Electronic display with semitransparent back layer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic display comprising:
- electrically conductive layers;
an active layer disposed between adjacent said conductive layers, said active layer including cholesteric liquid crystal material;
at least one transparent front substrate disposed adjacent one of said electrically conductive layers near a front of said display;
a semitransparent back layer that absorbs light that passes through said active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting;
a back pattern disposed behind said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is visible through said semitransparent back layer; and
electronic circuitry for applying a voltage to said conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of said active layer.
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Abstract
An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. An active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. At least one transparent front substrate is disposed adjacent one of the electrically conductive layers near a front of the display. A semitransparent back layer absorbs light that passes through the active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer.
112 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electronic display comprising:
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electrically conductive layers; an active layer disposed between adjacent said conductive layers, said active layer including cholesteric liquid crystal material; at least one transparent front substrate disposed adjacent one of said electrically conductive layers near a front of said display; a semitransparent back layer that absorbs light that passes through said active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting; a back pattern disposed behind said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is visible through said semitransparent back layer; and electronic circuitry for applying a voltage to said conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of said active layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A writing tablet comprising:
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electrically conductive layers; at least one active layer disposed in a gap between adjacent said conductive layers, said active layer including bistable cholesteric liquid crystal material; an outer layer of flexible transparent material forming a writing surface; a semitransparent back layer that absorbs light that passes through said active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting; wherein said active layer is adapted to enable writing pressure applied to said writing surface to reduce thickness of said gap to form a reduced gap region in which the liquid crystal is light reflecting so as to reflect light of a color or is essentially transparent, a texture of said liquid crystal being unchanged in a non-reduced gap region; a back pattern disposed behind said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is visible through said semitransparent back layer; and electronic circuitry for applying an erasing voltage to said conductive layers for said active layer; wherein said erasing voltage enables said liquid crystal of said active layer to be placed in a light reflecting texture so as to reflect light of a color or enables said liquid crystal of said active layer to be placed in an essentially transparent focal conic texture. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24)
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22. A writing tablet comprising:
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electrically conductive layers; at least one active layer disposed in a gap between adjacent said conductive layers, said active layer including bistable cholesteric liquid crystal material; an outer layer of flexible transparent material forming a writing surface; a semitransparent back layer that absorbs light that passes through said active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting; wherein said active layer is adapted to enable writing pressure applied to said writing surface to reduce thickness of said gap to form a reduced gap region in which the liquid crystal is light reflecting so as to reflect light of a color or is essentially transparent, a texture of said liquid crystal being unchanged in a non-reduced gap region; electronic circuitry for applying an erasing voltage to said conductive layers for said active layer; wherein said erasing voltage enables said liquid crystal of said active layer to be placed in a light reflecting texture so as to reflect light of a color or enables said liquid crystal of said active layer to be placed in an essentially transparent focal conic texture; and a back pattern disposed behind said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is visible through said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is removable and is selected from the group consisting of a template of a sports field, court or arena, a pattern for a children'"'"'s game, an image for children to color, notepad lines, graph paper lines, or a menu of items that one can choose from.
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25. A multicolor writing tablet comprising:
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electrically conductive layers; at least two active layers stacked over each other each disposed in a gap between adjacent said conductive layers, said active layers including bistable cholesteric liquid crystal material; an outer layer of flexible transparent material forming a writing surface; a semitransparent back layer that absorbs light that passes through said active layers, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting; wherein said active layers are adapted to enable writing pressure applied to said writing surface to reduce thickness of said gaps to form reduced gap regions; a back pattern disposed behind said semitransparent back layer, wherein said back pattern is visible through said semitransparent back layer; and electronic circuitry for applying erasing and writing voltages to said conductive layers for each of said active layers; wherein said erasing voltage enables said liquid crystal of said active layers to be placed in a light reflecting texture so as to reflect light of a color or enables said liquid crystal of said active layers to be placed in an essentially transparent focal conic texture; and wherein said writing voltage enables writing in a color that is selected from any of said active layers by applying said writing voltage to said conductive layers for a non-selected said active layer while applying said writing pressure to said writing surface, enabling said reduced gap region of said non-selected said active layer to be in said essentially transparent focal conic texture and by not applying said writing voltage to said conductive layers for said selected active layer while applying said writing pressure to said writing surface, enabling said reduced gap region of said selected active layer to reflect said color of said selected active layer. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification