Patent ID: 7757954
Filing Date: 2010-07-20
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G09F,G09G

Abstract:
1. A remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device for displaying graphical, comprising: a flexible 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; at least one flexible antenna layer for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic signals carrying information corresponding to at least one of instructions, programs, data and selected graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly; a flexible integrated circuit layer having (i) a storage element for storing said instructions, programs and data, and (ii) a programmed processor in electrical communication with said flexible addressable display assembly and said at least one flexible antenna layer, and using said programs to process said instructions and data for (i) determining the graphical indicia to be displayed by said flexible addressable display assembly, (ii) controlling and coordinating operation of said flexible addressable display assembly, and (iii) generating output signals for instructing said flexible addressable display assembly to display the determined graphical indicia; a flexible signal transmitting layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer and said at least one flexible antenna layer, for transmitting electromagnetic signals from said at least one flexible antenna layer, to at least one remote activation module; a flexible signal receiving layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer and said at least one flexible antenna layer, for receiving electromagnetic signals from said at least one remote activation module, using said at least one flexible antenna layer; 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 flexible addressable display assembly; an on-board battery power layer, operably connected to said flexible integrated circuit layer, for supplying electrical power to said flexible integrated circuit layer; wherein said flexible integrated circuit layer is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from said at least one remote activation module by said at least one flexible antenna layer and said flexible signal receiving layer; wherein said flexible addressable display assembly is responsive to said output signals generated by said programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia; and wherein said at least one flexible antenna layer, said flexible integrated circuit layer, said flexible signal transmitting layer, said flexible signal receiving layer and said on-board electrical power layer are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of said flexible addressable display assembly so as to form said remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device having a flexible stacked-layer construction.