Kent Displays, Inc.

Clinton Braganza

Erica Montbach

Asad Aziz Khan

Mauricio Echeverri

Anthony Daniels

Duane Marhefka

Hunter Morris

Todd C Ernst

Forrest Nicholson

Nathan Hirt

Matthew Schlemmer

Mark Lightfoot

John Krinock

Don Davis

Mathew Bowser

Nithya Venkatarman

Bryan Owen

A writing device includes a liquid crystal layer including cholesteric liquid crystal material. There are electrically conductive layers between which the liquid crystal layer is disposed. There is a front writing surface layer that is transparent and a back support layer between which the electrically conductive layers and the liquid crystal layer are disposed. The cholesteric liquid crystal material changes in texture by application of pressure to the front writing surface layer to create an image. A seal confines the cholesteric liquid crystal material between the front writing surface layer and the back support layer. The electrically conductive layers are adapted to enable a voltage waveform to be applied thereto that erases the image. In one aspect, the resilience to bending the writing device is defined by enabling the writing device to be bent to a radius of curvature of 100.0 millimeters for 10 repetitions of the bending and after each of the repetitions of the bending the voltage waveform completely erases the image. In another aspect, the back support layer comprises a first sublayer formed of a flexible polymeric material adjacent to the back electrically conductive layer, a second sublayer comprising a backer that is flexible and thicker and of a different material than the first sublayer and a bonding layer located between the first sublayer and the second sublayer. In yet another aspect, the seal includes an elastomeric material and wherein the front writing surface layer has a thickness in a range of 0.5 to 4.5 mils and the back support layer has a thickness in a range of 0.6 to 34.5 mils.

Resilient writing device

A liquid crystal writing device is erased by a stylus. The liquid crystal writing device includes a liquid crystal layer including cholesteric liquid crystal material. A user applies pressure to a flexible substrate that changes reflectivity of the cholesteric liquid crystal material to form images on the liquid crystal writing device. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between electrically conductive layers. Writing device terminals are electrically conductive and connected to the electrically conductive layers. The stylus includes stylus electronics adapted to apply an erase voltage or erase voltage waveform to the writing device terminals.

Cholesteric liquid crystal writing device with stylus erase

A liquid crystal device that is flexible and includes a cholesteric liquid crystal material erased by flexing. Totally free of electronics and electrically conductive electrodes, the liquid crystal device takes advantage of a reverse mode effect observed in cholesteric liquid crystals whereby pressure applied to the device changes a reflective texture to a transmissive texture to create an image. The image is erased and the device reinitialized by flexing to create reflective texture surroundings.

Liquid crystal device that is erased by flexing

A writing device includes a liquid crystal layer including reflective cholesteric liquid crystal material. There are electrically conductive layers between which the liquid crystal layer is disposed. At least one of the electrically conductive layers includes at least two conductive sections. There is a front substrate that is flexible and a back substrate between which the electrically conductive layers and the liquid crystal layer are disposed. Neither the front substrate nor the back substrate includes separated sections. Application of pressure to the front substrate changes a reflectivity of a portion of the cholesteric liquid crystal material to form an image. In one aspect, there is electronic erase circuitry including at least one actuator that independently applies an erase voltage waveform to each of at least two of the conductive sections. In another aspect the electronic erase circuitry includes at least one actuator that independently applies an erase voltage waveform to each of the conductive sections, and that applies erase voltage waveforms to at least two of the conductive sections in combination.

Writing device including cholesteric liquid crystal and having sectional erase

A cholesteric liquid crystal device has an optical response opposite to that of the Prior Art. The liquid crystal device takes advantage of a unique and unusual effect in cholesteric liquid crystals where pressure applied to the device with a pointed stylus, without applying a voltage, creates a transmissive texture as opposed to the planar texture of the Prior Art.

