DISPLAYS INTENDED FOR USE IN ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS

• US 20170052753A1
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: MARCOLIN, David Victor, DeWitte, Russell J., Paolini, Richard J. Jr., Taussig, Carl, Bishop, Seth J.
• Application Number:
  US15/241,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20170052753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/226 External wall display means; Facade advertising means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/002 weather-proof panels or boards G09F7/02 - G09F7/14, G09F7/18 - G09F7/22 take precedence
• 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 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A display (100) primarily intended for use on an external surface of a building comprises a weatherproof housing (310, 340); a bistable electro-optic medium (326) enclosed within and visible through the housing; an electrode (324, 330) enclosed within the weatherproof housing and arranged to drive the electro-optic medium; a power generating means (504) enclosed within the weatherproof housing; data receiving means (508) enclosed within the weatherproof housing and arranged to receive data wirelessly from a source outside the weatherproof housing; and display drive means (510) arranged to receive data from the data receiving means and power from the power generating means, and to control the potential of the electrode.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a weatherproof housing;

a bistable electro-optic medium enclosed within the weatherproof housing and visible through the housing;

at least one electrode enclosed within the weatherproof housing and arranged to apply an electric field to the bistable electro-optic medium;

a power generating means enclosed within the weatherproof housing;

data receiving means enclosed within the weatherproof housing and arranged to receive data wirelessly from a source outside the weatherproof housing; and

display drive means arranged to receive data from the data receiving means and power from the power generating means, and to control the potentials of the at least one electrode.

2. A display according to claim 1 wherein an external surface of the weatherproof housing is provided with an adhesive layer capable of attaching the display to the surface of a building.

3. A display according to claim 1 wherein the weatherproof housing confirms closely to the components enclosed therein, such that no air gap of more than about 5 mm exists between the weatherproof housing and the components.

4. A display according to claim 3 wherein the weatherproof housing confirms closely to the components enclosed therein, such that no air gap of more than about 1 mm exists between the weatherproof housing and the components.

5. A display according to claim 1 wherein the weatherproof housing has a main section enclosing the electro-optic medium and the power generating means, the main section having at least one aperture which exposes a plurality of electrical contact pads, the display further comprising at least one circuit board which overlies the at least one aperture, the circuit being covered in a weatherproof material which extends to the main section so that the weatherproof material seals the at least one aperture in the main section.

6. A display according to claim 1 further comprising power storage means to allow the display to continue to function when the power generating means is not generating sufficient power for the requirements of the display.

7. A display according to claim 6 wherein the power storage means comprises a supercapacitor.

8. A display according to claim 1 wherein the bistable electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium comprising a plurality of charged particles dispersed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid when the at least one electrode applies an electric field to the electrophoretic medium.

9. A display according to claim 8 wherein the electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated, microcell or polymer-dispersed electrophoretic medium.

10. A display according to claim 1 wherein the bistable electro-optic medium is a rotating bichromal member, electrochromic or electro-wetting medium.

11. A building equipped with a display system, the display system comprising:

a plurality of displays each disposed on a surface of the building and each comprising a bistable electro-optic medium;

at least one electrode arranged to apply an electric field to the bistable electro-optic medium;

a power generating means;

data receiving means arranged to receive data wirelessly; and

display drive means arranged to receive data from the data receiving means and power from the power generating means, and to control the potentials of the at least one electrode; and

control means arranged to receive data defining an image to be rendered on the building, to determine the state of each of the plurality of displays necessary to render said image, and to transmit to each of the plurality of displays data required for that display to adopt the state necessary to render the image.