WO2019145931A2

WO2019145931A2 - Method of distributing and using custom device colors

Info

Publication number: WO2019145931A2
Application number: PCT/IB2019/050964
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Coyne; Barclay KLING
Original assignee: Nxt Gen Nano, Inc.
Priority date: 2018-01-25
Filing date: 2019-02-06
Publication date: 2019-08-01
Also published as: WO2019145931A3

Abstract

Electrochromic polymer materials are used to alter the appearance color of physical objects and products as controlled by associated software. Electrochromic polymer chromatic devices may be delivered through a distribution system that enables business methods of distributing color-enabling data to enabling users of electronic devices having a surface to stimulate the devices to display, on demand, one or more colors on fields of the surface.

Description

TITLE

METHOD OF DISTRIBUTI NG AND USI NG CUSTOM DEVICE COLORS

BACKGROUND

[0001] The invention pertains to methods and devices for altering the appearance color of physical objects and also pertains to business methods enabling users of electronic devices having a surface to stimulate the devices to display, on demand, one or more colors on fields of the surface. The invention particularly pertains to chromatic devices incorporating

electrochromatic polymers.

[0002] Various electrochromic polymer technologies are available in the industry to enable the appearance, disappearance or change of color on the surface or in the body of a transparent object through the application of electrical potential. The teachings of the various patents of the United States inventor John Reynolds may be useful in the present invention, including US Patents Nos. 8399603, 8519090, 6791738, 8450449 and 9012600 for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Electrochromic polymer materials are used to alter the color appearance of a user device or product. One or more electrochromic polymer materials are formed as active elements of a chromatic device which is applied to a user device and activated in

predetermined and controlled manner to exhibit various color states.

[0004] Electrochromic polymer materials are used to alter the appearance color of physical objects and products as controlled by associated software. Electrochromic polymer chromatic devices may be delivered through a distribution system that enables business methods of distributing color-enabling data to enabling users of electronic devices having a surface to stimulate the devices to display, on demand, one or more colors on fields of the surface. In methods of the invention, electrochromic polymers are provided to a user to be secured to a surface of a user device which may be any of a great variety of device or products, such as for example: electronic communication and computing devices, garments, personal vehicles and their components and the like. Delivery of color-controlling machine-readable data to the user enable desired color control of the user device.

[0005] The invention enables a fee-for-color or color pattern transaction in which a party to the transaction pays a fee for coordinates of a color profile and its associated saturation formulae to be transferred through a plurality of methods to a device that will accept the information, store the information and stimulate a device directly or indirectly to display that color or any color/color-pattern within the device database of colors available on demand by a user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0006] Figure 1 depicts one configuration of the inventive chromatic device on a conventional user device.

Figure 2 depicts a further configuration of the inventive chromatic device including overlapping layers of electrochromic polymers.

DESCRIPTION OF TH E I NVENTION

[0007] Polychromatic Electrochromic Polymers embodied in a plurality of device structures that enable the passing of electricity between poles (anode/cathode) provides a means to change the polymer color in a range of colors dependent upon the mix of polymers. Inherent in electrochromic polymers is the stability of the color state which is maintained without continued application of voltage or electric current. In one embodiment, a mix of blue and yellow polymers can produce colors, shades and hues of: blue, yellow and green. In another embodiment, a mix of Cyan - Magenta, Yellow and Key (black)(CMYK) can produce virtually any color within the color spectrum enabled by CMYK. A mix of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) polymers can also produce a range of colors enabled by that spectrum. As a result, specific colors of electrochromic polymers may be tuned to specific colors. I n another embodiment colors may be patterned to represent graphical images in a plurality of colors. Patterning utilizes color/saturation stimuli with added addressability by the software. Color selection, saturation and patterning are synonymous function of the addressing functions of graphical representation of the color device and its architecture.

[0008] The range of colors is addressable in software terms by selecting an electrical stimulus concomitant with a specific color. Since every color within a graph of potential currents and stimuli is available, the addressability of the color can be specified in software associated with a plurality of devices enabled with computing capability to address the color within a spectrum and provide through a plurality of methods the electrical stimulus to produce a specific color and or pattern of colors.

