Patents by Inventor Dirk Hertel

Dirk Hertel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12640108
    Abstract: A hybrid display including an emissive display adjacent a variable transmission display. The hybrid display device typically includes a controller. The emissive display provides an image that is viewable from a viewing location, and the variable transmission medium is positioned relative to the emissive display to partially alter the image at the viewing location. The controller generates a desired altered image at the viewing location by controlling the electrophoretic image display or the variable transmission medium. The display device can include an ambient light sensor. The hybrid display can be incorporated into a combination display by combining the hybrid display with one or more additional electrophoretic displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Alain Bouchard, Dirk Hertel
  • Publication number: 20250363962
    Abstract: An electrophoretic display apparatus includes an ambient light sensor and a frontlight system for adaptively restoring whiteness and balancing color on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2025
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Inventor: Dirk HERTEL
  • Publication number: 20250284171
    Abstract: A color electro-optic display includes a layer of electro-optic material having a light-transmissive electrode on a viewing side, an array of pixel electrodes on an opposite side, and a color filter array (CFA) on the viewing side. The pixel electrodes drive selected portions of the electro-optic material between white and black optical states. The CFA includes an array of pixels, each of which has at least three color filter elements. Each color filter element is aligned with a different one of the pixel electrodes such that the color of any color filter element is visible when the adjacent portion of the electro-optic material is driven to the white optical state, and not visible when driven to the black optical state. The colors of the color filter elements have the same lightness or a lightness difference no greater than 10 L* to substantially eliminate visible CFA texture patterns in displayed images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2025
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Inventor: Dirk HERTEL
  • Patent number: 12412538
    Abstract: An electrophoretic display apparatus includes an ambient light sensor and a frontlight system for adaptively restoring whiteness and balancing color on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2025
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventor: Dirk Hertel
  • Publication number: 20250271722
    Abstract: A variable light transmission device is disclosed, the variable light transmission device comprising two light transmissive electrode layers and a microcell layer having a plurality of microcells. Each of the plurality of microcells includes electrically charged pigment particles, a charge control agent, and a non-polar liquid. Upon application of an electric field, the amount of light passing through the device can be modulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2025
    Publication date: August 28, 2025
    Inventors: Yu XIA, Dirk HERTEL, Dan LUO, Stephen J. TELFER
  • Publication number: 20250267975
    Abstract: An energy harvesting electro-optic display is disclosed comprising a photovoltaic cell that converts part of the incident light to electric current or voltage, wherein the electric current or voltage is used for the operation of the electro-optic display upon the conversion or stored in a storage component to be used for the operation of the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2025
    Publication date: August 21, 2025
    Inventors: Stephen J. TELFER, Dirk HERTEL, Richard J. PAOLINI, JR., Benjamin Harris PALETSKY
  • Publication number: 20250111832
    Abstract: A hybrid display including an emissive display adjacent a variable transmission display. The hybrid display device typically includes a controller. The emissive display provides an image that is viewable from a viewing location, and the variable transmission medium is positioned relative to the emissive display to partially alter the image at the viewing location. The controller generates a desired altered image at the viewing location by controlling the electrophoretic image display or the variable transmission medium. The display device can include an ambient light sensor. The hybrid display can be incorporated into a combination display by combining the hybrid display with one or more additional electrophoretic displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Alain BOUCHARD, Dirk HERTEL
  • Publication number: 20250028216
    Abstract: Switchable light modulator suppresses aperture and array diffraction, reducing blurring of images viewed through films. The light modulator includes a first light-transmissive substrate, a first electrode on one side of the first light-transmissive substrate, a second light-transmissive substrate, a second electrode on one side of the second light-transmissive substrate, a light-transmissive polymeric structure between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electro-optic medium contained in cells in the polymeric structure. The polymeric structure includes a base and a wall structure defining the cells. Each cell includes wells on the base. The wall structure includes pillar structures and linking wall elements connecting adjacent pillar structures. The pillar structures include distal surfaces parallel to the base arranged with the wells in a given pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Bryan DUNN, Kenneth R. CROUNSE, Dirk HERTEL, George G. HARRIS, Yu XIA
  • Publication number: 20250006144
    Abstract: An electrophoretic display apparatus includes an ambient light sensor and a frontlight system for adaptively restoring whiteness and balancing color on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2024
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventor: Dirk HERTEL
  • Publication number: 20240219798
    Abstract: A variable light transmission device is disclosed and a method of manufacture of the same. The variable light transmission device comprises two light transmissive electrodes and a microcell layer having a plurality of microcells, each microcell comprising a protrusion structure and a channel, and including an electrophoretic medium. The opacity of the device is controlled by an applied electric field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Inventors: Yu XIA, Dirk HERTEL, Dan LUO, Stephen J. TELFER
  • Publication number: 20240219799
