Electronic display with magnetometer

Abstract

An electronic interactive display (10) comprising a substrate, a power supply, an interactive display layer included on the substrate, a plurality of magnetometers (M), and a processing circuit (16) communicatively coupled to at least the interactive display layer (20B) and the plurality of magnetometers (M). The interactive display layer (20B) comprises magnetically operable materials (19A, 19B), and a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) is configurable from at least a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation. Multiple magnetometers (M) are configured to perform magnetic field measurements on a user-held device (50) having at least one magnet, and to provide the magnetic field measurement data to a processing circuit (16). The processing circuit (16) is configured to receive magnetic field measurement data and determine the position and / or orientation of the user holding device (50) relative to the interactive display layer (20B).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 23170851.2, filed on April 28, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to an electronic interactive display, as well as an associated user holding device, a method, a system, and a computer program element implemented on a computer.

Background Art

[0003] An electronic interactive display enables a user to write or draw on a visible surface using a user holding device such as a stylus. Typically, when the user pulls the user holding device away from the visible surface, the representation of what the user has written or drawn remains on the visible surface of the electronic interactive display. Further, a processing circuit within the electronic interactive display can capture and store the representation of the writing or drawing applied by the user to the electronic interactive display.

[0004] Examples of electronic interactive displays are, for example, electronic interactive displays such as tablets, smartphones, or monitors. In the drawing mode of an electronic interactive display, the user can load a drawing application hosted by an electronic tablet. The electronic tablet uses a mutual capacitance configuration embedded in the screen of the electronic tablet to detect the location of a touch of the user's finger or stylus. The electronic interactive display digitizes the location of the touch of the user's finger or stylus and provides the digitized location to the drawing application via a device driver.

[0005] The drawing application updates internal files of the digitized location. The drawing application displays the digitized location, or a trace of the digitized location, via the screen of the electronic interactive display, typically aligned to the same location on the electronic interactive display screen that the user first touched using their finger or stylus. In this way, the user can interact with the electronic interactive display. More generally, the user can interact with the application menu system, for example, using a stylus or finger.

[0006] However, users often experience a significant delay between the event of their finger or stylus touching the screen of an electronically interactive display and the subsequent event of displaying artifacts drawn on the screen. This delay is subjectively perceptible to the user. Such delays are introduced, for example, by capacitive sensing of the electronically interactive display screen, interface electronics, device driver software, and / or the drawing application itself, and / or by the thin-film transistor (TFT) screen of an electronic tablet, and by screen refresh.

[0007] Therefore, electronic interactive displays can be further improved. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0008] According to a first embodiment, an electronically interactive display is provided. The electronically interactive display comprises a substrate, a power supply, an interactive display layer included on the substrate, and a plurality of magnetometers that define a reference coordinate system for the electronically interactive display. Each magnetometer of the plurality of magnetometers has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the other magnetometers. The electronically interactive display further comprises at least the interactive display layer and a processing circuit that is communicatively coupled to the plurality of magnetometers.

[0009] The interactive display layer contains a magnetically responsive material.

[0010] The interactive display layer faces the user of the electronic interactive display when in use. A portion of the interactive display layer can be configured from at least a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation.

[0011] Multiple magnetometers are configured to perform magnetic field measurements on a user-held device that has at least one magnet within a sensing volume adjacent to the interactive display layer, and to provide magnetic field measurement data based on the magnetic field measurements to a processing circuit.

[0012] The processing circuit is configured to receive magnetic field measurement data and, when at least one user-held device is present within the sensing volume, to determine the position and / or orientation of the user-held device relative to the interactive display layer.

[0013] The effects of the aforementioned embodiments include the effect of digitizing writing or images applied to the interactive display layer of an electronic interactive display by a user-holding device comprising at least one magnet. For example, if the electronic interactive display includes a magnetically actuated material, the magnets included in the user-holding device can switch a portion of the interactive display layer between a first visual state and a second visual state based on exposure to the magnetic field provided by the magnets included in the user-holding device. The magnetic properties of the user-holding device can be tracked simultaneously by multiple magnetometers, enabling the location (position and / or orientation) to be determined when a user of the electronic interactive display writes onto the interactive display layer of the electronic interactive display using at least one magnet of the user-holding device.

[0014] The latency between the user observing the visual response of the interactive display layer (switching a magnetically actuated material from a first visual state to a second visual state, or vice versa, based on magnetic stimulation) and the processing circuit determining the position and / or orientation of the user-held device (obtained via measurement of the magnetic field of the user-held device by multiple odometers) is significantly reduced compared to implementations that rely, for example, on detecting the location of the user-held device using a capacitance or force-sensitive resistor method. This is because detecting the location of the user-held device using a capacitance or force-sensitive resistor method requires an interface circuit and associated processor register addressing, which introduces latency.

[0015] In conventional known electronic tablets, as described in the background technology, visual feedback can be provided to the user by an electronically driven electronic pixel display (EPD). Maintaining and / or changing the state of the EPD display (e.g., a TFT or LCD screen) results in relatively high power consumption. According to a first embodiment, the interactive display layer includes a magnetically actuated material that changes from a first visual state to a second visual state based on the application of an external incident magnetic field from, for example, a user-holding device equipped with a magnet. Therefore, since an EPD is not required to maintain input sketched or written on the magnetically actuated material of the electronic interactive display, the user can sketch or write on the electronic interactive display using much lower power consumption compared to conventional known electronic tablets.

[0016] In one embodiment, if the user does not wish to determine the location of the user-held device, the power to the multiple magnetometers can be turned off, and the electronic interactive display can have a display-only mode without recording the location of the user-held device using the multiple magnetometers.

[0017] According to a second embodiment, a user-holding device is provided for use with an electronically interactive display containing a magnetically operable material. The user-holding device comprises an elongated body defining the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device. The elongated body comprises a proximal end and a distal end, a first magnet disposed at or near the proximal end of the elongated body, and a second magnet disposed between the first magnet and the distal end of the elongated body along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device. The second magnet has a magnetic moment at least twice that of the first magnet.

[0018] The effect is that a user-holding device suitable for writing or sketching on the interactive display layer of an electronically interactive display according to the first embodiment does not require any electronic components. In other words, the magnetically operable material of the interactive display layer of the electronically interactive display according to the first embodiment can be written on using a user-holding device equipped with a magnet, even when the electronically interactive display is not powered on, without the user-holding device requiring any form of electronic equipment. The cost and complexity of the user-holding device are simplified. In one embodiment, one magnet is used for magnetic tracking and writing on the magnetically operable material. In one embodiment, a first magnet is used for writing, and a second magnet is used for magnetic tracking. In one embodiment, magnets with different spatial distributions can be provided in different user-holding devices so that the electronically interactive display can distinguish when different types of user-holding devices are being used.

[0019] According to a third aspect, a method is provided that can be implemented on a computer operating an electronic interactive display, the method being: - A set of magnetometers defining a reference coordinate system for an electronic interactive display, wherein each magnetometer has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the electronic interactive display, and the set of magnetometers is used to perform magnetic field measurements of a user-held device in a sensing volume adjacent to the interactive display layer of the electronic interactive display. - Based on magnetic field measurements, the magnetic field measurement data is provided to the processing circuit. -Includes determining the position and / or orientation of a user-held device relative to the interactive display layer when at least one user-held device is present within the sensing volume.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect, a system is provided. The system comprises an electronically interactive display as defined in the first aspect or an embodiment thereof, a user-holding device according to the second aspect or an embodiment thereof, a host, and a communication network configured to connect the communication interface of the electronically interactive display to the host in a communicative manner. The electronically interactive display is configured to communicate screen representation data written to the electronically interactive display by the user-holding device to the host.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program element is provided which, when executed by a processing circuit, includes machine-readable instructions configured to perform the method implemented by a computer according to a third aspect.

[0022] According to a sixth aspect, a kit of components is provided comprising an electronically interactive display according to a first aspect and a user-holding device according to a second aspect. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] Other features will become apparent from the accompanying drawings, which form part of this disclosure. The drawings are intended to further illustrate this disclosure and to enable those skilled in the art to implement it. However, these drawings are intended as non-limiting examples. Common reference numerals in different drawings indicate similar or similar functions. [Figure 1A] A schematic diagram of magnetically operable display materials is shown. [Figure 1B] A schematic diagram of magnetically and electrically operable display materials is shown. [Figure 1C]Schematically shows a magnetically and electrically actuatable display material including position digitizing means. [Figure 2] Schematically shows a side cross-sectional view of an electronic interactive display. [Figure 3] Schematically shows a plurality of magnetometers included in an electronic interactive display. [Figure 4] Schematically shows the electronic function module of an electronic interactive display. [Figure 5] Schematically shows the placement locations of a plurality of magnetometers with respect to the substrate of an electronic interactive display. [Figure 6] Schematically shows the placement locations of a plurality of magnetometers with respect to the substrate of an electronic interactive display. [Figure 7] Schematically shows a modified example of the magnetometer array arrangement. [Figure 8A] Schematically shows the change of an image between visual states. [Figure 8B] Schematically shows a method implemented by a computer for changing an image between visual states. [Figure 9A] Schematically shows the first stage of an electrical display priming function. [Figure 9B] Schematically shows the second stage of an electrical display priming function. [Figure 9C] Schematically shows the third stage of an electrical display priming function. [Figure 9D] Schematically shows a method implemented by a computer for electrical display priming. [Figure 10A] Schematically shows changing the mode by changing the orientation of a user-held device. [Figure 10B] Schematically shows a method implemented by a computer for changing the mode by changing the orientation of a user-held device. [Figure 11A] Schematically shows applying a trace variation function based on the orientation of a user-held device. [Figure 11B]This outlines a computer-based method for performing trace variation based on the orientation of a user-held device. [Figure 12] A schematic side cross-sectional view of an exemplary user-holding device is shown. [Figure 13] This outlines the method for implementing this on a computer that operates an electronic interactive display. [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates a system equipped with an electronically interactive display. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] This description relates to an electronic interactive display 10 comprising at least several magnetometers M and an interactive display layer 20B that is visible to the user during use and maintains its state until a subsequent magnetic and / or electrical addressing event occurs. The interactive display layer 20B includes a magnetically operable material. The magnetically operable material is a material that changes color, contrast, reflectivity, etc., between a first visual state and a second visual state when exposed to a magnetic flux that is more concentrated than the background magnetic flux (e.g., the Earth's magnetic field). Combined with a user-holding device equipped with suitable magnets (one or more) 52, 54, the electronic interactive display 10 can display writing on a magnetically operable material, but the writing is directly by the magnets 52, and multiple magnetometers M can track the location (position and / or orientation) of the user-holding device, in particular the (x, y, z) track traced by the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50 on the surface of the electronic interactive display 10, based at least on the change in the magnetic field F 52 observed by the multiple magnetometers M.

[0025] Therefore, this specification proposes solutions to the problems of high latency and high power consumption in other electronically interactive displays. In particular, the use of electromagnetophoretic materials enables low-latency rendering because the display is directly magnetically addressed (switched) by an incident magnetic field, and therefore high-latency electronic addressing is not required to change the appearance of the magnetically addressed portion of the screen. Magnetic tracking using multiple magnetometers M enables the digitization of the position and / or orientation of the user-held device 50. This enables the capture of handwriting, drawing, and / or touch movements on the screen.

[0026] In some embodiments, the magnetic polarity of magnets 52, 54, and 56 relative to the electronic interactive display 10 can be detected. For example, if a first magnet included in the user-holding device 50 is initially closer to the electronic interactive display 10 than a second magnet, a mode change can be selected when the longitudinal axis L of the user-holding device 50 is inverted in space by the user, for example, and as a result, multiple magnetometers M determine that the second magnet, which has a different polarity from the first magnet, is closer to the electronic interactive display 10 than the first magnet. The mode change may be, for example, a change from write mode to erase mode of the electronic interactive display 10. The mode change can be detected, for example, by detecting the polarity of the magnet located at the distal end of the user-holding device 50.

[0027] In some embodiments, additional drive electrodes are provided to change the appearance of the interactive display layer 20B, particularly the magnetically actuated material, from either a first or second visual state to at least a third or fourth visual state. Typically, this change to at least a third or fourth visual state is achieved by exposing the magnetically actuated material to a further electric field from the additional drive electrodes.

[0028] In one embodiment, the opacity or contrast of the rendering on a magnetically operable material may depend on the strength of the magnet 54 at the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50, and / or the orientation of the user-holding device 50 relative to the electronically interactive display 10. Thus, since the rendering opacity depends on the strength and proximity of the magnet, it is possible to generate a rendering model of the electronically interactive display that is precisely adapted to a particular user-holding device 50. In one embodiment, a plurality of magnetometers M may detect a particular user-holding device 50 based on changes in the spacing, distribution, or type of magnets along the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device 50.

[0029] For example, the user-holding device 50 may include a single, long, slender magnet 54 located at the proximal end of the user-holding device 50 and extending toward its distal end along the longitudinal axis L of the user-holding device. In an embodiment, the user-holding device 50 may include two fixed magnets. The first magnet 54 is located at the proximal end (tip) of the user-holding device 50. In an embodiment, the first magnet 54 has a lower magnetic strength compared to a second magnet 52 used by a plurality of magnetometers M to track the position of the user-holding device 50.

[0030] By applying magnetic tracking in this way, different types of user-held devices (pens, brushes, styluses) can be made compatible with screen-based magnetic sensing displays.

[0031] According to embodiments summarized above and described in detail below, a user can draw on a magnetically and electrically operated magnetically operable display bistable electrophoretic display (bistable EPD), known in some embodiments as an electromagnetophoretic display, and digitally capture the user's writing strokes. An electrically and / or electronically passive writing instrument (user-held device 50) having at least one magnet does not require any electronic components for writing on the electromagnetophoretic display of the electronically interactive display 10. The movement of the user-held device 50 relative to the electronically interactive display is digitized by a plurality of magnetometers M.

[0032] Within the user-holding device 50, the first magnet 54 is located at the proximal end. In the embodiment, an additional magnet 56 is provided at the distal end of the user-holding device 50. In the embodiment, the additional magnet 56 may have a different polarity or magnetic moment vector and / or a larger magnetic moment compared to the first magnet 54. In the embodiment, the user can selectively raise a portion of the screen by inverting the user-holding device 50 along its longitudinal axis L so that the distal end D of the user-holding device 50 with the additional magnet 56 approaches the surface of the electronic interactive device 10. This change is detected by multiple magnetometers M, which change the electronic device 10 to an erase state and detect the location of the erase stroke as the user moves the additional magnet 56 around the screen of the electronic interactive device 10.

[0033] Generally, the user-holding device 50 may include a first magnet 54 located near or at the proximal end of the user-holding device 50. The user-holding device 50 may also include a second magnet 52 located on or around the longitudinal axis L of the user-holding device 50 between the first magnet 54 located near or at the proximal end P and the distal end D of the user-holding device 50. In one embodiment, the second magnet 52 is closer to the proximal end P than to the distal end D of the user-holding device 50. In one embodiment, the magnetic field of the second magnet 52 is at least twice as strong as that of the first magnet 54. In one embodiment, the user-holding device 50 may also include a first magnet 54 located at or near the proximal end P and a further magnet 56 located at or near the distal end D of the user-holding device 50, the further magnet 56 having a different and / or opposite polarity compared to the first magnet 54.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the user-holding device 50 may include a first magnet 54 located at or near the proximal end P, a further magnet 56 located at or near the distal end D and having a different or opposite polarity to the first magnet 54, and a second magnet 52 located on or around the longitudinal axis L of the usable device 50. The second magnet 52 can generate a stronger magnetic field compared to the first magnet 54 and the further magnet 56.

[0035] Figure 1A shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the interactive display.

[0036] The substrate 12 supports an interactive display layer 20B enclosed by lamination including a first electrode array 20A. In one embodiment, a second electrode array 20C may be provided and attached to the substrate 12 by a lamination layer (not shown). The interactive display layer 20B includes magnetically actuated materials 19A, 19B. In embodiments, the magnetically actuated materials 19A, 19B can also be actuated by electric fields emitted from the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B. In embodiments, the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B are arranged on the substrate 12 in an individually addressable pixel pattern. In this case, the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B form the first and second pixel arrays (not shown), respectively. However, the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B may be any shape of region or the entire region of the interactive display layer 20.

[0037] The first electrode array 20A includes, for example, a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0038] In the embodiment, the magnetically operable materials 19A and 19B contained in the interactive display array 20B include microcapsules (enclosing both magnetically operable materials 19A and 19B). Each microcapsule may contain two types of magnetophoretic colorants, a solvent, and, in the embodiment, a polymer binder. The microcapsules may be freely encapsulated within the interactive display array 20B, or they may be confined by microcells in a honeycomb or square pattern (not shown), for example. The magnetophoretic colorants can be displaced within the microcapsules by a magnetic field and / or an electric field. In the illustrated embodiment, the first magnetophoretic pigment 19A is darker and has a more saturated contrast level than the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B.

[0039] In one embodiment, when the first magnetophoretic pigment 19A is dominant toward the front of the electronic interactive display (in other words, when the dominant amount of the first magnetophoretic pigment 19A in each microcapsule is closer to the first electrode array 20A than the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B), that portion of the electronic interactive display 10 will be in a first visual state. In one embodiment, the first visual state may be dark gray or black.

[0040] In one embodiment, when the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B is dominant toward the front of the electronic interactive display (in other words, when the dominant amount of the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B in each microcapsule is closer to the first electrode array 20A than the first magnetophoretic pigment 19B), that portion of the electronic interactive display 10 will be in a second visual state. In one embodiment, the second visual state may be, for example, light gray or white. Figure 1A shows the left microcapsule in the first visual state and the right microcapsule in the second visual state.

[0041] Changing a portion of an electronically interactive display from a first visual state to a second visual state is typically performed, for example, by magnetic stimulation from a magnet 54 of a user-holding device 50.

[0042] Figure 1B schematically shows a magnetically and electrically operable display.

[0043] The second electrode array 20C may include, for example, an active thin-film transistor matrix. The second electrode array 20C may be divided into a number of pixels distributed on the surface of the electronically interactive display. For example, in one embodiment, the pixels included in the second electrode array 20C may be formed by an array of thin-film transistors that enable the pixel electrodes of the second electrode array 20C to be addressed using a row-column addressing scheme. In another embodiment, the second electrode array 20C may be single-addressable to enable each portion of the entire screen of the electronically interactive display 10 to be biased by the same amount. In another embodiment, a selected portion of the second electrode array may be provided to allow a portion of the screen of an electronically interactive device intended to display menu functions to be biased separately from the rest of the screen, for example.

[0044] In one embodiment, for a given spatial position (x,y) on the screen of the electronic interactive display 10, a pixel or region of the first electrode array 20A can be subjected to a positive and / or negative electric field bias to the corresponding microcapsule(s) at the spatial position (x,y) below the interactive display array 20B, while the corresponding pixel or region of the second electrode array 20B is held at 0 volts. This can cause the first magnetophoretic pigment 19A within each microcapsule to be attracted closer to the first electrode array 20A than to the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B. In this case, that portion of the electronic interactive display 10 is in a third visual state.

[0045] In one embodiment, for a given spatial position (x,y) on the screen of the interactive display 10, different positive and / or negative electric field biases can be applied to the corresponding microcapsules (one or more) at the spatial position (x,y) below the interactive display array 20B, while the pixels or regions of the first electrode array 20A and the corresponding pixels or regions of the second electrode array 20B are held at different voltage levels. This allows the first magnetophoretic pigment 19A within each microcapsule to be repelled so that it is closer to the second electrode array 20B than to the second magnetophoretic pigment 19B. In this case, that portion of the interactive display 10 is in a fourth visual state.

[0046] In one embodiment, the third visual state may be, for example, saturated black. In another embodiment, the fourth visual state may be, for example, saturated white. Generally, magnetic stimulation typically moves the magnetophoretic pigments 19A and 19B with relatively lower efficiency compared to electrical stimulation. Therefore, the entire range of pigment saturation (between the third and fourth visual states) can be obtained by a combination of magnetic and electrical stimulation of the magnetophoretic pigments 19A and 19B. However, the acceptable range of pigment saturation (between the first and second visual states) can be obtained by using magnetic stimulation of the magnetophoretic pigments 19A and 19B.

[0047] The conference paper "Magnetically Written Electrophoretic Display" by Tsai, CC and McCreary, MD, in the proceedings of IDW 2019, ISSN-L 1883-2490 / 26 / 1391, is incorporated herein by reference and further discusses the magnetic operation of electrophoretic pigments.

[0048] Figure 1C schematically shows a magnetically and electrically operable display material including a touch position digitization means.

[0049] In one embodiment, the touch position digitization means may include one or both of a capacitive touch sensing layer 20E or a force sensing resistor layer 20F. If provided, the capacitive touch sensing layer 20E may function according to the mutual capacitance principle and / or the self-capacitance principle. In embodiments, the capacitive touch sensing layer 20E may be located in pixels corresponding to or spatially aligned with the first electrode array 20A and the second electrode array 20B.

[0050] In some embodiments described herein, the touch position digitization means enables the positioning of the proximal or distal end of the user-held device 50, or the touch of the user's finger, in the (X,Y) plane. Such touch information can be combined, for example, with location information of the user-held device 50 acquired using multiple magnetometers M to improve overall accuracy and / or to temporally position the moment when the user-held device 50 touches the interactive display layer 20B of the electronic interactive display, or the electrodes 20A or 20E thereon.

[0051] Figure 2 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of an electronic interactive display.

[0052] According to a first embodiment, an electronic interactive display 10 is provided, comprising a substrate 12, a power supply 14, an interactive display layer 20B included on the substrate 12, and a plurality of magnetometers M that define a reference coordinate system for the electronic interactive display. Each of the plurality of magnetometers M, M1 to M6, has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the other magnetometers M. The electronic interactive display 10 further comprises a processing circuit 16 that is communicatively coupled to at least the interactive display layer 20B and the plurality of magnetometers M.

[0053] The interactive display layer 20B includes magnetically operable materials 19A and 19B.

[0054] The interactive display layer 20B faces the user U of the electronic interactive display 10 when in use. At least a portion of the interactive display layer 20B can be configured from at least a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation.

[0055] Multiple magnetometers M are configured to perform magnetic field measurements on a user-holding device 50, which has at least one magnet in a sensing volume S adjacent to the interactive display layer 20B, and to provide magnetic field measurement data based on the magnetic field measurements to a processing circuit 16.

[0056] The processing circuit 16 receives magnetic field measurement data and is configured to determine the position and / or orientation of the user-holding device 50 relative to the interactive display layer 20B when at least one user-holding device 50 is present in the sensing volume S.

[0057] An exemplary electronic interactive display, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a back panel 13 and frames 11A and 11B. The back panel is a rigid mechanical support structure made of a solid material such as plastic or metal.

[0058] A substrate 12 is attached to the back panel 13. The substrate 12 supports the interactive display layer 20B. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the second electrode array 20C is attached to the substrate 12 and the interactive display layer 20B is attached to the second electrode array 20A, but in other embodiments, the interactive display layer 20B may be directly attached to the substrate 12. According to one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B.

[0059] In the embodiment, frames 11A, 11B may include transparent, opaque, or translucent material and laterally enclose an active area (in the illustrated XS, YS planes) on which content can be displayed by the interactive display layer 20B. The active area may also define an interaction surface of the electronic interactive display 10 with the proximal end P of the user-held device 50. The interactive display layer 20B may include, for example, a low-power reflective display that uses ambient light to present content by reflection. In one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B is not an active light emitter. In one embodiment, the interactive display 20B is not an OLED, LCD, or TFT display.

[0060] According to one embodiment, when the interactive display layer 20B is operated between the first to fourth visual states as defined herein, the interactive display layer 20B provides a monochromatic display scale, for example, black and white or grayscale shading.

