Display with wirelessly controlled illumination

• US 7,515,149 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tredwell, Timothy J., Kerr, Roger S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US11/015,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 345/211, 345/82, 345/39, 345/74.1, 345/79, 345/204, 345/207, 455/566, 455/426.1, 368/67, 368/68, 368/226, 428/690, 340/815.45, 340/525, 340/825.72, 250/370.01, 250/201.1, 250/203.2, 250/338.1, 349/62, 438/473, 257/E27.111, 362/552, 362/559, 385/116, 235/440, 348/14.01
• US Class Current: 345/207
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/02 Addressing, scanning or driving the display screen or processing steps related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/142 the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

Image forming displays is provided. The display has a first layer having imaging elements positioned thereon; and a power circuit to provide electrical energy for the imaging elements. Wherein each imaging element comprises: an illumination circuit having an illumination element adapted so that the illumination element generates light at an intensity that is based upon a control signal, and a wireless communication circuit adapted to detect a wireless communication signal and to generate the control signal. A body contains the wireless communication circuit and the illumination circuit with the body occupying a space that is less than about five cubic millimeters. Imaging elements can also be adapted to sense radiation and provide wireless signals having data therein said data being based upon the amount of sensed radiation.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a first layer having imaging elements positioned thereon; and

a power circuit to provide electrical energy for the imaging elements, wherein each one of said imaging elements comprises;

an illumination circuit having an illumination element for generating an amount of light in proportion to the amount of electrical energy received and based upon a control signal that controls the amount of electrical energy passing to the illumination element; and

a wireless communication circuit for receiving a wireless communication signal encoded with an illumination value and for setting the control signal to have an energy value that controls the amount of electrical energy passing to the illumination element based upon the illumination value, and wherein the power circuit comprises a first electrically conductive layer on the first layer contacting a first portion of each imaging element and a second electrically conductive layer contacting a second portion of each imaging element with an electrical insulator disposed between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein each imaging element is associated with an address code, and further comprising a memory associated with the display, said memory having location information stored therein that associates each of a plurality of image forming locations on the display with at least one address code for at least one imaging element located proximate to each image forming location.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein the memory is associated with the display by incorporating at least one of a combination of discrete memory circuits, an application specific control circuit, a semi-conductor memory, a magnetic memory, and an optical memory with the display.

4. The display of claim 2, wherein the memory is associated with the display by storing the location data in a location in which a device for using said display can access the location information.

5. The display of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter circuit for receiving illumination values for presenting an image on the display and using the location information to transmit wireless signals having addresses and illumination values for each of the imaging elements used in forming an image.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein each imaging element has an address code that is programmed in accordance with the location of the imaging element in the display so that a transmitter can transmit wireless signals having location information and at least one control value and an wireless communication circuit having an address code programmed in accordance with the location of the imaging element will respond thereto by generating a control value.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the power circuit comprises a fluid around the imaging elements, said fluid defining a difference of potential in the fluid between power supply contacts on an outside of each imaging element.

8. The display of claim 1, wherein the power circuit further comprises battery layer between the first layer and the first conductive layer.

9. The display of claim 1, wherein the power circuit further comprises at least one power signal antenna and conversion circuits for convening electro-magnetic signals into power for use by light sources of the light emitting elements in generating light.

10. The display of claim 1, wherein the power circuit further comprises at least one light converter and conversion circuits for converting light signals into power for use by light sources of the light emitting elements in generating light.

11. The display of claim 1, wherein the imaging elements are polarized so that the imaging elements can be aligned on the first layer by an applied electromagnetic field.

12. The display of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a pattern of cavities on the first layer for receiving and positioning said imaging elements.

13. The display of claim 1, further comprising a binder to hold the imaging elements in a location on the first layer that can be applied to the first layer as a fluidic material to harden to hold the imaging elements to the first layer.

