Writing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8988361-B2
Application number	US-53435009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2009
Priority date	Mar 26, 2009
Publication date	Mar 24, 2015
Grant date	Mar 24, 2015

Abstract

A writing apparatus includes: a voltage application unit that applies a voltage to a display medium whose display changes according to an irradiation of light and an applied voltage; an optical output unit that irradiates light toward the display medium; and a controller that (i) receives a position signal that has been output from an apparatus upon contact with an input device, the position signal indicating a position of the contact with the input device, (ii) specifies, based on the received position signal, a position on the display medium at which a display is to be changed, and (iii) controls the optical output unit so that light is irradiated toward the specified position on the display medium for a predetermined time period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A writing apparatus having a display face side and a writing face side, the writing apparatus comprising:
a voltage application unit that applies a voltage to conductive layers of a display medium, the display medium including a liquid crystal layer whose orientational state changes according to an applied voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer and a photosensitive layer whose resistance changes according to an irradiation of light, the liquid crystal layer and the photosensitive layer being between the conductive layers;
an optical output unit that irradiates light from the writing face side through the photosensitive layer toward the liquid crystal layer and the display face side, the voltage application unit applying a constant voltage to the conductive layers when the optical output unit irradiates light through the photosensitive layer, and the resistance of the photosensitive layer changes due to the irradiation of light such that the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer changes according to an inverse relationship with the resistance of the photosensitive layer, the inverse relationship being to increase the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to a decrease in the resistance of the photosensitive layer, and to decrease the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to an increase in the resistance of the photosensitive layer; and
a controller that controls the optical output unit so that light is irradiated from the writing face side through the photosensitive layer based on a position signal indicating a position of an input device at the display face side for a time period that is required to change the orientational state of the liquid crystal layer and further stabilize the orientational state, but less than a time wherein an accumulation of photocarriers of the photosensitive layer as a space charge begins by the irradiation of light.

2. The writing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a period in which the position signal continues to indicate a same position, the controller controls the optical output unit so that light is not irradiated again.

3. The writing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display of the display medium is configured to change according to the light irradiated toward the specified position on the display medium from the optical output unit.

4. The writing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of color layers formed in the display medium; and
at least a first cholesteric liquid crystal material and a second cholesteric liquid crystal material, wherein
at least two color layers of the plurality of color layers being respectively formed on each of two opposing surfaces of the first cholesteric liquid crystal material such that one of the two color layers is formed between the first cholesteric liquid crystal material and the second cholesteric liquid crystal material.

5. A method for optical writing to a display medium, the method comprising:
irradiating light from a writing face side of the display medium through a photosensitive layer of the display medium based on a position signal indicating a position of an input device at a display face side of the display medium for a time period that is required to change an orientational state of a liquid crystal layer and further stabilize the orientational state, but less than a time wherein an accumulation of photocarriers of a photosensitive layer of the display medium as a space charge begins by the irradiation of light; and
applying a constant voltage to conductive layers of the display medium when the light is irradiated through the photosensitive layer, the liquid crystal layer and the photosensitive layer being between the conductive layers, and a resistance of the photosensitive layer changes due to the irradiation of light such that the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer changes according to an inverse relationship with the resistance of the photosensitive layer, the inverse relationship being to increase the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to a decrease in the resistance of the photosensitive layer, and to decrease the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to an increase in the resistance of the photosensitive layer.

6. The method of claim 5 ,
wherein in a period in which the position signal continues to indicate a same position, the controller controls the optical output unit so that light is not irradiated again.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for optical writing to a display medium, the process comprising:
irradiating light from a writing face side of the display medium through a photosensitive layer of the display medium based on a position signal indicating a position of an input device at a display face side of the display medium for a time period that is required to change an orientational state of a liquid crystal layer and further stabilize the orientational state, but less than a time wherein an accumulation of photocarriers of a photosensitive layer of the display medium as a space charge begins by the irradiation of light; and
applying a constant voltage to conductive layers of the display medium when the light is irradiated through the photosensitive layer, the liquid crystal layer and the photosensitive layer being between the conductive layers, and a resistance of the photosensitive layer changes due to the irradiation of light such that the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer changes according to an inverse relationship with the resistance of the photosensitive laver, the inverse relationship being to increase the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to a decrease in the resistance of the photosensitive layer, and to decrease the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer responsive to an increase in the resistance of the photosensitive layer.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 ,
wherein in a period in which the position signal continues to indicate a same position, the controller controls the optical output unit so that light is not irradiated again.

9. The writing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the orientational state is one of a plurality of reflectivity phases of the liquid crystal layer, and the voltage application unit controls the applied voltage such that (i) during the time period, a level of the applied voltage changes the orientational state of the liquid crystal layer to a corresponding one of the plurality of reflectivity phases, and (ii) removes the applied voltage at the end of the time period to stabilize the orientational state of the liquid crystal layer in one of the plurality of reflectivity phases.

Assignees

• Harada Haruo
• Gan Taijyu
• Arisawa Hiroshi
• Okano Yasunori
• Urano Chisato
• Morikawa Takashi
• Hirano Atsushi
• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Harada Haruo
• Gan Taijyu
• Arisawa Hiroshi
• Okano Yasunori
• Urano Chisato
• Morikawa Takashi
• Hirano Atsushi

Classifications

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title