

Best regards,

Dr. Tomohiro Hase, IEEE Fellow.

Advocate #2024-26, IEEE History Committee.

Response to Expert Reviews -- Bberg (talk) 20:20, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

Thank you to Tomohiro Hase-san for posting comments from Expert Reviewers! I see that all 6 support the name in citation as they acknowledge Tadashi Makamura as being the single person responsible for this recognition.

I saw the comment from Chiaki Ishikawa (Expert Reviewer #5) who said that the 1967 accomplishment of "first commercialized" should be replaced with "first mass-produced" in the citation. However, I disagree since the background information cites at least 3 stories from that time period that support the first commercialization in 1967, and also the how the quick success of the VFD led to a new building completed the next year where mass production could begin to take place - likely in 1968 or 1969, and so not in 1967. Further, since "mass-produced" is an adjective, the term would need to be "mass produced" which is 2 words. As this would increase the citation wording to 71, the whole citation would need to be rethought to bring it back to 70 words.

In conclusion, as the current wording is fully accurate, as and the subsequent wording already indirectly indicates that mass prodiction would have been needed for the subsequent success of the VFD, no change is needed in the citation.

Thank you. Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: Response to Expert Reviews -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 23:29, 17 November 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much Hase-san for obtaining and posting 6 Expert Reviewers reports and comments.

Also, Thank you so much Brian-san for your comments.
As for Chiaki Ishikawa-san's suggestion about the word of "commercialized" or "mass-produced", we would like to use the word of "commercialized" as is, too, because we meant "commercialized" includes not only "VFDs were mass-produced" but also "VFDs were sold to Hayakawa Electric for their CS-16A" which means VFDs were established as a "business" in 1967.

Thank you. Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Re: Re: Response to Expert Reviews -- Zephyrus00jp (talk) 05:40, 26 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Matsumoto san,

Thank you for the clarification. I am all right with the "commercialization" after

reading your explanation and the earlier Berg san's reasoning.

Chiaki Ishikawa

Approval of the Proposal -- Bberg (talk) 13:28, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Dear Tomohiro Hase-san and your Expert Reviewers,

Thank you for this detailed submission. I give this my approval.

Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Slight Edit in Why was the achievement successful and impactful? section -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 22:07, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

The 3 paragraphs in the Why was the achievement successful and impactful? were separated with spaces based on Brian Berg-san' advice.
Brian-san, Thank you so much for your advice.

Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Edit in Game Machines, Multi-color display devices, and References section -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 06:40, 28 November 2024 (UTC)

The following words are edited in Game Machines section.

From: Subsequently, phosphors for low-energy electron ray were developed, and game machines were equipped with sophisticated multi-color displays.
To: Subsequently, color phosphors for low-energy electron ray were developed, and game machines were equipped with sophisticated multi-color displays.

In Multi-color display devices section.

From: Research on phosphors that could emit light when excited by low-energy electron beams began around 1975 at NHK's Science & Technical Research Laboratories [O14], but their lifespan and luminous efficiency were insufficient.
To: Research on phosphors that could emit light when excited by low-energy electron beams began around 1975 at Dai Nippon Toryo Co., Ltd. [O14], but their lifespan and luminous efficiency were insufficient.

In References / Papers section.

From: [4] S. Uemura, K. Kiyozumi; “Flat VFD TV display incorporating MOSFET switching array”, IEEE transactions on electron devices ED-28 No.6 P749-755 1981.
To: [4] S. Uemura, K. Kiyozumi; “Flat VFD TV display incorporating MOSFET switching array”, IEEE transactions on electron devices ED-28 No.6 P749-755 1981.
Retrieved 28 November 2024: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1481576
[Remarks] "Flat VFD TV display incorporating MOSFET switching array"
Abstract: A flat TV display panel was fabricated experimentally. It consists of an itegration of 241 × 246 picture elements to produce a picture size of 23 × 23 mm². It operates upon a novel combination of fluorescent display elements and filament cathodes that emit electrons. It has a compact configuration, high light conversion efficiency with its low energy calhodoluminescent phosphor, and an integrated switching array. The operating principle of the new display panel and its experimental results, e.g., 10-fL luminescence at 30-V driving voltage and power consumption of 0.8 W (60 Hz, duty ratio of 1/300), etc. are depicted. In addition, the feasibility of incorporating memory function in the panel is discussed. Experimental results proved that memory function contributed to the reduction of power consumption, enhancement of brightness, improvement of resolution, and facilitation of color display.

In References / Others section.

From: [O10] Reinitzer, F., “Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Cholesterins, ”Monatschr, Fur Chem., vol.9, pp.421-441, 1888.
To: [O10] Reinitzer, F., “Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Cholesterins, ”Monatschr, Fur Chem., vol.9, pp.421-441, 1888.
Retrieved 28 November 2024: https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jlac.18460590117

From: [O11] 1968 "Dynamic Scattering: A New Electrooptic Effect in Certain Classes of Nemeric Liquid Crystals" (with Zanoni, L. A. and Barton, L. A.), Proceedings of the IEEE, 56: 1162.
To: [O11] G. H. Heilmeier et. Al; "Dynamic Scattering: A New Electrooptic Effect in Certain Classes of Nemeric Liquid Crystals" , Proceedings of the IEEE, Volume 56, Issue 7, 1968, P1162 - 1171.
Retrieved 28 November 2024: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1448443
[Remarks] Abstract: A new electrooptic effect in certain classes of nematic liquid crystals is presented. The effect has been termed "dynamic scattering" because scattering centers are produced in the transparent, anisotropic medium due to the disruptive effects of ions in transit. The ions can be produced by field assisted dissociation of neutral molecules and/or Schottky emission processes. The rise times of 1 to 5 ms and decay times of less than 30 ms, together with dc operating voltages in the 10 to 100 V range, make dynamic scattering seem attractive for such applications as alphanumeric indicators, and do not preclude its use in line-at-a-time matrix addressed, real-time displays. Reflective contrast ratios of better than 15 to 1 with efficiencies of 45 percent of the standard white have been demonstrated.


Thank you, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Proposer

Slight revision to citation -- Dmichelson (talk) 09:49, 3 December 2024 (UTC)

I have reviewed the proposal and support it, but I strongly recommend the following slight revision to the citation:

Vacuum Fluorescent Displays (VFDs) were first commercialized in 1967 by Tadashi Nakamura, founder of Ise Electronics Corp. VFDs revolutionized the calculator industry by replacing the large, expensive, and high-voltage Nixie tubes then used for character display. By 1972, VFDs could display various symbols and numbers in a flat panel format. Their exceptional visibility and durability made them popular in home appliances, automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics through the 1990s.

Re: Slight revision to citation -- Bberg (talk) 14:07, 4 December 2024 (UTC)

I note that the only change requested is to the first word of the 2nd sentence: changing it from "These" to "VFDs". I support this change.

Brian Berg, Milestones Subcommittee Chair

Re: Re: Slight revision to citation -- Jbart64 (talk) 14:16, 4 December 2024 (UTC)

I support this revised version. Well done. Dave Bart

Re: Re: Slight revision to citation -- Tomohiro Hase (talk) 15:12, 4 December 2024 (UTC)

Dear Dave Michelson san and Brian Berg san

Thank you very much for your sound advice. I’ll tell proposers your advice and revise it as soon as possible.

Best regards, T. Hase, advocate.

Re: Re: Re: Slight revision to citation -- Kazunori Tatsuda (talk) 17:53, 4 December 2024 (UTC)

Dear all,

Thank you very much for your advice. Based on your advice, I agree and chaged the words "These" to "VFDs" in the first word of the 2nd sentence.

Best regards, Kazunori Tatsuda, One of the proposers.

Revision to Justification of Name in Citation -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 06:27, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

We are planning to revise the wording in Justification of Name in Citation as shown in column D of the attached Excel spread sheet .

We presented to explain in a timeline format with the historical facts that Nakamura developed the VFD as a main engineer with many peoples who were cooperated and involved in the development, and successfully commercialized VFD.

As for the date of invention of the VFD, it cannot be clearly defined as a specific date like the date of the patent application, since the VFD was developed over time with the cooperation of related parties, centered around Nakamura, so we have presented the historical facts in chronological order, including Nakamura's many years of research into cathode ray tubes as an engineer.

Regarding the year "1967" in the title and citation, we would like to keep the year of 1967 when the VFD was successfully commercialized by mass-producing and selling DG12B to Hayakawa Electric as a business, instead of year 1965 when Nakamura proposed his basic concept of VFD to Sasaki, nor year 1966 when Nakamura succeeded to complete prototypes of VFD at his laboratory.

Best Regards, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, one of proposer

Re: Revision to Justification of Name in Citation -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 07:35, 26 December 2024 (UTC)

We have today just added some necessary references ([O15] through [O19] and also [J1] through [J3]) to revise Justification of Name in Citation. We are going to revise the wording in Justification of Name in Citation as shown in column D of this Excel spread sheet by tomorrow December 27 in JST (UTC+0900).

Thank you, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, One of proposers

Re: Re: Revision to Justification of Name in Citation -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 02:45, 27 December 2024 (UTC)

I have edited the wording in Justification of Name in Citation based on column D in the Excel spread sheet.

Please refer to the following link for a comparison of the changes over the last few days.

https://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/w/index.php?title=Milestone-Proposal%3AVacuum_Fluorescent_Display%2C_1967&type=revision&diff=21309&oldid=21067

Best Regards, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, One of proposers

Re: Re: Re: Revision to Justification of Name in Citation -- Dmichelson (talk) 12:41, 30 December 2024 (UTC)

I've reviewed the spreadsheet. One of the objectives of the Milestone program is to encourage our community to piece together such stories for the benefit of others who want to know the full story behind an important innovation. While I haven't verified all of the details, my impression is that the proposers have done a very nice job of piecing this together. Well done!

Updates to newspaper articles data to include Newspaper's information and English translations -- Hiroyuki Matsumoto (talk) 07:48, 23 December 2024 (UTC)

We have updated the newspaper articles data [N1], [N2], and [N3] in References to include the Newspaper title, publication date, page number and their English translations in one sheet in PDF format for better readability and understanding as the reference.

Best Regards, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, One of proposer