Electrically determining messages on an electrophoretic display
First Claim
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1. A verifiable display, comprising:
- a set of display pixels, each pixel having at least two optical states and a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned adjacent the top and bottom of each respective pixel;
a first electrical signal generator coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, the first signal generator generating a write signal that creates a first electrical differential between the electrodes to set a pixel into a desired optical state that changes the visible perceptibility of the pixel;
a second electrical signal generator coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, the second signal generator generating a second electrical signal such that the application of the second signal across first and second the electrodes does not change the visible perceptibility of the pixel;
a detection circuit coupled to the first and second electrodes of the pixel for measuring an electrical response to the second electrical signal that correlates with the contrast level of the pixel; and
wherein the contrast level is used to evaluate the visible perceptibility of the pixel at the time the second electrical signal was applied.
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Abstract
Briefly, a method for verifying the visual perceptibility of a display is provided. An intended message is written to a bistable display. Pixels that comprise portions of the message are measured and evaluated to determine if the message actually displayed on the bistable display was perceptible by a human or a machine. In some cases, information regarding the message actually perceivable from the display may be stored for later use. Responsive to determining that a message is perceivable or not perceivable, alarms may be set, one or more third parties notified, or additional display features may be set.
9 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A verifiable display, comprising:
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a set of display pixels, each pixel having at least two optical states and a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned adjacent the top and bottom of each respective pixel; a first electrical signal generator coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, the first signal generator generating a write signal that creates a first electrical differential between the electrodes to set a pixel into a desired optical state that changes the visible perceptibility of the pixel; a second electrical signal generator coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, the second signal generator generating a second electrical signal such that the application of the second signal across first and second the electrodes does not change the visible perceptibility of the pixel; a detection circuit coupled to the first and second electrodes of the pixel for measuring an electrical response to the second electrical signal that correlates with the contrast level of the pixel; and wherein the contrast level is used to evaluate the visible perceptibility of the pixel at the time the second electrical signal was applied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for verifying a display, comprising:
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providing a pixel for the display, the pixel having a pair of electrodes that receive a write signal; presuming the pixel is in a first optical state of a plurality of possible optical states, the first optical state corresponding to a contrast level that provides an intended visible perceptibility; setting a threshold value according to the contrast level for the presumed first optical state; applying, using the pair of electrodes, a second signal to the pixel such that the second signal does not change to visible perceptibility of the pixel; measuring an electrical response of the pixel to the second signal, the measured signal correlating to the actual contrast level of the pixel; comparing the contrast level for the measured electrical response to the contrast level for the threshold value; and determining, using the comparison, whether or not the pixel is in the presumed optical state such that the pixel has the contrast level to provide the intended visible perceptibility. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for verifying a display, comprising:
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providing a pixel in an optical state that has a visible perceptibility; applying a perturbation signal to the pixel that does not change the visible perceptibility of the pixel, the perturbation signal being applied to the pixel using the same electrodes used to set the pixel into a desired optical state; measuring an electrical response of the pixel to the perturbation signal; and determining, using the measured value, the optical state of the pixel at the time the perturbation signal was applied. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. An intelligent label, comprising:
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a processor; an electrophoretic display comprising a plurality of pixels; a power source; wherein the processor operates a method comprising; applying a perturbation signal to one of the pixels that does not change the visible perceptibility of the pixel; measuring an electrical response of the pixel to the perturbation signal; and determining, using the measured value, the optical state of the pixel at the time the perturbation signal was applied. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A verifiable display, comprising:
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a set of display pixels, at least one of the pixels having an electrode pair, the electrode pair arranged to set the pixel into an optical state with a level of visible perceptibility; an electrical signal generator coupled to the electrode pair, the signal generator constructed to apply a verification signal at the electrode pixels that does not change visible perceptibility of the pixel; a detection circuit coupled to the electrode pair for measuring an electrical response to the second signal; and wherein the measured electrical response is correlated to the visible perceptibility of the pixel at the time the verification signal was applied to the electrode pair. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification