Computing system with an interactive display

• US 5,724,064 A
• Filed: 12/27/1995
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Stefik, Mark J., Levy, David M., Casey, Michalene M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, JULIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/579,515
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/107, 345/105, 345/106, 345/85, 345/84
• US Class Current: 345/105
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/026 based on the rotation of particles under the influence of an external field, e.g. gyricons, twisting ball displays based on orientable dipolar particles G02F1/172; based on electrophoresis G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

An interactive display is disclosed which comprises a housing to receive an induced field activated display sheet which has a plurality of image producing elements responsive to an induced field. The housing has a transparent cover panel and a base panel. The cover panel and the base panel of the display housing comprise a plurality of means for creating a plurality of induced fields for selectively activating the image producing elements of the induced field activated display sheet. By selectively activating the induced field means, selective image producing elements of the induced field activated display sheet will be activated to produce a desired image on the induced field activated display sheet thereby creating a display. If desired the induced field activated display sheet can be removed from the display housing to be used as a printed document.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a sole display for the computing system;

said display comprising a display housing and a removable induced field activated display sheet;

said display housing being so constructed and arranged to receive said removable induced field activated display sheet;

said induced field activated display sheet having a plurality of image producing elements responsive to an induced field;

said induced field activated display sheet being flexible;

said display housing having a plurality of induced field creating means each of which is arranged to activate at least a respective one of the image producing elements of the induced field activated display sheet when located in said display housing;

means operably connected to said processor and said display housing for selectively activating said plurality of induced field creating means to thereby selectively activate the image producing elements of said induced field activated display sheet when located in said display housing in order to create different image on said same induced field activated display sheet in response to different images generated by said processor; and

said induced field activated display sheet being so constructed and arranged to retain its current image when removed from said display housing.

2. The computing system recited in claim 1, wherein said display housing comprises a base panel and a transparent cover.

3. The computing system recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of induced field creating means include plurality of electrode means on said base panel.

4. The computing system recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of induced field creating means include plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover.

5. The computing system recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of induced field creating means include plurality of electrode means on said base panel and plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover.

6. The computing system recited in claim 4, wherein said plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover are transparent.

7. The computing system recited in claim 5, wherein plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover are transparent.

8. The computing system recited in claim 5, wherein said plurality of electrode means on said base panel are parallel to each other and said plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover are parallel to each other.

9. The computing system recited in claim 8, wherein each one of said plurality of electrode means on said base panel extends in a direction which is transverse to the direction of said plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover.

10. The computing system recited in claim 9, wherein said direction of each one of said plurality of electrode means on said base panel extends in a direction which is perpendicular to said direction of said plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover.

11. The computing system recited in claim 10, wherein said plurality of electrode means on said transparent cover are transparent.