A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The Applicant has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Further, no references to third party patents or articles made herein is to be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such material by virtue of prior invention.
Several methods and devices to manipulate small amounts of fluids are well known, the oldest being the use of a syringe and needle, more modern techniques include micro-pumps of different types such as piezo pumps, gear pumps, electromagnetic pumps, etc.
Such systems have the ability for precise handling of fluids, however the interface with the user in order to command the fluid(s) movements is usually through programs, screens, buttons, etc., which limits their usage to technically-educated personnel.
What is needed therefore is a human interface for manipulating a small amount of fluid which is intuitive and easy to operate.
A system and method/apparatus is provided which enables the intuitive manipulation of small amounts of fluids in a closed environment such as a display, an analysis system, a chemical reactor, with which complete user safety is ensured. With this invention, the user is enabled to move a droplet of fluid seemingly at the tip of his finger, while not directly touching the fluid.
The invention is useful in fluidic displays, medical analysis equipment, chemical analysis equipment, educational material, and similar applications.
An object of the invention is a method to detect the user's finger, and to control the movement of the selected fluid(s) as a consequence of such detection.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the movement of one or more fluids can be controlled securely to follow the movement of the user's finger(s).
Another object of the invention is to provide a reliable and intellectually attractive educational experimentation setup.
Another object of the invention is to provide an aesthetic, reliable and intellectually attractive fluidic display.
Another object of the invention is to provide a jewelry item with fluidic display, in which the display can be modified following the touch of the user's finger.
Another object of the invention is to provide a timepiece with fluidic display, in which the setting can be made following the touch of the user's finger.
Another object of the invention is to provide a showcase with fluidic display, in which an animation can be activated and controlled by the touch of the user's finger on a touch panel.
The attached drawings represent, by way of example, different embodiments of the subject of the invention.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, dimensions may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of the invention and its embodiments. Furthermore, when the terms ‘first’, ‘ second’, and the like are used herein, their use is intended for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. Moreover, relative terms like ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘top’ and ‘bottom’, and the like in the Description and/or in the claims are not necessarily used for describing exclusive relative position. Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that such terms may be interchangeable with other terms, and that the embodiments described herein are capable of operating in other orientations than those explicitly illustrated or otherwise described.
The following description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way as it is exemplary in nature, serving to describe the best mode of the invention known to the inventors as of the filing date hereof. Consequently, changes may be made in the arrangement and/or function of any of the elements described in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to
The whole system may be built as a stack where the finger measurement or detection system is above the fluidic display. In such case, the whole finger measurement or detection system is made of transparent or translucent and/or colored materials in such a way that the fluid droplet 141 is visible to the user.
The entire system including the display may be made transparent so as to allow observation under a microscope, or observation by a camera from below, or to allow the installation of a dial under the system so that the system may be used as an indication device.
The display may also be used as a decorative element that takes the place of a window. In this case, it may be built from generally transparent materials.
The dimensions of the system may be chosen so that the behavior of the fluids 140, 141 remains capillary, which allows the creation of vertical displays, easily transportable systems or even wearable systems (such as watches, jewelry, etc). However, this method may also be used for larger systems, such as a wall display, where the movement of the fluid droplet 141 is obtained by other transportation means (ultrasonic, magnetic, etc). A combination of remote finger detection (on a smartphone or tablet for example) may be used to animate the fluid droplet 141.
Referring now to
The display of the invention may be used to create animations by moving one or more droplets in a combination of trajectories generated by the electronics and software unit 230 and trajectories calculated in reaction to the user's finger being detected on the measurement or detection system 210.
Although the system is represented here with the finger measurement device installed on top of the fluidic display, such elements may be installed at a distance of each other, so that the fluidic display may be installed on a wall while the measurement or detection system is held in hand by the user; in such case the display may have a relatively larger size than the hand-held measurement or detection system.
Referring now to
The fluidic display may be built as a chamber containing the fluid(s), made out of glass, crystal glass, cut glass, crystal (or suitable substitute material) jewel, precious stones or half-precious stones and fixed on to a precious or non-precious metal or to a polymer or elastomer. Part of the chamber may be flexible.
The fluidic display may be built as a combination of deep and shallow channels so as to generate preferred zones for the circulation of the fluid(s) droplet(s).
Preferred zones for the circulation of droplet(s) may also be generated by a combination of coating repulsive/attractive coatings and/or surface microstructurization.
The fluidic display may be built as a combination of closed channels so as to define the circulation of the fluid(s) droplet(s). In such case the system may be used as a pump, the droplet acting as a piston.
Preferably the fluidic display shall be built as a closed unit, in such case the (thermal) expansion of the fluid(s) is managed and compensated according to the invention disclosed in the Patent applications PCT/IB2016/001448, filed on Oct. 6, 2016, PCT/IB2016/000004, filed on Jan. 7, 2016, PCT/IB2015/001611, filed on Sep. 11, 2015, PCT/IB2015/001336, filed on Aug. 6, 2015, PCT/IB2015/000446, filed on Apr. 7, 2015. PCT/IB2015/000448, filed on Apr. 7, 2015, the content of which is incorporated by reference and relied upon to define the invention claimed herein.
The movement of the droplet(s) may be generated by an electrowetting display as disclosed in patent application U.S. Ser. No. 15/877,520, filed on Jan. 23, 2018, the content of which is incorporated by reference and relied upon to define the invention claimed herein.
The system may go on standby or show a an animation on the display while the detection system is not touched by any finger, and change the animation at the touch of the user's finger, which becomes the controller.
Different sequences of touching the detection system with the finger, or with more than one finger, may trigger different actions from the electronics and software. Such a sequence may be a tapping with one or more fingers on the detection system, which may start/trigger a function or animation. In another variant, a change of orientation/acceleration of the system (which may be in form of an accessory) may start/trigger a function or animation.
The invention may be summarized by the following feature sets:
It should be appreciated that the particular implementations shown and herein described are representative of the invention and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.
As will be appreciated by skilled artisans, the present invention may be embodied as a system, a device, or a method.
The present invention is described herein with reference to block diagrams, devices, components, and modules, according to various aspects of the invention. It will be understood that each functional block of the blocks diagrams, and combinations of functional blocks in the block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions which may be loaded onto a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create enable the functionality specified in the block diagrams.
Accordingly, the block diagram illustrations support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions, and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. Each functional block of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrations, and combinations of functional blocks in the block diagrams, may be implemented by either special purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or suitable combinations thereof.
Moreover, the system contemplates the use, sale and/or distribution of any goods, services or information having similar functionality described herein.
The specification and figures should be considered in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one and all modifications described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the invention claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims (as they currently exist or as later amended or added, and their legal equivalents) rather than by merely the examples described above. Steps recited in any method or process claims, unless otherwise expressly stated, may be executed in any order and are not limited to the specific order presented in any claim. Further, the elements and/or components recited in apparatus claims may be assembled or otherwise functionally configured in a variety of permutations to produce substantially the same result as the present invention. Consequently, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific configuration recited in the claims.
Benefits, other advantages and solutions mentioned herein are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components of any or all the claims.
As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or variations thereof, are intended to refer to a non-exclusive listing of elements, such that any apparatus, process, method, article, or composition of the invention that comprises a list of elements, that does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements such as those described in the instant specification. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the use of the term “consisting” or “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of” is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the enumerated elements named thereafter, unless otherwise indicated. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described elements, materials or structures used in the practice of the present invention may be varied or adapted by the skilled artisan to other designs without departing from the general principles of the invention.
The patents and articles mentioned above are hereby incorporated by reference herein, unless otherwise noted, to the extent that the same are not inconsistent with this disclosure.
Other characteristics and modes of execution of the invention are described in the appended claims.
Further, the invention should be considered as comprising all possible combinations of every feature described in the instant specification, appended claims, and/or drawing figures which may be considered new, inventive and industrially applicable.
Copyright may be owned by the Applicant(s) or their assignee and, with respect to express Licensees to third parties of the rights defined in one or more claims herein, no implied license is granted herein to use the invention as defined in the remaining claims. Further, vis-à-vis the public or third parties, no express or implied license is granted to prepare derivative works based on this patent specification, inclusive of the appendix hereto and any computer program comprised therein.
Additional features and functionality of the invention are described in the claims appended hereto and/or in the abstract. Such claims and/or abstract are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto in this specification and should be considered as part of the application as filed.
Multiple variations and modifications are possible in the embodiments of the invention described here. Although certain illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, a wide range of changes, modifications, and substitutions is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. While the above description contains many specific details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather exemplify one or another preferred embodiment thereof. In some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the foregoing description be construed broadly and understood as being illustrative only, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the claims which ultimately issue in this application.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/645,202, filed Mar. 20, 2018, entitled: FINGER-FLUID INTERFACING METHOD AND DEVICE, the content of the entirety of which are explicitly incorporated herein by reference and relied upon to define features for which protection may be sought hereby as it is believed that the entirety thereof contributes to solving the technical problem underlying the invention, some features that may be mentioned hereunder being of particular importance.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2019/052259 | 3/20/2019 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62645202 | Mar 2018 | US |