Remotely-alterable flexible electronic display device employing an electronic-ink layer integrated within a stacked-layer architecture

• US 7,757,954 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelbman, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US12/154,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/383, 235/375, 235/492, 235/385, 340/5.91
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167

Abstract

A remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device employing a flexible addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes a flexible integrated circuit layer having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and a flexible antenna structure. A flexible signal transmitting layer transmits signals from the flexible antenna structure to a remote activator module. A flexible signal receiving layer receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. A flexible on-board battery power layer, operably connected to the flexible integrated circuit layer, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit layer, which is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from the remote activator module by the antenna layer and the signal receiving layer. The addressable display assembly is responsive to output signals generated by the programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia. The flexible antenna layer, flexible integrated circuit layer, flexible signal transmitting layer, flexible signal receiving layer, and flexible on-board battery power layer are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of the flexible addressable display assembly so as to form the remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device having a flexible stacked-layer construction.

Claims

1. A remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device for displaying graphical, comprising:

a flexible addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material disposed between an activation layer and a transparent electrode layer located above said layer of electronic ink, for activating said layer of electronic ink at particular locations to display graphical indicia on the surface of said addressable display assembly, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

at least one flexible antenna layer for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data and selected graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly;

a flexible integrated circuit layer having (i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor in electrical communication with said flexible addressable display assembly and said at least one flexible antenna layer, and using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said flexible addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said flexible addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia;

a flexible signal transmitting layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer and said at least one flexible antenna layer, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said at least one flexible antenna layer, to at least one remote activation module;

a flexible signal receiving layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer and said at least one flexible antenna layer, for receiving electromagnetic signals from said at least one remote activation module, using said at least one flexible antenna layer;

wherein said received electromagnetic signals carry information corresponding to at least one of said programs, said instructions, said data and said graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly;

an on-board battery power layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer, for supplying electrical power to said flexible integrated circuit layer;

wherein said flexible integrated circuit layer is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said at least one remote activation module by said at least one flexible antenna layer and said flexible signal receiving layer;

wherein said flexible addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia; and

wherein said at least one flexible antenna layer, said flexible integrated circuit layer, said flexible signal transmitting layer, said flexible signal receiving layer and said on-board electrical power layer are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of said flexible addressable display assembly so as to form said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device having a flexible stacked-layer construction.

2. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said at least one remote activation module receives electromagnetic signals from said at least one flexible antenna layer, carrying a variety of information, including the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device.

3. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said flexible signal transmitting layer and said flexible signal receiving layer are realized as a flexible signal transceiving structure.

4. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, which comprises a flexible protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to prevent said flexible addressable display assembly from inadvertent physical trauma or environmental damage.

5. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said activation layer comprises an electronic activation grid, disposed on a support structure, to form a plurality of addressable pixel locations, wherein each said addressable pixel location is addressable by said programmed processor.

6. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed between said transparent electrode layer and said activation layer, and wherein each said microcapsule has disposed therein an electrophoretic composition of a fluid, and a suspension of colored or charged particles or colloidal material.

7. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 6, wherein said fluid comprises a dielectric or emulsion fluid.

8. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said electronic ink is configured as a single color, such as black, white or clear, or as a fluorescent, iridescent, bioluminescent, incandescent, ultraviolet, infrared, or other wavelength specific radiation absorbing or emitting material.

9. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said graphical indicia is displayed on the surface of said flexible addressable display assembly, in human and/or machine readable form.

10. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein each said remote activation module employs a processor arranged with a receiver, a transmitter, and an antenna device.

11. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 10, wherein said receiver and said transmitter in said remote activator module are combined into a single transceiver device for both sending and receiving electromagnetic signals.

12. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein each said remote activation module is configured to transmit or receive, by way of electromagnetic signal transmission, commands, instructions, software programs, and parameters or variables associated with either (i) pixel address locations of said flexible addressable display assembly, (ii) the graphical indicia displayed on the surface of said flexible addressable display assembly, or (iii) instructions for subsequent use by said flexible electronic-ink based display device.

13. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said flexible transmitting antenna structure transmits an electromagnetic signal from said flexible addressable display assembly to said at least one remote activation module, wherein said transmitted electromagnetic signal carries information or data associated with the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly, or the status or operating condition of said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device.

14. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said programmed processor communicates with said storage element in order to store data associated with computer programs, instructions or stored pixel addresses in said storage element, and access selected data therefrom for use in determining the particular graphical indicia displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly.

15. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said storage element comprises a volatile or non-volatile memory element, or combinations thereof, such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM.

16. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said programmed processor and said storage element cooperate to retrieve data stored in said storage element, corresponding to the graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly.

17. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said programmed processor initiates or executes one or more preprogrammed sequences stored locally within said storage element for determining which graphical indicia is displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly, and generating output signals to activate said flexible addressable display assembly to display said graphical indicia based on said executed preprogrammed sequences.

18. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said programmed processor processes instructions received by said remote activation module, to generate output signals to activate said flexible addressable display assembly to display said graphical indicia based on processed instructions.

19. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicia displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly is textual and/or graphic information.

20. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said transmitted and received electromagnetic signals are radio frequency (RF) based electromagnetic signals transmitted and received between said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device and said at least one remote activation module.

21. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, in combination with said at least one remote activation module, to provide a remotely-controllable electronic-ink based display system.

22. A remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device for displaying graphical, comprising:

a flexible addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material disposed between an activation layer and a transparent electrode layer located above said layer of electronic ink, for activating said layer of electronic ink at particular locations to display graphical indicia on the surface of said addressable display assembly, wherein said layer of electronic ink does not require electrical power to maintain the display of said graphical indicia;

a flexible antenna structure for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data and selected graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly;

a flexible integrated circuit structure having (i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor in electrical communication with said flexible addressable display assembly and said flexible antenna structure, and using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said flexible addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said flexible addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia;

a flexible signal transceiving structure, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer and said flexible antenna structure, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said flexible antenna structure to a remote activation module, and for receiving electromagnetic signals from said remote activation module, using said flexible antenna structure;

wherein said received electromagnetic signals carry information corresponding to at least one of said programs, said instructions, said data and said graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly;

an on-board battery power component, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit structure, for supplying electrical power to said flexible integrated circuit structure;

wherein said flexible integrated circuit structure is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said remote activation module by said flexible antenna structure and said flexible signal transceiving structure;

wherein said flexible addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia; and

wherein said flexible antenna structure, said flexible integrated circuit structure, said flexible signal transceiving structure, and said on-board electrical power component are arranged together to form said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device.

23. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 22, wherein said remote activation module receives electromagnetic signals from said flexible antenna structure, carrying a variety of information, including the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device.

24. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 22, which comprises a flexible protection layer disposed over said layer of electronic ink in order to prevent said flexible addressable display assembly from inadvertent physical trauma or environmental damage.

25. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 22, wherein said activation layer comprises an electronic activation grid, disposed on a support structure, to form a plurality of addressable pixel locations, wherein each said addressable pixel location is addressable by said programmed processor.

26. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 22, wherein said electronic ink comprises an arrangement of microcapsules disposed between said transparent electrode layer and said activation layer, and wherein each said microcapsule has disposed therein an electrophoretic composition of a fluid, and a suspension of colored or charged particles or colloidal material.

27. The remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device of claim 22, wherein said flexible antenna structure, said flexible integrated circuit structure, said flexible signal transceiving structure, and said on-board electrical power component are arranged and stacked together to form said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device having a flexible stacked construction.