Abstract:
The invention discloses a device with electrically alterable appearance including a shell having a non-display region, with a thin-film display disposed thereon to alter the appearance of the electronic device by electrically writing operation. The thin-film display maintains the present appearance of the electronic device without power supply.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a device with electrically alterable appearance and more particularly to a device using a thin-film display to provide an electrically alterable appearance. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Electronic devices can be classified according to whether they provide a display region or not, the display region output via technology such as cathode ray tubes, liquid crystals or plasma. Electronic devices with a display region, for example, can comprise mobile sets, electronic watches, electronic calculators, computer displays, televisions, and others. Electronic devices without any display regions, for example, can comprise computer mice, keyboards, refrigerators, electronic fans, and others. 
         [0005]      FIGS. 1A-1C  respectively show a mobile set, an electronic watch, a computer display, having display region(s)  11  and non-display region(s)  12 .  FIGS. 1D-1F  respectively show a keyboard, a refrigerator, a computer mouse, none having display region(s) and having only non-display region(s)  12 . 
         [0006]    To alter the appearance of the non-display regions of electronic devices, traditional methods include: replacing the shell of the electronic device body, leading to extra costs for shells and limited to predetermined appearance and disposing a light source emitting various colors inside the electronic device, although on light color is changed, limiting the variation in appearance and requiring additional power. 
         [0007]    Electronic ink is a novel material technology that can comprise a thin film printed on plastic, glass, paper and other material. 
         [0008]    Eink Inc. of USA demonstrated an electric paper supporting multicolored electronic ink in a “Society for Information Display” exhibition in 2002. Current products applying electronic ink include a watch named “Future Now”, co-developed by Eink Inc. and Seiko Epson Co. The electronic ink is applied on the display region of the watch to show time information. Sony Electronics Inc. in Japan also manufactured the first display employing electronic ink technology in the world. 
         [0009]    Electronic ink mainly comprises millions of microcapsules.  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross sections of a microcapsule of prototype electronic ink capable of emitting black and white colors under different electronic fields. As  FIGS. 2A and 2B  show, the microcapsule  21  is located between a transparent top electrode  22  and a bottom electrode  23 . The microcapsule  21  comprises transparent fluid  24 , positively-charged white particles  25  and negatively-charged black particles  26 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , when a negative electric field is applied, the white particles  25  move to the top of the microcapsule  21 , forming a white spot, while the black particles  26  move to the bottom of the microcapsule  21 , becoming invisible. The microcapsule  21  thus emits white color. Conversely, as shown in  FIG. 2B , when a negative electric field is applied, the black particles  26  move to the top and form a dark spot, while the white particles move to the bottom of the microcapsules  21 , becoming invisible. The microcapsule  21  thus emits black color. 
         [0010]    Illumination principle, explained using prototype electronic ink as an example, can further use red, green and blue microcapsules to display other colors. Researchers in Canada have developed a new multicolor electronic ink named “Photonic Ink” using diffraction mechanics of light to illuminate different colors. Photonic Ink comprises many SiO 2  balls with a diameter of about 300 nm stacked on each other. When light transmits through Photonic Ink, it reflects and interferes back and forth, generating light of specific color. Further, the SiO 2  balls are covered with conductive polymer colloid. The polymer colloid expands when infused in solvents and contracts when removed therefrom. The color of the Photonic Ink is changed by adjusting infusion degree of the polymer colloid in solvents via different imposed voltages to alter the distance between the SiO 2  balls. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The invention discloses electronic devices with a shell on which is disposed a thin-film display, capable of altering the appearance depending on user direction. The thin-film display requires no power to sustain the exterior display that has been written. 
         [0012]    The invention provides a device with electrically alterable appearance comprising a shell having a non-display region, with a thin-film display disposed thereon to alter the appearance of the electronic device by electrically writing operation. The thin-film display maintains the present appearance of the electronic device without power supply. 
         [0013]    The invention also provides a device with electrically alterable appearance comprising a thin-film display disposed thereof to alter the appearance of the electronic device by electrically writing operation. The thin-film display maintains the present appearance of the electronic device without power supply. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment, electronic ink is employed as the thin-film device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIGS. 1A-1C  respectively show a mobile set, an electric watch, a computer display, illustrating display regions and non-display regions thereof; 
           [0017]      FIG. 1D-1F  respectively show a keyboard, a refrigerator, a computer mouse, illustrating non-display regions thereof; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross sections of a microcapsule in a prototype electronic ink emitting black and white colors under different electronic fields; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a device with electrically alterable appearance in accordance with an embodiment of the invention using a mobile set as an example; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a device with electrically alterable appearance in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5A-5C  respectively show a painting, a manual toy car and a flower vase with an artificial flower, illustrating non-screen-regions thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a device with electrically alterable appearance of the invention using a mobile set as an example. As shown, the mobile set  30  has a shell comprising a display region  11  comprising a liquid crystal display, and non-display regions  12  comprising push-buttons and a shell near the liquid crystal display and push-button. A thin-film display  32  is disposed on the non-display region  12 . The thin-film display  32  displays various pictures, patterns and/or colors by electrically writing display data into the thin-film display  32 . The thin-film display  32  requires no power to sustain the exterior display of the mobile set. It is noted that the mobile set  30  is used as an example, and the thin-film display can be disposed on any device. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the thin-film display  32  meets requirements of low thickness, high flexibility, and low power consumption. A preferable example of the thin-film display  32  is electronic ink described earlier. Electronic ink is applied on non-display regions conventionally to display information such as characters or video. However, one of the advantages of electronic ink is it can be printed or applied on numerous materials. Further, it uses light reflection mechanics and thus requires no backlight source, such that once display data is written, no power is required to sustain the written exterior display. Accordingly, electronic ink can be applied as a thin-film display. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a block diagram of a device with electrically alterable appearance in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the device with electrically alterable appearance comprises a thin-film display  32 , a converting controller  42 , a display processor  43 , a memory  44 , and an input/output terminal  45 . 
