Nonemissive displays and piezoelectric power suplies therefor

• Main Authors: B. COMISKEY, J.M. JACOBSON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.05.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ADVERTISING; ALARM SYSTEMS; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DISPLAY; DISPLAYING; EDUCATION; ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES; ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; HOROLOGY; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; LINING MACHINES; MEASURING; MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; NAVIGATION; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY; PHYSICS; PRINTING; SEALS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; SIGNS; STAMPS; SURVEYING; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

An electrophoretic display has a substantially two-dimensional arrangement of microcapsules each having therein an electrophoretic composition of a dielectric fluid and a suspension of particles that visually contrast with the dielectric liquid and also exhibit surface charges; a pair of electrodes, at least one of which is visually transparent, disposed on and covering opposite sides of the microcapsule arrangement; and a power source for creating a potential difference between the two electrodes, the potential difference causing the particles to migrate toward one of the electrodes. The display may be powered by one or more piezoelectric elements, which are also suitable for powering other types of nonemissive displays.