Remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device employing an integrated circuit structure having a GPS signal receiver and programmed processor for locally determining display device position and transmitting determined position information to a remote activator module

• US 8,054,218 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• 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): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US12/154,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.13, 342/357.14, 701/213, 701/215, 345/2.3, 345/85, 340/5.91
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• 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 electronic-ink based display device for displaying graphical indicia within a GPS system transmitting a plurality of GPS signals to the device display device. The device employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit structure having a GPS signal receiver, a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and an antenna structure. A signal transmitting structure transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator module. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power structure, operably connected to the integrated circuit structure, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit structure. The GPS signal receiver receives GPS signals, and the programmed processor locally processes received GPS signals, determines the position of the display device, and transmits the same to the remote activation module.

Claims

1. A remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device for displaying graphical indicia within a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system transmitting a plurality of GPS signals to said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device, said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device comprising:

an 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;

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

an integrated circuit structure having;

(i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data,

(ii) a programmed processor in communication with said addressable display assembly and said storage element, and using said programs to process said instructions and data for (a) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said addressable display assembly, (b) controlling and coordinating operation of said addressable display assembly, and (c) generating output signals for instructing said addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia, and

(iii) a GPS signal receiver, operably connected to said programmed processor, for receiving GPS signals transmitted by said GPS system;

a signal transmitting structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said antenna structure, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said antenna structure to one or more remote activator modules;

a signal receiving structure, operably connected to said integrated circuit structure and said antenna structure, for receiving electromagnetic signals from said one or more remote activator modules, using said 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 addressable display assembly;

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

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

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

wherein said programmed processor locally processes said received GPS signals to (i) determine the position of said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device, and (ii) instruct said signal transmitting structure to transmit, from said antenna structure, to said one or more remote activator modules, an electromagnetic signal carrying information about the determined position of said programmable electronic-ink based display device.

2. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said antenna structure, said integrated circuit structure, said signal transmitting structure, said signal receiving structure and said on-board battery power structure are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of said addressable display assembly so as to form said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device having a stacked construction.

3. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein each said remote activator receives electromagnetic signals from said antenna structure, carrying a variety of information, including the status of the graphical indicia displayed by said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device, as well as any other information suitable to be employed by said one or more remote activator modules.

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

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

6. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said activation layer comprises an activation matrix, 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.

7. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 6, wherein said programmed processor controls each pixel location in said activation matrix to form human and/or machine readable graphical indicia within said layer of electronic ink.

8. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein said activation layer has patterns designed to provide sufficient power at selected pixel locations to form said graphical indicia.

9. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 8, wherein the said patterns include shapes selected from the group consisting of quadrilateral shape matrices, intersecting arcs, and linear and non-linear patterns.

10. The remotely-alterable 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 electro-phoretic composition of a fluid, and a suspension of colored or charged particles or colloidal material.

11. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 10, wherein said fluid comprises a dielectric or emulsion fluid.

12. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 10, wherein said microcapsules can be filled with electrically-charged white colored particles suspended in a black or colored dye.

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

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

15. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 14, 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.

16. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, wherein each said remote activator 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 addressable display assembly, (ii) the graphical indicia displayed on the surface of said addressable display assembly, or (iii) instructions for subsequent use by said remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device.

17. The remotely-alterable 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.

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

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

20. The remotely-alterable 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 electronic-ink based display device and said one or more remote activator modules.

21. The remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device of claim 1, in combination with said one or moe remote activator modules and said GPS system, to provide a GPS-controlled remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display system.