Light-sensitive switching display device

Claim 2

An electroluminescent device comprising: a storage/readout section and a light-pulsing trigger section, said trigger section comprising an x-Y-addressed electroluminescent panel and electrically isolated from but optically coupled to said storage/readout section, said storage/readout section including an electroluminescent layer controlled by a light responsive switch, voltage means to bias said switch such that at least a portion of said readout/storage section has two stable conditions, an '''' on'''' condition and '''' off'''' condition, said switch activating said portion of said readout/storage section to the '''' on'''' condition upon the occurrence of a light pulse from said trigger section impinging on said switch and deactivating said readout/storage section to the '''' off'''' condition by reducing the bias from said voltage means and an opaque layer to prevent light other than said light pulses from actuating said switch.

Claim 3

An electroluminescent device comprising two sections and two covers; a storage/readout section and a light-pulsing trigger section; said storage/readout section including the following: a hysteretic material layer, opaque floating electrodes, an electroluminescent layer, a transparent front electrode, a main substrate, an opaque common terminal, said electroluminescent layer and said hysteretic material layer being electrically connected in series by said floating electrodes, said floating electrodes and said common terminal overlapping one another in parallel planes so that no light from said electroluminescent layers impinges upon the hysteretic material, said trigger section comprising an x-Y-addressed electroluminescent panel optically coupled to but electrically isolated from said hysteretic material, said first cover being a transparent light-pulsing and covering said storage/readout section, said second cover being an opaque insulator and covering the rear of said trigger panel.

Claim 4

An electroluminescent device comprising two sections and two covers; a storage/readout section and a light-pulsing trigger section; said storage/readout section including the following: a hysteretic material layer, opaque floating electrodes, an electroluminescent layer, a transparent front electrode, a main substrate, an opaque common terminal, said electroluminescent layer and said hysteretic material layer being electrically connected in series by said floating electrodes, said floating electrodes and said common terminal overlapping one another in parallel planes so that no light from said electroluminescent layers impinges upon the hysteretic material, said trigger section comprising an x-Y-addressed electroluminescent panel optically coupled to but electrically isolated from said hysteretic material, said first cover being a transparent light-pulsing and covering said storage/readout section, said second cover being an opaque insulator and covering the rear of said trigger panel.

Claim 5

An electroluminescent device as claimed in claim 2 including, voltage means to bias said hysteretic material such that at least an element of said electroluminescent layer has two stable conditions, an '''' on'''' condition and an '''' off'''' condition, said hysteretic material layer being actuated by light pulses from said trigger section and in turn activating said element to said '''' on'''' condition.

Claim 6

An electroluminescent device comprising two panels stratified on a main substrate, said substrate having a first and second major surface, said substrate being an electrical insulator and a light-transmitting medium; a first panel being a trigger panel including an X-Y-addressed electroluminescent layer on the second surface of said main substrate, a second panel, being a storage/readout panel, provided on said first surface; said second panel comprising the following layers: a conductive common terminal layer, a hysteretic material layer, an opaque layer, a floating electrode layer consisting of many separate floating electrodes, an electroluminescent layer electrically connected in series with said hysteretic material, a transparent electrode layer, said device sealed by a front transparent cover over said second panel and opaque rear cover over said first panel, said opaque layer in conjunction with said floating electrode layer optically isolating said hystereTic material from said electroluminescent layer and from ambient light entering through said front transparent cover, means to electrically bias the series combination of said electroluminescent layer and said hysteretic material such that said combination has two stable conditions and is activated from a first condition to a second condition by light pulses from said trigger panel.

Claim 7

An electroluminescent device comprising two panels stratified on a main substrate, said substrate having a first and second major surface, said substrate being an electrical insulator and a light-transmitting medium; a first panel being a trigger panel including an X-Y-addressed electroluminescent layer on the second surface of said main substrate, a second panel, being a storage/readout panel, provided on said first surface; said second panel comprising the following layers: a conductive common terminal layer, a hysteretic material layer, an opaque layer, a floating electrode layer consisting of many separate floating electrodes, an electroluminescent layer electrically connected in series with said hysteretic material, a transparent electrode layer, said device sealed by a front transparent cover over said second panel and opaque rear cover over said first panel, said opaque layer in conjunction with said floating electrode layer optically isolating said hystereTic material from said electroluminescent layer and from ambient light entering through said front transparent cover, means to electrically bias the series combination of said electroluminescent layer and said hysteretic material such that said combination has two stable conditions and is activated from a first condition to a second condition by light pulses from said trigger panel.

Claim 8

An electroluminescent device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said opaque layer is an insulative layer having a low dielectric constant.