The present invention provides for smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.

Smart electronic label employing electronic ink

We describe a system of electronically active inks which may include electronically addressable contrast media, conductors, insulators, resistors, semiconductive materials, magnetic materials, spin materials, piezoelectric materials, optoelectronic, thermoelectric or radio frequency materials. We further describe a printing system capable of laying down said materials in a definite pattern. Such a system may be used for instance to: print a flat panel display complete with onboard drive logic; print a working logic circuit onto any of a large class of substrates; print an electrostatic or piezoelectric motor with onboard logic and feedback or print a working radio transmitter or receiver.

Electronically addressable microencapsulated ink and display thereof

An electrophoretic display has a substantially two-dimensional arrangement of microcapsules each having therein an electrophoretic composition of a dielectric fluid and a suspension of particles that visually contrast with the dielectric liquid and also exhibit surface charges; a pair of electrodes, at least one of which is visually transparent, disposed on and covering opposite sides of the microcapsule arrangement; and means for creating a potential difference between the two electrodes, the potential difference causing the particles to migrate toward one of the electrodes. The display may be powered by one or more piezoelectric elements, which are also suitable for powering other types of nonemissive displays.

Nonemissive displays and piezoelectric power supplies therefor

A display includes an encapsulated display media, a rear electrode, and a movable electrode. The encapsulated display media comprises a plurality of capsules, each capsule comprising a plurality of particles dispersed in a fluid. The display media has a first surface and a second surface. The rear electrode is disposed adjacent the second surface of the display media. The movable electrode and the rear electrode apply an electric field across the display media.

Microencapsulated electrophoretic electrostatically-addressed media for drawing device applications

This invention relates to an electrophoretic display comprising cells of well-defined shape, size and aspect ratio which cells are filled with charged pigment particles dispersed in a solvent, and novel processes for its manufacture.

Electrophoretic display and novel process for its manufacture

An electrophoretic display device in which an electrophoretic suspension layer including a dispersion of at least one electrophoretic material in a finely divided powder form suspended in a suspending medium is interposed between a pair of electrodes, at least one of which is transparent. A colored layer of a desired pattern is provided at the transparent electrode. An electric field is imposed between the pair of electrodes so as to change the optical property such as reflective color or luminescent color of the suspension layer by changing the spatial distribution of the electrophoretic material in the suspending medium electrophoretically.

Isao Ota

Papers

Electrophoretic display device