Background of the Invention In the field of this invention it is known that fixed image, mechanical and/or electronic badges exist. Often badges are known as tags, e. g. name tags, and hence it is to be understood that the term"badge"as used in this specification encompasses the term"tag".

However, the visual content, i. e. image data, of conventional mechanical and/or electronic badges is static and pre-determined. Conventional mechanical or electronic badges do not change once manufactured.

Conventional badges do not offer a variety of display images. Furthermore, conventional badges suffer from a production or customisation delay when a customised image, e. g. name, picture, logo etc. is required to be displayed.

Thus, the inventors of the present invention have recognised a need in the field of the present invention to provide a badge or similar display device that offers flexibility with respect to displaying different images, and/or that can display a customised image more conveniently than conventional badges. In addressing the above problems, there is also a need to reduce or avoid production or customisation delay.

Statement of Invention In a first aspect, the present invention provides an electronic display device, as claimed in claim 1.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of displaying data on a badge, as claimed in claim 14.

Further aspects are as claimed in the dependent claims.

Generally, the present invention provides the potential for a simple low cost electronic badge display device that may be worn externally on the clothes for other people to see, i. e. a user may wear or display the electronic badge display device for public display to others. New image data may be downloaded or otherwise input to the electronic badge. In preferred implementations, static images, e. g. text and/or pictures and/or image sequences and/or video or other moving pictures may be stored and displayed. A user may select different images.

Brief Description of the Drawings Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an illustration of an electronic badge being worn by a first person and viewed by a second person; FIG. 2 is an illustration of the electronic badge being worn by the first person in FIG. 1 ; and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of functional elements of the electronic badge shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Description of Preferred Embodiments FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic badge display device, hereinafter referred to as an electronic badge 1 of a first exemplary embodiment. The electronic badge 2 comprises a clip 2 and a display screen 4. The clip serves as a fixing means, for fixing the electronic badge 1 to a shirt 6, as an example of clothing, worn by a first person 8, who may be termed the user of the electronic badge. The display screen displays an image suitable for viewing by a person other than the user, e. g. by a second person 10 as shown in FIG. 1.

Fig. 2 shows the electronic badge 1 in greater detail.

The clip 2 comprises a conventional clip as used in conventional name tag badges for fixing a name tag to a pocket of a shirt, lapel of a jacket etc. The choice of clip or fixing means is however unimportant, and any suitable fixing means may alternatively be employed, such as other types of clips, safety pin, etc.

In this embodiment the display screen is a liquid crystal display, but any suitable electronic display may be employed.

Other externally visible components of the electronic badge shown in FIG. 2 are a wire connection socket 12 and a button 14. The wire connection socket 12 serves as an input for the electronic badge, and is for receiving input image data via a wire connection, from e. g. a computer. However, in other embodiments, inputs for receiving data from other types of wire connection may be employed.

Alternatively or additionally, other types of input may be employed, in any desired combination, for example an input including an antenna for receiving input image data via wireless input, or an infra-red sensor for receiving input image data via an infra-red signal, and so on.

Often only a low bandwidth connection will be necessary since in many cases rapid replenishment will not be needed. However, one example of a particularly suitable download method, when higher bandwidth and ease of connection is required, is wireless connection using the Bluetooth protocol.

The button 14 serves as a simple example of a user control. The user control allows the user to control download or input of image data to the electronic badge.

Additionally, when the electronic badge is provided with a plurality of available images for display, the user control allows the user to select which image is to be displayed, and possibly other selections such as brightness, colour specification, etc.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of functional elements of the electronic badge 1. The electronic badge 1 comprises a processor, or controller, 16. The processor 16 is coupled to the above mentioned input 12 and user control 14. The processor is also coupled to a memory 18, a battery 20 and a display driver 22. The display driver is also, coupled to the display screen 4.

The processor controls general operation of the electronic badge 1 and operation of the other functional items shown in FIG. 3. In other even simpler embodiments of the electronic badge (see below), minimal processing operations may be required, such that for example in- built processing in a liquid crystal display device or module may perform all the required processing functions.

More particularly, the processor 16 receives input image data and forwards it to be stored in the memory 18. The processor also receives user instruction input via the user control, as described above. For example, two images may be input and stored, so that the user can choose which image is to be displayed. Based, in this example, on the instruction entered by the user, the processor 16 controls the display driver 22 to drive the display screen 4 with the selected image data.

The battery 20 serves to provide power for the electronic badge. Any suitable battery may be employed, including for example a rechargeable battery. Alternatively or additionally, other power sources may be employed, such as solar cells.

The image or images to be displayed may be a still image, and may include any combination of text, picture, photograph, design, pattern etc. Alternatively, or additionally, the image may comprise a sequence of such still images. Yet further, alternatively or additionally, the image may comprise a moving image, e. g. video etc.

In the above embodiment the badge comprises a clip as an example of fixing means that is suitable for fixing the electronic badge to clothing worn by a person. It will be appreciated that the fixing means may, in the alternative, be specifically designed to be easily fixed to some other type of"clothing", for example fixable to a dog collar to enable the badge to be used for identifying a pet dog, etc.

In addition to the earlier described ways of inputting image data directly via the input 12, another possibility is for a user to manually input, or control input, of image data or image data instructions using the user control 14. In this case, it may be desirable to have a more sophisticated user control 14 than the single button one described above. For example a small alphanumeric keyboard may be used, including one or more menu scroll buttons.

Another possibility is for the user control 14 to consist of, or at least include, the display screen 4 by virtue of the display screen 4 being a touch sensitive screen.

In each of these possibilities, the internal functions of the electronic badge may be interconnected, and controlled by the processor 16, in any convenient fashion. For example the user control may be directly linked to the input 12.

In a further embodiment the input 12 is adapted to receive location dependent input. For example, the input 12 may comprise a radio receiver tuned to a specific frequency, and the information received on this frequency (i. e. different images) may vary according to the location of the electronic badge.

It will be appreciated that location-dependent download of image data is not limited to this example, and instead any desired form location-dependent download may be implemented. For example, if the badge were used for advertising or promotional purposes and the content changed to advertise the respective business that the wearer of the badge was in the vicinity of at a particular moment.

In another embodiment, the electronic badge 1 further comprises a timer (included in the processor 16, for example) arranged to trigger a change of image being displayed at a certain time or times.

In another embodiment, the electronic badge is associated with a Universal Resource Locator (URL) for allowing image data to be received from a remote location. Any appropriate device may be used to program what is sent, for example: the user of the electronic badge 1 may use a smart-phone with a wireless web browser to select the image that is sent to the badge, or the user may use a personal computer to visit a particular web site. More generally, any appropriate separate apparatus or means (i. e. other than the badge itself) may be employed to select an image from a selection of images, e. g. from a web page, and then download this to the badge, e. g. via the above mentioned URL or an email address etc.

Although the above embodiments have been described in terms of the electronic badge functions shown in FIG. 3, it is to be appreciated that such functions may be arranged differently, or, depending on the combination of processes to be performed by the electronic badge in any particular embodiment, one or more of the functions shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted from the electronic badge 1. For example, in simple versions, the user control 14 may be omitted, such that once an image is downloaded it is permanently displayed (or at most an on/off button is provided), until a further download is performed.

Depending on the type of display screen used, a separate display driver 22 may not be required. Similarly the memory 18 may be accommodated or provided by the display screen 4 or processor 16.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the electronic badge display device may be provided with just sufficient functionality to achieve the properties described for the respective embodiments, e. g. as opposed to other known electronic products which incorporate inter-alia displays for displaying subject matter related to or resulting from some primary or subsidiary function of the product, such as in the case of a mobile telephone.

The present invention provides many new opportunities for the use of badges. The possibilities opened up by the present invention are almost limitless. Merely by way of example, a few possibilities will now be described.

The badge could be used for advertising. It might be given away for that purpose.

While these badges are envisaged as being worn by people they could also be used for small tags and displays.

For the professional user: At exhibitions for example the delegates could download their name badges to be displayed-thereby saving time for it to be printed or hand written. In addition they might choose to display who they were looking to meet or if trying to network they could display special interests.

For youth culture: School children could have a badge on their clothing that made personal statements about their interests and affiliations in the same way that cloth or metal badges do but these are re-programmable and so can be changed depending on the environment they are in. For example there might be one badge for class and one for the way home and another for a football match.

As youth culture continues to use newsgroups one can imagine the badge being used to show membership of a particular chat group-the display could even change colour if the user was actively contributing to a particular chat group or change logo depending on which group they were logged on to. In this way, other children out in the shopping complex would know from the visual information what group to join if they wanted to send them a message.

Since this is a new concept one can envisage all kinds of new social usages that might come about e. g. teenage dating.