Printable electronic display

Abstract

A display system includes an electronic display, a power supply physically separate from the display, and a means for electrically coupling the display with the power supply. The display may include nonlinear devices such as printed, particulate Schottky diodes, particulate PN diodes, particulate varistor material, silicon films formed by chemical reduction, or polymer semiconductor films. Elements of the display system may be deposited using a printing process.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic display system comprising: 
 a. an electronic display;    b. a power supply physically separate from the display; and    c. means for electrically coupling the display with the power supply.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupling means comprises a first pair of conductive plates associated with the display and a second pair of conductive plates associated with the power supply, the first and second pairs of plates capacitively coupling in physical proximity to each other.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coupling means comprises at least one antenna associated with the display and at least one antenna associated with the power supply, the antennas inductively coupling to each other.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display comprises at least one printed element.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display comprises a printed electrophoretic ink.  
     
     
         6 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the coupling means transmits information to the display.  
     
     
         7 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display is a particle-based, nonemissive display.  
     
     
         8 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display is an electrophoretic display.  
     
     
         9 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display is a rotating-ball display.  
     
     
         10 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display is an electrostatic display.  
     
     
         11 . The display system of  claim 1  wherein the electronic display further comprises a plurality of nonlinear elements.  
     
     
         12 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the nonlinear elements is a transistor.  
     
     
         13 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the nonlinear elements is a diode.  
     
     
         14 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the nonlinear elements is a varistor.  
     
     
         15 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the nonlinear elements is a particulate varistor device.  
     
     
         16 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the nonlinear elements is a particulate Schottky diode.  
     
     
         17 . The display system of  claim 11  wherein the electronic display further comprises: 
 a. a first set of display electrodes associated with a first layer; and  
 b. a second set of display electrodes associated with a second layer distinct from the first layer and disposed in an intersecting pattern with respect to the first set of electrodes, the first and second sets of electrodes not contacting one another, the display and the nonlinear elements being sandwiched between the first and second display electrode layers so as to electrically couple at least some electrodes of the first layer with corresponding electrodes of the second layer at regions of intersection and thereby facilitate actuation of the display by the electrodes at said regions.  
 
     
     
         18 . A graduated display comprising: 
 a. a plurality of display units arranged in parallel, each display unit comprising a particle-based, nonemissive display device and a nonlinear element connected thereto, each of the nonlinear elements having a different breakdown voltage; and    b. a power source, having a source voltage, connected across the display units, the power source activating any of the display units whose nonlinear-element breakdown voltages does not exceed the source voltage.    
     
     
         19 . The graduated display of  claim 18  wherein the non-linear elements have progressively higher breakdown voltages and are sequentially arranged according to those voltages.  
     
     
         20 . The graduated display of  claim 18  further comprising a switch which reverses the connection to the source voltage causing it to generate a potential exceeding the breakdown voltages of the nonlinear devices.