Direct imaging of information using light pipe displays

Abstract

A light pipe information display, having a non-conductive, transparent planar first glass sheet and a non-conductive planar opaque second glass sheet, both sheets being disposed adjacent to one another with their inner surfaces opposing one another in spaced-apart relationship. The second non-conductive sheet has a plurality of discrete transparent light pipes formed therethrough, wherein at least one of said non-conductive sheets includes electrical conductors disposed on its inner surface. The conductors are connected to an electrically responsive display material, such as a liquid crystal or electroluminescent material disposed between the first and second sheets, arranged in discrete character-forming segments. Each segment is aligned with one of said discrete light pipes. There is a third opaque sheet disposed on the exposed surface of the second sheet and includes a plurality of smaller light pipe holes, each hole being aligned with each light pipe window of the second sheet. The third sheet has a concave outer surface to conform to the drum of a standard dry copy photocopy machine. Programmed electrical circuits provide scrolling of the images produced on the display in step with the movement of the drum. The dot segments are staggered in the scrolling direction of the drum, on the surface of the display, so that high resolution, non-segmented images can be produced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.