Drive method for a display device, drive device, display device, and electronic device

1. A drive method for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive step of causing the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

wherein:

the gray level drive step changes a display image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color differences;

the gray level drive step is initiated by an operation of an operating member held for a prescribed time to indicate a change display request;

a display redrawing process follows the gray level drive step if operation of the operating member that indicates a change display request is held during one display redrawing process in the gray level drive step; and

control goes from the gray level drive step to the saturation drive step when the operation of the operating member during the one display redrawing process in the gray level drive step is released.

2. The drive method of claim 1 , further comprising:

a saturation drive step of causing the particles to migrate to the saturation level state;

wherein particles currently maintained within said gray level state are driven to the saturation level state by executing the saturation drive step after the gray level drive step.

3. The drive method of claim 2 , wherein a next display redrawing process is initiated by a change display request asserted in the saturation drive step.

4. The drive method of claim 2 , wherein:

the gray level drive step starts at a prescribed time or when a prescribed condition is met; and

control goes from the gray level drive step to the saturation drive step at a prescribed time or when a prescribed condition is met thereafter.

5. The drive method of claim 2 , wherein:

at least one of a field application time in the gray level drive step and a field application time in the saturation drive step is adjusted according to a temperature when the display is driven.

6. The drive method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the gray level drive step and the saturation drive step applies a pulse that changes between a first potential and a second potential at one electrode, and applies either the first potential or second potential at another electrode according a desired display color, said first potential being different than said second potential.

7. The drive method of claim 1 , wherein:

a current display redrawing process in progress is interrupted and a display redrawing process of the gray level drive step is executed when the operating member that asserts a change display request is operated for a shorter interval than the last time the operating member was operated and shorter than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive step.

8. The drive method of claim 1 , wherein:

a display redrawing process of the gray level drive step is sequentially executed the number of times the operating member is operated when operation of the operating member that asserts a change display request is repeated at a shorter interval than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive step.

9. A display device that is driven by the drive method of claim 1 .

10. The display device described in claim 9 , wherein the display device is an electrophoretic display device.

11. A drive device for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, and creates an image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color difference, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

a saturation drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to said saturation level state;

wherein the saturation drive unit executes a display redrawing process after a display redrawing process of the gray level drive unit to drive the particles in from the gray level state to the saturation level state;

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request;

wherein the gray level drive unit executes a display redrawing process when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member for a prescribed time, and continues the display redrawing process if operation of the operating member is sustained during the display redrawing process; and

the saturation drive unit executes another display redrawing process when operation of the operating member is cancelled during the display redrawing process of the gray level drive unit.

12. The drive device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a power source;

a first potential generating unit that generates from the power source a first potential that is one of two different potentials;

a second potential generating unit that generates a second potential of the two different potentials from the power source; and

a pulse generating unit that generates a pulse that changes between the first and second potentials.

13. The drive device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a change display request generating unit that sends a change display request to either the gray level drive unit or the saturation drive unit during one display redrawing process of the saturation drive unit.

14. The drive device of claim 11 , further comprising:

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request;

wherein the gray level drive unit starts a display redrawing process when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member for a prescribed time.

15. The drive device of claim 11 , further comprising:

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request;

wherein the gray level drive unit interrupts a display redrawing process in progress and executes a next display redrawing process when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member at a shorter interval from the last time the operating member was operated than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive unit.

16. The drive device of claim 11 , further comprising:

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request; and

an operation count storage unit that stores an operation count when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member at a shorter interval than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive unit;

wherein the gray level drive unit sequentially executes a display redrawing process a number of times based on the operation count stored by the operation count storage unit; and

the operation count storage unit resets the stored operation count after the number of display redrawing processes executed by the gray level drive unit based on the operation count.

17. An electronic device comprising the drive device of claim 11 .

18. A drive method for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive step of causing the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

wherein:

the gray level drive step changes a display image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color difference;

the gray level drive step is initiated by an operation of an operating member held for a prescribed time to indicate a change display request; and

a current display redrawing process in progress is interrupted and a display redrawing process of the gray level drive step is executed when the operating member that asserts a change display request is operated for a shorter interval than the last time the operating member was operated and shorter than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive step.

19. A drive method for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive step of causing the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

wherein:

the gray level drive step changes a display image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color difference;

the gray level drive step is initiated by an operation of an operating member held for a prescribed time to indicate a change display request; and

a display redrawing process of the gray level drive step is sequentially executed the number of times the operating member is operated when operation of the operating member that asserts a change display request is repeated at a shorter interval than the saturation time required for one display redrawing Process of the saturation drive step.

20. A drive device for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, and creates an image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color difference, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

a saturation drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to said saturation level state;

wherein the saturation drive unit executes a display redrawing process after a display redrawing process of the gray level drive unit to drive the particles in from the gray level state to the saturation level state;

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request;

wherein the gray level drive unit interrupts a display redrawing process in progress and executes a next display redrawing process when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member at a shorter interval from the last time the operating member was operated than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive unit.

21. A drive device for a display device that displays by causing charged particles to migrate by applying an electric field, comprising:

a gray level drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to, and be maintained within, a gray level state that is not a saturation level state, and creates an image by causing the particles to migrate within said gray level state to produce a display color difference, said saturation level state being a level at which migration of the particles is saturated;

a saturation drive unit that causes the particles to migrate to said saturation level state;

wherein the saturation drive unit executes a display redrawing process after a display redrawing process of the gray level drive unit to drive the particles in from the gray level state to the saturation level state;

an operation detection unit that detects operation of an operating member that asserts a change display request; and

an operation count storage unit that stores an operation count when the operation detection unit detects operation of the operating member at a shorter interval than the saturation time required for one display redrawing process of the saturation drive unit;

wherein the gray level drive unit sequentially executes a display redrawing process a number of times based on the operation count stored by the operation count storage unit; and

the operation count storage unit resets the stored operation count after the number of display redrawing processes executed by the gray level drive unit based on the operation count.