[0009] Herein, the terms "color" or "color state" may also indicate lack of color, that is, transparency. The color or color state of transparent may be the result of an electrochromic polymer that is formed on or within, for example, a transparent active or inactive base or carrier - the electrochromic polymer being transparent in one of multiple chromatic states. I n applications, the electrochromic polymer in its transparent color state permit transmission of the color provided by a underlying surface or other electrochromic polymer. [0010] The electrochromic polymers enable electrical stimulus within the graphical range of the color, through a plurality of methods, to also produce a variety of levels of color saturation or transmissivity. In one embodiment, the time (duration) associated with the electrical stimulus of a specific current through the device can determine the level of color saturation/transmissivity. In another embodiment, the amount of resistance to electrical stimulation may affect the saturation/transmissivity of the color stimulated in the color spectrum. The stimulus may be reduced to practice through a combination of graphical and electrical stimulation formulae.

[0011] The characterization of each color by its mathematically represented X/Y graphical coordinates (commonly A*/B*) and saturation/transmissivity formulations may be stored as addressable coordinates in a database that can hold the information in a plurality of database methods and accessed by software for storage and retrieval. The information may be transmitted to a device by a plurality of methods including: direct physical connection, wired connections, wireless connections, a plurality of radio frequency transport signals including Zigbee and Bluetooth or specific frequencies accompanied with access to the device.

[0012] The electrochromic polymers and the associated stimulus device may be applied to any treatable surface. Treatable surfaces may expand over time to include any surface able to receive, or be secured to, the polymers and their associated stimulus technology.

[0013] In commercial transactions using the inventive devices and methods, sellers of products treated with the electrochromic polymers may purchase a negotiated number of colors that become part of an initial color profile within the device architecture. Sellers and buyers may then purchase a plurality of other colors through transactions that access the color database. Information related to the color - its XY coordinate and saturation formula on a color graph may be downloaded directly to the device or to a plurality of intermediate devices such as telephones, computers or similar devices that have communication capability with the device.

[0014] The communication facility will allow storage of the color coordinates to the device architecture and provide the treated product with the new color profile that may be selected through interactive control with the communication device. Buyers may purchase any number of colors for storage on the chosen local database storage device. In one embodiment, the coordinates may be stored on an intermediary device such as a smart phone. In another embodiment, the data may be stored directly on the color changing device.

[0015] Access to the color database and its saturation formulae will be available through communication media such as web services, localized sensors, sensor arrays that establish a two way communication path. Color coordinates are exchanged for value that may be conveyed in a plurality of methods.

[0016] Information on user selection of colors, device type, location, frequency of color change, preferences on price and other user related information may be stored for

presentation of new color choices through advertising, direct solicitation or a plurality of marketing methodologies. The monetization of this information may be direct or through intermediaries that collect and aggregate information for resale.

[0017] The price charged for color downloads may be determined by the seller or the seller's agents or the device producer. In direct sales, the revenue produced will be the property of the downloading party. In non-direct sales of color downloads, a royalty payment may be negotiated. The sale of information or the sale of access to data mining of the information may be direct or through third parties. In any event the value of the information will be determined and the revenue generated will be subject to contract/s between the patent holder and the third party. This will be known as a fee for color transaction.

[0018] The present invention includes systems and methods for altering the color a device surface through the following steps: 1) delivering a chromatic device to a user, the chromatic device including one or more fields of electrochromic polymers, 2) directing the user to secure and connect the chromatic device to a surface of a user device, 3) delivering to the user machine-readable data that is operable on the user device to control the fields of the electrochromic polymer to produce predefined color changes.

[0019] In further embodiments of the invention, a user device is improved to include a surface having one or more fields containing electrochromic polymers. The user device is configured to provide electrical control of the fields to enable the user to change the visible colors of the fields.

[0020] In a further embodiment of the invention, a user device is provided with one or more surfaces having multiple fields of multiple different electrochromic polymers. The multiple different electronic polymers are configured to enable forming multiple different subset combinations of polymers, each subset creating a different color when electrically stimulated or activated in use. In a further aspect, machine-readable data or instructions are delivered to the user and combined with the user device to enable activation of one or more subsets.

[0021] Figure 1 depicts a device according to the invention. Multiple fields of a first electrochromic polymer (EP1) are arranged intermixed with multiple fields of a second electrochromic polymer (EP2). The first and second electrochromic polymer (EP1, EP2) may each be distinct structures with an interconnection structure or a common connective substrate or may be mutually contiguous elements of an integral structure, depending of method of manufacture. Herein, the term "electrochromic polymer" refers to both the specific electrochromically active compounds relied on for color states but also the inactive but necessary structures and elements containing and supporting and activating those compounds.

[0022] In Figure 1, the electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) are secured to a surface 99 of a user device 100 (shown in part) which may be any of a great variety of device or products, including conventional products, such as for example: electronic communication and computing devices, garments, personal vehicles and their components and the like.

[0023] In use, each of the electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) is controllable in known fashion by applied voltage to establish a respective stable color. This color setting may be carried out by transmission of machine-readable instruction and data to a connected controller device 32 and, or, an external controller 30, either of which may be connected to the electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) by physical conducting wire or by wireless devices.

[0024] For convenience of application, the electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) together with supporting electronics and any connected controller device 32 may be physically integrated into a unitary chromatic device 50. The manner of securing a chromatic device 50 delivered to a user may depend on the particular construction of the chromatic device 50 and the nature and intended use of the associated user device.

[0025] The appearance of the user device 100 is altered in use of the invention, by selective color setting of subsets of the electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) to effect the desired result. In a first example configuration, all of the first electrochromic polymers (EP1) may be selectively set to a different predetermined color from that of the second

electrochromic polymers (EP2). The resulting appearance to a human observer may be a "checkboard" graphic, or a blended hue if the relative field sizes are small enough. Selectivity and control of individual fields to obtain desire effects may be carried out using known technology for pixel control.

[0026] Figure 2 illustrates a chromatic device according to the invention incorporating multiple electrochromic polymers in overlapping form (stacked in Z direction). In the configuration shown, each of the two layers of electrochromic polymers 151, 152 may be a distinct chromatic device, in the nature of that described above, or may be an element of a common chromatic device. The two layers 151, 152 are spatially aligned so that predetermined electrochromic polymers (EP3) of the upper layer 152 overlay electrochromic polymers (EP1, EP2) of the lower layer 152. Each layer 151, 152, and each electrochromic polymer (EP1, EP2, EP3) may be controlled independently.

[0027] At least the upper layer 152 is at least in part transparent to allow incident light to be reflected from the lower layer 151 (and through the upper layer 152) to thereby gain effect from the color state of the electrochromic polymers of the lower layer 151.

[0028] Figure 2 defines a "cell" 160 wherein a particular upper layer electrochromic polymer EP3 field 170 is in registration with an associated lower layer electrochromic polymers EP2 field 171. Multiple such cells may be defined in a single device, or a multiple or all the electrochromic polymers fields of a chromatic device may form such a cell. Color control of each cell may be independently governed by delivery of activating signal (voltage) based on X,Y spatial data as well as Z (layer) data to enable blending of the color states of the cells and different layers over the area of the chromatic device. In further configurations of the invention, three or more layers of electrochromic polymers may be similarly combined to enable different color states.

[0029] The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to elements in the singular, for example, using the articles "a," "an," "the" or "said," is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

Claims

1. A method of altering the appearance of a user device comprising:

delivering a chromatic device to a user, the chromatic device including one or more electrochromic polymer fields;

directing the user to secure and connect the chromatic device to a surface of a user device;

delivering to the user machine-readable data that is operable on the user device to control the electrochromic polymer fields to produce predefined color changes.

2. A method, according to claim 1, and further comprising:

configuring the user device to enable operation of machine-readable data to control the electrochromic polymer fields.

3. A method, according to claim 2, and further comprising:

delivering the machine-readable data to a user communication device that is configured to communicate with the user device to control the electrochromic polymer fields.

4. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising:

forming a chromatic device having multiple subsets of electrochromic polymer fields, each subset independently controllable; such that the chromatic device is enabled to display multiple different color fields simultaneously.

5. A method, according to claim 1, and wherein:

the one or more electrochromic polymers fields comprise two or more layers mutually stacked in overlapping configuration.

6. The method, according to claim 5, and wherein:

at least one field in each of the layers is in registration with a respective field in another layer to define a respective cell, being independently controllable to define cell color states.