Image writing/display device and image writing/display method

• US 7,834,942 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirano, Atsushi, Hirakata, Masaki, Matsunaga, Takeshi, Arisawa, Hiroshi, Morikawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): HEALY, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US12/194,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 349/1, 349/2, 349/12, 349/16, 349/175, 349/187, 349/193
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0128 based on electro-mechanical, magneto-mechanical, elasto-optic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13718 based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal

Abstract

An image writing/display device has a voltage applying section, a pressure applying section, an initialization controlling section, and an image writing controlling section. In a state in which a display medium having a pair of electrodes and a display layer that is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes and whose reflectance is changed is positioned, the voltage applying section applies voltage to the pair of electrodes for changing the reflectance of the display layer. The pressure applying section applies pressure for changing the reflectance of the display layer. The initialization controlling section makes the display layer a uniform reflectance by applying pressure to the display layer with the pressure applying section. The image writing controlling section writes an image by applying data voltage from the voltage applying section to specific regions, that correspond to image data, of the display layer between the pair of electrodes.

Claims

1. An image writing/display device comprising:

a voltage applying section that, in a state in which a display medium having a pair of electrodes and a display layer that is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes and whose reflectance is changed is positioned, applies voltage to the pair of electrodes for changing the reflectance of the display layer;

a pressure applying section applying pressure for changing the reflectance of the display layer;

an initialization controlling section for making the display layer a uniform reflectance by applying pressure to the display layer with the pressure applying section; and

an image writing controlling section writing an image by applying data voltage from the voltage applying section to specific regions, that correspond to image data, of the display layer between the pair of electrodes.

2. The image writing/display device of claim 1, wherein the display layer of the display medium is cholesteric liquid crystals, and, due to pressure being applied to the cholesteric liquid crystals at initialization of the initialization controlling section, the cholesteric liquid crystals are uniformly set in a state of planar orientation, and, with the planar orientation as a base, in accordance with at least two types of applied voltage, it is determined for each region specified by the pair of electrodes whether the display layer is to be maintained in the planar orientation or is to be changed to a focal conic orientation.

3. The image writing/display device of claim 1, wherein, at the display medium, a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode, the display layer, an electrode, and a substrate are layered in that order.

4. The image writing/display device of claim 3, wherein the image writing controlling section includes a voltage controlling section that applies the data voltage between the transparent electrode and the electrode.

5. The image writing/display device of claim 1, wherein the pressure applying section includes a pair of pressure applying plates that face top and bottom end surface sides of the display medium.

6. The image writing/display device of claim 5, wherein the initialization controlling section includes a pressure application controlling section that applies a predetermined pressure between the pressure applying plates.

7. An image writing/display method comprising:

reading-out image data for displaying an image on a display medium having a display layer whose reflectance is changed;

executing entire-surface initialization processing that applies pressure to the display layer and makes the display layer a uniform reflectance; and

executing writing processing that writes an image by applying data voltage to specific regions of the display layer in accordance with the image data.