[0061] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the interactive display layer 20B has a lamination or deposition layer forming a first electrode array 20A. For example, the first electrode array 20A is an optically transparent layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) on which the electrode array is patterned. In other embodiments, the first electrode array 20A may be omitted and / or replaced with, for example, a transparent acrylic protective layer. According to other embodiments, the exemplary electronic interactive display 10 may include the configuration shown in Figure 1A, Figure 1B, or Figure 1C.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B can be subdivided into pixels based on the layout of electrodes in the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B. In one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B is divided into a plurality of square pixels using a matrix addressing scheme. In one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B can be divided by the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B into regions of any shape having different display characteristics. For example, a spatial portion of the interactive display layer 20B may have a rectangular bar reserved for use as a “menu”, and this region may have a brighter or darker visual display state. Thus, the arrangement of the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20B can correspond to any such arbitrary regional shape or subdivision of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0063] The portion of the electronic interactive display 10 that is visible to the user U during use is sometimes referred to as the top or front. The portion of the electronic interactive display 10 that is not visible to the user U during use is sometimes referred to as the bottom or rear.

[0064] The interactive display layer 20B is the interactive display layer 20B described above in relation to the configuration shown in Figure 1A, Figure 1B, or Figure 1C. For example, the interactive display layer 20B includes one or more magnetophoretic pigments. For example, the interactive display layer 20B includes a magnetically responsive material that changes from a first visual state to a second visual state when an incident magnetic field of a predetermined magnitude is applied. The visual state may be, for example, a level of color or saturation of the interactive display layer 20B that is subjectively apparent to the user U. The magnetically responsive material is, for example, a bistable magneto-responsive electrophoretic display, also known as electromagnetography. A bistable magneto-responsive electrophoretic display can change the visual state in the presence of a local, constant magnetic field.

[0065] In one embodiment, the magnetically operable material is an electromagnetophoretic material.

[0066] In addition, magnetically actuated materials are also electrically actuated, for example, in the presence of an electric field. In one embodiment, the application of an electric field to a portion of the interactive display layer 20B changes the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B, which is subjectively perceptible to the user U, from either a first or second visual state to a third or fourth visual state. The third or fourth visual state may exhibit a higher degree of saturation and contrast compared to the first or second visual state. In one embodiment, the range of saturation and / or contrast levels between the first and second visual states is smaller than the range of saturation and / or contrast levels between the third and fourth visual states.

[0067] The electronic interactive display 10 further comprises an electronic device module 18 having at least a power supply 14, a processing circuit 16, and a plurality of magnetometers M. In the embodiment of Figure 2, an array of six magnetometers is shown, but more or fewer magnetometers can be used, as will be explained in relation to Figure 7.

[0068] The electronics module 18 may be a single unit, or the electronics may be distributed in several locations around the electronically interactive device 10. For example, multiple magnetometers M can be distributed around parts or all of the frames 11A, 11B of the electronically interactive device 10, and another electronics module 18, comprising a power supply 14 and processing circuits 16, can be mounted, for example, on the back panel 13. In this case, the multiple magnetometers M are connected to the processing circuits 16 using electronic traces in the back panel 13 and / or substrate 12 of the electronically interactive device 10.

[0069] Multiple magnetometers M enable the electronic interactive device 10 to track the user-held device 50, which is equipped with at least one permanent magnet 54, as the user-held device moves within the sensing volume S of the electronic interactive device 10.

[0070] The illustration of the sensing volume S as a rectangular parallelepiped is illustrative, and the sensing volume typically has a spatial envelope that depends on the arrangement of the multiple magnetometers and / or the signal processing applied to the signals obtained from the multiple magnetometers M. Further embodiments of detecting the position of the user-held device 50 relative to the electronic interactive display 10 using multiple magnetometers M will be described in reference to Figure 3. In short, the arrangement of the multiple magnetometers M defines the reference coordinate system of the electronic interactive display 10. In one embodiment, each of the multiple magnetometers is a triaxial magnetometer.

[0071] The electronic interactive device 10 shown in Figure 2 is a tablet computer intended for use with a user-held device 50. The user-held device 50 may be, for example, a computer mouse, a dial, a ring, a toy, a keyboard, a joystick, or a stylus. A stylus-type user-held device 50 is shown in Figure 2.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment, the substrate 12 is rigid together with the associated frame 13 and backing 11.

[0073] In one embodiment, part or all of the substrate 12 is flexible. The multiple magnetometers M should have a fixed spatial relationship, and therefore, a rod comprising the multiple magnetometers M and electronic equipment 18 can be mounted, for example, on a flexible roll manufactured using printable electronic equipment. The flexible roll may include an interactive display layer 20B, and, in embodiments, first and second electrode arrays.

[0074] The user-holding device 50 comprises a first magnet 54 and a second magnet 52. The user-holding device 50 is, for example, laterally translatable and / or rotatable on the interaction surface of the electronic interactive device 10. In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 2, the interaction surface is a first electrode array 20A. In one embodiment, the first magnet 52 of the user-holding device 50 generates a magnetic field on a magnetically responsive pigment in the interactive display layer 20B, changing its response from a first visual state to a second visual state. In one embodiment, the magnetic moment of the second magnet 52 of the user-holding device is tracked by a plurality of magnetometers. The plurality of magnetometers perform magnetic field measurements within a sensing volume S and output magnetic field measurement data.

[0075] During use, the processing circuit 16 determines the location (position and / or orientation) of the user device 50 by processing magnetic field measurement data acquired by multiple magnetometers M. The processing circuit 16 can determine, for example, when the proximal end P of the user holding device 50 has moved within a distance range d close enough for the magnetic field F54 of the first magnet 54 to change the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B from a first visual state to a second visual state, or vice versa.

[0076] When the processing circuit 16 determines that the user holding device 50 has been moved within a distance range d close enough for the magnetic field F54 of the first magnet 54 to change the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B from a first visual state to a second visual state, the processing circuit 16 can track or record the portion of the electronic interactive display screen that has been changed from the first visual state to the second visual state by the first magnet 54.

[0077] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to use the determined position and / or orientation of the user-holding device 50 to detect that at least one user-holding device 50 has converted a portion of the interactive display layer 20B from a first visual state to a second visual state, and to use the processing circuit 16 to generate screen representation data including the position of the converted portion of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0078] The processing circuit 16 can generate a bitmap of the YS,XS plane of the interactive display layer 20B, which is an approximate or accurate representation of the appearance of the YS,XS plane of the interactive display layer 20B after it has been magnetically addressed by the first magnet 54 of the user holding device 50. In one embodiment, this bitmap may be output as an output file, output mask, or output data as screen representation data representing user input on the electronic interactive display 10.

[0079] In one embodiment, screen representation data can provide a grayscale representation of user input on the electronic interactive display 10 for each spatial portion in the XS, YS planes of the interactive display layer 20B. In this case, the first magnet 54 causes a more saturated or less saturated change in the appearance of the interactive display layer 20B based on how close and / or how long or in what orientation the first magnet 54 is held to a given portion of the interactive display layer 20B. In this embodiment, multiple magnetometers M can therefore track the relative distance interval d of the proximal end P of the interactive display layer 20B of the user holding device 50 for each (XS, YS) coordinate of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0080] Figure 3 schematically shows multiple magnetometers included in an electronic interactive display.

[0081] Multiple magnetometers M may be fixedly arranged within the casing of the electronically interactive device 10. The multiple magnetometers M define fixed positions and / or orientations relative to each other. The magnetometer plane 21 can be defined by a plane extending through most of the multiple magnetometers 300. More specifically, the magnetometer plane 21 may extend through the centers of most of the multiple magnetometers M, more specifically through the geometric centers. In other words, most of the magnetometers among the multiple magnetometers M may be located in a common plane, i.e., the magnetometer plane 21. However, one or more of the multiple magnetometers M may be separated from and / or inclined to the common plane, for example, due to manufacturing issues and / or tolerances, and / or manufacturing design constraints. The magnetometer plane M can additionally or alternatively be defined by a plane in which most of the magnetometers among the multiple magnetometers M are located.

[0082] As shown in Figure 2, the electronic interactive display 10 may include a reference coordinate system XS, YS, ZS, which includes a first reference axis XS, a second reference axis YS, and a vertical reference axis ZS. The first reference axis XS and the second reference axis YS can be defined parallel to the magnetometer plane 21 and can be orthogonal to each other. The vertical reference axis ZS can be orthogonal to the magnetometer plane 21. Furthermore, the vertical reference axis ZS can extend through the centers of multiple magnetometers M.

[0083] Referring to Figure 3, the arrangement of multiple magnetometers M relative to the interactive display layer 20B is shown. As outlined above, the multiple magnetometers M are configured to measure the magnetic fields associated with the magnets 52, 54, and / or 56 of the user holding device 50.

[0084] The processing circuit 16 can be configured to determine magnetic field measurement data based on the collected magnetic field measurements in the sensing volume S relative to the reference coordinate systems XS, YS, and ZS. The magnetic field measurement data can indicate the position and / or orientation of a magnetic object associated with at least one magnet 52, 54, 56 relative to the reference coordinate system XYZ, more specifically the magnetometer plane 21.

[0085] The orientation of a magnetic object may be defined by a set of orientation angles (θ,γ) of the magnetic object with respect to the axes of the reference coordinate system. More specifically, each orientation angle (θ,γ) of the magnetic object can be measured between the magnetic moment vector of the magnet 52 and the respective axes XS, YS, and ZS of the reference coordinate system.

[0086] As outlined above, each magnetometer M can be configured to measure magnetic fields F52, F54 in the directions of the first reference axis XS, the second reference axis YS, and / or the vertical reference axis ZS. In other words, each magnetometer M can be configured to perform magnetic field measurements in the directions of two axes (i.e., 2D XS, YS) or three axes (i.e., 3D XS, YS, ZS), or even a single axis, particularly in the direction of ZS, to obtain, for example, a spatial representation, pressure, and / or grayscale representation of writing or sketching on the interactive display layer 20B, and the magnetic field measurements are used to calculate (e.g., as a bitmap) the data obtained on the screen.

[0087] The number of magnetometers provided may depend on the size of the interactive display layer 20B, the required accuracy, the magnets used, and the required detection distance of the magnets from which the user-held device 50 operates.

[0088] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the multiple magnetometers M can be arranged in rows or in rows and columns. However, it is also possible to arrange the multiple magnetometers randomly within the electronically interactive display 10. Calibration procedures can be used to determine the precise location (more specifically, position and / or orientation) and measurement axis of each magnetometer in the electronically interactive device relative to the reference coordinate system. Furthermore, the sensitivity and / or offset of each magnetometer can also be calibrated. In Figure 3, the multiple magnetometers M are shown as being arranged in the magnetometer plane 21 (i.e., in the same plane with respect to the vertical reference axis ZS). However, as outlined above, one or more of the magnetometers may be located away from the magnetometer plane 21, more specifically, away in the direction of the vertical reference axis ZS.

[0089] Magnetic field measurement data from each of the multiple magnetometers M representing the magnetic field inside the sensing volume S is processed, for example, according to the technique described in U.S. Patent No. 9,507,443(B2). U.S. Patent No. 9,507,443(B2) is incorporated herein by reference. This allows the location of the user-held device 50 within the sensing volume S to be determined using the magnetic field measurement data.

[0090] The processing required to determine the location of the user-holding device 50 relative to the interactive display layer 20B can be performed, for example, by a processing circuit 16. In this embodiment, a separate coprocessor can determine the location of the user-holding device 50 relative to the interactive display layer 20B and provide the location as input to the processing circuit 16.

[0091] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to locate the proximal or distal end of the user holding device 50 to within 1 mm perpendicular to the surface of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0092] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to locate the proximal or distal end of the user-held object within the sensing volume S to a position 300 mm or less perpendicular to the surface of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0093] Figure 4 schematically shows the electronic function module of the electronic interactive display 10.

[0094] An electronic function module can be integrated into or connected to one or more printed circuit boards or printable electronic devices.

[0095] The power supply 14 may include, for example, a chemical battery such as a lithium-ion battery. In this embodiment, a wired power supply based on a DC-DC converter can supply power to the electronic interactive display 10.

[0096] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 comprises, for example, a data processor or data processing chipset based on an ARM® or Intel® processor core. According to one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to output screen representation data via a communication interface 18.

[0097] According to one embodiment, a data processor or data processing chipset is configured to instantiate and host an embedded operating system for operating electronically interactive devices. The embedded operating system can host device drivers for operating a plurality of magnetometers M and any coprocessors associated with them. The device drivers can further operate a communication interface 18, an electric drive circuit 22, a capacitive position sensing circuit 23, a resistive position sensing circuit 24, and a non-volatile memory 25. The embedded operating system can host a device driver that can operate a power supply 14.

[0098] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 includes a coprocessor configured to receive magnetic field measurement data from a plurality of magnetometers M and output location data, for example, the position and / or orientation of the user holding device 50, to the processing circuit 16. However, in other embodiments, the position determination process can be performed by the processing circuit 16 without requiring a coprocessor.

[0099] In one embodiment, the electronically interactive display further comprises a communication interface 18 that is communicatively coupled to the processing circuit 16. In this embodiment, the communication interface 18 can communicate using a wireless interface such as I2C(trademark), USB(trademark), SPI(trademark), USART(trademark), WiFi(trademark), Bluetooth(trademark), or Bluetooth low energy(trademark), a wired Ethernet interface, or an IrDA interface.

[0100] In one embodiment, the electronic interactive display 10 further comprises an electrode driving circuit 22. The electrode driving circuit 22 can energize at least a portion of the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C.

[0101] In one embodiment, the electronic interactive display 10 further includes a capacitive position sensing circuit 23.

[0102] In embodiments comprising a capacitive touch-sensing layer 20E, the capacitive position-sensing circuit 23 generates a location in the (XS,YS) plane based on the touch location of the user-held device 50 or another element, such as the user's finger, on the electronically interactive display 10. In this embodiment, the proximal or tip of the user-held device includes, for example, a conductive tip. The capacitive position-sensing circuit 23 can, for example, handle mutual inductance or self-inductance position detection. The capacitive position-sensing circuit 23 provides the processor 16 with the current location in the (XS,YS) plane. In one embodiment, the capacitive position-sensing circuit 23 can generate a signal that substituted for pressure on the touch-sensing layer 20E based, for example, the detected size of a fingertip.

[0103] In one embodiment, the electronic interactive display 10 further comprises a force-sensitive resistance position sensing circuit 24. In embodiments comprising a force-sensitive resistance sensing layer 20F, the force-sensitive resistance position sensing circuit 24 generates a location in the (XS,YS) plane based on the touch location on the electronic interactive display 10 of a user holding device 50 or another element, such as a user's finger applying physical pressure to the interactive display layer 20B. The force-sensitive resistance position sensing circuit 24 provides the processing circuit 16 with the current location in the (XS,YS) plane and, in embodiments, a proxy measurement of the pressure applied at that point.

[0104] In one embodiment, the electronically interactive display 10 further comprises a non-volatile memory 25. The non-volatile memory is configured to store, for example, computer program elements for executing on the processing circuit 16 of the electronically interactive display 10 a method implemented by a computer according to a third embodiment or thereof. In an embodiment, the non-volatile memory may further store operational data or library data. In an embodiment, the non-volatile memory stores, for example, a pen trace library that specifies the trace width as a function of the detected orientation (θ, γ) of a user-held device and / or the pressure or detected height of the user-held device 50.

[0105] Figure 5 schematically shows the placement locations of multiple magnetometers M on the substrate of the electronic interactive display 10. Generally, the multiple magnetometers M may be placed around the frame 11 of the electronic interactive device 10, which is defined by regions 116a, 118a, 114a, and 116a, having a height of 1H, a width of 1W, and a length of 1L, and / or in the central region of the electronic interactive device 10.

[0106] In Figure 5, the diagrams of the printed circuit board and all other elements of the electronic interactive display 110, such as the battery, are omitted in order to more clearly visualize the boundaries of the mounting areas for multiple magnetometers.

[0107] In the following description, “housing” 112 is the housing of the electronically interactive device 10. In this description, it is assumed that housing 112 has a square or rectangular shape, but those skilled in the art will understand that the general mounting zones for the magnetometer array as defined below can be approximated to apply to housings having, for example, rounded corners or other shapes.

[0108] According to one embodiment, the length of the housing 112, defined by 1L, is one of the following ranges: 5cm to 10cm, 10cm to 15cm, 15cm to 20cm, 20cm to 25cm, 25cm to 30cm, 30cm to 35cm, or 35cm to 40cm.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the width of the housing 112, defined by 1W, is one of the following ranges: 5cm to 10cm, 10cm to 15cm, 15cm to 20cm, 20cm to 25cm, 25cm to 30cm, 30cm to 35cm, or 35cm to 40cm.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the magnetometers physically located in the first portion 114a include only those magnetometers operably coupled to the first plurality of magnetometers MA1. Magnetometers not associated with the first plurality of magnetometers MA1 are not physically located within the first portion 114a.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the magnetometers physically located in the second portion 116a include only those magnetometers operably coupled to the second plurality of magnetometers MA2. Magnetometers not associated with the second plurality of magnetometers MA2 are not physically located within the second portion 116a.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the magnetometers physically located in the third portion 118a include only those magnetometers operably coupled to the third plurality of magnetometers MA3. Magnetometers not associated with the third plurality of magnetometers MA3 are not physically located within the third portion 118a.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the magnetometers physically located in the fourth section 120a include only those magnetometers operably coupled to the fourth plurality of magnetometers MA4. Magnetometers not associated with the fourth plurality of magnetometers MA4 are not physically located within the fourth section 120a.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the magnetometers physically located in the fifth section 130 include only those magnetometers operably coupled to the fifth plurality of magnetometers MA5. Magnetometers not associated with the fifth plurality of magnetometers MA5 are not physically located within the fifth section 130.

[0115] According to one embodiment, a line perpendicular to and separating the first surface 114 and the first inner boundary surface 114b of the housing 112 defines a separation distance 114d of the first portion, and the ratio between the separation distance 114d of the first portion and the width W of the housing 12 is less than one of 0.25, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, or 0.05.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the separation distance 114d of the first portion is less than one of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the first portion 114a of the housing 112, which includes a first plurality of magnetometers MA1, has a cubic shape defined by the length of the first portion, the width of the first portion, and the height of the first portion.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the first surface of the housing 112 is closest to the user of the electronic interactive device 10 during operation and faces the user.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the first portion 114a of the housing 112 has a length greater than one of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 82.5%, 85%, 87.5%, or 90%, 92.5%, 95%, or 97.5% of the total length 1L of the housing 112.

[0120] According to one embodiment, the first portion 114a is centered on the line of symmetry of the housing 112, or the first portion 114a abuts against a second surface 116 or a third surface 118 that is perpendicular to the first surface 114 of the housing 112, respectively.

[0121] According to one embodiment, the first portion 114a extends substantially along the entire length L of the housing 112.

[0122] According to one embodiment, the electronic interactive device 110 is - Further comprising a second plurality of magnetometers MA2 relative to the reference coordinate system of the housing 112, the second plurality of magnetometers MA2 being enclosed by the housing 112. The second plurality of magnetometers MA2 are located within a second portion 116a of the housing 112. The location of the second portion 116a is within a second outer boundary surface 116c that is in contact with the second surface and boundary of the housing 112, and a second inner boundary surface 116b parallel to the second outer boundary surface 116c.

[0123] According to one embodiment, a line perpendicular to the second surface and the second inner boundary surface 116b of the housing 112, separating them, defines a separation distance 116d of the second portion, and the ratio between the separation distance 116d of the second portion and the length L of the housing 112 is less than one of 0.25, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, or 0.05.

[0124] According to one embodiment, the separation distance 116d of the second portion is less than one of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the electronically interactive device 110 further comprises a third plurality of magnetometers MA3 relative to the reference coordinate system of the housing 112, the third plurality of magnetometers MA3 being surrounded by the housing 112. The third plurality of magnetometers MA3 are located within a third portion 118a of the housing 112, the location of the third portion 118a is within a third outer boundary surface 118c that borders the third surface 118 of the housing 112, and a third inner boundary surface 118b parallel to the third outer boundary surface 118c.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the separation distance 118d of the third portion is defined in a direction perpendicular to and between the third surface 118 and the third inner interface surface 118b of the housing 112, and the ratio of the separation distance 118d of the third portion to the length 1L of the housing 112 is less than one of 0.25, 0.2, 0.15, 0.1, or 0.05.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the separation distance 118d of the third portion is less than one of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the third set of magnetometers MA3 are located in close proximity to the third surface 118 of the housing 112.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 110 further comprises a fourth plurality of magnetometers MA4 relative to the reference coordinate system of the housing 112. The fourth plurality of magnetometers MA4 are enclosed by the housing 112. The fourth plurality of magnetometers MA4 are located within a fourth portion 120a of the housing 112. The location of the fourth portion 120a is within a fourth outer boundary surface 120c that borders the fourth surface 120 of the housing 112, and a fourth inner boundary surface 120b parallel to the fourth outer boundary surface.

[0130] According to one embodiment, the fourth surface 120 of the housing 112 faces away from the user of the electronic device 10 during operation.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the housing 12 has at least a user interaction section 8 on a user interaction surface located at a reference height above the base of the housing 12). The electronic device 110 further comprises a fifth set of magnetometers (MA5) enclosed by the housing 112.

[0132] Figure 6 schematically shows a side cross-sectional view of the placement locations of multiple magnetometers on the substrate of the electronic interactive display 10. The height 1H of the housing is in one of the following ranges: 0-2 mm, 2-3 mm, 3-4 mm, 4-5 mm, 5-6 mm, 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm, 8-9 mm, 9-10 mm, 10-15 mm, and 15-20 mm.

[0133] Figure 7 schematically shows different sets of magnetometer array M.

[0134] In some embodiments, these may be referred to as a group of magnetometers or a magnetometer array.

[0135] Figure 7a) shows a linear plurality of magnetometers MA1 having an aspect ratio suitable for use in close proximity to or in contact with frame members 11A, 11B of an electronic device 10 such as a tablet. According to one embodiment, the aspect ratio (width:length) of the printed circuit board supporting the plurality of magnetometers is 1:30, 1:25, 1:20, 1:15, or 1:10. The embodiment in Figure 7a) shows a linear plurality of magnetometers MA1 including two rows of magnetometers separated by a pitch distance D. The magnetometers 132 in each row are separated by a distance S1. In one example, the magnetometers in the first row are offset by an offset distance S0 relative to the magnetometers in the second row. According to one embodiment, the passive components 134 necessary for the operation of each magnetometer 132 are provided within the gap defined by the offset distance S0.

[0136] Figure 7b) shows a modified version of Figure 7a), in which multiple linear magnetometers MA1#2 are arranged in a single row.

[0137] Figure 7c) shows a set of magnetometers arranged in two offset rows mounted on a printed circuit board suitable for use in close proximity to the second surface 116 or the third surface 118 of the housing 12 of the electronic device 10. In particular, the printed circuit board MA2 can have an aspect ratio (width:length) of 1:10, 1:7, 1:5, or 1:3.

[0138] Figure 7d) shows multiple magnetometers arranged in a single line on a printed circuit board.

[0139] Figure 7e) shows a two-dimensional matrix of magnetometers suitable for use under an interactive display layer 20B in a fifth set of magnetometers MA5 as described above herein. The printed circuit board has a width dimension WMA5 and a length dimension LMA5. In the length dimension, the separation of magnetometers 34 is defined by a distance S2. The longitudinal offset between magnetometers 34 on adjacent rows of the matrix is ​​defined by dimension S5. In the width dimension, the separation of rows is defined by dimension S4.

[0140] Figure 7f) shows a diagram of the magnetometer array, illustrating further details of the arrangement of the magnetometer 132 relative to the offset passive component 134.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the first to fifth magnetometers M1 to 5 each include a network of N magnetometers arranged in rows or a matrix, more specifically, where N is 5, 16, 32, 64, 128, or greater than 256.

[0142] In one embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B further comprises one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C, and the one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C are configured to apply an electric field to one or more spatial portions of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0143] The combination of an electronic interactive display having multiple magnetometers M and an interactive display layer 20B containing a magnetically operable material enables several novel applications described here.

[0144] Figure 8A schematically shows the changes in images between visual states.

[0145] This embodiment relates to an interactive display layer 20B disposed in a layer with one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C. In this embodiment, a magnet 54 located at the proximal end P of a user-holding device 50 is first used to provide the interactive display layer 20B with traces that switch the interactive display layer 20B between a first visual state and a second visual state. When the traces are magnetically addressed within the interactive display layer 20B, a plurality of magnetometers M are used by a processing circuit 16 to record, for example, the corresponding locations (XI, YI) that have changed from the first visual state to the second visual state. Typically, the processing circuit 16 can measure or calculate the corresponding locations (XI, YI) sensed by the plurality of magnetometers M that have changed from the first visual state to the second visual state, based on, for example, the location of the user-holding device 50 and the magnetic field from the second magnet 52.

[0146] In this embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B can be configured for third and fourth visual states, respectively, based on the polarity of the electric field applied by one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C.

[0147] In one embodiment, by driving and / or updating one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C based on screen representation data, the processing circuit 16 causes a portion of the interactive display layer 20B that was previously converted from a first visual state to a second visual state via the magnetic operation of the user holding device 50 to convert to a third or fourth visual state by driving one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C based on screen representation data.

[0148] In this embodiment, the third and fourth visual states have higher contrast than the first and second visual states.

[0149] In this embodiment, the processing circuit 16 can convert a portion of the interactive display layer 20B that has been previously converted from a first visual state to a second visual state to one of the third or fourth visual states with a waiting time of 100ms, 75ms, 50ms, 45ms, 40ms, 35ms, 30ms, 25ms, 20ms, 15ms, 10ms, or less than 5ms. In this way, the change of the interactive display layer from the first visual state to the second visual state to one of the third or fourth visual states is subjectively difficult for the user U of the electronic interactive display 10 to perceive.

[0150] Another use of the electronic interactive display according to an embodiment of the first aspect is to prepare the interactive display layer 20B for writing a portion or all of the interactive display layer 20B based on the proximity of a user-held device to the interactive display layer 20B, as detected by a plurality of magnetometers M. This is called display priming.

[0151] Figure 8B schematically illustrates a computer-based method 800 for changing images between visual states.

[0152] The method 800 performed by a computer can be carried out by the processor circuit 16 of the electronic interactive display 10. In particular, in step 801, the processor circuit 16 detects a magnetically addressed location coordinate or pixel (XI,YI) of the interactive display layer 20B. In step 802, the processor circuit 16 overwrites the magnetically addressed location coordinate or pixel by biasing one or more pixel electrodes of the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C.

[0153] Figure 9A schematically shows the first stage of the electrical display priming function.

[0154] Figure 9B schematically shows the second stage of the electrical display priming function.

[0155] Figure 9C schematically shows the third stage of the electrical display priming function.

[0156] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to drive one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C to apply a priming electric field to at least a subset of the interactive display layer 20B corresponding to the determined location of the user-held device 50 acquired using a plurality of magnetometers M.

[0157] For example, in Figure 9A, the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50, which includes a magnet 54 for activating the magnetically actuated material of the interactive display layer 20B, is held at a distance D greater than the maximum distance d. This distance P of the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50 from the interactive display layer 20B is determined by the processing circuit 16 based on magnetic field measurement data of the magnet 52 contained in the user-holding device 50 obtained from multiple magnetometers M.

[0158] In Figure 9B, the proximal end P' of the user-holding device 50' is moved by the user such that the distance D is smaller than the maximum distance d at which the magnet 54 for activating the magnetically actuated material of the interactive display layer 20B' begins to affect the magnetically actuated material of the interactive display layer 20B'. To make this determination, the processing circuit 16 monitors the position of the electronic interactive display 10 in the XS, YS, and ZS dimensions based on the position of the magnet 52 of the user-holding device 50'. In one embodiment, a coordinate transformation from the coordinate system of the user-holding device 50 (XD, YD, ZD) to the coordinate system of the electronic interactive display 10 is performed by the processing circuit 16 to enable the determination.

[0159] As a result, the processing circuit 16 activates a driver circuit 22 configured to apply an electric field near the (XS,YS) coordinates of the proximal end P' of the user-held device 50' detected by the processing circuit 16. Thus, the processing circuit 16 energizes the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C by applying an electric field that can prime the magnetically actuated material (the magnetically actuated material is an electromagnetophoretic material and therefore also responds to electrical actuation). In other words, the processing circuit 16 can improve the drawing by providing greater contrast (using the electrical addressing subsystem) than drawing performed by magnetic actuation.

[0160] In one embodiment, the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C extending across the entire width and length of the interactive display layer 20B are energized, in which case the entire interactive display layer 20B is primed, so the processing circuit 16 does not need to track the (XS,YS) coordinates of the proximal end P' of the user holding device 50'.

[0161] According to another embodiment, a first electrode array 20A and / or a second electrode array 20C over a priming region (subset) of the width and length of the interactive display layer 20B is energized, for example, by applying an electric field to pixels of the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C adjacent to the priming region. For example, a square or circular region of the interactive display layer 20B centered on the (XS,YS) coordinates of the proximal end P' of the user-holding device 50' is primed. The primed square or circular region of the interactive display layer 20B may represent 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% of the total area of ​​the interactive display layer 20B.

[0162] In Figure 9C, an electronic interactive display 10'' having a properly primed subset of the interactive display layer 20B near the proximal end of the user-holding device 50'' displays a trace applied by the magnet 54 of the user-holding device 50''. The priming of the interactive display layer 20B by the electric field makes it easier for the magnetic field of the magnet 54 in the user-holding device 50'' to move the pigment of the electromagnetophoretic display within the interactive display layer 20B, so that the trace is in a third or fourth visual state of the interactive display layer 20B, as opposed to a first or second visual state.

[0163] Figure 9D schematically illustrates a computer-based method 900 for electrical display priming. For example, in step 901, the processing circuit 16 obtains the proximity d of the proximal end of the user-holding device 50 from the interactive display layer 20B by measuring the magnetic field of the magnet 52 of the user-holding device 50 and digitizing the location of the proximal end of the user-holding device 50. In step 902, it is determined whether the proximal end (tip) of the user-holding device 50 is within a threshold distance from the interactive display layer 20B. If the condition is not met, the program flow returns to step 901. If the condition is met, in step 903, the display electrodes are primed, for example, according to an arbitrary priming pattern. The processing circuit 16 continuously samples the location of the proximal end of the user-holding device 50 by tracking the location of the magnet 52 using multiple magnetometers M. When the processing circuit 16 detects movement (lateral translation in the XS, YS planes) of the proximal end of the user-holding device 50 relative to the interactive display layer 20B, the processing circuit 16 adjusts the addressing of the energized first and / or second electrode arrays in step 905, thereby translating the primed electrode region. When the processing circuit 16 detects that the proximal end of the user-holding device 50 has been pulled away such that its tip is further than a threshold distance relative to the interactive display layer 20B in the ZS dimension, the primed electrode region can be de-energized.

[0164] Additionally, or alternatively, a force-sensing resistor (FSR) array 20F is located between the substrate 12 and the interactive display layer 20B. The FSR array 20F is configured to track and detect changes in the movement of at least one electrically and / or electronically passive user-holding device 50, which houses at least one permanent magnet 52, 54.

[0165] In this embodiment, the interactive display layer 20B further includes a capacitive touch-sensing layer 20E and / or a force-sensing resistor layer 20F. The processing circuit 16 is further configured to use the capacitive touch-sensing layer 20E and / or the force-sensing resistor layer 20F to locate the proximal end of the user-held device 50 or another object.

[0166] For example, the force-sensing resistor layer 20F is configured to detect the pressure applied by the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50. The priming field applied by the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C is proportional to the pressure detected by the force-sensing resistor layer 20F. In one embodiment, a first pressure lower than a second pressure detected by the force-sensing resistor layer 20F results in a less saturated trace on the interactive display layer 20B of the proximal magnet 54 of the user-holding device 50. In one embodiment, a first pressure higher than a second pressure detected by the force-sensing resistor layer 20F results in a more saturated trace on the interactive display layer 20B of the proximal magnet 54 of the user-holding device 50. This results in, for example, a more realistic subjective writing experience.

[0167] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to detect a spatial portion of an addressed interactive display layer 20B via user interaction with a capacitive touch-sensitive layer 20E and / or a force-sensitive resistor layer 20F, and the processing circuit 16 is configured to change the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B at a location corresponding to the addressed portion using the capacitive touch-sensitive layer 20E and / or the force-sensitive resistor layer 20F. For example, the capacitive touch-sensitive layer 20E can also be used to generate a priming location (XS, YS) of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0168] In one embodiment, the force-sensing resistor layer 20F and / or the capacitive touch-sensing layer 20E detects contact by an object other than the user-held device 50. For example, either or both of the force-sensing resistor layer 20F and / or the capacitive touch-sensing layer 20E can detect touch from a human finger or a normal pencil or stylus, and can drive the interactive display layer 20B to a third or fourth visual state.

[0169] Figure 10A schematically illustrates how the mode can be changed by changing the orientation of the user-held device.

[0170] Figure 10B schematically illustrates a computer-based method for changing modes by changing the orientation of a user-held device.

[0171] Generally, a change in the mode of the electronic interactive display 10 can be communicated to the processing circuit 16 by changing the orientation of the user-holding device 50. For this purpose, the user-holding device 50 may be equipped with an additional distal magnet 56. In another embodiment, the electronic interactive display 10 can detect a change in the orientation of the user-holding device 50 by tracking the magnet 52 by measuring the magnetic field associated with the magnet 52. In one embodiment, the additional distal magnet 56 may have a different polarity from, and preferably the opposite polarity to, the proximal magnet 54. If the proximal magnet 54 can convert the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B from a first visual state to a second visual state, then the distal magnet 56 having the opposite polarity to the proximal magnet 54 can, for example, convert the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B from the second visual state to the first visual state. Specifically, this allows the user-holding device 50 to be used like a conventional eraser. However, the erasure provided by the distal magnet 56 may not be complete in some embodiments, and magnetic tracking using multiple magnetometers M can enable the erased portion of the interactive display layer 20B to be driven to either a third or fourth visual state, in the reverse manner of the first electrode array 20A and / or second electrode array 20C writing a trace onto the interactive display layer 20B using the proximal magnet 54. This allows for satisfactory erasure performance using the user-holding device 50.

[0172] In this embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to use magnetic field measurement data to detect when the user-holding device 50, which is equipped with a magnet, has changed orientation within the sensing volume S in the reference coordinate system. The processing circuit 16 is configured to change from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, or vice versa, when it detects that the user-holding device 50 has changed orientation within the sensing volume.

[0173] In this embodiment, the first magnet 54 of the user holding device 50 is closer to the interactive display layer 20B than the second magnet 52 of the user holding device 50. The processing circuit 16 defines that the user holding device 50 is operating in a first operating mode. The second magnet 52 of the user holding device 50 is closer to the interactive display layer 20B than the first magnet 52, and the processing circuit 16 defines that the user holding device 50 is operating in a second operating mode.

[0174] In this embodiment, the first operating mode is the write mode of the electronic interactive display 10, and the second operating mode is the erase mode of the electronic interactive display 10. In this embodiment, the electronic interactive display 10 does not receive user commands from either the buttons or menu functions of the electronic interactive display 10 to change between the first and second operating modes.

[0175] Figure 11A schematically illustrates the application of a trace variation function based on the orientation of the user-held device.

[0176] Figure 11B schematically illustrates a method for performing trace variation based on the orientation of a user-held device on a computer.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the processing circuit is configured to obtain a trace variation function from at least one electronic pen model stored in the electronic interactive display. Based on the orientation of the user-held device relative to the interactive display layer determined from magnetic field measurement data, the conversion from a second visual state to a third or fourth visual state by driving first and second pixel electrode arrays based on screen representation mask data is performed as a function of at least one electronic pen model and the orientation of the user-held device in the spatial location of the interactive display.

