ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT READING DEVICE

• US 20100066685A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlexEnable Limited (Plastic Logic JSC)
• Original Assignee: Plastic Logic Limited (Plastic Logic JSC)
• Inventors: Yeoh, Tim, Cain, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment

Abstract

An electronic document reading device includes an electronic page having at least one display surface; a page support, said page being attached to said page support such that said page is physically turnable; a memory to store at least part of a document to be read; a page driver coupled to said memory, to drive said page display surface to display a first stored portion of said document; a sensing system to sense turning of said page; and an update control system coupled to said sensing system to control update of said display surface with a second stored portion of said document responsive to sensing of said page turning; and wherein said update control system is configured to control said updating such that said updating is at least partially hidden from a viewpoint of a user of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic document reading device, the device comprising:

an electronic page having at least one display surface;

a page support, said page being attached to said page support such that said page is physically turnable;

a memory to store at least part of a document to be read;

a page driver coupled to said memory, to drive said page display surface to display a first stored portion of said document;

a sensing system to sense turning of said page; and

an update control system coupled to said sensing system to control update of said display surface with a second stored portion of said document responsive to sensing of said page turning; and

wherein said update control system is configured to control said updating such that said updating is at least partially hidden from a viewpoint of a user of the device.

2. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 comprising two electronic pages each attached to said page support.

3. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sensing system is configured to sense substantial completion of said page turning such that one of said pages lies substantially behind the other, and wherein said update control system is configured to control update of said page lying behind responsive to sensing of said substantially complete page turning.

4. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic page has two said display surfaces on opposite sides of said page to thereby provide a double-sided electronic page.

5. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sensing system is configured to sense turning of said double-sided electronic page through an angle of at least 100°

, said turning converting a viewable display surface of a said double-sided page into a substantially hidden display surface of said page, and wherein said update control system is configured to control update of said substantially hidden display surface responsive to said turning sensing.

6. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 comprising two said electronic pages each attached to said page support, and wherein said sensing system is configured to sense a relative turning of one page with respect to the other.

7. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 comprising two said electronic pages, and wherein said page support comprises first and second page mounts configured to enable rotation of one said mount with respect to the other, each mount mounting a said page.

8. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said sensing system is configured to sense said rotation.

9. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 7 wherein each said mount includes electronics associated with said page mounted on said mount, and further comprising a flexible electrical interconnect linking said electronics in said respective mounts, and wherein said interconnect is configured to allow relative rotation of said mounts by at least 300°

.

10. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a said page is detachable.

11. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 10 wherein a display on said display surface of said detached page is non-volatile.

12. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said page support comprises at least one user control, in particular a wheel.

13. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said page support contains active electronic components to drive said page display surface.

14. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display surface comprises an electrophoretic display.

15. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said page comprises a flexible page.

16. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or more rigid electronic components of one or more of said memory, page driver, sensing system and update control system are integrated into said page support.

17. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said page has a touch sensitive screen.

18. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said page includes a sensor to sense a bending force on a corner of the page, and wherein said reading device further comprises a bookmarking system to bookmark a location in a displayed document responsive to detection of said bending force.

19. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an interface to a docking station, and configured to perform one or both of uploading a said document and recharging an internal power source when interfaced to said docking station.

25. A docking station for the electronic document reading device of claim 1, the docking station including an interface for said reading device, and wherein the docking station is configured to perform one or both of uploading a document to said reading device and recharging an internal power source of said reading device.

40. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an active matrix of organic thin film transistor (TFTs) on an organic, flexible substrate which drives an electrophoretic medium.

20. A detachable electronic page for an electronic document reading device, said electronic page having an electrical interface for interfacing with said reading device and a connecting portion for detachable coupling with said reading device.

21. A detachable electronic page as claimed in claim 20 wherein said page has a display surface comprising an electrophoretic display, and wherein said page lacks an internal power supply.

22. A detachable electronic page as claimed in claim 20 wherein said page is flexible.

41. A page as claimed in claim 20 comprising an active matrix of organic thin film transistor (TFTs) on an organic, flexible substrate which drives an electrophoretic medium.

23. An electronic document reading device, the device including at least one electronic page having a display, and wherein said device is configured such that a user is able to bookmark a document displayed on said electronic page by applying a bending force to said electronic page.

24. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 23 wherein said bending force is applied to a corner of said page.

42. A reader as claimed in claim 23 comprising an active matrix of organic thin film transistor (TFTs) on an organic, flexible substrate which drives an electrophoretic medium.

26. An electronic document reading device comprising two electronic pages turnably attached to a page spine, and wherein electronic circuitry of said document reading device is contained within said spine.

27. An electronic document reading device as claimed in claim 26 wherein said pages are flexible and each comprise an electrophoretic display.

28. A method of updating a display on a turnable page of an electronic document reading device, the method comprising:

sensing turning of said page; and

updating said display in response to said sensing; and

wherein said updating is at least partially hidden from a viewpoint of a user of said electronic reader viewing said page prior to said turning.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said device has at least two display surfaces, and wherein said sensing comprises:

determining when one of said display surfaces is at least partially hidden from a viewer of the other said display surface; and

updating said at least partially hidden display surface in response to said sensing.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein said device has at least two pages and wherein said sensing determines when one of said pages is substantially hidden behind the other.

31. A carrier carrying processor control code to, when running, implement the method of claim 28.

32. An electronic reader comprising at least one electronic page connected to a spine and turnable about said spine, and wherein upon turning of said page about said spine said electronic page updates;

said electronic reader being arranged such that said update is at least partially hidden from a viewpoint of a user of said electronic reader viewing said page prior to said turning.

33. An electronic reader as claimed in claim 32 comprising two said electronic pages each connected to said spine and turnable about said spine.

34. An electronic reader as claimed in claim 33 wherein each of said pages is turnable through substantially 360°

to lie behind the other.

35. An electronic reader as claimed in claim 34 wherein a said page updates upon turning of said page through substantially 360°

, whereby said update is substantially hidden from a viewpoint of a user of said electronic reader viewing the other page.

36. An electronic reader with at least one double-sided electronic page including a page turn sensor wherein said reader is configured to display reading matter on a first side of said double-sided electronic page whilst updating a second, reverse side of said double-sided electronics page.

37. An electronic reader as claimed in claim 36 including a page turn sensor to trigger said updating responsive to detection of turning over of said electronic page.

38. An electronic reader comprising at least one electronic page connected to a spine and turnable about said spine, and wherein said electronic page is flexible.

39. An electronic reader comprising at least one double-sided electronic page connected to a spine and turnable about said spine by 360°

.