Rotating element sheet material with dual vector field addressing

• US 6,690,350 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sheridon, Nicholas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US09/757,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 345/85, 345/107, 345/84, 345/86, 359/296
• US Class Current: 345/107
• 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: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field

Abstract

Rotating element sheet material comprising a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid; where one of the plurality of rotatable elements comprises a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, and where the first orientation and the second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element, and where the rotatable element in contact with the enabling fluid is further configured to exhibit a first addressing dipole configured to couple with a first vector field and a second addressing dipole configured to couple with a second vector field, and where the rotatable element exhibits the first aspect in the first vector field in a first direction and the second aspect in the second vector field in the first direction.

Claims

1. Rotating element sheet material comprising:

a substrate;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of substantially cylindrical rotatable elements disposed in said substrate and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein one of said plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, where said first orientation and said second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the core;

wherein said rotatable element in contact with said enabling fluid is configured to exhibit a first addressable dipole that couples with a first vector field and a second addressable dipole that couples with a second vector field;

wherein said rotatable element and said first addressable dipole are configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said first aspect in said first vector field oriented in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said axis; and

wherein said rotatable element and said second addressable dipole are further configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said second aspect in said second vector field oriented in said first direction.

2. The rotating element sheet material of claim 1,

where said rotatable element further comprises:

aspect-transparent cladding configured to coat said core.

3. The rotating element sheet material of claim 1,

where said first vector field is an electric field;

and

where said second vector field is a magnetic field.

4. The rotating element sheet material of claim 3,

where said core comprises ferromagnetic material.

5. The rotating element sheet material of claim 3,

where said core is further configured to exhibit a third aspect in a third orientation.

6. The rotating element sheet material of claim 5,

where said core is further configured to exhibit a fourth aspect in a fourth orientation.

7. The rotating element sheet material of claim 3, further comprising:

a controller;

a first overlay comprising a plurality of first electrodes; and

a second overlay comprising a plurality of second electrodes and a plurality of current loops;

where said substrate is between said first overlay and said second overlay;

where said controller is configured to cause a difference of electric potential energy in said first direction between at least one of said plurality of first electrodes and at least one of said plurality of second electrodes; and

where said controller is further configured to introduce a current in at least one of the plurality of current loops in a substantially perpendicular direction to said first direction.

8. The rotating element sheet material of claim 3,

where said first aspect is a first response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths;

and

where said second aspect is a second response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths.

9. Rotating element sheet material comprising:

a substrate;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in said substrate and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein one of said plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, where said first orientation and said second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the core;

wherein said rotatable element in contact with said enabling fluid is configured to exhibit a first addressable dipole that couples with an electric field and a second addressable dipole that couples with a magnetic field;

wherein said rotatable element and said first addressable dipole are configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said first aspect in said electric field oriented in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said axis; and

wherein said rotatable element and said second addressable dipole are further configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said second aspect in said magnetic field oriented in said first direction;

where said first aspect is a first response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths; and

where said second aspect is a second response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths.

10. A method of addressing rotatable element sheet material comprising:

providing rotating element sheet material;

where the rotating element sheet material comprises;

a substrate;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of substantially cylindrical rotatable elements disposed in said substrate and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein one of said plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, where said first orientation and said second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the core;

wherein said rotatable element in contact with said enabling fluid is configured to exhibit a first addressable dipole that couples with a first vector field and a second addressable dipole that couples to a second vector field;

wherein said rotatable element and said first addressable dipole are configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said first aspect in said first vector field oriented in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said axis; and

wherein said rotatable element and said second addressable dipole are further configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said second aspect in said second vector field oriented in said first direction; and

introducing said first vector field in said first direction.

11. The method of addressing rotating element sheet material of claim 10, further comprising:

introducing said second vector field in said first direction.

12. The method of addressing rotating element sheet material of claim 10,

where said first vector field is an electric field.

13. The method of addressing rotating element sheet material of claim 10,

where said second vector field is a magnetic field.

14. The method of addressing rotating element sheet material of claim 10,

where said first aspect is a first response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths;

and

where said second aspect is a second response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths.

15. A method of addressing rotating element sheet material comprising:

providing rotating element sheet material;

where the rotating element sheet material comprises;

a substrate;

enabling fluid; and

a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in said substrate and in contact with said enabling fluid;

wherein one of said plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, where said first orientation and said second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the core;

wherein said rotatable element in contact with said enabling fluid is configured to exhibit a first addressable dipole that couples with a first vector field and a second addressable dipole that couples to a second vector field;

wherein said rotatable element and said first addressable dipole are configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said first aspect in said first vector field oriented in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said axis; and

wherein said rotatable element and said second addressable dipole are further configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said second aspect in said second vector field oriented in said first direction; and

introducing said first vector field in said first direction;

where said first aspect is a first response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths; and

where said second aspect is a second response to incident electromagnetic waves in the range of visible wavelengths.

16. A method of fabricating rotating element sheet material comprising:

providing a plurality of rotatable elements dispersed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid;

wherein one of said plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, where said first orientation and said second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the core;

wherein said rotatable element in contact with said enabling fluid is configured to exhibit a first addressable dipole that couples with a first vector field and a second dipole that couples with a second vector field;

wherein said rotatable element and said first addressable dipole are configured such that said rotatable element exhibits said first aspect in said first vector field oriented in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said axis; and

wherein said rotatable element and said second dipole are further configured such that said second dipole is parallel to said axis; and

simultaneously providing said first vector field oriented in said first direction and said second vector field in a second direction substantially perpendicular to both said axis and said first direction;

wherein said second vector field is configured to couple with said second dipole so as to reorient said second dipole such that said second dipole is in said second direction substantially perpendicular to both said first direction and said axis.

17. The method of claim 16,

where said second vector field is a magnetic field.

18. The method of claim 17,

where said core comprises ferromagnetic material.