14. The display of claim 1, further comprising a binder to hold the imaging elements in a location on the first surface comprising a second surface joined to the first surface with said imaging elements held therebetween.

15. The display of claim 1, further comprising radio frequency repeaters to facilitate communication between sets of the imaging elements and a transceiver that transmits wireless signals that can be received by the repeater and provided by the repeater by way of appropriate wireless signals to a receiver.

16. The display of claim 1, wherein the display is exposes a light sensitive media to an illumination pattern.

18. The display of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first side and a second side and wherein the imaging element is positioned so that the light sensing element confronts the same side as a light source.

19. The display of claim 18, wherein said first layer is joined to a second layer to form a baffler to protect the imaging elements from alteration caused by shock, moisture, particles, chemical agents, light, or electromagnetic fields.

20. The display of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first side and a second side and wherein the imaging element is positioned so that the light sensing element confronts a different side than a light source.

21. The display of claim 20, wherein the imaging elements sense radiation incident thereon, and wherein the first surface is transparent so that light that is not incident on the imaging elements of one side can be sensed by the radiation sensors of imaging elements of the other side.

22. The display of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first side and a second side and the first side and second side both have imaging elements thereon.

23. The display of claim 22, wherein at least some of the imaging elements are able to sense light.

24. The display of claim 23, wherein imaging elements on both sides of the first layer are able to sense light and the first layer is transparent so that an image can be captured of a scene using imaging elements from both sides.

25. The display of claim 1, wherein said imaging elements are positioned on both of a first side of the first layer and a second side of the first layer.

26. The display of claim 1, wherein location information is stored in a memory of the imaging elements so that the imaging elements will respond to location.

17. A display comprising:

a first layer having imaging elements positioned thereon; and

a power circuit to provide electrical energy for the imaging elements, wherein each imaging element comprises;

an illumination circuit having an illumination element for generating light at an intensity based upon a control signal;

a wireless communication circuit for detecting a wireless communication signal and generating the control signal; and

wherein at least some of the imaging elements further comprise a light sensor for sensing light that is incident on the light sensor during an exposure period, wherein each wireless communication circuit generates a wireless communication signal indicative of the amount of sensed light during an exposure period, and wherein the power circuit comprises a first electrically conductive layer on the first layer contacting a first portion of each imaging element and a second electrically conductive layer contacting a second portion of each imaging element with an electrical insulator disposed between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer.

27. An imaging surface comprising:

a radiation source for providing electromagnetic radiation; and

a surface comprising a two-dimensional array of imaging elements positioned on a first layer for providing pixel image data for capturing an image, wherein each one of said imaging elements comprises;

a radiation sensor for providing a sensed-level signal corresponding to an amount of electromagnetic radiation sensed;

an illumination circuit having an illumination element for generating light at an intensity based upon a control signal; and

a wireless communication circuit for detecting a wireless communication signal encoded with an illumination value and generating the control signal based upon the wireless communication signal, for detecting a wireless communication signal with a sensing command to cause the radiation sensor to sense electromagnetic radiation, to encode said sensed-level signal in the form of sensed radiation data and to transmit a wireless output signal having the sensed radiation data in response thereto; and

wherein a power circuit is provided to supply power to the imaging elements, the power circuit including a first electrically conductive layer on the first layer contacting a first portion of each imaging element and a second electrically conductive layer contacting a second portion of each imaging element with an electrical insulator disposed between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer.

28. The imaging surface of claim 27, wherein said wireless communication circuit detects a wireless communication signal having an address for the wireless communication circuit and having an illumination value, generates the control signal, detects a wireless communication signal addressed thereto with the sensing command, causes the radiation sensor to sense electromagnetic radiation and encodes said sensed-level signal in the form of sensed radiation data and an address signal in a wireless output signal in response thereto.

29. The imaging surface of claim 28, further comprising a memory associated with a display and having imaging element location information stored therein that associates an address of each imaging element with a location in an image capture area.