         [0025]    The converting controller  42  is connected to the thin-film display  32 . When a writing operation is performed on the thin-film display  32 , such that the thin-film display  32  displays a desired pattern or picture, the converting controller  42  receives first display data S 1 , converting S 1  to a signal S 0  required by the thin-film display, and finally transmitting the signal S 0  to the thin-film display  32  such that the thin-film display  32  displays the desired pattern or picture. The converting controller  32  also administrates the thin-film display  32  such that it operates normally. It is noted that the converting controller  42  can be designed as a removable component, that is, connected with the thin-film display  32  during use but removed when not. Moreover, if the device such as a mobile set has a component having similar functions, the converting controller  42  can be integrated with the component rather than disposed as an independent component. 
         [0026]    The display processor  43  administrates transmission of display data from the output/input terminal  45  or memory  44  to the converting controller  42 . As shown, the display processor  43  receives third display data S 3  from the output/input terminal  45  or second display data S 2  from the memory  44 , and provides the first display data S 1  to the converting controller  42 . The display processor  43  processes and converts the third or second display data S 3 /S 2  to the first display data S 1  of another data form, or processes and outputs the first display data S 1  directly without processing and conversion. 
         [0027]    The display processor  43  further administrates the transmission of display data between the output/input terminal  45  and the memory  44 . As shown, the display processor  43  receives the thirds display data S 3  from the output/input terminal  45  and outputs the second display data S 2  to the memory  44 , or conversely, receives the second, display data S 2  from the memory  44  and outputs the third display data S 3  to the input/output data  45 . Similarly, after the display processor  43  receives the second (third) display data S 2  (S 3 ), it processes and converts the second (third) display data S 2 /S 3  to the third (third) display data. S 3  (S 2 ) of another data form, or processes and outputs the third (third) display data S 3  (S 2 ) directly without processing and conversion. 
         [0028]    It is noted that the display controller  43  can also be employed as a removable component, connected with the converting controller  42  during use but removed when not. Moreover, if the device such as a mobile set has a component having similar functions, the display controller  43  can be integrated with the component rather than disposed as an independent component. 
         [0029]    The memory  44  stores display data for user selection, and is controlled by the display controller  43  to provide the second display data S 2  stored therein to the display processor  43 , or stores the second display data S 2  received from the display processor  43 . As mentioned, the second display data S 2  received by the display controller is obtained from the third display data S 3  processed and converted or directly provided by the output/input terminal. 
         [0030]    It is noted that the memory  44  can also be employed as a removable component, that is, connected with the display processor  43  during use but removed when not. Moreover, if the device such as a mobile set has a component having similar functions, the memory  44  can be integrated with the component rather than disposed as an independent component. Further, the memory  44  is not necessary and can be excluded, wherein first display data S 1  is provided by only the third display data S 3 . 
         [0031]    The output/input terminal  45  is connected to the display processor  43  such that the display processor  43  is able to receive the third display data S 3  from an external device such as a personal computer, or conversely, such that the external device is able to receive the third display data S 2  output by the display processor  43 . As such, various display data stored in the memory  44  can be output via the output/input terminal  45 . Also, display data can be displayed by the thin-film display  32  or stored in the memory  44  via the output/input terminal  45 . 
         [0032]    It is noted that the output/input terminal  45  can also be employed as a removable component, that is, connected with the display processor  43  during use but removed when not. Moreover, if the device such as a mobile set has a component having similar functions, the output/input terminal  45  can be integrated with the component rather than disposed as an independent component. Further, the output/input terminal  45  is not imperative and can be excluded, wherein first display data S 1  is provided only by the second display data S 2 . 
         [0033]    The invention can be applied not only to electronic devices but also to any device.  FIGS. 5A-5C  respectively show a painting, a manual toy car and a flower vase with an artificial flower. The painting frame and even the painting within the painting frame in  FIG. 5 , the entire surface of the toy car in  FIG. 5B , and the surface of the flower vase and even the artificial flower, all are none-display regions. A thin-film display can be disposed on part or all of the non-display regions, where an embodiment of a block diagram of the device can also be referred to  FIG. 4 , and when display data is written into the thin-film display, the appearance of the device changes accordingly. 
         [0034]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.