[0178] In one embodiment, the ability to track the orientation (θ,γ) of the user-holding device 50 relative to the surface of the interactive display layer 20B using multiple magnetometers M allows the electronic interactive display 10 to generate a handwriting effect when the user U traces or writes on the interactive display layer 20B. In particular, the handwriting pen tip effect allows the user to apply a change in the thickness of the trace on the interactive display layer 20B based on the orientation (θ,γ) of the user-holding device 50, which can be detected by tracking the precession of the magnet 52 using multiple magnetometers M as the trace is written. The proximal-end magnet 54 of the user-holding device 50 can, in such an embodiment, create a trace with the minimum thickness within the interactive display layer 20B. Furthermore, this thin trace is brought about using a change in visual state between a first and a second visual state of the interactive display layer 20B. In other words, the initial thin trace is influenced by the purely magnetic interaction between the magnet 54 and the magnetically actuated material contained in the interactive display layer 20B.

[0179] When a thin trace is created by the usable device 50, multiple magnetometers M record the change in the orientation (θ,γ) of the user-holding device 50 relative to the surface of the interactive display layer. For each value of orientation (θ,γ), the processing circuit 16 looks up the corresponding trace thickness defined for each range of orientation (θ,γ) in the pen trace library (stored in the non-volatile memory 25 of the electronic interactive display 10). The first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C apply the trace thickness by energizing the pixels of the first electrode array 20A and / or the second electrode array 20C according to the corresponding trace thickness at each (X,Y) location of the pen trace as the user-holding device 50 moves across the interactive display layer 20B. In one embodiment, the distance between the proximal end of the user device and the interactive display layer 20B is used to change the trace thickness. In one embodiment, the pressure applied to the interactive display layer 20B (e.g., detected by an FSR array) is used to change the trace thickness.

[0180] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to obtain a trace variation function from at least one electronic pen tip model stored in the electronic interactive display 10. In one embodiment, the electronic pen tip model is a function of the orientation (θ,γ) of the user holding device 50 and / or the pressure sensed by the force-sensing resistor array 20F of the electronic interactive display 10.

[0181] In the embodiment, the conversion from a second visual state to a third or fourth visual state by driving one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20B based on screen representation data, based on the orientation of the user-holding device 50 relative to the interactive display layer 20B determined from magnetic field measurement data, is performed as a function of at least one electronic pen tip model and the orientation of the user-holding device 50 in the spatial location of the interactive display.

[0182] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to identify the type of user-holding device 50 based on magnetic field measurement data and to select at least one electronic pen tip model stored in the electronic interactive display 10 to apply when performing a conversion from a second visual state to a third or fourth visual state based on the selected pen tip model.

[0183] In this embodiment, the processing circuit 16 is configured to receive data for display on the interactive display layer 20B via a communication interface. The processing circuit 16 is configured to display the data on the interactive display layer 20B using one or more electrode arrays 20A, 20C. The processing circuit 16 is configured to detect annotations or erasures made to the data displayed on the interactive display using magnetic field measurement data from the user holding device 50. The processing circuit 16 is configured to store annotations on the data by either or both, by modifying the data, or by adding metadata that defines the annotation to the data.

[0184] According to this embodiment, a digital file in a typical data format such as a portable document format (.pdf) is received via a communication interface or loaded from the non-volatile memory 25 of the electronic interactive device 10 and displayed on the interactive display layer 20B via an operating system executed by the processing circuit 16 of the electronic interactive device 10. For example, an electric drive circuit 22 drives the interactive display layer 2 so that the content of the digital file is displayed on the interactive display layer 20B in a third or fourth visual state.

[0185] In one embodiment, one or more of a plurality of magnetometers, capacitive position sensing circuits 23, or resistive position sensing circuits 24 are configured to detect annotations added to a digital file on an interactive display 20B by a user-held device 50. In this embodiment, the operating system of the electronic interactive device is configured to modify the digital file or to generate a copy of the digital file containing bitmap or grayscale additional annotations added by the user-held device 50 in the interactive display 20B. Some versions of the portable document format allow annotations to be added as metadata, and in some embodiments, the processing circuit 16 is configured to read the annotations detected by the capacitive position sensing circuits 23 or resistive position sensing circuits 24 and to generate metadata representing the annotations, which is added to the original file.

[0186] Figure 12 schematically shows a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary user-holding device 50.

[0187] According to a second embodiment, a user-holding device 50 for use with an interactive display layer 20B of an electronic interactive display 10 containing magnetically operable materials 19A, 19B comprises an elongated body 51 defining the longitudinal axis L of the user-holding device 50. The elongated body 51 comprises a proximal end P and a distal end D.

[0188] The user-holding device 50 further comprises a first magnet 54 positioned at or near the proximal end of an elongated body 51, and a second magnet 52 positioned between the first magnet 54 and the distal end D of the elongated body 51 along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device. The second magnet 52 has a magnetic moment at least twice that of the first magnet 54.

[0189] In one embodiment, a first magnet 54 positioned at or near the proximal end P of the user-holding device 50 is configured to provide magnetic intensity characteristics with a relatively concentrated magnetic flux pattern on the surface of the interactive display layer 20B in order to move the colored particles of the magnetophoretic ink. Typically, the first magnet 54 may be up to 40 times smaller in size (length and / or width) than a second magnet 52 used for tracking the location of the user-holding device 50. Typically, the equivalent magnetic moment of the first magnet 54 is, for example, 0.004 Am². Typically, the equivalent magnetic moment of the second magnet 54 is, for example, 0.18 Am².

[0190] If the first magnet 54 is made to be any stronger, typically the area of ​​activated electromagnetophoretic ink in the interactive display layer 20B of the electronic interactive device 10 according to the first embodiment will expand. Readability will be impaired. Therefore, the second magnet 52 used for magnetic tracking should be positioned further away from the proximal end P of the user-held device 50 to ensure that acceptable readability of the writing is provided, while magnetic tracking using multiple magnetometers M is still possible.

[0191] In one embodiment, the first magnet 54 can be guided to induce a compact magnetic flux in a small spatial region of the interactive display layer 20B by using a magnet with a small diameter relative to the length of its longitudinal axis. In a particular embodiment, the first magnet 54 has a diameter of 2 to 3 mm and a length of about 20 to 30 mm.

[0192] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the first magnet 54 and the second magnet 52 can be positioned on the common longitudinal axis L of the user-holding device 50. Given that the first magnet 54, used for magnetically induced writing on the interactive display layer 20B, is physically small (relative to its magnetic moment), the second magnet 52 for magnetic tracking can be positioned further along the longitudinal axis toward the distal end D of the user-holding device 50. In this case, the second magnet 52 intended for magnetic tracking of the user-holding device 50 is not interfered with by the smaller first magnet 54 (in terms of magnetic flux strength and physical size). In addition, because the second magnet 52 is positioned further away from the interactive display layer 20B during use of the user-holding device 50, the second magnet 52 does not alter the visual state of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0193] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52, or the center of gravity of the second magnet 52, is located in a portion of the elongated body 51 defined within the second magnet mounting range L52 along the longitudinal axis L, and the mounting range L52 of the second magnet 52 is defined as 0.1 to 0.2, or 0.2 to 0.3, or 0.3 to 0.4, or 0.4 to 0.5, or 0.5 to 0.6, or 0.6 to 0.7, or 0.7 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.9, or 0.9 to 0.99 of the total length of the elongated body 51, when measured from the proximal end P.

[0194] In the embodiment, the first and / or second magnet 52 has a total length of one of the following ranges from 0.1 to 0.2, 0.2 to 0.3, 0.3 to 0.4, 0.4 to 0.5, 0.5 to 0.6, 0.6 to 0.7, 0.7 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.9 of the total length of the elongated body 51.

[0195] In this embodiment, the first magnet 54 and / or the second magnet 52 have diameters of 0.5-1.0 mm, 1.0-1.5 mm, 1.5 mm-2.0 mm, 2.0 mm-2.25 mm, 2.25 mm-2.5 mm, 2.5 mm-2.75 mm, 2.75 mm-3.0 mm, 3.0 mm-3.5 mm, 3.5 mm-4.0 mm, 3.5-4.0 mm, and 4.0-4. It has a diameter or thickness perpendicular to the elongated body 51, one of the following ranges: 5mm, 4.5~5.0mm, 5.0~5.5mm, 5.5~6.0mm, 6.0~6.5mm, 6.5~7.0mm, 7.0~7.5mm, 7.5~8.0mm, 8.0~8.5mm, 8.5~9.0mm, 9.0~9.5mm, 9.5~10.0mm, and 10mm.

[0196] In this embodiment, the total distance of the elongated body 51 between the proximal end and the distal end is greater than 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm, 110 mm, 115 mm, 120 mm, 125 mm, 130 mm, 135 mm, 140 mm, 145 mm, 150 mm, 155 mm, 160 mm, 165 mm, 170 mm, 175 mm, 180 mm, 185 mm, 190 mm, 195 mm, or 200 mm.

[0197] In this embodiment, the first magnet 54 is joined to the proximal end by temporary fixing.

[0198] In this embodiment, the magnetic field F54 emitted by the first magnet 54 changes the appearance of a magnetically operable material, such as an electromagnetophoretic material, from a first visual state to a second visual state during use.

[0199] In this embodiment, the first magnet 54 has the following ranges: 0.001~0.002Am2, 0.002~0.003Am2, 0.003~0.004Am2, 0.0035~0.0045Am2, 0.003~0.005Am2, 0.005~0.006Am2, 0.006~0.007Am2, 0.007~0.008Am2, 0.008~0.0 It has a magnetic moment of 0.9Am2, or one of the following: 0.009~0.01Am2, 0.01~0.02Am2, 0.02~0.03Am2, 0.03~0.04Am2, 0.04~0.05Am2, 0.05~0.06Am2, 0.06~0.07Am2, 0.07~0.08Am2, 0.08~0.09Am2, or 0.1Am2.

[0200] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52 is adjustable between a first position and a second position along the longitudinal axis of the elongated body 51.

[0201] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52 is configured to be detectable by a plurality of magnetometers M that are in close proximity to the electronic interactive display 10 during use and together generate a sensing volume S.

[0202] In this embodiment, the magnetic axis of the second magnet 52 is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis L of the second magnet 54.

[0203] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52 does not change the appearance of a magnetically operable material, such as an electromagnetophoretic material, from a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation during use.

[0204] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52 is within the following ranges: less than 0.1 Am², or 0.1~0.3 Am², 0.3~0.6 Am², 0.6~0.9 Am², 0.9~1.2 Am², 1.2~1.5 Am², 1.5~1.8 Am², 1.8~2.1 Am², 2.1~2.4 Am², 2.4~2.7 Am², 2.7~3.0 Am², 3.0~3.3 Am², 3.3~3.6 Am², 3.6~3.9 Am², 3.9~4.2 Am², 4.2~4.5 Am², 4.5~4.8 Am². 2. It has one of the following magnetic moments: 4.8~5.1Am2, 5.1~5.4Am2, 5.4~5.7Am2, 5.7~6.0Am2, 6.0~6.3Am2, 6.3~6.6Am2, 6.6~6.9Am2, 6.9~7.2Am2, 7.2~7.5Am2, 7.5~7.8Am2, 7.8~8.1Am2, 8.1~8.4Am2, 8.4~8.7Am2, 8.7~9.0Am2, 9.0~9.3Am2, 9.3~9.6Am2, and 9.6~9.9Am2.

[0205] In this embodiment, the magnetic axis of the first magnet 54 is substantially aligned with the magnetic axis of the second magnet 52.

[0206] In this embodiment, the polar orientation of the first magnet 54 along the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device is substantially opposite to the polar orientation of the second magnet 52 along the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device.

[0207] In this embodiment, the polarity orientation of the first magnet 54 along the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device is substantially aligned with, or parallel to, the polarity orientation of the second magnet 52 along the longitudinal axis of the user-holding device.

[0208] In the embodiment, the user-holding device further comprises a third magnet 56 located at the distal end of an elongated body 51. The third magnet 56 can be used, for example, to erase the interactive display of the electronic interactive device 10. Multiple magnetometers M of the electronic interactive device 10 according to the first embodiment can, for example, detect different polarities of the third magnet 56, and as a result, the electronic interactive device 10 can also construct a map of the erased areas of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0209] According to one embodiment, a model of the rendering effect of the first and / or second magnets can be measured and loaded into the non-volatile memory 25 of the associated electronically interactive device 10.

[0210] In this embodiment, the third magnet 56 has the opposite polarity to the first magnet 54.

[0211] In this embodiment, the third magnet 56 is a striped polar magnet having a polar orientation aligned along a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0212] In this embodiment, one or more of the first magnet 54, the second magnet 52, and / or the third magnet 56 are, for example, permanent magnets containing neodymium or ferrite.

[0213] In this embodiment, the third magnet 56 has a smaller magnetic moment than the first magnet 54 and the second magnet 52.

[0214] In this embodiment, the second magnet 52 is a cylindrical magnet or a ring magnet.

[0215] In this embodiment, one or more of the first magnet 54, the second magnet 52, and / or the third magnet 56 are electromagnets.

[0216] In the embodiment, the user holding device further comprises a power supply and a drive circuit configured to drive at least one of the electromagnets.

[0217] Figure 13 schematically shows method 60, which is implemented on a computer that operates an electronic interactive display.

[0218] According to a third aspect, a method 60 is provided that is carried out on a computer operating an electronic interactive display 10, and this method is: - A plurality of magnetometers M that define a reference coordinate system for the electronic interactive display 10, wherein each of the plurality of magnetometers M has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the electronic interactive display, and the plurality of magnetometers M are used to perform magnetic field measurements of a user-held device 50 in a sensing volume S adjacent to the interactive display layer 20B of the electronic interactive display 10 62. - Based on the magnetic field measurement, the magnetic field measurement data is provided to the processing circuit 16 64, -Includes determining the location of the position and / or orientation of at least one user-holding device 50, which has at least one magnet, relative to the interactive display layer 20B when at least one user-holding device 50 is present in the sensing volume S.

[0219] In this embodiment, the computer-based method 60 is performed by the processing circuit 16 of the electronically interactive device 10. For example, the computer-based method 60 is represented as a computer program element and stored in the non-volatile memory of the electronically interactive device 10.

[0220] In this embodiment, the method is - Using the position and / or orientation of the user-held device 50, it is detected that at least one user-held device 50 has converted a portion of the interactive display layer 20B from a first visual state to a second visual state, - Further includes generating screen representation data that represents the position of the converted portion of the interactive display layer 20B.

[0221] In one embodiment, the method further includes outputting screen representation data via a communication interface.

[0222] Figure 14 schematically shows a system equipped with an electronic interactive display.

[0223] According to a fourth aspect, a system is provided comprising an electronically interactive display 10 as defined in the first aspect or an embodiment thereof, a user holding device 50 having at least one magnet as defined in the second aspect and an embodiment thereof, a host 74, and a communication network 72 configured to connect the communication interface of the electronically interactive display 10 to the host in a communicative manner. The electronically interactive display 10 is configured to communicate screen representation data to the host.

[0224] For example, the electronic interactive display 10 can receive screen display data using multiple magnetometers M. The screen display data can be transmitted to the host 74 via a communication network 72. In this embodiment, the host 74 is a web server or a cloud hosting service. Users of the electronic interactive display 10 can have an account on the web server or cloud hosting service. By transmitting the screen display data acquired by the electronic interactive display 10, it is possible to easily back up documents written on the electronic interactive display 10 for future display on the electronic interactive display 10. Furthermore, the screen display data stored on the host 74 can be shared, for example, with other project collaborators.

[0225] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program element is provided which, when executed by the processing circuit 16, includes machine-readable instructions configured to perform the method according to the third aspect.

[0226] According to a sixth aspect, a kit of components is provided comprising an electronic interactive display 10 according to a first aspect and a user holding device having at least one magnet according to a second aspect.

[0227] The aforementioned specification includes numerous specific details to provide a complete understanding. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not necessary to adopt these specific details in order to implement the disclosure. In other instances, well-known materials or methods are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the disclosure.

[0228] Throughout the foregoing specification, any reference to “one embodiment,” “one example,” or “an example,” “aspect,” or “aspect” means that any particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in relation to an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in one example,” or “an example,” “aspect,” or “aspect” appearing in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0229] Furthermore, specific features, structures, or properties can be combined in any preferred combination and / or subcombination in one or more embodiments or examples. Where applicable, dimensions in millimeters herein are referenced to the nearest ±0.01 mm unless otherwise specified.

[0230] statement The nature of this disclosure also extends to the following statements. A1. An electronic interactive display (10), - Circuit board (12), -Power supply (14), - An interactive display layer (20B) is included on the substrate (12), - A plurality of magnetometers (M) that define the reference coordinate system of an electronic interactive display (10), wherein each magnetometer (M1...) of the plurality of magnetometers (M) has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the other magnetometers (M), - A processing circuit (16) that is communicatively coupled to at least an interactive display layer (20B) and a plurality of magnetometers (M), Equipped with, The interactive display layer (20B) includes magnetically operable materials (19A, 19B), The interactive display layer (20B) faces the user (U) of the electronic interactive display (10) when in use, and a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) can be configured from at least a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation. Multiple magnetometers (M) are configured to perform magnetic field measurements of a user-holding device (50) which has at least one magnet in a sensing volume (S) adjacent to the interactive display layer (20B), and to provide magnetic field measurement data based on the magnetic field measurements to a processing circuit (16). The processing circuit (16) is configured to receive magnetic field measurement data and determine the position and / or orientation of at least one user-holding device (50) relative to the interactive display layer (20B) when at least one user-holding device (50) is present in the sensing volume (S). Electronic interactive display (10). A2. Processing circuit (16) -The system is configured to use the determined position and / or orientation of the user-holding device (50) to detect that at least one user-holding device (50) has converted a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) from a first visual state to a second visual state, and to use the processing circuit (16) to generate screen representation data including the position of the converted portion of the interactive display layer (20B). The electronic interactive display (10) described in A1. A3. An electronic interactive display according to A1 or A2, further comprising a communication interface (18) communicatively coupled to a processing circuit (16). A4. The electronic interactive display (10) further comprises an electrode drive circuit (22) that can energize at least a portion of the first and / or second electrode array (20A, 20C). An electronic interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A3. A5. The interactive display layer (20B) can be configured for third and fourth visual states, respectively, based on the polarity of the electric field applied by one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C). An electronic interactive display shown on A4 paper. A6. The processing circuit is configured to drive and / or update the first and second pixel electrode arrays based on the screen display data. An electronic interactive display printed on A4 or A5 paper. A7. Driving and / or updating one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) based on screen representation data causes the processing circuit (16) to convert a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) that was previously converted from a first visual state to a second visual state via the magnetic operation of the user holding device (50) to a third or fourth visual state by driving one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) based on screen representation data. The electronic interactive display described in A6. A8. The third and fourth visual states have higher contrast than the first and second visual states. The electronic interactive display described in A7. A9. A material that can be operated by magnetism is an electromagnetophoretic material. An electronic interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A8. A10. The interactive display layer (20B) further comprises a capacitive touch-sensing layer (20E) and / or a force-sensing resistor layer (20F), and the processing circuit (16) is further configured to use the capacitive touch-sensing layer (20E) and / or the force-sensing resistor layer (20F) to locate the proximal end of a user-held device (50) or another object. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A9. A11. The system is configured to detect a spatial portion of an addressed interactive display layer (20B) via user interaction with a capacitive touch-sensitive layer (20E) and / or a force-sensitive resistor layer (20F), and the processing circuit (16) is configured to change the visual state of the interactive display layer (20B) at a location corresponding to the portion addressed using the capacitive touch-sensitive layer (20E) and / or the force-sensitive resistor layer (20F). The electronic interactive display described in Statement A10. A12. The processing circuit is - Using magnetic field measurement data, it is detected that the user-held device (50) equipped with a magnet has been reoriented within the sensing volume (S) in the reference coordinate system. -When the processing circuit (16) detects that the user-held device (50) has changed orientation within the sensing volume, it changes from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, or vice versa. It is further structured in such a way. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A11. A13. The first operating mode is the writing mode of the electronic interactive display (10), and the second operating mode is the erasing mode of the electronic interactive display (10). The electronic interactive display described in Statement A12. A14. The user of the electronic interactive display does not need to activate the buttons or menu functions of the electronic interactive display to switch between the first and second operating modes. The electronic interactive display described in Statement A13. A15. The processing circuit (16) is configured to acquire a trace variation function from at least one electronic pen model stored in the electronic interactive display, and the conversion from a second visual state to a third or fourth visual state is performed as a function of the orientation of the user-held device (50) in the spatial location of at least one electronic pen model and the electronic interactive display by driving first and second pixel electrode arrays based on screen representation mask data, based on the orientation of the user-held device (50) in the spatial location of the electronic interactive display, based on the orientation of the user-held device (50) in the electronic interactive display, based on the orientation of the user-held device (50) in the spatial location of the electronic interactive display. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A7 through A14. A16. The processing circuit (16) is configured to identify the type of user-holding device (50) based on magnetic field measurement data and to select at least one electronic pen model stored in the electronically interactive display to apply when performing a conversion from a second visual state to a third or fourth visual state based on the selected pen model. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A7 through A15. A17. The processing circuit (16) -The system is configured to receive data for display on the interactive display layer (20B) via a communication interface, and the processing circuit (16) displays the data on the interactive display layer (20B) using one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C). - Using magnetic field measurement data from the user-held device (50), it is detected whether an annotation or erasure has been made to the data displayed on the interactive display. -Storing annotations in data by either one or both, or by modifying the data or by adding metadata that defines annotations to the data. It is structured in such a way. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A3 through A16. A18. At least the substrate is flexible. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A17. A19. The substrate is rigid. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A17. A20. Multiple magnetometers (M) are configured to locate the proximal or distal end of the user-held device within less than 1 mm perpendicular to the surface of the interactive display layer. An electronically interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A19. A21. Multiple magnetometers are configured to locate the proximal or distal end of the user-held object within the sensing volume, perpendicular to the surface of the interactive display layer, at a distance of 150 mm or less. An electronic interactive display as described in any one of statements A1 to A20. A22. A method (60) to be performed on a computer that operates an electronic interactive display (10), - A plurality of magnetometers (M) that define a reference coordinate system for an electronic interactive display (10), wherein each magnetometer (M) of the plurality of magnetometers (M) has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the electronic interactive display, and the magnetic field measurement (62) of a user-held device (50) in a sensing volume (S) adjacent to the interactive display layer (20B) of the electronic interactive display (10) is performed using the plurality of magnetometers (M), - Based on the magnetic field measurement, the magnetic field measurement data is provided to the processing circuit (16) (64), - Determining the location (64) of the position and / or orientation of at least one user-holding device (50) with respect to the interactive display layer (20B) when at least one user-holding device (50) is present in the sensing volume (S), A method that can be performed using a computer, including the above. A23. - Using the position and / or orientation of the user-held device (50), it is detected that at least one user-held device (50) has converted a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) from a first visual state to a second visual state, -Generating screen representation data that represents the position of the converted portion of the interactive display layer (20B), The computer-based method described in A22, further including the method described in A22. A24. - The electronic interactive display (10) described in statements A1 to A21, - A user holding device (50) having at least one magnet, - A host (74) and a communication network (72) configured to connect the communication interface of the electronic interactive display (10) to the host in a communicative manner, Equipped with, The electronic interactive display (10) is configured to communicate screen display data to the host. System (1). A25. A computer program element comprising machine-readable instructions configured to perform a computer-based method as described in A22 or A23 when executed by a processing circuit (16). A26. A kit of components comprising an electronic interactive display (10) as described in any one of statements A1 to A21, and a user holding device (50) having at least one magnet. B1. A user-holding device (50) for use with an interactive display layer (20B) of an electronic interactive display (10) containing magnetically operable materials (19A, 19B), comprising an elongated body (51) defining the longitudinal axis (L) of the user-holding device (50), A long, slender body 51 having a proximal end P and a distal end D, A first magnet (54) is positioned at or near the proximal end of the elongated body (51), and a second magnet (52) is positioned between the first magnet (54) and the distal end (D) of the elongated body (51) along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the user holding device. Equipped with, The second magnet (52) has a magnetic moment that is at least twice as large as the magnetic moment of the first magnet (54). User-held device (50). B2. The second magnet (52), or the center of gravity of the second magnet (52), is positioned on a portion of the elongated body (51) defined within the second magnet mounting range (L52) along the longitudinal axis (L), and the mounting range (L52) of the second magnet (52) is defined to be 0.1 to 0.2, or 0.2 to 0.3, or 0.3 to 0.4, or 0.4 to 0.5, or 0.5 to 0.6, or 0.6 to 0.7, or 0.7 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.9, or 0.9 to 0.99 of the total length of the elongated body (51) when measured from the proximal end (P). User-held device (50) as described in B1. B3. The first and / or second magnet (52) has a total length of one of the following ranges from 0.1 to 0.2, 0.2 to 0.3, 0.3 to 0.4, 0.4 to 0.5, 0.5 to 0.6, 0.6 to 0.7, 0.7 to 0.8, or 0.8 to 0.9 of the total length of the elongated body (51). User-held device (50) as described in B1 or B2. B4. The first magnet (54) and / or the second magnet (52) are 0.5~1.0mm, 1.0~1.5mm, 1.5mm~2.0mm, 2.0mm~2.25mm, 2.25mm~2.5mm, 2.5mm~2.75mm, 2.75mm~3.0mm, 3.0mm~3.5mm, 3.5mm~4.0mm, 3.5~4.0mm, 4.0~4.5mm m, having a diameter or thickness perpendicular to the elongated body (51), one of the ranges of 4.5~5.0mm, 5.0~5.5mm, 5.5~6.0mm, 6.0~6.5mm, 6.5~7.0mm, 7.0~7.5mm, 7.5~8.0mm, 8.0~8.5mm, 8.5~9.0mm, 9.0~9.5mm, 9.5~10.0mm, and 10mm. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B3. B5. The total distance of the elongated body (51) between the proximal and distal ends is greater than 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm, 110 mm, 115 mm, 120 mm, 125 mm, 130 mm, 135 mm, 140 mm, 145 mm, 150 mm, 155 mm, 160 mm, 165 mm, 170 mm, 175 mm, 180 mm, 185 mm, 190 mm, 195 mm, or 200 mm. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B4. B6. The first magnet (54) is joined to the proximal end by temporary fixing. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B5. B7. The magnetic field (F54) emitted by the first magnet (54) changes the appearance of a magnetically responsive material, such as an electromagnetophoretic material, from a first visual state to a second visual state during use. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B6. B8. The first magnet (54) is in the following ranges: 0.001~0.002Am2, 0.002~0.003Am2, 0.003~0.004Am2, 0.0035~0.0045Am2, 0.003~0.005Am2, 0.005~0.006Am2, 0.006~0.007Am2, 0.007~0.008Am2, 0.008~0.009 Having a magnetic moment of Am2, or one of the following: 0.009~0.01Am2, 0.01~0.02Am2, 0.02~0.03Am2, 0.03~0.04Am2, 0.04~0.05Am2, 0.05~0.06Am2, 0.06~0.07Am2, 0.07~0.08Am2, 0.08~0.09Am2, or 0.1Am2, A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B7. B9. The second magnet (52) is adjustable between a first position and a second position along the longitudinal axis of the elongated body (51). A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B8. B10. The second magnet (52) is configured to be detectable by multiple magnetometers (M) that, when in use, are close to the electronic interactive display (10) and together generate a sensing volume (S). A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B9. B11. The magnetic axis of the second magnet (52) is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis (L) of the second magnet (54). A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B10. B12. The second magnet (52) does not change the appearance of a magnetically responsive material, such as an electromagnetophoretic material, from a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation during use. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B11. B13. The second magnet (52) is within the following ranges: less than 0.1 Am², or 0.1~0.3 Am², 0.3~0.6 Am², 0.6~0.9 Am², 0.9~1.2 Am², 1.2~1.5 Am², 1.5~1.8 Am², 1.8~2.1 Am², 2.1~2.4 Am², 2.4~2.7 Am², 2.7~3.0 Am², 3.0~3.3 Am², 3.3~3.6 Am², 3.6~3.9 Am², 3.9~4.2 Am², 4.2~4.5 Am², 4.5~4.8 Am². Having one of the following magnetic moments: 4.8~5.1Am2, 5.1~5.4Am2, 5.4~5.7Am2, 5.7~6.0Am2, 6.0~6.3Am2, 6.3~6.6Am2, 6.6~6.9Am2, 6.9~7.2Am2, 7.2~7.5Am2, 7.5~7.8Am2, 7.8~8.1Am2, 8.1~8.4Am2, 8.4~8.7Am2, 8.7~9.0Am2, 9.0~9.3Am2, 9.3~9.6Am2, 9.6~9.9Am2 A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B12. B14. The magnetic axis of the first magnet (54) is substantially aligned with the magnetic axis of the second magnet (52). The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B13. B15. The polarity orientation of the first magnet (54) along the longitudinal axis of the user holding device is substantially opposite to the polarity orientation of the second magnet (52) along the longitudinal axis of the user holding device. The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B13. B16. The polarity orientation of the first magnet (54) along the longitudinal axis of the user holding device is substantially aligned along or parallel to the polarity orientation of the second magnet (52) along the longitudinal axis of the user holding device. The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B15. B17. The user holding device further includes a third magnet (56) disposed at the distal end of the elongated body (51). The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B16. B18. The third magnet (56) has a polarity opposite to that of the first magnet (54). The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B17. B19. The third magnet (56) is a strip-shaped pole magnet having a polarity orientation aligned along a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B18. B20. One or more of the first magnet (54), the second magnet (52), and / or the third magnet (56) is a permanent magnet including, for example, neodymium or ferrite. The user holding device (50) according to any one of B1 to B19. B21. The third magnet (56) has a smaller magnetic moment than the first magnet (54) and the second magnet (52). A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B20. B22. The second magnet (52) is a cylindrical magnet or a ring magnet. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B21. B23. One or more of the first magnet (54), the second magnet (52), and / or the third magnet (56) are electromagnets. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B22. B24. The user holding device further comprises a power supply and a drive circuit configured to drive at least one of the electromagnets. A user-held device (50) as described in any one of items B1 to B23.

Claims

1. An electronic interactive display (10), - Circuit board (12), - Power supply (14), - The interactive display layer (20B) included on the substrate (12), - A plurality of magnetometers (M) that define the reference coordinate system of the electronic interactive display (10), wherein each magnetometer (M1...) of the plurality of magnetometers (M) has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the other magnetometers (M), - A processing circuit (16) that is communicatively coupled to at least the interactive display layer (20B) and the plurality of magnetometers (M), Equipped with, The interactive display layer (20B) includes magnetically operable materials (19A, 19B), The interactive display layer (20B) faces the user (U) of the electronic interactive display (10) when in use, and a portion of the interactive display layer (20B) can be configured to move from at least a first visual state to a second visual state based on magnetic stimulation. The plurality of magnetometers (M) are configured to perform magnetic field measurements of a user-holding device (50) which has at least one magnet in a sensing volume (S) adjacent to the interactive display layer (20B), and to provide magnetic field measurement data based on the magnetic field measurements to the processing circuit (16). The processing circuit (16) is configured to receive the magnetic field measurement data and, when the at least one user-holding device (50) is located within the sensing volume (S), to determine the position and / or orientation of the user-holding device (50) relative to the interactive display layer (20B). Electronic interactive display (10).

2. The processing circuit (16) Using the position and / or orientation of the user-holding device (50), it is detected that at least one user-holding device (50) has converted the portion of the interactive display layer (20B) from the first visual state to the second visual state. Using the processing circuit (16), screen representation data including the position of the converted portion of the interactive display layer (20B) is generated. It is further structured in such a way. The electronic interactive display (10) according to claim 1.

3. The interactive display layer (20B) further comprises one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C), and the one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) are configured to apply an electric field to one or more spatial portions of the interactive display layer (20B). The electronic interactive display (10) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The interactive display layer (20B) can be configured for third and fourth visual states, respectively, based on the polarity of the electric field applied by one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C). The electronic interactive display (10) according to claim 3.

5. The processing circuit (16) is configured to drive one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) to apply a priming electric field to at least a subset of the interactive display layer (20B) corresponding to the determined location of the user-holding device (50) acquired using the plurality of magnetometers (M). The electronic interactive display (10) according to claim 3 or 4.

6. Driving and / or updating one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) based on the screen representation data causes the processing circuit (16) to convert the portion of the interactive display layer (20B) that was previously converted from the first visual state to the second visual state via the magnetic operation of the user holding device (50) to the third or fourth visual state by driving one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C) based on the screen representation data, and / or The third and fourth visual states have higher contrast than the first and second visual states. An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The magnetically operable material is an electromagnetophoretic material. An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The interactive display layer (20B) further comprises a capacitive touch-sensing layer (20E) and / or a force-sensing resistor layer (20F), and the processing circuit (16) is further configured to use the capacitive touch-sensing layer (20E) and / or the force-sensing resistor layer (20F) to locate the proximal end of the user-holding device (50) or another object. An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The processing circuit (16) is configured to use the magnetic field measurement data to detect that the user holding device (50) equipped with a magnet has changed orientation within the sensing volume (S) in the reference coordinate system. The processing circuit (16) is configured to change from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, or vice versa, when it detects that the user holding device (50) has changed orientation within the sensing volume. An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The first operating mode is a writing mode for the electronic interactive display (10), the second operating mode is an erasing mode for the electronic interactive display (10), and / or The electronic interactive display (10) does not receive a user command from either a button or menu function of the electronic interactive display (10) and change the electronic interactive display between the first operating mode and the second operating mode. The electronic interactive display (10) according to claim 9.

11. The processing circuit (16) is configured to receive data for display on the interactive display layer (20B) via a communication interface. The processing circuit (16) is configured to display the data on the interactive display layer (20B) using one or more electrode arrays (20A, 20C), The processing circuit (16) is configured to use the magnetic field measurement data of the user holding device (50) to detect annotations or deletions made to the data displayed on the interactive display. The processing circuit (16) is configured to store the annotation in the data by either modifying the data or by adding metadata defining the annotation to the data, either by one or both of the above. An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 10.

12. A method (60) to be performed on a computer that operates an electronic interactive display (10), - A plurality of magnetometers (M) that define a reference coordinate system for the electronic interactive display (10), wherein each of the plurality of magnetometers (M) has a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the electronic interactive display, and the magnetic field measurement of a user-held device (50) in a sensing volume (S) adjacent to the interactive display layer (20B) of the electronic interactive display (10) is performed using the plurality of magnetometers (M) (62), - Based on the magnetic field measurement, the magnetic field measurement data is provided to the processing circuit (16) (64), - Determining the position and / or orientation of the user holding device (50), which includes at least one magnet, relative to the interactive display layer (20B) when the at least one user holding device (50) is located within the sensing volume (S) (64), A method that can be performed using a computer, including the above.

13. - An electronic interactive display (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, - Host (74), - A communication network (72) configured to connect the communication interface of the electronic interactive display (10) to the host (74) in a communicative manner, - A user holding device (50) for use with the electronic interactive display (10) comprising magnetically operable materials (19A, 19B), - An elongated body (51) that defines the longitudinal axis (L) of the user holding device (50), and having a proximal end (P) and a distal end (D), - A first magnet (54) is positioned at or near the proximal end of the elongated body (51), - A second magnet (52) is positioned between the first magnet (54) and the distal end (D) of the elongated body (51) along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the user holding device, A user-held device (50) comprising, Equipped with, The electronic interactive display (10) is configured to communicate screen representation data written to the electronic interactive display (10) by the user holding device (50) to the host (74). System (70).

14. The user holding device (50) further comprises a third magnet (56) located at the distal end of the elongated body (51), The system (70) according to claim 13.

15. A computer program element comprising machine-readable instructions configured to perform the method of computer implementation described in claim 12 when executed by a processing circuit (16).

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