Abstract: A method and an apparatus that reduce power consumption in an ultra wideband (UWB) transmitter that includes a push-pull RF amplifier and a switch that powers up or powers down the amplifier between UWB pulses. The gated push-pull amplifier amplifies the UWB pulses, including spurious signal energy appearing at the detector input, by splitting the signal with a 180-degree phase splitter, amplifying the split signals with substantially identical amplifiers, and combining the amplifier outputs with a 180-degree combiner. The 180-degree combiner essentially cancels common-mode spurious signals typically generated by the UWB amplifier during power-down and power-up.

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 system for identification and tracking of tags distributed in a room, wherein the system includes an electromagnetic pulse generator to produce a local electromagnetic spike, a tag reactive to the local electromagnetic spike to provide a data signal, a data receiver for receiving the data signal, and a tag tracking system receiving input from the electromagnetic pulse generator and the data receiver, the tag tracking system storing state records of position and informational content of the tag.

Abstract: An internal field activated display sheet is disclosed which comprises a medial plane disposed between reservoirs in the display sheet. The reservoirs communicate with each other through apertures in the medial plane, which includes a plurality of conductors. At least one of the reservoirs is filled with a liquid means, which is responsive to a peristaltic internal field developed within the medial plane. Applying a field across selected apertures in the medial plane causes the liquid means to be electrically pumped from one reservoir into the other, thereby displaying an image.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus that reduce power consumption in an ultra wideband (UWB) transmitter that includes a push-pull RF amplifier and a switch that powers up or powers down the amplifier between UWB pulses. The gated push-pull amplifier amplifies the UWB pulses, including spurious signal energy appearing at the detector input, by splitting the signal with a 180-degree phase splitter, amplifying the split signals with substantially identical amplifiers, and combining the amplifier outputs with a 180-degree combiner. The 180-degree combiner essentially cancels common-mode spurious signals typically generated by the UWB amplifier during power-down and power-up.

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: An apparatus for fabricating bichromal elements comprising a separator member having a central rotating point, the separator member having first and second spaced apart, opposed surfaces with an edge region in contact with both of said opposed surfaces. The spacing between the opposed surfaces varies with the distance outwardly from the central rotating point such that the spacing is the largest at the central rotating point and the spacing decreases outwards from the central rotating point and the spacing is a minimum at the edge region. Further each of the opposed surfaces has a substantially annular cup spaced apart from and substantially surrounding the central rotating point.

Abstract: A rotation mechanism for bichromal balls in a twisting ball display is based on electrostatic induction. A bichromal ball with hemispherically differentiated electrical time constants is immersed in a dielectric liquid containing a charge director solution. The liquid is contained within an encapsulant. The charge director solution has positive and negative ions with substantially different mobilities. Space charge clouds created in this fluid upon application of an electric field act so as to induce polarization differently in each hemisphere, leading to a net dynamic polarization. Interaction between the space charge and the induced polarization serves to rotate the ball. Ions are subsequently trapped at the fluid/encapsulant interface due to greater polarizability of the encapsulant. A threshold is obtained by the excess field needed to release the ions and so reverse the ion motion.

Abstract: The invention is an electric reusable paper sheet that uses a pattern of conductive charge-retaining islands on the outward-facing side of the first of two thin layers used to encapsulate a Electric reusable paper substrate which interact with conductive areas in the encapsulating sheet. The second encapsulating layer may also coated with a conductive material, or made of a conductive material, and may or may not be patterned. The Electric reusable paper substrate and two encapsulating layers comprise a sheet of Gyricon electric reusable paper on which images can be written and erased repeatedly. The patterned charge-retaining islands of the first encapsulating layer receive electric charges from an external charge-transfer device. After the charge-transfer device is removed, the conductive, charge-retaining islands hold electric charge, creating an electric field in the electric reusable paper sufficient to cause an image change.