    Abstract: A variable light transmission device is disclosed, the variable light transmission device comprising two light transmissive electrode layer and a microcell layer having a plurality of microcells. Each of the plurality of microcells includes a first type of electrically charged pigment particles and a second type of electrically charged pigment particles, a charge control agent, and a non-polar liquid. Upon application of an electric field, the amount of light passing through the device can be modulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Inventors: Yu XIA, Dirk HERTEL, Dan LUO, Stephen J. TELFER
  • Patent number: 12000560
    Abstract: A display device (30) comprises a reflective display (38) arranged to render a first image viewable through a viewing surface and a projection means (31-37) arranged to render a second image viewable in reflection on the viewing surface, the reflective display (38) and the projection means (31-37) being mounted on a common frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Dirk Hertel, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Benjamin Harris Paletsky, Stephen J. Telfer
  • Publication number: 20230349533
    Abstract: A display device (30) comprises a reflective display (38) arranged to render a first image viewable through a viewing surface and a projection means (31-37) arranged to render a second image viewable in reflection on the viewing surface, the reflective display (38) and the projection means (31-37) being mounted on a common frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Dirk HERTEL, Richard J. PAOLINI, JR., Benjamin Harris PALETSKY, Stephen J. TELFER
  • Patent number: 11708958
    Abstract: A display device (30) comprises a reflective display (38) arranged to render a first image viewable through a viewing surface and a projection means (31-37) arranged to render a second image viewable in reflection on the viewing surface, the reflective display (38) and the projection means (31-37) being mounted on a common frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Dirk Hertel, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Benjamin Harris Paletsky, Stephen J. Telfer
  • Patent number: 11656523
    Abstract: An electro-optic display is provided that may include a layer of light-transmissive conductive material, a substrate, a layer of an electro-optic medium disposed between the layer of conductive material and the substrate, a color filter array, and a light emitting layer. The electro-optic medium may include a photo-luminescent material that functions as either a down-converter or an up-converter that may be excited by the light received from the light emitting layer. The photo-luminescent material may be excited by radiation having a first wavelength transmitted by a filter within the color filter array and emit radiation having a second wavelength transmitted by the filter. The photo-luminescent material may also be excited by radiation at a wavelength within a first and second range of wavelengths transmitted by two filters within the color filter array and emit radiation at a wavelength within one of the first and second ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Crounse, Stephen J. Telfer, Dirk Hertel
  • Publication number: 20220364706
    Abstract: A display device (30) comprises a reflective display (38) arranged to render a first image viewable through a viewing surface and a projection means (31-37) arranged to render a second image viewable in reflection on the viewing surface, the reflective display (38) and the projection means (31-37) being mounted on a common frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Dirk HERTEL, Richard J. PAOLINI, Jr., Benjamin Harris PALETSKY, Stephen J. TELFER
  • Patent number: 11456397
    Abstract: An energy harvesting electrophoretic display is disclosed comprising a photovoltaic cell that converts part of the incident light to electric current or voltage, wherein the electric current or voltage is used for the operation of the electrophoretic display upon the conversion or stored in a storage component to be used for the operation of the electrophoretic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Telfer, Dirk Hertel, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Benjamin Harris Paletsky
  • Publication number: 20220165904
    Abstract: An energy harvesting electro-optic display is disclosed comprising a photovoltaic cell that converts part of the incident light to electric current or voltage, wherein the electric current or voltage is used for the operation of the electro-optic display upon the conversion or stored in a storage component to be used for the operation of the display
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen J. TELFER, Dirk HERTEL, Richard J. PAOLINI, JR., Benjamin Harris PALETSKY
  • Publication number: 20220004073
    Abstract: An electro-optic display is provided that may include a layer of light-transmissive conductive material, a substrate, a layer of an electro-optic medium disposed between the layer of conductive material and the substrate, a color filter array, and a light emitting layer. The electro-optic medium may include a photo-luminescent material that functions as either a down-converter or an up-converter that may be excited by the light received from the light emitting layer. The photo-luminescent material may be excited by radiation having a first wavelength transmitted by a filter within the color filter array and emit radiation having a second wavelength transmitted by the filter. The photo-luminescent material may also be excited by radiation at a wavelength within a first and second range of wavelengths transmitted by two filters within the color filter array and emit radiation at a wavelength within one of the first and second ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Kenneth R. CROUNSE, Stephen J. TELFER, Dirk HERTEL
  • Patent number: 11143929
    Abstract: An electro-optic display is provided that may include a layer of light-transmissive conductive material, a substrate, a layer of an electro-optic medium disposed between the layer of conductive material and the substrate, a color filter array, and a light emitting layer. The electro-optic medium may include a photo-luminescent material that functions as either a down-converter or an up-converter that may be excited by the light received from the light emitting layer. The photo-luminescent material may be excited by radiation having a first wavelength transmitted by a filter within the color filter array and emit radiation having a second wavelength transmitted by the filter. The photo-luminescent material may also be excited by radiation at a wavelength within a first and second range of wavelengths transmitted by two filters within the color filter array and emit radiation at a wavelength within one of the first and second ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: E Ink Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Crounse, Stephen J. Telfer, Dirk Hertel