Electronic monetary instrument employing an electronic-ink layer for visually displaying the monetary value thereof in a particular currency

• US 20090014538A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelbman, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167

Abstract

An electronic monetary instrument including an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The electronic monetary instrument includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing a unique encrypted serial number uniquely identifying the electronic monetary instrument and other information representing its monetary value in a particular currency, as well as for storing instructions, programs and data. The integrated circuit structure also includes a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from an activation module, using the antenna structure. The monetary instrument displays graphical indicia representing at least the monetary value of the electronic monetary instrument in a particular currency.

Claims

1. An electronic monetary instrument comprising:

(1) an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material disposed between an activation layer and a transparent electrode layer located above said layer of electronic ink, for activating said layer of electronic ink at particular locations to display graphical indicia on the surface of said addressable display assembly, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

(2) at least one antenna structure for receiving electromagnetic data signals carrying information corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly;

(3) an integrated circuit structure having (i) a storage element for storing an unique encrypted serial number uniquely identifying each said electronic monetary instrument and other information representing the monetary value of said monetary instrument in a particular currency, as well as storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly at any moment in time, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia; and

(4) a signal receiving structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said at least one antenna structure, for receiving electromagnetic data signals from an activation module, using said at least one antenna structure;

wherein said received electromagnetic data signals carry information corresponding to said programs, said instructions, said data or said graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly;

wherein said integrated circuit structure is responsive to electromagnetic data signals received from said activation module, by said at least one antenna structure and said signal receiving structure; and

wherein said addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia representing at least the monetary value of said electronic monetary instrument in said particular currency.

2. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one antenna structure also receives electromagnetic power signals transmitted by said activation module;

and wherein said electronic monetary instrument further comprises a power converter, operably connected to said at least one antenna structure, for converting said received electromagnetic power signals into electrical power signals and storing electrical charge for powering said integrated circuit structure, including said programmed processor, to process instructions and data to (i) determine the graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly and (ii) activate said addressable display assembly to display said determined graphical indicia.

3. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said electronic monetary instrument further comprises an electrical power source for supplying electrical power to said integrated circuit structure.

4. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 3, wherein said electrical power source is an electrical battery structure.

5. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one antenna structure, said integrated circuit structure, and said signal receiving structure are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of said addressable display assembly so as to form said electronic-ink based shipping label having a stacked construction.

6. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activation module receives electromagnetic data signals from said at least one antenna structure of said electronic monetary instrument, carrying information, including the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said electronic monetary instrument.

7. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, which further comprises a signal transmitting structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure, and wherein said at least one antenna structure further transmits electromagnetic data signals from said at least one antenna structure, to said activation module.

8. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one antenna structure receives electromagnetic data signals carrying information corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly.

9. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 7, wherein said signal transmitting structure and said signal receiving structure are realized as a signal transceiving structure.

10. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said electronic monetary instrument further comprises a protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to prevent said addressable display assembly from inadvertent physical trauma and/or environmental damage.

11. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activation layer comprises an activation grid, disposed on a support structure, to form a plurality of addressable pixel locations, wherein each said addressable pixel location is addressable by said programmed processor.

12. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 11, wherein said programmed processor controls each pixel location in said activation grid to form human and/or machine readable graphical indicia within said layer of electronic ink.

13. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed between said transparent electrode layer and said activation layer, and wherein each said microcapsule has disposed therein an electro-phoretic composition of a fluid, such as a dielectric or emulsion fluid, and a suspension of colored or charged particles or colloidal material.

14. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 13, wherein said fluid comprises a dielectric fluid.

15. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein each said activation module employs a processor arranged with a receiver, a transmitter, and an antenna device.

16. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 15, wherein said receiver and said transmitter in said activation module are combined into a single transceiver device for both sending and receiving electromagnetic data signals.

17. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said storage element comprises a volatile or non-volatile memory element, or combinations thereof, such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM.

18. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activator module communicates with said electronic monetary instrument determine the type and/or value of said electronic monetary instrument.

19. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activator module is mounted in a mechanical bill counter, ensuring that all electronic monetary instruments passing through said mechanical bill counter are authentic based on reading said unique encrypted serial numbers associated with each said electronic monetary instrument.

20. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said particular currency is selected from the group including dollars, deutschemarks, francs, and pounds.

21. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said storage element further stores one or more items of information selected from the group including:

an account number, an organization or country or government that initially issued said electronic monetary instrument, a financial institution, electronic financial routing information, security codes, and encrypting and anti-counterfeit algorithms.

22. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activator module is integrally formed as part of a receiving device sized and dimensioned for receiving or communicating with said electronic monetary instrument.

23. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 22, wherein said receiving device includes a money counting machine, counterfeit inspection station, cash register or draw, securities validation machine, bond validation machine, or an ATM machine.

24. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said activator module can update information stored in said storage element when said electronic monetary instrument is located within a pocket, a non-conductive package, cash/bill holding compartment in a wallet or purse, non conducting cash registers and bill counting machines, gambling table cash draw, and non-conducting bank teller draws.

25. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, which functions as paper currency, a stock or bond certificate, a government or corporate bond or certificate, a voucher, a check, a deposit slip, a withdrawal slip, a treasury note, a currency wrapper, or represent an item of value, such as financial information, transaction receipts, and the like.

26. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, which employs public and/or private encrypting keys and other forms of electronic security embodied into said electronic monetary instrument.

27. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said layer of electronic ink comprises fluorescent ink that illuminates when excited with appropriate radiation from an external source.

28. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said layer of electronic ink comprises different layers of ink having different optical characteristics that can be activated to respond with patterns based on a decoded message.

29. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein said layer of electronic ink comprises one or more of fluorescent, iridescent, bioluminescent, incandescent, ultraviolet, infrared, and wavelength specific radiation absorbing material.

30. The electronic monetary instrument of claim 1, wherein the optical characteristics of the materials used to realize said layer of electronic ink can be combined to provide additional mechanisms for authentication and security of monetary instruments.