Apparatus for displaying drawings

• US 20020130832A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: OʼMalley, Timothy J., Knaian, Ara N., Wilcox, Russell J., Linden, Heather A., Baucom, Allan Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,030,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/10 and slideably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

A first apparatus for displaying drawings comprises a housing having an aperture, a drawing sheet comprising electro-optic material movable through the aperture between closed and open positions, and a writing device for writing on the sheet as it moved between its closed and open positions. A second apparatus comprises a display member having a viewing surface, support means for supporting this display member above a floor, an electro-optic medium disposed on the display member, a writing head for writing on the electro-optic medium, and drive means for moving the writing head relative to the electro-optic medium. The invention also provides a display comprising an optic medium capable of being changed between two display states, the display having a viewing surface through which an observer can view the medium. A touch screen is disposed on the opposed side of the optic medium from the viewing surface, and the optic medium is deformable such that pressure applied to the viewing surface will be transmitted to the touch screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying a drawing, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having an aperture therein;

a drawing sheet movable through said aperture between a closed position, in which substantially the whole of said drawing sheet lies within said housing, and an open position, in which at least a portion of said drawing sheet lies outside said housing, at least a portion of said drawing sheet comprising an electro-optic medium having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, said medium being changed from its first to its second display state by application of an electric field to said medium; and

writing means for writing on said electro-optic medium as said drawing sheet is moved from its closed to its open position and thereby producing a drawing on said electro-optic medium.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a rotatable spindle disposed within said housing, said drawing sheet, when in its closed position, being wound around said spindle, said drawing sheet being moved from its closed to its open position by being unwound from said spindle.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said housing is substantially cylindrical, said spindle has an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of said housing and said aperture has the form of an elongate slot extending substantially parallel to the axis of said housing.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising retraction means arranged to retract said drawing sheet from its open to its closed position.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising latching means having a latched position, in which said latching means prevent said retracting means retracting said drawing sheet from its open to its closed position, and an unlatched position, in which said latching means permits said retracting means to retract said drawing sheet from its open to its closed position.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said writing means is mounted on said housing adjacent said aperture.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said writing means places upon said electro-optic medium an electrostatic charge which persists after said electro-optic medium has passed said writing means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said writing means comprises a conductive member provided with biasing means arranged to bias said conductive member into contact with said drawing sheet as said writing means is writing on said drawing sheet, so that said conductive member forms one electrode of said writing means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least said portion of said drawing sheet bearing said electro-optic medium comprises a conductive layer.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a closure member secured to said drawing sheet in a position such that, when said drawing sheet is in its closed position, said closure member substantially closes said aperture.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising data storage means for storing data representing a plurality of drawings, and data selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of drawings for writing by said writing means on to said display sheet.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said drawing sheet comprises a protective layer covering said electro-optic medium.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said protective layer is separable from said electro-optic medium and said writing means comprises separating means for separating said protective layer from said electro-optic medium before said electro-optic medium is written by said writing means, said separating means permitting said protective layer to overlie said electro-optic medium after said electro-optic medium has been written by said writing means.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising at least two discrete drawing sheets, each of said drawing sheets having an associated writing means so that different drawings can be displayed on each discrete drawing sheet.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a rotatable spindle disposed within said housing, said drawing sheets, when in their closed positions, being wound around said spindle.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a plurality of rotatable spindles disposed within said housing, one spindle being associated with each said drawing sheet, each said drawing sheet, when in its closed position, being wound around its associated spindle.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrochromic medium.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a rotating bichromal member medium.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

21. An apparatus for displaying a drawing, said apparatus comprising:

a display member having a viewing surface;

support means for supporting said display member above a horizontal floor with said viewing surface facing upwardly;

an electro-optic medium having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, said medium being changed from its first to its second display state by application of an electric field to said medium, said electro-optic medium being disposed on said display member so as to be visible to an observer viewing said viewing surface;

a writing head arranged to write on said electro-optic medium; and

drive means for moving said writing head relative to said electro-optic medium.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said display member has the form of a hollow box, said electro-optic medium is disposed on an internal surface of said box, the portion of said box adjacent said electro-optic medium being substantially transparent so as to enable an observer to see said electro-optic medium through said viewing surface, and said writing head comprises an elongate member arranged to move within said box so as to write on said electro-optic medium.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said display member has the form of a hollow box, said electro-optic medium is disposed on an internal surface of said box, the portion of said box adjacent said electro-optic medium being substantially transparent so as to enable an observer to see said electro-optic medium through said viewing surface, said writing head comprises a stylus member, and said drive means are arranged to move said writing head in two dimensions over said electro-optic medium.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said display member has the form of a hollow box, said electro-optic medium is disposed on a movable member within said box, said writing head is disposed at a fixed location within said box, and said drive means is arranged to drive said movable member past said fixed writing head