Cholesteric liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal writing device with enhanced line acuity includes the following features. Included is a front writing surface. A liquid crystal layer includes a dispersion of cholesteric liquid crystal and polymer, wherein a reflectance of the cholesteric liquid crystal changes in response to pressure applied to the front writing surface so as to form an image on the liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between electrically conductive layers. A second of the electrically conductive layers is more distal from the front writing surface than a first of the electrically conductive layers is from the front writing surface. A backing supports the pressure applied to the front writing surface. An adhesive layer is disposed between the second of the electrically conductive layers and the backing. A line acuity of the image has a value of not more than 3.0 determined according to the Line Acuity Measurement Method of this disclosure.

Ewriter with enhanced line acuity

A liquid crystal eWriter device with user adjustable select erase includes a front substrate formed of a flexible, polymeric material. Electrically conductive layers are spaced apart from each other. A dispersion layer includes a dispersion of cholesteric liquid crystal material and polymer disposed between the electrically conductive layers, wherein pressure applied to the front substrate changes a reflectance of the cholesteric liquid crystal material forming an image. Electronic circuitry is adapted to fully and selectively erase the image by applying a full erase voltage waveform and a select erase voltage waveform, respectively, to the electrically conductive layers. The image is select erased by applying the select erase voltage waveform to the electrically conductive layers while applying pressure to the front substrate and tracing a portion of the image. At least one SELECT ERASE actuator is included in the electronic circuitry and enables the user to adjust the select erase voltage waveform so as to adjust select erasing of the image. Also featured is a method of making select erase adjustments on the eWriter.

Selectively erasable eWriter with user adjustment

An enhanced brightness cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter device for writing and drawing includes substrates and electrically conductive layers disposed on the substrates. There is a gap, d, between the electrically conductive layers. Polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal material is disposed in the gap. The polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal material exhibits a written reflectance, R, which occurs in response to pressure applied to one of the substrates that changes reflectance of the cholesteric liquid crystal material. The device follows the relationship Rd1&#x3c;Rd2 and d1&#x3e;d2, where Rd2 is a written reflectance of an eWriter device of gap d2 and Rd1 is written reflectance of another eWriter device of gap d1. Further, a cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter device includes a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material in a cell gap, d, wherein d&#x3c;3 &#x3bc;m. Also included is an enhanced brightness eWriter with other features and a method of constructing an enhanced brightness, cholesteric liquid crystal eWriter.

Enhanced brightness eWriter device

An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. An active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. At least one transparent front substrate is disposed adjacent one of the electrically conductive layers near a front of the display. A semitransparent back layer absorbs light that passes through the active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer.

Electronic display with semitransparent back layer

A multicolored pressure sensitive liquid crystal device includes a first transparent substrate that is flexible on which pressure is applied and a second substrate spaced apart from the first substrate. Also included are electrically conductive layers, one of which is in contact with the first substrate and is transparent and another of which is in contact with the second substrate. The electrically conductive layers are separated from each other. Also included is a pressure sensitive liquid crystal layer including cholesteric liquid crystal disposed between the electrically conductive layers. The liquid crystal layer includes at least first and second color regions. The first color region reflects light of a first color and the second color region reflects light of a second color. The pressure applied to the substrate results in a change in reflectance of the liquid crystal. In another aspect, the liquid crystal layer can include at least first and second regions that differ from each other in terms of a characteristic selected from the group consisting of wavelength of reflection, reflectivity, linewidth, electrooptic response, pressure sensitivity and combinations thereof.

Multicolored pressure sensitive liquid crystal device

An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. At least one active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. The display includes a front transparent substrate behind which the electrically conductive layers are disposed. A back component is disposed at a back of the display below the active layer. At least one patterned layer is disposed at at least one of the following locations: on, in or near the front substrate and as an interlayer between the front substrate and the back component. The patterned layer is opaque or semitransparent. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer. The active layer and the patterned layer cooperate to produce an image on the display.

Electronic display with patterned layer

A method of making an electrooptical display comprises providing a first substrate and a second substrate. A first layer of electrically conductive material is disposed on the first substrate and a second layer of electrically conductive material is disposed on the second substrate. A bead of adhesive gasket material is formed over the first substrate. Light modulating material is flowed onto the first layer of electrically conductive material and over the bead. The second substrate is positioned in contact with the light modulating material in proximity to the first substrate. The gasket material is cured.

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Kent, OH, United States of America

Clinton Braganza