Abstract: This invention generally relates to the use of dipole charged balls having differently coloured hemispheres (bichromal balls) in twisting ball displays comprising a pair of planar addressing electrodes and the space between these electrodes that is filled with a thixotropic liquid into which has been dispersed a plurality of electrically charged and optically anisotropic rotatable elements.

Abstract: There is described an optical-effect-producing medium comprising a carrier medium (1) containing or comprising pigment particles (10) having at least one optically responsive pigment or dye (100) that responds to incident electromagnetic radiation of at least a selected excitation wavelength or wavelength band (?EX) by producing an optical response in the visible or near-visible spectrum. A refractive index (n1) of the carrier medium (1) and a refractive index (n2; n3) of the pigment particles (10) are selected to maximise the amount of incident electromagnetic radiation reaching the said at least one optically responsive pigment or dye (100). Also described is the use of such optical-effect-producing medium to produce an optically responsive feature, especially for security, authentication and/or identification purposes, as well as objects comprising such an optically responsive feature.

Abstract: A method of tightly packing display elements in an electric display. The method involves increasing the density of display elements of an electronic display, such as rotatable elements in electronic paper, in order to increase the brightness and/or sharpness of the display.

Abstract: A visual display system and a method for displaying information. The information displayed on the visual display system may be substantially or entirely immune to stray electric fields.

Abstract: The display kit of the present invention comprises: an addressable display medium configured to exhibit a first aspect under the influence of an addressing vector field in a first direction at an addressing magnitude; and an addressor; where the addressor is configured to provide the addressing vector field in the first direction at the addressing magnitude to a portion of the display medium; and a filter comprising: a first sheet electrode and a second sheet electrode configured to exhibit a first vector field in the first direction at a first magnitude to the portion of the display medium; where the first magnitude is less than the addressing magnitude; where the display medium is located between the first sheet electrode and the second sheet electrode; and where the first sheet electrode is between the addressor and the display medium.

Abstract: A kit comprising rotating element sheet material and a gradient field stylus, where the sheet material comprises a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid; where the substrate comprises a plurality of sheet latching components; where one of the rotatable elements comprises first and second rotatable latching components and a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element; and where one of the sheet latching components is proximal to the first rotatable latching component in the first orientation and proximal to the second rotatable latching component in the second orientation; and where the rotatable and sheet latching components exhibit an attractive force based on a first gradient field; and where a distal end of the gradient field stylus exhibits an attractive force with the rotatable latching components based on a

Abstract: Rotating element sheet material comprising a plurality of rotatable elements disposed in a substrate and in contact with an enabling fluid; where one of the plurality of rotatable elements comprises a core configured to present a first aspect in a first orientation and a second aspect in a second orientation, and where the first orientation and the second orientation are related by a rotational transformation about an axis of the rotatable element, and where the rotatable element in contact with the enabling fluid is further configured to exhibit a first addressing dipole configured to couple with a first vector field and a second addressing dipole configured to couple with a second vector field, and where the rotatable element exhibits the first aspect in the first vector field in a first direction and the second aspect in the second vector field in the first direction.

Abstract: A display is provided with an insulative layer with electrical properties which have been selected so that the display can be addressed with a stylus and which minimizes the effects of stray triboelectrically generated charges. Also provided is a method of addressing such a display by depositing charges on a surface of the display, maintaining sufficient charge to effect an image change, and then removing the charges.

Abstract: A sheet material for use in a gyricon display in which a rotatable element, which has a portion which is capable of being permanently magnetized may be oriented to experience either an attractive force or a repelling force between itself and another magnetized element. The attractive force between the element and the pad serve to latch the element in place and prevent unwanted display changes from taking place while the repellant force serves to trap the element in place for the same reasons. The element may be constructed to be either cylindrically or spherically shaped. Further, the sheet material may also contain soft magnetic material pads which may be arranged to provide multiple latching states as desired.

Abstract: A method for making microencapsulated gyricon beads comprising the steps of converging a first, second, third and fourth materials in a liquid state; forming a bead from the first and second materials, the bead having two hemispheric surfaces with one surface differing from the other in optical and electrical characteristics; surrounding the bead with the third material; encapsulating the third material with the fourth material; and solidifying the fourth material.

Abstract: A display is provided with an insulative layer with electrical properties which have been selected so that the display can be addressed with a stylus and which minimizes the effects of stray triboelectrically generated charges. Also provided is a method of addressing such a display by depositing charges on a surface of the display, maintaining sufficient charge to effect an image change, and then removing the charges.

