Patent US6259846B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6259846B1
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Light-emitting fiber, as for a display
Assignee: Sarnoff Corp
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Filing: 1999-10-15
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Granted: 2001-07-10
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Expires: 2019-10-15
Abstract
Abstract A display as for images and/or information comprises a plurality of light-emitting fibers disposed in side-by-side arrangement to define a viewing surface. Each light-emitting fiber includes a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed along its length, each having two electrodes between which are applied electrical signals to cause the light-emitting element to emit light to display a pixel or sub-pixel of the image and/or information. The light-emitting fiber includes an electrical conductor disposed along its length to serve as a first electrode, a layer of light-emissive material disposed thereon, and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the light-emissive material to serve as the second electrodes of the light-emitting elements. Preferably, the conductors, light-emissive layer and plurality of electrical contacts are formed in a continuous process wherein a transparent fiber passes through a plurality of processing chambers for receiving the electrical conductor, the light-emissive layer and the plurality of electrical contacts thereon.
Inventors
- 👤 William Ronald Roach
- 👤 Bawa Singh
- 👤 William Chiang
- 👤 Zilan Shen
- 👤 Vipulkumar K. Patel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:36
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F9/00; G09F9/30; G09F9/305; H; H10; H10K; H10K50/00; H10K50/10; H10K50/182; H10K50/80; H10K50/805; H10K59/00; H10K59/80; H10K59/805; H10K59/8052; H10K59/80521; H10K59/8791; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S385/00; Y10S385/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A light-emitting fiber comprising: a length of a fiber; an electrical conductor disposed along the length of said fiber; a light-emitting material disposed on top of said electrical conductor; and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the light-emitting material along the length of said fiber, wherein the light-emitting material disposed between a given one of said electrical contacts and said electrical conductor emits light responsive to an electrical signal applied between said given one of said electrical contacts and said electrical conductor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
A light-emitting fiber comprising: a length of a fiber; an electrical conductor disposed along the length of said fiber; a light-emitting material disposed on top of said electrical conductor; and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the light-emitting material along the length of said fiber, wherein the light-emitting material disposed between a given one of said electrical contacts and said electrical conductor emits light responsive to an electrical signal applied between said given one of said electrical contacts and said electrical conductor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber is selected from the group consisting of glass, borosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, quartz, sapphire, plastic, polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, acrylic, Mylar, polyester, polyimide and metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said electrical conductor includes a layer of an optically-transparent electrically conductive material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 3 wherein the optically-transparent electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, organic conducting material and combinations thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 3 wherein said electrical conductor further includes an elongated electrical conductor that is not optically transparent disposed contiguous to and in electrical contact with said layer of optically-transmissive electrically conductive material along the length of said fiber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 5 wherein said elongated electrical conductor is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, chromium, nickel, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said light-emitting material includes one of an inorganic electro-luminescent material and an organic light-emitting material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electrical contacts includes at least one layer of at least one of magnesium, magnesium/silver, calcium and calcium/aluminum.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said transparent fiber is tinted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said fiber has a cross-section including one of rectangular, square, circular, semicircular, trapezoidal, ribbon and D-shaped.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein portions of said light-emitting material not covered by said second electrodes is covered with a layer of material resistant to at least one of moisture and reactive gas.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 11 wherein said material resistant includes one of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, diamond-like carbon, and phosphorus-silicate glass.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said light-emitting material is a broadband light-emitting material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 13 wherein said transparent fiber is tinted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 1 wherein said light-emitting material is a narrowband light-emitting material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
141 words
A fiber having a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed along its length, comprising: a length of a fiber; a plurality of light-emitting elements including: an electrical conductor disposed along the length of said fiber forming a first electrode common to all of said light-emitting elements; a light-emitting material disposed along the length of said fiber on said electrical conductor providing light-emitting material for each of said light-emitting elements; and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the length of said fiber on the light-emitting material, each of said plurality of electrical contacts defining a second electrode of one of said plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting material disposed between a given one of said second electrodes and said first electrode emits light responsive to an electrical signal applied between said given one of said second electrodes and said first electrode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
141 words
A fiber having a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed along its length, comprising: a length of a fiber; a plurality of light-emitting elements including: an electrical conductor disposed along the length of said fiber forming a first electrode common to all of said light-emitting elements; a light-emitting material disposed along the length of said fiber on said electrical conductor providing light-emitting material for each of said light-emitting elements; and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the length of said fiber on the light-emitting material, each of said plurality of electrical contacts defining a second electrode of one of said plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting material disposed between a given one of said second electrodes and said first electrode emits light responsive to an electrical signal applied between said given one of said second electrodes and said first electrode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein the fiber is selected from the group consisting of glass, borosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, quartz, sapphire, plastic, polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, acrylic, Mylar, polyester, polyimide, silicon and metal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said electrical conductor includes a layer of an optically-transparent electrically conductive material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 18 wherein said electrical conductor further includes an elongated electrical conductor that is not optically transparent disposed contiguous to and in electrical contact with said layer of optically-transmissive electrically conductive material along the length of said fiber.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 19 wherein said elongated electrical conductor is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, chromium, nickel, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 18 herein the optically-transparent electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, organic conductive material and combinations thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said fiber has a cross-section including one of rectangular, square, circular, semicircular, trapezoidal, ribbon, and D-shaped.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein portions of said light-emitting material not covered by said second electrodes is covered with a layer of material resistant to at least one of moisture and reactive gas.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said material resistant includes one of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, diamond-like carbon, and phosphorus-silicate glass.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said light-emitting material includes one of an inorganic electro-luminescent material and an organic light-emitting material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said plurality of electrical contacts includes at least one layer of at least one of magnesium, magnesium/silver, calcium and calcium/aluminum.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said transparent fiber is tinted.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said light-emitting material is a broadband light-emitting material.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
12 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 28 wherein said transparent fiber is tinted.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The light-emitting fiber of claim 16 wherein said light-emitting material is a narrowband light-emitting material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-07-09 | 2005-01-08 | 2005-07-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-07-09 | 2009-01-08 | 2009-07-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-07-09 | 2013-01-08 | 2013-07-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |