Indexing writehead for bistable media

• US 20060170981A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Johnson, David M., Ricks, Theodore K., Maiola, Domenic, Capurso, Robert G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/3.320
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field

Abstract

A system and method for writing bistable media with a writehead is described. The media has two or more discrete write areas, each area defined by at least one electrical contact, and the media further has at least one alignment feature positioned with regard to one or more discrete write area. The writehead has corresponding alignment features and electrical conductors to the alignment features and electrical contacts of the media.

Claims

1. A system for writing a bistable media, wherein the system comprises:

the bistable media, wherein the media comprises a substrate;

a bistable material layer on the substrate;

two or more discrete write areas of the bistable media, each area defined by at least one electrical contact; and

at least one alignment feature on the substrate positioned with regard to at least one discrete write area; and

a writehead, comprising one or more electrical conductors, and an alignment feature that interacts with the media alignment feature such that the one or more electrical conductors of the writehead are aligned with the at least one electrical contact of the media.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for moving the writehead and media in relation to one another.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mechanism comprises traction feed, manual feed, a push bar, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the mechanism provides intermittent relative motion of the media and writehead.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the mechanism is part of the writehead.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mechanism comprises the alignment feature of the writehead.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the media alignment feature comprises one or more through hole, protrusion, indentation, edge, electrically recognizable feature, optically recognizable feature, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the writehead alignment feature comprises one or more protrusion, indentation, through hole, optical sensor, electrical sensor, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors of the writehead comprise a flex conductor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each discrete write area of the media comprises a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein at least one of the first or second conductor is patterned.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an optical scanner.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising two or more writeheads.

13. A method of writing a bistable media one portion at a time, wherein the media comprises a substrate;

a bistable material layer on the substrate;

two or more discrete write areas of the bistable media, each area defined by at least one electrical contact; and

at least one alignment feature on the substrate positioned with regard to one or more discrete write area, the method comprising;

contacting the media with a writehead, the writehead comprising one or more electrical conductors, and an alignment feature that interacts with the media alignment feature such that the one or more electrical conductors of the writehead are aligned with the at least one electrical contact of the media;

aligning the media alignment feature with the writehead alignment feature;

writing at least one discrete write area of the media; and

moving the media and writehead relative to one another.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of moving the media and writehead relative to one another occurs before writing the media.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of moving the media and writehead relative to one another occurs while writing the media.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeating the steps of aligning, writing, and moving.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising optically scanning the media after writing.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising two or more writeheads.

19. A display comprising bistable media, wherein the display is written by the method of claim 13.