Light modulating display device using electrowetting effect

Abstract

A light-modulating or display apparatus employs electrowetting effect to controllably modulate, directly or indirectly, the shape or location of one or more measures of liquid. In one embodiment, at least one measure of liquid obstructs the passage of at least some portion of light passing onto, through or reflected off said apparatus, and thereby controllably modulating the angle of distribution, amplitude or intensity of light emitted or reflected by or passing through said apparatus. In another embodiment, light is propagating within a media due to the phenomenon of Total Internal Reflection, and one or more properties of light escaping from within said media through one or more adjacent measures of liquid is controllably modulated due to said change of shape or location of the measures of liquid.

1 . A light-modulating or display apparatus, wherein electrowetting effect is employed to controllably modulate, directly or indirectly, the shape or location of one or more measures of liquid;
 where at least one said measure of liquid is serving to obstruct the passage of at least some portion of light passing onto, through or which is reflected off said apparatus, and thereby controllably modulating the angle of distribution, amplitude or intensity of light emitted or reflected by, or which passes through, said apparatus.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said measure of liquid serving to obstruct light is a polar liquid. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said measure of liquid serving to obstruct light is a non-polar liquid, immiscible and in contact with a measure or polar liquid which, due to electrowetting effect, is caused to change its location and shape, thereby causing said measure of non-polar liquid to change its own location or shape. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said apparatus incorporates a spatial distribution of differently-colored light filters, and where said change of location or shape of said measure of liquid serving to obstruct light serves to modulate the amplitude or intensity of light passing onto, through, or reflecting off one or more portions of said spatial distribution of differently-colored light filters, thereby changing the color of at least some portion of light emitted, reflected or which passes through said apparatus. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said apparatus incorporates one or more light sources, and where said droplet serves to controllably modulate the intensity, angle of distribution or amplitude of light emitted by said apparatus. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said apparatus incorporates one or more light sources and in addition, a spatial distribution of differently-colored light filters, and where said change of location or shape of said measure of liquid obstructing the passage of light serves to modulate the amplitude or intensity of light passing onto, through, or reflecting off one or more different portions of said spatial distribution of differently-colored light filters, thereby changing the color and/or intensity of at least some portion of light emitted, reflected or displayed by said apparatus. 
   
   
       7 . A light-modulating or display apparatus incorporating at least one measure of polar liquid in contact with a hydrophobic surface, where the shape or location of one or more measures of liquid is, directly or indirectly, modulated due to electrowetting effect;
 where light is propagating within a media due to the phenomenon of Total Internal Reflection;   and where one or more properties of light escaping from within said media through one or more adjacent said measures of liquid is controllably modulated, due to said change of shape or location due to electrowetting effect of said one or more measures of liquid through which said escaping light passes.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , where said apparatus further incorporates a spatial distribution of one or more differently-colored filters, and where said change of shape or location of said one or more measures of liquid through which said escaping light passes serves to selectively direct light onto or through one or more of said differently-colored filters, thereby modulating the color of light emitted by said device. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus incorporating two or more measures of polar liquid in contact with a surface which, at least in the absence of an applied electric field, is hydrophobic in respect of said measures of liquid, and wherein electrowetting effect is employed to controllably modulate the shape or location of one or more said measures of liquid;
 where heat is selectively applied to a particular location or area at or adjacent to said surface where one or more said measures of polar liquid are in contact with said surface;   where said application of heat causes an increase in the temperature at or adjacent to the interface between one or more said measures of polar liquid at said location or area and said surface, which serves to increase the susceptibility of said one or more measure(s) of liquid to change location on said surface due to electrowetting forces acting on it or them, thereby precipitating one or more of the said measures of liquid affected by both said change of temperature and said electrowetting forces acting on them to change location on that surface.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , where said apparatus is a light-modulating or display apparatus, and where said change of location on said surface of said one or more measures of polar liquid serves to modulate one or more properties of at least some portion of light which passes onto or through, or which is reflected or emitted by, said apparatus. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , where said apparatus is a light-modulating or display apparatus, further incorporating a stylus which incorporates energy-emitting means which may comprise, but is not limited to, a laser or ultrasonic emitter, which serves to increase the temperature at the interface between of one or more said measures of polar liquid and said surface at or adjacent to a location or area to which said energy is directed, and thereby precipitates the movement of at least one measure of polar liquid along said surface. 
   
   
       12 . A light-modulating or display apparatus incorporating at least one measure of polar or electrically-conductive liquid in contact with a hydrophobic surface, and at least one measure of non-polar liquid, mutually-immiscible and in contact with said polar liquid;
 where said measure of non-polar liquid is functioning as a liquid lens;   where said apparatus further incorporates two or more separately-addressable electrodes located on the opposite side of said hydrophobic surface from said polar or electrically-conductive liquid, and which are electrically insulated from at least one said measure of polar or electrically-conductive liquid by a dielectric layer;   and where the application of voltage to at least one of said separately-addressable electrodes causes a potential difference between said polar or conductive liquid and at least one or said separately-addressable electrodes, which thereby causes an electrowetting effect to take place on said surface adjacent to the location of the one or more separately-addressable electrodes to which said voltage has been applied which serves to change the spatial distribution along said surface of said polar or electrically-conductive liquid, which in turn causes said measure of non-polar liquid serving as a liquid lens to change its location on said surface.