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

Abstract: A bistable display device that is powered only by ambient energy. Ambient energy is collected by an ambient energy receiver which converts the ambient energy into an operating signal and provides the operating signal to a controller. The controller drives the display device based on the operating signal. A user can create a custom display by fixing customizable patterned electrodes to the display. A display controller uses a self-starting oscillator. The oscillator outputs a clock input signal wave to a ripple counter and a voltage signal to a voltage doubler. The voltage doubler outputs a stored charge signal to a transformer concurrently with a clock pulse that is output by the ripple counter to change a state of the voltage output from the transformer to conductive electrodes within or on the display. The voltage output from the transformers applies an electric field across the display in the portions of the display covered by the conductors to switch the image on the display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which laterally focuses aqueous ink drops onto a substrate, using electric fields. The drops are not charged, and focusing results from the forces on the uncharged dielectric drop that occur in a nonuniform electric field. It is shown that initial lateral velocity misdirection of the drops is corrected using electric fields. Lateral velocities which would produce drop displacements of ˜50 &mgr;m from their intended positions, at a height of 1 mm above the ink surface, may be corrected to produce displacements of less than 2.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A display is provided with an insulative layer whose electrical properties have been selected so that the display can be addressed by the effects of triboelectrically generated charges and thus requires no stylus or special writing utensil. Thus, the display can be addressed by dragging a finger across the display. Alternately, the display is provided with an insulafive layer whoes electrical properties have been selected so that the display is addressed with a stylus and is immune from the effects of stray riboelectrically generated charges.

Abstract: The invention is an electric paper sheet that uses a pattern of conductive charge-retaining islands on the outward-facing side of the first of two thin layers used to encapsulate a Gyricon sheet. The second encapsulating layer may also coated with a conductive material, or made of a conductive material, and may or may not be patterned. The Gyricon sheet and two encapsulating layers comprise a sheet of Gyricon electric paper on which images can be written and erased repeatedly. The patterned charge-retaining islands of the first encapsulating layer receive electric charges from an external charge-transfer device. After the charge-transfer device is removed, the conductive, charge-retaining islands hold electric charge, creating an electric field in the electric paper sufficient to cause an image change.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the location of an object. An object to be located can be provided with an object locator that includes a display. When the object locator receives a signal indicating that the object associated with the object locator is to be located, the display changes display state to provide a visual indication that the signal has been received. The object locator can be ambient energy-powered, and the display can be a bistable display, such as a rotating element display device.

Abstract: An improved electric paper which allows it to form an image from a light image rather than from an applied electric field. The prior art embodiment had a number of rotatable balls imbedded in a plastic substrate. Each ball had hemispheres that had different electrical characteristics, and were colored differently. Under the influence of an image in the form of an electrical field, the balls would selectively rotate to form a permanent visible image, whereupon the field could be removed. This invention has two conductive surfaces to provide a uniform electric field across the substrate, and then exposes the substrate to light which selectively changes the electrical characteristics of one of the two hemispheres, resulting in the rotation of the selected balls to form the image.

Abstract: An apparatus for fabricating bichromal balls includes a means for fabricating droplets from electrically conductive hardenable liquids. The liquids have different colors. A forward end of the hardenable liquids becomes unstable and breaks up into the droplets. Each droplet includes hemispheres of different colors. An RF signal generator produces electrical pulses which increase the instability of the forward end of the hardenable liquids. A capacitance in the conductive liquids causes current to flow from the signal generator to the hardenable liquids. A diameter of the droplets is reduced to form substantially spherical balls. Each of the balls includes hemispheres of different colors. The bichromal balls are collected.

Abstract: A twisting ball display sheet is disclosed which utilizes a mechanism other than Zeta potential to create dipole moment to rotate a plurality of bichromal balls. The twisting ball display sheet comprises a transparent sheet which contains a plurality of bichromal balls. Each bichromal ball comprises two hemisphere. Each hemisphere has a material which has a different work function than the work function of the other hemisphere. The two different work functions of each bichromal ball create a dipole moment which at the presence of a proper electric filed will cause the bichromal ball to rotate.

Abstract: A bichromal ball includes a first hemisphere. The first hemisphere includes a first pigment having a first color and a first polarity. The first pigment is added to a carrier fluid and polymer mixture during formation of the bichromal ball. A second hemisphere includes a second pigment having a second color and a second polarity. The second pigment is added to the carrier fluid and polymer mixture during formation of the bichromal ball. The carrier fluid and polymer mixture have a lower viscosity than the polymer alone. The carrier fluid is substantially removed after the first and second hemispheres are formed. The polymer is left along with the first and second pigments which form the bichromal ball. A diameter of the bichromal ball is reduced after the carrier fluid is substantially removed.

Abstract: A gyricon or rotating-particle display having an "eggcrate" substrate. The display includes a substrate having a cavity-containing matrix whose cavities are disposed substantially in a single layer and are arranged within the matrix substantially in a geometrically regular pattern, and a plurality of optically anisotropic particles disposed in the cavities in the substrate, with each cavity containing at most one of the optically anistropic particles. A rotatable disposition of each particle is achievable while the particle is thus disposed in the substrate; the particle, when in its rotatable disposition, is not attached to the substrate.