US 2007/0164980 A1 · Remote cholesteric display

Abstract

The present invention enables a user of a portable electronic communications device such as a cell phone to view information on a larger remote reflective cholesteric display. The portable communications device may connect with the remote display by wire or wirelessly. The remote display is separate from the portable communications device but can interact with it. The remote display receives and/or receives and sends information relative to the portable communications device. This information can include e-mail text and graphics. The remote display, being a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display, possesses low power requirements unmatched by other display technologies. Moreover, the remote display can serve a dual purpose of displaying images and collecting solar power whereby a photovoltaic material behind the display generates electrical energy from light incident on the cholesteric liquid crystal material, which may be used not only to power the remote display but also the portable communications device. This may result in a completely self-powered remote display and associated portable communications device. The solar cell itself can be a component of the display. A display having only a single substrate may employ the solar cell as the substrate. A dispersion layer comprised of cholesteric liquid crystal material dispersed in a polymer matrix, may be disposed over the substrate. Another aspect of the invention features a drapable remote bistable cholesteric display.

Claims38

Dependent claims

An apparatus for displaying images on a remote bistable reflective cholesteric display, comprising

a) a portable electronic communications device comprising
means for receiving signals corresponding to image information, and
means for transmitting signals corresponding to said image information to a remote location;
and
b) a remote display device located at said remote location, comprising
a bistable reflective cholesteric liquid crystal display,
means for receiving said signals transmitted to said remote location, and
addressing means for producing images on said cholesteric display based on said image information.

5 more elements

An apparatus for displaying images on a remote bistable reflective cholesteric display, comprising

a) a portable electronic communications device comprising
a display having a screen area,
a receiver adapted to receive signals corresponding to image information, and
a transmitter adapted to transmit signals corresponding to said image information to a remote location;
and
b) a remote display device located at said remote location comprising
a bistable reflective cholesteric liquid crystal display having a screen area at least twice the screen area of said portable communications device,
a receiver adapted to receive said signals transmitted to said remote location,
drive electronics adapted to apply an electric field to said cholesteric liquid crystal effective to produce images on said cholesteric display based on said image information,
a photovoltaic device adapted to convert electromagnetic energy to electrical energy, said photovoltaic device being located downstream of said cholesteric display relative to a direction in which ambient light is incident on said cholesteric display, and
means for storing and distributing said electrical energy effective to provide power to said remote display device and to said portable communications device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Remote cholesteric display

Life of this patent

Remote cholesteric display

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38