Rotating element sheet material and stylus with gradient field addressing

• US 6,897,848 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• 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): Liang, Regina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer T.
• Application Number:
  US09/757,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 345/84, 345/85, 345/86, 345/107, 345/108, 345/109, 345173-183, 359/296, 434/409
• 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 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field

Abstract

A kit comprising rotating element sheet material and a gradient field stylus, where the sheet material comprises a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid; where the substrate comprises a plurality of sheet latching components; where one of the rotatable elements comprises first and second rotatable latching components and a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element; and where one of the sheet latching components is proximal to the first rotatable latching component in the first orientation and proximal to the second rotatable latching component in the second orientation; and where the rotatable and sheet latching components exhibit an attractive force based on a first gradient field; and where a distal end of the gradient field stylus exhibits an attractive force with the rotatable latching components based on a second gradient field.

Claims

1. A kit comprising:

rotating element sheet material; and

a gradient field stylus;

where the rotating element sheet material comprises;

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

where the substrate comprises a plurality of sheet latching components;

where at least one of the plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

(i) a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation; and

(ii) at least a first rotatable latching component and a second rotatable latching component;

where the first orientation and the second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element; and

where at least one of the plurality of sheet latching components is proximal to the first rotatable latching component in the first orientation;

where the sheet latching component is proximal to the second rotatable latching component in the second orientation;

where the rotatable latching components and the sheet latching component are configured to exhibit an attractive force when proximal based on a first gradient field; and

where a distal end of the gradient field stylus is configured to exhibit an attractive force with the rotatable latching components when proximal based on a second gradient field.

2. The kit of claim 1,

where said rotatable element further comprises:

aspect-transparent cladding configured to coat said core.

3. The kit of claim 1,

where the first rotatable latching component and the second rotatable latching component are mutually spaced from one another along the axis of the rotatable element and from any other rotatable latching component within the rotatable element.

4. The kit of claim 1,

where the rotatable element in contact with the enabling fluid is further configured to exhibit an addressing dipole configured to respond to a vector field;

and

where the addressing dipole is configured such that the rotatable element exhibits the first aspect under the influence of the vector field in a first direction.

5. The kit of claim 1,

where said first gradient field is a first magnetic field;

and

where said second gradient field is a second magnetic field.

6. The kit of claim 5,

where said first rotatable latching component comprises ferromagnetic material;

and

where said second rotatable latching component comprises ferromagnetic material.

7. The kit of claim 5,

where said sheet latching component comprises paramagnetic material.

8. The kit of claim 5,

where said sheet latching component comprises superparamagnetic material.

9. The kit of claim 5,

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 rotating element sheet material comprising:

providing the rotating element sheet material; and

providing a gradient field stylus;

where the rotating element sheet material comprises;

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

where the substrate comprises a plurality of sheet latching components;

where at least one of the plurality of rotatable elements comprises;

(i) a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation; and

(ii) at least a first rotatable latching component and a second rotatable latching component;

where the first orientation and the second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element; and

where at least one of the plurality of sheet latching components is proximal to the first rotatable latching component in the first orientation;

where the sheet latching component is proximal to the second rotatable latching component in the second orientation;

where the rotatable latching components and the sheet latching component are configured to exhibit an attractive force when proximal based on a first gradient field; and

where a distal end of the gradient field stylus is configured to exhibit an attractive force with the rotatable latching components when proximal based on a second gradient field; and

moving the gradient field stylus across the substrate such that;

(i) the attractive force between the second rotatable latching component and the distal end of the gradient field stylus is first less than the attractive force between the first rotatable latching component and the sheet latching component;

(ii) the attractive force between the second rotatable latching component and the distal end of the gradient field stylus is next greater than the attractive force between the first rotatable latching component and the sheet latching component; and

(iii) the attractive force between the second rotatable latching component and the distal end of the gradient field stylus is next less than the attractive force between the second rotatable latching component and the sheet latching component.

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

where said first gradient field is a first magnetic field;

and

where said second gradient field is a second magnetic field.

12. The method of claim 11,

where said first rotatable latching component comprises ferromagnetic material;

and

where said second rotatable latching component comprises ferromagnetic material.

13. The method of claim 11,

where said sheet latching component comprises paramagnetic material.

14. The method of claim 11,

where said sheet latching component comprises superparamagnetic material.

15. The method of claim 11,

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.