Wide viewing angle reflective display
First Claim
1. A reflective display, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of approximately hemispherical transparent hemi- beads having a refractive index η
1 substantially covering and protruding inwardly from an inward surface of a transparent sheet having a refractive index η
2, said transparent sheet having an outward viewing surface; and
, (b) means for selectably moving a member into an intense evanescent wave region at an inward side of said hemi-beads to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays at said inward side of said hemi-beads.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (η1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet'"'"'s inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (η2) which can be low (i.e. η1≈1.92 and η2≈1.59). A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads'"'"' inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in a low refractive index (η3≈1.27) electrophoresis medium and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.
45 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A reflective display, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of approximately hemispherical transparent hemi- beads having a refractive index η
1 substantially covering and protruding inwardly from an inward surface of a transparent sheet having a refractive index η
2, said transparent sheet having an outward viewing surface; and
,(b) means for selectably moving a member into an intense evanescent wave region at an inward side of said hemi-beads to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays at said inward side of said hemi-beads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A reflective display, comprising:
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(a) a first transparent sheet having;
(i) an inwardly protruding structure on an inward side of said first sheet, said structure having a refractive index greater than about 1.75;
(ii) an outward viewing surface;
(iii) an intense evanescent wave region at an inward side of said structure;
(b) a second sheet spaced inwardly from said first sheet to define a reservoir between said first and second sheets;
(c) an electrophoresis medium within said reservoir, said medium having a refractive index less than about 1.35;
(d) a member within said medium;
(e) a first electrode on said inward side of said structure;
(f) a second electrode on an outward side of said second sheet; and
,(i) a voltage source coupled between said electrodes to apply a voltage across said medium to selectably, electrophoretically move said member into or out of said intense evanescent wave region. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of making a reflective display, said method comprising:
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(a) partially embedding a plurality of approximately spherical high refractive index beads in one side of an elastomeric substrate;
(b) removing portions of said beads which are not embedded in said substrate to produce a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index hemi-beads embedded in said substrate, said hemi-beads having substantially flat, substantially coplanar faces;
(c) transparently adhering said hemi-bead coplanar faces to a transparent substrate; and
,(d) removing said elastomeric substrate. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An image display method, comprising:
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(a) forming an approximately hemispherical transparent hemi-bead having a refractive index η
1; and
,(b) selectably moving a member into an intense evanescent wave region at an inwardly convex side of said hemi-bead to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays at said inwardly convex side of said hemi-bead. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification