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1. 96 14 2002 Sheet 8 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 Patent Application Publication LC 5613 lt gt jang lt c M opino s n lt Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 9 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 24 36 FIG 14 lication Publication 14 2002 Sheet 10 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 gt lt ez N 7 I p ae et SS ey I c I FIG 1 US 2002 0030638 A1 APPARATUS FOR THE DISPLAY OF EMBEDDED INFORMATION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 Priority is claimed from Provisional Application No 60 205 451 by Michael Weiner titled DOCUMENT WITH EMBEDDED INFORMATION filed May 19 2000 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety 0002 The following related application is hereby incor porated by reference for its teachings DOCUMENT WITH EMBEDDED INFORMATION Michael Weiner et al application Ser No filed concurrently herewith Atty Dkt 2000 02A 0003 This invention relates generally to the display of embedded information and more particularly to the combi nation of a digital memory and a substrate to produce a self contained information storage and display device such as book on a chip However the present invention is not limi
2. AE Phe oe Ta eee ome says CDS Je QU DORE IND Pu Sp raed py feque pape wag n dp tu arema pom OF EUH m 1 s ea me taO E atacama LING vae OL variadas nonsi p J POLIS ION ORIG uka nine bea dg uio eg gap amps pos Q NO ROS mo D snp r rop wap marep cage perci oq u sap ty wous fo Siue APU YS POR HAE Legere Deae egrets bud ge up opio TAAL IED sme pe PTT VAVAE JILL KT Dd CD span 1 Tx A pO ER sees pira TXT TMA a ir emet pew pt anime issuer vt t wi c gun 09409 Bano acti De d Vaso pano vw y quA root og DX pna aI Pr apm te sopejg SA Paan Towed C
3. 0038 Use of a flexible display substrate with embedded memory as a piece of cloth or integrated into clothing or other coverings e g wallpaper framed pictures etc would potentially include 0039 changeable pattern using gyricon type other re writeable substrate technology that can either be selected using external power or internal power sewn or otherwise connected therein 0040 changeable information messages such as banner that scrolls across a hat animated characters that move along a shirt jacket or pants program mable patterns including moving and securing them in a position when desired such as to cover up a stain 0041 an outside lamination of an item such as room divider or a wall or desk or file cabinet or chair etc wherein the color and or pattern of the wall or room divider can be changed from time to time as desired by the customer and where the electronic circuitry drivers not shown affecting the change can either be part of the wall or room divider or desk or file cabinet or chair etc or they can be imaged as needed by placing them against an imag ing or exposure surface with drivers built in or by using handheld wand for electronically refinish US 2002 0030638 A1 ing the image The handheld device would contain the same type of EMF or electrostatic emitting waves that drivers in today s configuration use to alter the displayed images 0042 The t
4. as product packaging or as an article of clothing wearable by a user 0029 The embedded memory 22 is preferably a type of semiconductor memory Semiconductor memory continues to enjoy the benefits of increasing capacity and reduced cost and flash memory and equivalents now allow putting infor mation in memory without the time consuming and costly masking process traditionally associated with programmable devices Information can be burned into semiconductor memory on demand 0030 Embedded memory device 22 may also be a chip a strip of bubble memory or a laser imageable surface as described for example in U S Pat No 4 835 376 to Drexler and as described in an article by Wired News Inventor Warns MS on Patents by James Glave May 11 1998 Alternatively the memory may be in the form of a conventional magnetic tape or strip e g recording tape or magnetic card strip that is embedded or applied to the substrate In yet another alternative embodiment the embed ded memory may be an optical or laser imageable medium such as found in a CD ROM wherein the embedded memory can contain information embedded by laser on the flat surface and later read by a reader Examples of such technology are U S Pat No 4 835 376 to Drexler In any of the various substrate memory embodiments it is possible to either embed into the print copy substrate or to affix onto it embedded memory 22 positioned in such a way as to allow informa
5. paper etc In a further alternative it may be possible to download the information from an optical memory card such as that described in U S Pat No 4 835 376 or a computer able to load data into the embedded memory 0049 In yet a further alternative embodiment a system employing the substrate to display a map could interface to a global positioning system GPS where the location coor dinates could automatically be updated on the map showing the user his her direction of travel and possible progress since the last updated position An example of a system providing such information in a laptop interface is found in DeLorme s Earthmate Road Warrior and Earthmate GPS Receiver More specifically a portable GPS device may be connected to a display operating in accordance with the invention described above so that a map preprinted or stored on memory associated with the display is able to be updated to show a user s current location It is understood that such an application will require communication of the scale and coordinate coverage of a particular map being US 2002 0030638 A1 displayed which could be embedded in the map in a chip or other media which makes contact with the GPS such as by pin contacts or other interface mechanism Additionally one might embed or mount onto a printed map which has gyricon or e ink type capability this system and rewrite the entire map including where you are and even enlarge the ma
6. all of which are hereby incorporated by reference for their teachings 0044 In particular the system depicted in FIG 6 is preferably comprised of a substrate 20 that is a twisted ball or twisted cylinder or electrophoretic ink display capable of outputting the information stored in the embedded memory 22 associated therewith It is further conceivable as depicted in FIG 6 that the substrate is formed using the techniques proposed by Sheridon and includes a power supply 36 e g lithium battery such as employed in watches rechargeable batteries a photovoltaic energy sup ply or an AC adapter as well as user interface buttons or keys 24 page forward page back In operation the infor mation stored in the embedded memory 22 is displayed as a series of pages perhaps imitating a book format where the substrate 20 is oriented in a landscape orientation and where the substrate includes a pair of opposing pages 26 sepa rated along centerline 28 For further description of the details of an electronic book the teachings of U S Pat No 5 517 407 to Weiner are hereby incorporated by reference 0045 In such an embodiment a user who wishes to read the contents of the book that are stored on the digital recording medium would simply push or touch the location indicated by the buttons 24 to move the displayed pages forward or backward As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art buttons 24 require a pressure or touch
7. an installed base of users 0010 Xerox Corporation announced in 1998 elec tronic staple that holds the URL address of one or more pages on the Internet that relate to the printed page Simi larly electric paper described by Sheridan et al and an alternative invention by MIT Media Lab E Ink disclose mechanisms for dynamically displaying information on a flexible substrate These pages can be imaged electronically and have a variety of advantages and differences from ordinary paper that is taught in U S Pat Nos 5 708 525 5 751 268 5 914 805 and 6 055 091 assigned to Xerox Corporation and as also described by J Jacobson et al in various papers and patents prepared on electronic paper electronic books and e ink Including U S Pat Nos 6 017 584 6 124 851 and publication WO 00 67110 0011 In accordance with an aspect of the present inven tion there is provided a substrate for the electronic display of information comprising a digital recording medium associated therewith where information may be stored by the digital recording medium attached to the substrate and an updateable substrate display located on an exposed surface of the substrate wherein said substrate display includes a display medium capable of selectively displaying one of at least two possible colors at each pixel location thereon where the substrate display changes state in response to a signal generated from information stored in the digi
8. in the nature of a map 9 The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the substrate is associated with an article of clothing and is employed to display graphic information thereon 10 The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the graphic infor mation is related to an advertisement and includes at least a product identifier 11 The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said user interactive element is an optical sensor 12 The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said user interac tive element is an audio sensor Mar 14 2002 13 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate display is flexible 14 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said digital record ing medium and said substrate display are both flexible 15 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is integrated with a product package such that the display substrate may selectively illustrate information related to the product 16 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate is employed in the nature of a wall covering having a variable display 17 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate is integrated into a product for which said digital recording medium has stored information 18 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information stored by the digital recording medium is received through a wireless source 19 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information stored by the digital recording medium is received through a wireless source 20 A sheet for the representation of
9. information com prising a digital recording medium associated therewith where information may be stored by the digital recording medium and an updateable substrate display located on an exposed surface of the sheet wherein said substrate display includes a display medium capable of selectively dis playing one of at least two possible colors at each pixel location thereon where the substrate display changes state in response to an electrical signal generated in response to an external signal and information stored in the digital recording medium
10. sensitive switch that is associated with the embedded memory 22 In addition the substrate would require circuitry possibly an embedded processor or controller 30 suitable for updating the displayed information in response to a user request e g depressing page buttons 24 0046 It will be further appreciated that any such embed ded memory operating in conjunction with a display capa Mar 14 2002 bility as described herein may require circuitry for reading the information stored on the embedded memory and trans ferring and or processing the information for display A simple block diagram of such a system is depicted in FIG 8 In the system a microcontroller 30 possibly including a connector port operatively associated therewith or similar device is used to read information from memory 22 The data read from the memory is then processed so as to make it suitable for driving a substrate integrated display 20 or 32 It will be appreciated that the function of the controller 30 may simply be as a video driver controlling signals suitable for displaying the data stored in memory However control ler 30 may be enhanced to further receive inputs from other sources such as switches user manual inputs or similar sensors visible light infra red radiation pressure audio etc that will allow the system to respond to external conditions It will be further appreciated that the power for generation of a sensor signal may be deriv
11. two possible colors at each pixel location thereon where the substrate display changes state in response to a signal generated from information stored in the digital recording medium 2 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the digital recording medium is selected from the group consisting of US 2002 0030638 A1 memory chip a memory stick a strip of bubble memory laser imageable surface and a magnetic tape 3 apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes at least one electrode disposed adjacent at least one surface of the substrate display and where the substrate display includes an updateable electrophoretic display unit 4 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate display includes an updateable gyricon display unit 5 The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a portable power supply for providing power to said digital recording medium and said substrate display at least one user interactive element that allows a user to selectively alter the display of information on the substrate display 6 The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said user interactive element is a touch sensitive device embedded within the substrate 7 apparatus of claim 5 wherein the substrate is employed to display and update textual and graphic infor mation in the nature of a book 8 The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the substrate is employed to display and update textual and graphic infor mation
12. 2 and other circuitry components in the present embodiment Because data is contained on a silicon chip instead of on a tape or disk no motor magnetic head or optical pickup is necessary This allows products to be smaller lighter and more efficient Memory Stick s RAM holds data for an indefinite period and withstands heat dust and rough han dling 0033 As depicted in FIGS 4 and 5 each of the wearable embodiments may include a port preferably having a con troller 30 associated therewith for processing data driving or controlling the display 32 Moreover such a system would require a power source such as a replaceable battery 36 or renewable portable power supply e g a photovoltaic array not shown which may also be integrated with the substrate or article worn by the user As a further aspect depicted for example in FIG 4 an external signal generator such as switch 38 may be employed to allow the wearer to alter the display between one of a plurality of display selections available in the memory 0034 The Memory Stick provides instant data transfer and data can be recorded erased and re recorded In a preferred embodiment the embedded memory device is not only flexible in nature preventing it from interfering with the normal or intended use of the substrate but also very dense in terms of the information that can be stored thereon Embedded memory 22 and removable memory 23 are both preferably suitable for use in st
13. 2 may be the addition of an Mar 14 2002 interface 144 suitable for connecting to and programming the memory in the memory display substrate in the event that the substrates are not pre programmed A similar hopper 146 is provided for the storage or staging of backing sheets or pages that are to have memory display substrates attached thereto 0061 In response to a network command to prepare one or more of such memory display substrates affixed to a sheet controller 150 initiates a process whereby substrate 20 and sheet 152 are fed Once separated from their respective stacks the substrate and sheet are advanced toward a nip 156 where the two components are to be forced into contact with one another attempting to affix one to the other Initially substrate 20 may be shifted in position perpen dicular to the feed direction so as to align the substrate with desired position on the sheet 152 Once shifted a glue or similar adhesive material may be applied to the underside of the substrate 20 using a brush reservoir combination 160 before the substrate is placed into contact with the sheet Once contacted the two components are fed through a nip 156 where they are joined by the application of pressure at the nip and are then fed to output tray 170 In this manner a memory display substrate may be prepared and affixed to the surface of any printed goods e g cereal cartons can labels etc 0062 In recapitulation the p
14. As depicted by this embodi ment the present invention may be integrated with a com ponent of the product it 15 intended to be used with of for Accordingly the usefulness of the product may be maxi mized as relevant information is made immediately avail able to the user Returning to the Figure dashboard 102 includes a complete substrate 104 with a memory not shown display substrate 32 power source not shown touch sensors 24 and control logic not shown all inte grated into a small panel that may be affixed to the dash board of an automobile or within a glove or other compart ment 0056 In the embodiment depicted the memory not shown may be pre loaded with information relating to various features of the vehicle or product or a complete user and service manual It is also possible that the memory associated with the display may be updateable so that when US 2002 0030638 A1 the vehicle or product is serviced the service or other current information can be recorded in the memory for subsequent retrieval or display 0057 Turning next to FIG 14 there is depicted another application of the present invention in association with a photographic image 112 The present invention is contem plated for use as a backing material for a photographic substrate where the invention may store digital audio infor mation on memory 22 for replay to a viewer of the photo graph Furthermore the application can be provided with an a
15. FERRED EMBODIMENTS 0025 For a general understanding of the present inven tion reference is made to the drawings In the drawings like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate identical elements 0026 Referring to FIGS 1 3 there are depicted illustra tive embodiments of an aspect of the present invention In particular there is shown a substrate sheet 20 having a memory device 22 embedded within or attached to a surface thereof In the embodiment of FIG 2 the embedded memory device 22 is physicallp embedded within or between one or more layers of the substrate possibly during its manufacture so as to be concealed from visual detection by a viewer of the substrate The substrate 20 may include paper or comparable textile based substrate a portion of which may be conducive to various marking copying printing or silk screening tasks such as ordinary bond paper cloth or linen paper of any size weight and color and may also include other materials such as transparency materials vinyl labels card stock vellum cotton Nylon polyesters Tyvek etc As described below other components asso ciated with the memory may also be embedded with or affixed to the substrate material It is further contemplated and applicable to many of the applications described below Mar 14 2002 that the substrate may include another upper layer to water proof weatherproof or otherwise seal a surface of the substr
16. Moreover although it may be possible to allow potential consumers children who purchase for the game and parents who purchase for the food contained in the box to see a demo of the game on the display by pressing button 86 DEMO it is further contemplated that the full game may not be available or usable until a sensor not shown located inside Mar 14 2002 the box 84 is activated In other words a demo of the game could be seen however a purchase of the goods must be completed in order to access the contents and activate the sensor to enable the complete game As used herein the term game is intended to include not only interactive video games as are well known but also various contests requiring disclosure of participation rules or other information of interest to those inclined to read cereal boxes and other product packaging 0053 11 is a perspective illustration of an alterna tive embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIG 7 where substrate 20 has been produced in the form of a tri fold brochure 90 In the embodiment depicted brochure 90 includes a paper or similar substrate 20 and a display 32 Again the information available for display is retained within a memory 22 which is in turn accessed read from and written to via the methods described herein and includes a controller and power source not shown so as to be responsive to a reader s selection through pressure sen sitive buttons 24 or other suitabl
17. ample of such a signal could be touch sensitive switches placed behind or in operative association with displayed buttons 44 where a series of display controls e g zoom and display menu selections food drink shop museums etc may be depicted each of which might bring up a different display or map depicting the requested information Such buttons could include matrix or pressure or touch sensitive sensors so as to sense contact with the surface of the substrate A user seeking additional informa tion about his her present location could tap or touch the you are here location or button areas to see more detailed information restaurants transportation retail stores lodg ing etc much in the manner that information is provided to users of MapQuest amp or similar software and world wide web systems that are commonly available 0037 Therefore as depicted in FIG 6 the present inven tion may be used as a subway or public transportation interface where a user can selectively access maps trans portation schedules and routes and even advertisements via wall mounted display substrate Rather than an expensive computer terminal kiosk the present invention could be integrated within a wall mounted frame accessible to the user Furthermore instead of the substrate itself a frame or a cover glass may provide the touch sensing capability providing signals that would be provided to a display controller as described herein
18. ans such as e ink electric paper gyri cons etc may be used to produce a book on a chip or similar display device Furthermore the present invention is not limited to traditional paper substrates and may include textiles and fabrics such as clothing where a user might be able to wear the substrate as a T shirt or a baseball cap and where the information or appearance of the cloth substrate could change Other applications as will be described herein include wall coverings and e paintings that are mat able placemats etc 0007 As will be appreciated by those familiar with the new display techniques the advantage of re writeable sub strate materials combined with a tailored information Mar 14 2002 source content including text images etc is that a user then has a portable system by which the information may be accessed Furthermore such a system may make it easier for user to become accustomed to reading a book using this new technology 0008 Heretofore other patents and publications have disclosed the embedding of information the relevant por tions of which may be briefly summarized as follows 0009 U S Pat No 5 517 407 to Weiner teaches a means of embedding memory into a book and then searching a microchip or other memory using a common connector If this system were to come into vogue then copiers and printers could output to that type of memory and connector and take advantage of
19. as United States a2 Patent Application Publication ao Pub No US 2002 0030638 A1 Weiner 5 20020030638A 43 Pub Date Mar 14 2002 54 APPARATUS FOR THE DISPLAY OF 76 21 22 63 36 EMBEDDED INFORMATION Inventor Michael Weiner Webster NY US Correspondence Address GREENWALD amp BASCH LLP SUITE 2490 349 WEST COMMERCIAL STREET EAST ROCHESTER NY 14445 US Appl No 09 860 916 Filed May 18 2001 Related U S Application Data Non provisional of provisional application No 60 205 451 filed on May 19 2000 30 SWITCHES SENSORS Publication Classification Oi b eed G09G 3 00 345 30 57 ABSTRACT An apparatus for the electronic display of information where the apparatus is a substrate incorporating a digital recording medium attached to or embedded within the substrate The substrate further includes a flexible substrate display located on an exposed surface of the substrate where the display is a medium capable of selectively displaying one of at least two possible colors at each pixel location thereon in order to produce a substrate medium that may be modified in accordance with a user s selection 22 MEMORY EMBEDDED OR ATTACHED 20 32 SUBSTRATE DISPLAY 38 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 1 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 20 FIG 1 20 22 FIG 2 20 22 FIG 3 Patent Application Publ
20. ate from its environment Such a substrate may be used outdoors perhaps affixed to the outside of a vehicle or structure 0027 It is also understood that all or a portion of the substrate a layer thereof or a display area associated therewith may be in the form of electric paper employing twisted balls or cylinders gyricons as taught by Sheridon et al for example in U S Pat Nos 5 708 525 5 751 268 5 914 805 and 6 055 091 assigned to Xerox Corporation and as also described by J Jacobson et al in various papers prepared on electronic paper electronic books and e ink Moreover such display substrate materials while flexible by design may be employed in embodiments where the sub strate and associated display are maintained in a rigid condition e g a frame mounted and or matted configura tion 0028 Similarly in the embodiment of FIG 3 the embed ded memory device 22 is physically attached to a surface upper or lower of substrate 20 In any of the various embodiments it is intended that the substrate be usable in the same manner as conventional paper textiles or similar substrate materials Such uses necessarily include ink and xerographic printing silk screening photography painting and other methods of placing marks or images on the substrate as well as post marking manipulation of the substrate As contemplated by the present invention the substrate may be employed as pages in an electronic book
21. dhesive layer to affix it to the photograph or without adhesive to allow it to be reused with multiple photographs for example within a frame 0058 More specifically one or more touch sensitive switches 24 may be employed at positions behind or embed ded within the photographic substrate to sense pressure exerted by a viewer Upon sensing such pressure the switches signal controller 30 to begin downloading and replaying digital audio information stored in the memory 22 the digital audio information being converted to signals suitable for creating audible information via speaker 92 In such a situation it may not be necessary to include a display 32 particularly if the substrate is used for a photograph However the embedded memory remains and the speaker becomes an additional or alternative means for representing the information stored in the memory 22 It is also contem plated that the embodiment of FIG 14 may include one or more regions that employ a display substrate not shown 0059 Turning lastly to FIGS 15 and 16 depicted therein is an embodiment of the present invention made for ready attachment to other substrates and a simple machine for facilitating such attachment More specifically FIG 15 is a perspective view of a self adhesive backed substrate 20 Substrate 20 includes various elements previously described such as a power source 36 controller 30 and memory 22 all interconnected via circuitry and a control
22. e sensing or signalling mechanisms It is also contemplated that the embodiment of FIG 11 or other alternatives described herein may include a thin flat speaker 92 suitable for replaying audio informa tion stored in memory 22 as well As indicated in regions 96 and 98 brochure 90 may also include information printed on substrate 20 in a conventional fashion 0054 FIG 12 is yet another possible application of the present invention this time as an electronic patent In the embodiment depicted it is contemplated that much like the embodiment of FIGS 7 and 11 a patent may be printed using one or more display substrates 32 on a common substrate 20 so as to display all or parts of an issued patent In this way as such substrates become common and less expensive to manufacture the patent could be printed on a single substrate having the ability to display images in one region thereof and textual information in the other More over pressure sensors underlying buttons 24 could be used to allow a user to scroll through the images and textual columns of the patent Depending upon the length of the patent and the size of the memory not shown associated with the substrate it is also conceivable that appendices and other information may be provided with the electronic patent 0055 13 is an orthographic representation of an embodiment in which the present invention is integrated into the dashboard 102 of a vehicle
23. echniques and embodiments for such a dis play could be applied to virtually any surface that can be covered with or made out of the various multi state display technologies These coverings wall surface upholstery etc can also serve as message boards moving patterns changing scenes such as the outdoors movies pictures of vistas harbors mountains etc 0043 In accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention already described it is intended that the substrate itself provides the means for displaying and pos sibly controlling or altering the information embedded therein or associated therewith As is further depicted in the embodiment of FIG 7 and as described for example in U S Pat No 5 517 407 for a DEVICE FOR INCLUDING ENHANCING INFORMATION WITH PRINTED INFOR MATION AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC SEARCH ING THEREOF a book may have not only embedded memory associated therewith but also may include flexible substrate pages for the display of information in the form of a book Such pages are suggested by the flexible substrate 2 gyricon or e ink displays enabled by the techniques taught by Sheridon et al in for example U S Pat Nos 5 708 525 5 751 268 5 914 805 and 6 055 091 assigned to Xerox Corporation and as also described by the MIT Media Lab in various papers prepared on electronic paper elec tronic books and e ink and U S Pat Nos 6 017 584 6 124 851 and publication WO 00 67110
24. ed from the sensors themselves for example a pressure sensor could employ a piezoelectric or triboelectric effect while an optical sensor signal could be generated by a photovoltaic effect 0047 As described above the user operable switch es or sensors may enable selection of the information to be displayed such as pages of a book The addition of a light sensor might allow the display to adjust brightness or contrast or mode dark text on light background or light text on dark background in response to the level of light detected 0048 Additional alternative embodiments of the elec tronic substrate display include a means for downloading information to the embedded memory such as a direct port connection In addition to the methods and techniques described above it may also be possible to employ radio frequency RF of infra red IR transmission mechanisms with a suitable port or receiver connected to or associated with the substrate so as to allow content to be downloaded from computer or other information terminals For example the book embodiment of FIG 7 contemplates the ability to insert the substrate into the paper feed tray of a copier scanner wherein digital copies of each of a plurality of documents are scanned and then stored on the embedded memory 22 for subsequent display on the regions 26 of the substrate In this manner a user may view a collection of scanned documents e mail recipes bank statements news
25. ication 14 2002 Sheet 2 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 18 FIG 5 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 3 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 METROPOLIS SUBWAY Z ANE STATION lt 20 43 FIG 6 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 4 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 _ IRL wes venga un te My cag equo pec uio anc etr SENE Bay Geran gt tse MEINE PONTE Gmm eel s 1 i i 1 l 1 I I i I I I 1 1 22 MEMORY EMBEDDED OR NTTACHED 30 20 32 SUBSTRATE DISPLAY 36 SWITCHES SENSORS 38 FIC 8 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 5 of 10 US 2002 0030638 A1 Tuna Caserole Recipe Idea 1 Can of Mushroom 1 Can Tuna Fish Breaktast Cereal Z i 2 47 BREAKFAST ERAL US 2002 0030638 A1 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Sheet 6 of 10 96 he P et z LEE 7 FIG 11 US 2002 0030638 A1 Sheet 7 of 10 Patent Application Publication 14 2002 Jo KU 6 raa 99 e CWT 0 94 XD VPE
26. ler so as to enable the information stored in memory 22 to be displayed via display 32 In the event that the substrate needs to be updated or reprogrammed an optional connector 120 that is ported to the controller is included It should be further appreciated that substrates such as those depicted in FIG 15 are suitable for affixation to any surface including other substrates brochures such as described above etc The substrate may be affixed to another surface by removing a backing sheet 126 so as to reveal a self stick or adhesive layer 124 on the rear surface of the display substrate It is also contemplated that an individual located for example at a computer workstation where programming of memory 22 can be automated may produce a low volume quantity of such substrates 0060 FIG 16 is a side view of a machine suitable for the mass production of substrates such as those depicted in FIG 15 including the application of an adhesive and affixation to another sheet or substrate Referring to FIG 16 depicted therein is an assembly apparatus suitable for affixing one or more display substrates and components associated there with to a secondary or backing sheet or substrate More particularly the machine 140 includes a hopper or input stack 142 that contained a plurality of substrates 20 pref erably including a memory and a display arranged with bottom feeding as is known in the paper feeding arts One modification to the hopper 14
27. nformation such as sug gested recipes might be stored and displayed on such labels perhaps in response to user selections via a touch sensitive switch or sensor 80 It will be appreciated that sensor 80 may be a pressure sensitive switch or matrix or may be in the nature of one of the sensors described above 0051 Referring to FIG 11 a similar embodiment for the present invention is displayed where the substrate is the product packaging this time in the nature of a cereal box 84 It will be appreciated that various packaging materials might seek to employ such an invention including fast food fran chises catering to children with childrens meals in a box Box 84 preferably includes a semi rigid paperboard sub strate having a display 32 and other components associated with it Here again display 32 may be formed in association with the substrate or may be added at a point during the preparation of the packaging For example as will be described in further detail below the entire display control memory and power apparatus may be pre fabricated and simply affixed to the box as it is being manufactured 0052 In addition to a display associated with a paper board container 86 cereal box 84 also includes a power source 78 a controller 30 and a separate memory 22 It is further contemplated that the box may be constructed in such a manner as to allow a user to interact with the display through touch pressure sensitive sensors 80
28. oring information such as information related to the image on the substrate For example the stored information may include a bitmap image s an alternative version of the document e g text only translation for another language information relative to the transfer or reproduction of the document image or other machine readable information relevant to the document e g bibliographic footnotes related URLs appendices indexes etc 0035 Referring next FIG 6 there is depicted a semi permanent version of the present invention where a significant portion or the entire substrate 20 is in the form of a flat matted substrate perhaps within a frame 40 hanging or otherwise mounted on a vertical surface such as wall 44 In the embodiment depicted the substrate displays a map thereon The map may be permanently printed on the Mar 14 2002 substrate and information updated on the map for example to illustrate the location of mass transit vehicles such as subway trains where real time data updates would require the transmission of information from a source of vehicle information perhaps broadcast and received by an associ ated local radio receiver connected to the display 0036 In the embodiment depicted in FIG 6 the entire substrate may be the display 32 where the information displayed may default to a map but may change in its detail or entirely alternative content in response to an external signal Another ex
29. p to scale or shrink it like the maps on interactive map direction web sites 0050 Turning next to FIGS 9 and 10 two alternative applications of the present invention are depicted In par ticular the embodiments depicted in FIGS 9 and 10 include use of a substrate having memory and an associated display mechanism so as to enable a product or a product s pack aging to be interactive and to provide information or other feedback in response to a user As depicted in FIG 9 a can of soup 70 or similar good may include a container 72 that is at least partially surrounded by a label substrate 74 Substrate 74 may further include various elements described above so as to allow the product label to be programmable and interactive For example a portion of the label may be a display 32 made of gyricon or electrophoretic ink material Display 32 may be further connected to and controlled by a micro controller 30 or similar programmable device having a memory not shown associated therewith to store infor mation to be selectively displayed Also included in or associated with the label substrate is a power source 78 in the nature of a small battery or a photovoltaic cell In a nominal condition display 32 may simply depict the tradi tional label image or information However display 32 may also depict additional product information e g ingredients list or nutritional information perhaps in multiple lan guages Furthermore additional i
30. resent invention is an appa ratus for the electronic display of information where the apparatus is a substrate incorporating a digital recording medium attached to or embedded within the substrate The substrate further includes a flexible substrate display located on an exposed surface of the substrate where the display is a display medium capable of selectively displaying one of at least two possible colors at each pixel location thereon in order to produce a substrate medium that may be modified in accordance with a user s request 0063 It is therefore apparent that there has been vided in accordance with the present invention an appara tus for the electronic display of information While this invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof it is evident that many alternatives modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art Accordingly it is intended to embrace all such alternatives modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims I claim 1 An apparatus for the electronic display of information comprising digital recording medium associated therewith where information may be stored by the digital recording medium and an updateable substrate display located on an exposed surface of the apparatus wherein said substrate display includes a display medium capable of selectively dis playing one of at least
31. tal recording medium 0012 One aspect of the invention is based on the recog nition of an opportunity for the use of new technologies in association with conventional goods In particular the development of flexible substrate displays and small embeddable memory devices allows the novel combination of the two to provide improved uses thereof including consumer goods packaging information sources etc 0013 The present invention is advantageous because it can be produced inexpensively and is reusable compared to other approaches providing a way in which to display information or to alter the appearance of goods using the flexible substrate displays The invention can be adapted to any of a number of consumer goods and applications The techniques of the invention are advantageous because they provide a range of alternatives each of which is useful in appropriate situations Some of the techniques can be used to modify or alter the appearance of goods or information displayed thereon in response to a user s request BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0014 FIGS 1 3 illustrate various embodiments for a substrate in accordance with one aspect of the present invention US 2002 0030638 A1 0015 FIGS 4 7 illustrate particular applications of the substrate of FIG 1 in conjunction with a flexible substrate display in accordance with another aspect of the present invention 0016 FIG 8 is a block diagram of circuitry emplo
32. ted to traditional substrates and may include cloth or wall coverings and e paintings that are mat able BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION 0004 The present invention is an apparatus for embed ding digital information within a document substrate and displaying that information via the substrate It has long been desirable to capture in electronic format the image found on the printed page To facilitate this need many organizations use image scanners and optical character recognition devices However scanning or digitizing a document image can be quite difficult particularly when one seeks to accurately redisplay such an image or to modify it 0005 It is known as demonstrated by companies such as E Ink Corporation and Xerox Palo Alto Research Center PARC that a thin flexible substrate may be used to produce re writeable images in dual e g black and white blue and white or multi colored formats However the present invention is directed to the combination of such media or display technology with an embedded or associated data source so as to make the combination useful taking the display technology from a mere novelty to a practical and time saving device in accordance with the various embodi ments described herein 0006 As is suggested herein it is possible to store and access information associated with a substrate that also displays all or portions of the stored information For example display me
33. tion to be transferred into the memory and for information to be retrieved therefrom 0031 Depicted in FIGS 4 and 5 are other possible embodiments of a digital recording medium associated with the substrate one employing a Memory Stick recently introduced by Sony or similar detachable memory device In US 2002 0030638 A1 FIG 4 the present invention is illustrated in the form of a wearable hat 18 whereas in FIG 5 the invention is depicted as an item of clothing such as a T shirt 19 In both of the embodiments memory in the form of a memory 23 is an ultra small high capacity durable media designed to link a host of different digital products by capturing and sharing digital content whether images text or audio e g music files Sony s line of memory stick products includes Cyber shot digital cameras Handycam camcorders VAIO personal computers a Memory Stick Walkman personal stereo a voice recorder a Memory Stick printer the CyberFrame digital photo frame and AIBO entertainment robot The storage device is available as a 64 MB capacity Memory Stick and larger capacity 0032 In the memory stick a tiny microcontroller con nects to a flash memory chip on one end On the other end a 10 pin flat contact connector with guide grooves on the Memory Stick s underside ensures reliable data exchange up to a million times A compatible flat contact connection or port 30 would be required to be connected to the display 3
34. yed in accordance with the present invention 0017 FIGS 9 and 10 are perspective illustrations of alternative embodiments for aspects of the present inven tion 0018 FIG 11 is a perspective illustration of another alternative embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIG 7 0019 12 is an exemplary illustration of tronic patent embodiment in accordance with aspects of the present invention 0020 FIG 13 is an orthographic representation of embodiment in which the present invention is integrated with a well known product as a visual reference 0021 FIG 14 is an illustration of an application of the present invention in association with the display of a pho tographic image including additional output features 0022 FIG 15 is a perspective view of a self adhesive backed substrate as may be practiced in accordance with aspects of the present invention and 0023 FIG 16 is a side view of a machine suitable for the mass production of substrates in accordance with the present invention 0024 The present inventions will be described in con nection with a preferred embodiment however it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the inventions to the embodiment described On the contrary the intent is to cover all alternatives modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined by the appended claims DESCRIPTION OF THE PRE

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