Today, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Google that reveals their invention relating to an eBook Reader with Dual E-Ink Displays & Camera. Google designed their ebook to ensure superior refresh rates. The device will also allow users to connect a keyboard and/or mouse to run other types of applications.
Google's Patent Background
Many types of electronic devices have been developed for consuming various types of media. For example, some electronic devices have been developed specifically for the purpose of reading electronic books (i.e., e-books). These types of dedicated book reading electronic devices can be referred to as e-book devices or as e-readers.
Known e-book devices often incorporate electronic-ink (i.e., e-ink) display technology, which facilitate portability, readability in bright sunlight (because the electronic paper can reflect light like ordinary paper), relatively long battery life (because power may generally be consumed only during screen refreshing), and so forth. However, displays based on electronic-ink technology can have relatively slow refresh rates that may not be desirable for some applications and/or may not preferred by some e-book device users.
Google Invents eBook Reader with Dual E-Ink Displays
Google's invention generally relates to an eBook reader (apparatus) with dual e-ink displays. The second electronic-ink display is configured to selectively reflect ambient light to create a desired image. The apparatus can also include a sensor configured to produce an indicator that the first electronic-ink display of the computing device is rotated from facing in a first direction toward facing in a second direction opposite the first direction, and a refresh module configured to trigger the second electronic-ink display to refresh the image display by the second electronic-ink display in response to the indicator.
In some embodiments, the electronic ink technology used to produce the dual displays could include a variety of technologies such as Gyricon electronic paper technology, which includes polyethylene spheres.
As yet another example, the displays could be based on Electro-wetting display (EWD) technology, which is based on controlling the shape of a confined water/oil interface by an applied voltage. When no voltage is applied, the oil (e.g., colored oil) could form a film between the water and a hydrophobic (water-repellent), insulating coating of an electrode, resulting in a pixel (e.g., a colored pixel).
As shown in Google's patent FIG. 7A, the computing device 700 includes an camera (image capture device #750) that could be used, at least in part, to detect whether a user has moved to consume content displayed on the display 720 or the display 730 when the computing device is in the open configuration (e.g., the side-by-side configuration).
For example, the camera could be configured to periodically capture one or more images of the user (e.g., an eye of a user) that could e used to determine whether the user is facing toward (and viewing) content displayed on the display or is facing toward (and viewing) content displayed on the display #730. Accordingly, refreshing of the displays could be triggered in response to a consumption pattern of a user.
As a specific example, the eBook reader could be configured so that a first page of an e-book could be displayed (e.g., rendered) on, for example, display #720 when the computing device is in the open configuration. While the user is reading the first page on the display# 720, the display #730 could be configured to display a second page of the e-book. After the user has read the first page of the e-book displayed on the display #720, the camera could be used to determine that the user has moved (e.g., shifted, changed) to view content displayed on the display #730. After, or while, the user has moved so that the user could read the second page of the e-book displayed on the display #730, the display #720 could be refreshed with the third page of the e-book.
In some embodiments, refreshing of the displays while the e-book reader is in the open configuration could be referred to as a side-by-side refresh mode. In some embodiments, the refresh mode of the ebook reader could be changed in response to the ebook reader being moved from the open configuration to the flipping configuration.
Google further notes that a mode module (shown in patent FIG. 5 below) configured to trigger deactivation of the first electronic-ink display in response to an indicator that the computing device has changed from a flipping mode to a non-flipping mode, refreshing of the first electronic-ink display and the second electronic-ink display are refreshed in an alternating fashion when the computing device is in the flipping mode.
Unlike other ebook readers, Google's will be able to work with peripherals such as a keyboard and/or mouse.
Overview of the System
Google's patent FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a computing device that includes multiple displays.
Google's patent application which was published by the US Patent Office today was originally filed back in Q4 2011. Google's patent application titled "DUAL DISPLAY COMPUTING DEVICE" was published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Patent Bolt presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. Revelations found in patent applications shouldn't be interpreted as rumor or fast-tracked according to rumor timetables. About Posting Comments: Patent Bolt reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments.
Comments