Enhanced electronic ink displays

• US 7,198,341 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rodger H. Rast
• Original Assignee: Rodger H. Rast
• Inventors: Rast, Rodger H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, HAI CHI
• Application Number:
  US10/612,221
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 347/230, 347/241, 347/256, 347/4, 347224-225, 347/247, 347/251, 345/2, 345/55, 345/87, 345/179
• US Class Current: 347/4
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4071 Printing on disk-shaped media, e.g. CDs
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

An apparatus for rewritably labeling data media, such as compact disks CDs, DVDs, or other forms of media. The media may be programmed within a player/recorder device adapted for programming the state of the electronic ink material on the media. Labels on the media may be rewritten at any time without the need to remove a prior label. A small handheld label printing device is also described for writing the labels. Numerous other display embodiments particularly suited to electronic ink, and various embodiments of LED array control.

Claims

1. A data storage media having rewritable printed surfaces, comprising:

an electronic storage media upon which data may be recorded;

a first electrode covering at least a portion of a first surface on the exterior of said storage media;

electronic ink deposited over at least portions of said first electrode;

wherein a background electrode contact of an external programming device is coupled to said first electrode and configured for receiving a bias voltage upon physical contact with said external programming device;

wherein areas of said electronic ink are configured to be set to one of at least two optical states by an electrode array of the external programming device into which said media is received, said electrode array having a plurality of pixel electrodes presenting a sufficient voltage field in relation to said first electrode to change the optical state of said electronic ink thus printing a rewritable label on said media.

2. A media as recited in claim 1, wherein said media has a form factor conforming to CD or DVD media formats.

3. A media as recited in claim 2, wherein a conductor connects from said first electrode to areas near the spindle hole or the periphery of the media allowing a programming device to make electrical connection with said first electrode to create voltage fields between said first electrode and said electrode array for programming the electronic ink state.

4. A media as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one area electrode on an opposite side of said electronic ink from said first electrode, said area electrode configured to set or reset the optical states of large areas of the electronic ink in response to programming voltage coupled between said first electrode and said area electrode.

5. A media as recited in claim 4, wherein said area electrode comprises a transparent electrode grid.

6. A media as recited in claim 1, wherein said media is configured for establishing electrical contact with the conductive layer from either side of the disk.

7. A media as recited in claim 1, further comprising angle marks encoded onto the disk for discerning a position of the disk during “

printing”

.

8. An apparatus for printing rewritable labels on the surface of a data storage media, comprising:

a base member configured for physically engaging the exterior of a data storage media with label regions containing electrically programmable ink;

at least one contact on said base member configured for making contact with a first electrode within the media;

an electrode array retained by said base member in close proximity to the surface of said electrically programmable ink;

a means for instilling relative motion between said electrode array and a media retained by said base, wherein said electrode array passes over areas of the electrically programmable ink whose optical state is to be set in printing a rewritable label on the media; and

a control circuit electrically coupled to said electrode array and said at least one contact for establishing electrical connection with said first electrode;

wherein said control circuit is configured to modulate the voltages between the first electrode and the elements of the electrode array in response to the relative motion between said electrode array and said media, for selectively writing a label on said media in response to label data received by said control circuit.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said base member comprises a slide-out media receiving drawer.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said base member comprises a media access device having a clam-shell media receiving mechanism.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said base member comprises a hand-held labeling device that the user manually moves over the surface of the media.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising means of user creation of label content that is to be printed on said media.