DUAL-SIDED DISPLAY

• US 20160027391A1
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: GIBSON, GARY, RUDIN, JOHN CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US14/770,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0063 for extracting light out both the major surfaces of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133342 for double-sided displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13475 in which at least one liquid crystal cell or layer is doped with a pleochroic dye, e.g. GH-LC cell G02F1/13476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13476 in which at least one liquid crystal cell or layer assumes a scattering state
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0613 The adjustment depending on the type of the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127

Abstract

A dual-sided display includes outer layers switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state and inner layers disposed between the outer layers and switchable between the transparent state and a colored state.

Claims

1. A dual-sided display comprising:

first and second outer layers having first and second outer arrays of outer pixels, respectively, where each of the outer pixels in the first and the second outer arrays is switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state; and

first and second inner layers disposed between the list and the second outer layers and having first and second inner arrays of inner pixels, respectively, where each of the inner pixels in the first and the second inner arrays is switchable between the transparent state and a colored state.

2. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein each of the outer pixels in the first and the second outer arrays allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and prevent transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the opaque state.

3. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein each of the outer pixels in the first and the second outer arrays scatter visible light in the opaque state.

4. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein each of the outer pixels in the first and the second outer arrays absorb visible light in the opaque state.

5. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein each of the inner pixels in the first inner array allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and prevent transmission of a first portion of the spectrum of visible light in the colored state, wherein each of the inner pixels in the second inner array allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and prevent transmission of a second portion of the spectrum of visible light ins the colored state, and wherein the first portion of the spectrum of visible light differs from the second portion of the spectrum of visible light.

6. The dual-sided display of claim 5 further comprising:

a third inner layer disposed between the first and fee second outer layers and having a third inner array of inner pixel where each of the inner pixels in the third inner array is switchable between the transparent state and the colored state;

wherein each of the inner pixels in the third inner array allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and prevent transmission of a third portion of the spectrum of visible light in the colored state, and wherein the first portion of the spectrum of visible light differs from the second portion of the spectrum of visible light and the third portion of the spectrum of visible light.

7. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein each of the first and the second outer layers and each of the first and the second inner layers includes one of an electrokinetic layer, an electrophoretic layer, an electrochromic layer, an electrowetting layer, a guest-host liquid crystal layer, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer, or a twisted nematic liquid crystal (TN-LC) layer with a polarizer.

8. The dual-sided display of claim 1 wherein a first number of pixels of the first and the second outer arrays differs from a second number of pixels of the first and the second inner arrays.

9. A method of controlling a dual-sided display, the method comprising:

providing first control signals to a first outer layer that forms a first side of the display to selectively allow or prevent transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light through the first outer layer;

providing second control signals to a second outer layer that forms a second side of the display to selectively allow or prevent transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light through the second outer layer; and

providing third control signals to a plurality of color layers disposed between the first and the second outer layers to form an image with the plurality of color layers.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein at least a first portion of the image is visible on the first side of the display when the first control signals cause a corresponding portion of the first outer layer to allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light through the first outer layer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a second portion of the image is visible on the second side of the display when the second control signals cause a corresponding portion of the second outer layer to allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light through the second outer layer.

12. A dual-sided display comprising:

first and second outer layers to allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in a transparent state and to modulate respective first and second portions of the spectrum of visible light in a colored state, the first portion of the spectrum of visible light differing from the second portion of the spectrum of visible light;

an inner layer to allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and to prevent transmission of the entire spectrum of visible light in an opaque state; and

third and fourth outer layers to allow transmission across the entire spectrum of visible light in the transparent state and to modulate respective third and fourth portions of the spectrum of visible light in the colored state, the third portion of the spectrum of visible light differing from the fourth portion of the spectrum of visible light;

wherein the inner layer is disposed between the second and the third outer layers.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the inner array includes an array of pixels, and wherein each of the pixels scatters visible light in the opaque state.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the inner array includes an array of pixels, and wherein each of the pixels absorbs visible light in the opaque state.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the inner layer and each of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth outer layers includes one of an electrokinetic layer, an electrophoretic layer, an electrochromic layer, an electrowetting layer, a guest-host liquid crystal layer, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer, or a twisted nematic liquid crystal (TN-LC) layer with a polarizer.