Apparatus for displaying drawings

• US 8,553,012 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Baucom, Allan Scott, Linden, Heather A., O'Malley, Timothy J., Wilcox, Russell J., Knaian, Ara N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US12/766,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87- 93, 345103-107, 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/10 and slideably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

A first apparatus for displaying drawings comprises a housing having an aperture, a drawing sheet comprising electro-optic material movable through the aperture between closed and open positions, and a writing device for writing on the sheet as it moved between its closed and open positions. A second apparatus comprises a display member having a viewing surface, support means for supporting this display member above a floor, an electro-optic medium disposed on the display member, and a movable writing head for writing on the electro-optic medium. Another display comprises an optic medium with two display states visible through a viewing surface. A touch screen is disposed on the opposed side of the optic medium from the viewing surface, and the optic medium is deformable such that pressure applied to the viewing surface will be transmitted to the touch screen.

Claims

1. An active matrix display comprising an optic medium having a viewing surface through which an observer can view said optic medium and on which said observer can press, said optic medium being changeable between first and second display states differing in at least one optical property on application of a stimulus thereto, said display further comprising a plurality of select lines and a plurality of data lines are provided, such that each pixel is defined uniquely by an intersection of a specific select line with a specific data line, each pixel having a transistor associated therewith, one of the source and drain electrodes of the transistor being connected to a pixel electrode arranged to apply an electric field to the optic medium, and the other of the source and drain electrodes being connected to a data line, while the gate of the transistor is connected to a select line, said display further comprising a touch screen disposed on the opposed side of said optic medium from said viewing surface, said optic medium being deformable such that pressure applied to said viewing surface is transmitted to said touch screen.

2. An active matrix display according to claim 1 wherein the transistors of the display are formed from an organic semiconductor.

3. A display according to claim 1 wherein said optic medium is substantially non-transmissive of visible light.

4. A display according to claim 1 having an air gap between said optic medium and said touch screen, said optic medium deforming when pressure is applied thereto to close said air gap and thereby transmit pressure to said touch screen.

5. A display according to claim 1 having a spacer layer between said optic medium and said touch screen, said spacer layer transmitting pressure from said optic medium to said touch screen when pressure is applied to said optic medium.

6. A display according to claim 1 wherein said optic medium comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

7. A display according to claim 1 wherein said optic medium comprises an electro-optic medium capable of being changed between its first and second optic states by application of an electric field thereto.

8. A display according to claim 7 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrochromic medium.

9. A display according to claim 7 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a rotating bichromal member medium.

10. A display according to claim 7 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium.

11. A display according to claim 10 wherein said electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

12. A display comprising an optic medium having a viewing surface through which an observer can view said optic medium and on which said observer can press, said optic medium being changeable between first and second display states differing in at least one optical property on application of a stimulus thereto, said display further comprising a touch screen disposed on the opposed side of said optic medium from said viewing surface, said optic medium being deformable such that pressure applied to said viewing surface is transmitted to said touch screen, said display further comprising an electrode disposed between the optic medium and the touch screen, said electrode serving as one of the electrodes of the display and one of the electrodes of the touch screen.

13. A display according to claim 12 wherein said optic medium is substantially non-transmissive of visible light.

14. A display according to claim 12 wherein said optic medium comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

15. A display according to claim 12 wherein said optic medium comprises an electro-optic medium capable of being changed between its first and second optic states by application of an electric field thereto.

16. A display according to claim 15 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrochromic medium.

17. A display according to claim 15 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises a rotating bichromal member medium.

18. A display according to claim 15 wherein said electro-optic medium comprises an electrophoretic medium.

19. A display according to claim 18 wherein said electrophoretic medium is an encapsulated electrophoretic medium.

20. A display comprising an optic medium having a viewing surface through which an observer can view said optic medium and on which said observer can press, said optic medium being changeable between first and second display states differing in at least one optical property on application of a stimulus thereto, said display further comprising a touch screen disposed on the opposed side of said optic medium from said viewing surface, said optic medium being deformable such that pressure applied to said viewing surface is transmitted to said touch screen, said display further comprising a substrate disposed between the optic medium and the touch screen, the substrate being coated on both sides with a continuous layer of conductive material such that this coated substrate serves as one electrode of the display and one electrode of the touch screen.

21. A process for writing on a protected layer of electro-optic material, said protected layer comprising a layer of electro-optic material and a protective envelope substantially completely surrounding said layer of electro-optic material, said envelope having an openable and recloseable flap which can be opened to permit access to said layer of electro-optic material, said process using a writing apparatus comprising at least two spaced retaining members and a writing head which can be moved between said spaced retaining members, said process comprising:

opening said flap of said envelope;

inserting said spaced retaining members within said envelope, thereby creating a gap between said layer of electro-optic material and one internal surface of said envelope;

moving said writing head between said spaced retaining members and thereby writing an image on said layer of electro-optic material;

withdrawing said spaced retaining members from said envelope; and

reclosing said flap of said envelope.

22. An apparatus for displaying a drawing, said apparatus comprising:

a housing having an aperture therein;

a drawing sheet movable through said aperture between a closed position, in which substantially the whole of said drawing sheet lies within said housing, and an open position, in which at least a portion of said drawing sheet lies outside said housing, at least a portion of said drawing sheet comprising an electro-optic medium having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, said medium being changed from its first to its second display state by application of an electric field to said medium; and

writing means for writing on said electro-optic medium as said drawing sheet is moved from its closed to its open position and thereby producing a drawing on said electro-optic medium.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said drawing sheet comprises a protective layer covering said electro-optic medium, said protective layer being separable from said electro-optic medium, and wherein said writing means comprises separating means for separating said protective layer from said electro-optic medium before said electro-optic medium is written by said writing means, said separating means permitting said protective layer to overlie said electro-optic medium after said electro-optic medium has been written by said writing means.