Method and apparatus for providing a dielectrophoretic display of visual information
US4418346A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 20, 1981 |
| Grant date | Nov 29, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 20, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09F9/372
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for selectively displaying visual information using dielectrophoretic forces resulting from the application of a non-uniform electrical field to a dielectric material. Specifically, first and second visually distinguishable materials having different dielectric constants are provided within an enclosure that is formed, at least in part, from a transparent material. A non-uniform electrical field is applied to the materials causing relative translational movement thereof as a result of dielectrophoretic forces generated by the non-uniform field. Because the first and second materials are visually distinguishable and their relative positions are determined by the dielectrophoretic forces of the electrical field, adjustment of the magnitude of those forces adjusts the arrangement of the two materials. Thus, the apparatus provides a selectively adjustable display for visual information.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.