Patent ID: 7406786

Claim:
An electrically animated sign assembly that enables two-sided display of an image to be animated, the sign assembly comprising: a plurality of electronic papers of various sizes and colors, inserted at various positions between a first conductive sheet and a second conductive sheet in which both the first and second conductive sheets are substantially transparent to enable two-sided viewing of the electronic papers; at least two nonconductive image layers or sheets each including a substantially transparent region representing an image to be animated and through which at least a portion of said electronic papers is visible, the at least two image layers or sheets including first and second image layers or sheets removably affixed on opposing sides of the first and second conductive sheets in coordination with the position of the electronic papers; wherein the substantially transparent regions of the first and second image layers or sheets include at least one pair of the substantially transparent regions aligned with one another and with at least one shared and common electronic paper of the plurality of electronic papers therebetween, thus enabling two-sided viewing of the shared and common electronic paper and simultaneous animation of the images represented by the aligned substantially transparent regions during activation of the shared and common electronic paper; wherein the conductive sheets are coupled to a controllable voltage source for generating an electric field across the electronic papers, and the electric field is selectively varied in strength and polarity so as to animate the image by effecting a continuous visible color change in the portions of said electronic papers that are visible through said substantially transparent regions; and a frame assembly disposed around said one or more nonconductive image layer or sheet and conductive sheets to hold said one or more nonconductive image layer or sheet and conductive sheets together.