Forming images on receivers having field-driven particles and conducting layer

• US 6,081,285 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Wen, Xin, MacLean, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, LYNNE D
• Application Number:
  US09/067,730
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 346/21, 347/111, 347/112, 428/206, 428/323, 345/85, 345/107, 430/37, 359/296
• US Class Current: 347/111
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/385 characterised by selective supply of electric current or selective application of magnetism to a printing or impression-transfer material B41J2/005 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

An electronic printing apparatus is disclosed for forming images on a receiver which stores a digital image. The apparatus uses a receiver that includes field-driven particles in a matrix that change optical density in response to an applied electric field, a substrate, and a conductive portion disposed between the matrix and the substrate. The apparatus further includes an array of electrodes cooperating with the conductive portion for selectively applying electric fields across the matrix at the image forming position so that the field-driven particles change optical density, and electronic control circuitry electrically coupled to the array and the conductive portion for selectively applying voltages to the array so that fields are applied at the image forming position to field-driven particles at particular locations on the receiver corresponding to pixels in the stored image whereby the electrodes produce an image in the receiver corresponding to the stored image.

Claims

1. An electronic printing apparatus for forming images on a receiver, comprising:

a) means for storing a digital image;

b) the receiver including field-driven particles in a matrix that change optical density in response to an applied electric field, a substrate, and a conductive portion disposed between the matrix and the substrate;

c) an array of electrodes cooperating with the conductive portion and a common electrode capacitively coupled to the conductive portion for selectively applying electric fields across the matrix at the image forming position so that the field-driven particles change optical density; and

d) electronic control means electrically coupled to the array and the conductive portion for selectively applying voltages to the array so that fields are applied between the array of electrodes and the conductive portion at the image forming position to field-driven particles at particular locations on the receiver corresponding to pixels in the stored image whereby an image is produced in the receiver corresponding to the stored image.

2. The electronic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conductive portion is provided by doping the substrate with conductive material.

3. The electronic printing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conductive portion is provided by a conducting layer formed over the substrate.

4. An electronic printing apparatus for forming images on a receiver, comprising:

a) means for storing a digital image;

b) the receiver including field-driven particles in a matrix that change optical density in response to an applied electric field, a substrate, and a conductive portion disposed between the matrix and the substrate;

c) an array of electrodes cooperating with the conductive portion and a common electrode directly coupled to the conductive portion for selectively applying electric fields across the matrix at the image forming position so that the field-driven particles change optical density; and

d) electronic control means electrically coupled to the array and the conductive portion for selectively applying voltages to the array so that fields are applied between the array of electrodes and the conductive portion at the image forming position to field-driven particles at particular locations on the receiver corresponding to pixels in the stored image whereby an image is produced in the receiver corresponding to the stored image.