Abstract: The present invention relates to rotating element sheet material with a generalized containment structure and methods of fabricating such rotating element sheet material, where the rotating element sheet material comprises a fibrous matrix, a plurality of rotatable elements, and an enabling fluid, and where the plurality of rotatable elements are disposed within the fibrous matrix and are in contact with the enabling fluid. In addition, rotating element sheet material with a generalized containment structure, and methods of fabricating such rotating element sheet material, includes rotating element sheet material which comprises a fibrous matrix and a plurality of micro-capsules, and where the micro-capsules define a hollow space therein, and the hollow space contains a subset of a plurality of rotatable elements and an enabling fluid, and where the plurality of micro-cavities are disposed within the fibrous matrix.

Abstract: A gyricon or twisting-particle display based on nonspheroidal (e.g., substantially cylindrical) optically anisotropic particles disposed in a substrate. The particles can be either bichromal or polychromal cylinders, preferably aligned parallel to one another and packed close together in a monolayer. A rotatable disposition of each particle is achievable while the particle is thus disposed in the substrate; for example, the particles can already be rotatable in the substrate, or can be rendered rotatable in the substrate by a nondestructive operation performed on the substrate. In particular, the substrate can be made up of an elastomer that is expanded by application of a fluid thereto so as to render the particles rotatable therein. A particle, when in its rotatable disposition, is not attached to the substrate. The close-packed monolayer configuration of particles provides excellent brightness characteristics and relative ease of manufacture as compared with certain other high-brightness gyricon displays.

Abstract: A display media with an encapsulant medium, and bichromal beads having a charge adjuvant, wherein the bichromal beads are dispersed or contained in the encapsulant medium is set forth.

Abstract: A method of making a substrate in which sets of optically anisotropic spheroidal balls are disposed, as for use in an electrical twisting ball display. First and second sets of spheroidal balls, are deposited on a receiving surface composed of an elastomer substrate material in an adhesive state, the spheroidal balls thus deposited adhering to the receiving surface. Balls of the first and second sets are physically distinguishable from one another. Balls of the first set can be deposited in a first arrangement, and balls of the second set, in a second arrangement. Each ball of each set has an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field.

Abstract: Gyricon balls are provided with magnetic pads that allows them to be located into two different positions by means of a further stationary magnetic pad. The magnetic pads are engulfed and sequestered from sight so they do not decrement the brightness of the display. The magnetic pads are made by dispersing magnetic pigments into the polyethylene plastic. The addition of aluminum octoate to one hemisphere of the gyricon ball causes the pigmented plastic on that side of the ball to attempt to envelope the pigmented plastic on parts of the ball that does not have aluminum octoate added during the ball making process.

Abstract: A method of making a substrate in which sets of optically anisotropic spheroidal balls are disposed, as for use in an electrical twisting ball display. First and second sets of spheroidal balls, are deposited on a receiving surface composed of an elastomer substrate material in an adhesive state, the spheroidal balls thus deposited adhering to the receiving surface. Balls of the first and second sets are physically distinguishable from one another. Balls of the first set can be deposited in a first arrangement, and balls of the second set, in a second arrangement. Each ball of each set has an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field.

Abstract: A gyricon sheet includes a binder containing rotating elements, wherein the binder is swollen with dielectric fluids so as to have cavities larger than the rotating elements around each of the rotating elements, the cavities filled with the dielectric fluids, and wherein the dielectric fluids comprise a mixture of at least two liquids having different binder swelling capabilities. By selection of the mixture of dielectric liquids, the extent of swelling of the gyricon sheet can be precisely controlled, enabling the gyricon sheet to exhibit a high level of display brightness.

Abstract: A gyricon or twisting-particle display based on nonspheroidal (e.g., substantially cylindrical) optically anisotropic particles disposed in a substrate. The particles can be either bichromal or polychromal cylinders, preferably aligned parallel to one another and packed close together in a monolayer. A rotatable disposition of each particle is achievable while the particle is thus disposed in the substrate; for example, the particles can already be rotatable in the substrate, or can be rendered rotatable in the substrate by a nondestructive operation performed on the substrate. In particular, the substrate can be made up of an elastomer that is expanded by application of a fluid thereto so as to render the particles rotatable therein. A particle, when in its rotatable disposition, is not attached to the substrate. The close-packed monolayer configuration of particles provides excellent brightness characteristics and relative ease of manufacture as compared with certain other high-brightness gyricon displays.

Abstract: Tamper-evident electric paper is made of two sheets of electric paper bonded together, the bottom sheet of which includes a pattern. Any attempt to erase a writing on the top sheet of electric paper results in the pattern on the bottom sheet of electric paper being erased. Therefore any tampering by erasure of a writing on the tamper-evident electric paper is revealed by the absence of a portion of the pattern on the bottom sheet of electric paper. Single sheet tamper-evident electric paper has a complex pattern, such as an encryption, printed on a single sheet of electric paper. Any attempt to erase a writing on the electric paper also erases a portion of the encryption, thereby providing evidence of tampering.