25. An apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising data storage means for storing data representing a plurality of drawings, and data selection means for selecting at least one of said plurality of drawings for writing by said writing head on said electro-optic medium.

26. An apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising manually-operable data input means arranged so that data input to said data input means can modify a drawing displayed on said electro-optic medium.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26 further comprising data storage means operatively associated with said data input means and arranged to store modifications to drawings displayed on said apparatus and modified by data input to said data input means.

28. An apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said data input means comprises at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick and a touch screen.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said data input means comprises a touch screen disposed on the opposed side of said electro-optic medium from said viewing surface, said electro-optic medium being deformable such that pressure applied to said viewing surface is transmitted to said touch screen.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said electro-optic medium is substantially non-transmissive of visible light.

31. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrochromic medium.

32. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a rotating bichromal member medium.

33. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

36. A display according to claim 35 wherein said optic medium is substantially non-transmissive of visible light.

37. A display according to claim 35 having an air gap between said optic medium and said touch screen, said optic medium deforming when pressure is applied thereto to close said air gap and thereby transmit pressure to said touch screen.

38. A display according to claim 35 having a spacer layer between said optic medium and said touch screen, said spacer layer transmitting pressure from said optic medium to said touch screen when pressure is applied to said optic medium.

39. A display according to claim 35 wherein said optic medium comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

40. A display according to claim 35 wherein said optic medium comprises an electro-optic medium capable of being changed between its first and second optic states by application of an electric field thereto.

41. A display according to claim 40 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrochromic medium.

42. A display according to claim 40 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a rotating bichromal member medium.

43. A display according to claim 40 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium.

44. A display according to claim 43 wherein said electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

46. A process according to claim 45 wherein said layer of electro-optic material and said envelope are substantially rectangular, said spaced retaining members comprise two parallel elongate members, and said spaced elongate members are inserted into said envelope so as to extend substantially along an opposed pair of edges thereof, so that substantially the whole of said layer of electro-optic material is available for writing by said writing head.

47. A process according to claim 45 wherein the spacing between said spaced containing members can be varied, and wherein said spaced retaining members are inserted within said envelope and said spacing between said spaced retaining members thereafter increased, thereby placing said envelope under tension before said writing head writes said image.

48. A process according to claim 45 wherein said writing head is arranged to commence writing said image at a portion of said electro-optic medium remote from said flap, and to write successive portions of said image closer to said flap.

49. A process according to claim 45 wherein said electro-optic material comprises an electrochromic material.

50. A process according to claim 45 wherein said electro-optic material comprises a rotating bichromal member material.

51. A process according to claim 45 wherein said electro-optic material comprises an electrophoretic material.

52. A process according to claim 51 wherein said electrophoretic material is an encapsulated electrophoretic material.

35. A display comprising an optic medium having a viewing surface through which an observer can view said optic medium and on which said observer can press, said optic medium being changeable between first and second display states differing in at least one optical property on application of a stimulus thereto, said display further comprising a touch screen disposed on the opposed side of said optic medium from said viewing surface, said optic medium being deformable such that pressure applied to said viewing surface is transmitted to said touch screen.

45. A process for writing on a protected layer of electro-optic material, said protected layer comprising a layer of electro-optic material and a protective envelope substantially completely surrounding said layer of electro-optic material, said envelope having an openable and recloseable flap which can be opened to permit access to said layer of electro-optic material, said process using a writing apparatus comprising at least two spaced retaining members and a writing head which can be moved between said spaced retaining members, said process comprising:

opening said flap of said envelope;

inserting said spaced retaining members within said envelope, thereby creating a gap between said layer of electro-optic material and one internal surface of said envelope;

moving said writing head between said spaced retaining members and thereby writing an image on said layer of electro-optic material;

withdrawing said spaced retaining members from said envelope; and

reclosing said flap of said envelope.