Ambient energy powered display
US6348908B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09G2330/02
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A bistable display device that is powered only by ambient energy. Ambient energy is collected by an ambient energy receiver which converts the ambient energy into an operating signal and provides the operating signal to a controller. The controller drives the display device based on the operating signal. A user can create a custom display by fixing customizable patterned electrodes to the display. A display controller uses a self-starting oscillator. The oscillator outputs a clock input signal wave to a ripple counter and a voltage signal to a voltage doubler. The voltage doubler outputs a stored charge signal to a transformer concurrently with a clock pulse that is output by the ripple counter to change a state of the voltage output from the transformer to conductive electrodes within or on the display. The voltage output from the transformers applies an electric field across the display in the portions of the display covered by the conductors to switch the image on the display. As the display is bistable, if the ambient energy receiver and controller are detached from the display or there is an insufficient amount of ambient energy, the image on the display will stop switching, b…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.