ELECTROPHORETIC DISPLAY WINDOW

• US 20110038030A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Mark Thomas, Van Loenen, Evert Jan, Roosendaal, Sander Jurgen, Lashina, Tatiana Aleksandrovna
• Application Number:
  US12/989,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20110038030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2464 featuring transparency control by applying voltage, e.g. LCD, electrochromic panels
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

A window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) including blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) embedded within the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) and/or associated with the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510). The blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) may be embedded at least partially in the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510). The blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) may be positioned substantially perpendicular to a viewing surface of the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510). Each of the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) includes a display surface (150) that may include display elements (750, 760) positioned to be viewable through the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) such that if the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is viewed from an angle offset from a normal viewing angle, the surface on each of the blind elements (750, 760) are together configured to provide a display image. A further layer (316, 318) may be associated with the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) and the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) may be sandwiched between the further layer (316, 318) and the window (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

Claims

1. An article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) comprising a plurality of blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) associated with the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510), wherein each of the plurality of blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) comprise a plurality of electrophoretic cells (150, 750, 760) that are configured to provide the display image positioned at an angle offset from parallel to an article of manufacture surface to be viewable through the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) such that if the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is viewed from an angle offset from a normal viewing angle, the plurality of electrophoretic cells (150, 750, 760) on each of the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are together configured to provide a display image.

2. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are embedded in a further layer (316, 318) associated with the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

3. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 2, wherein the further layer (316, 318) is overlaid on the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

4. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 2, wherein the further layer (316, 318) includes a plurality of further layers (316, 318).

5. The article of manufacture of (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) claim 2, wherein the further layer (316, 318) is positioned before a portion less than an entire surface of the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

6. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 2, wherein the further layer (316, 318) is provided as a film.

7. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are sandwiched between a further layer (316, 318) and the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

8. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are at least partially embedded in the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

9. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 8, wherein the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are at least partially embedded in the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) substantially perpendicular to a surface of the article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

10. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrophoretic cells (150, 750, 760) comprise light scattering charged particles and wherein the plurality of electrophoretic cells (150, 750, 760) are configured to present the light scattering charged particles as a portion of the display image.

11. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrophoretic cells (750) each comprise a reflective surface (756) deposed around each of the plurality of electrophoretic cells (750), wherein the reflective surfaces (756) are configured to provide a reflected image as a portion of the display image.

12. The article of manufacture (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) of claim 1, wherein the display surface (135) of each of the plurality of blind elements (420, 430, 490) is one of two display surfaces of each of the plurality of blind elements (420, 430, 490), with each of the two display surfaces (135) being configured on oppositely opposing sides of each of the plurality of blind elements (420, 430, 490) and being configured to each produce a display image.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrophoretic cells (150) comprise electronic ink display elements that are configured to provide the display image.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the blind elements (120, 210, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 385, 390, 420, 430, 490) are configured to provide at least two of an emissive display state, a transparent state, a white state and a reflective state.

15. A method of providing an advertising image, the method comprising acts of:

providing a plurality of blind elements associated with a window, wherein each of the plurality of blind elements comprise a plurality of display elements positioned to be viewable through the window;

producing the advertising image by the plurality of display elements such that the advertising message is viewable from an angle offset from a normal viewing angle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the advertising image is a first advertising message, the method comprising an act of producing a second advertising image by the plurality of display elements such that the second advertising message is viewable from an angle offset from a normal viewing angle and is positioned on an opposing side of the plurality of blind elements as the first advertising message.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of providing the plurality of blind elements associated with the window comprises an act of embedding the plurality of blind elements in the window substantially perpendicular to a surface of the window.