IP Library Granted Patent US 8,237,653
Granted Patent B2
US 8,237,653 · App. 12/077,039 · Granted Aug 7, 2012

Electrophoretic display device, method of driving electrophoretic device, and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,237,653
App. No.
12/077,039
Granted
Aug 7, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrophoretic display device includes a pair of substrates, an electrophoretic element that includes electrophoretic particles and that are held between the pair of substrates, and a display portion formed of a plurality of pixels. The display portion includes pixel electrodes, an opposite electrode, a first control line and a second control line. The opposite electrode is opposed to the plurality of pixel electrodes through the electrophoretic element. The first control line and the second control line are connected to each of the pixels. Each of the pixels includes a pixel switching element, a memory circuit, and a switch circuit. Switching of the switch circuit is performed by an output signal of the memory circuit to switch between a connected state where the pixel electrode is connected to the first control line and a connected state where the pixel electrode is connected to the second control line.

Claims (7)

1. A method of driving an electrophoretic display device that is provided with a pair of substrates, an electrophoretic element that includes electrophoretic particles and that is held between the pair of substrates, and a display portion formed of a plurality of pixels, wherein the display portion includes pixel electrodes, an opposite electrode, a first control line, and a second control line, wherein each of the pixel electrodes is formed in each of the pixels, wherein the opposite electrode is opposed to the plurality of pixel electrodes through the electrophoretic element, wherein the first control line and the second control line are connected to each of the pixels, wherein each of the pixels includes a pixel switching element, an electric potential control portion that is connected to each of the pixels through the first control line, the second control line, and the opposite electrode, a memory circuit, and a switch circuit, wherein the memory circuit is connected to the pixel switching element, wherein the switch circuit is connected between the memory circuit and the pixel electrode and is connected to the first control line and the second control line, the driving method comprising: inputting an image signal through the corresponding pixel switching element to each of the memory circuits; supplying a first electric potential and a second electric potential respectively to the first control line and the second control line; inputting an electric potential from the first control line or the second control line by operating each of the switch circuits on the basis of an output from the corresponding memory circuit; and inputting a rectangular wave that has more than one cycle and that repeats the first electric potential and the second electric potential to the opposite electrode: wherein: a first image signal is input to the memory circuit of each pixel that displays a first gray scale, and a second image signal is input to the memory circuit of each pixel that displays a second gray scale, in each pixel that displays the first gray scale, the first control line and the pixel circuit are made into a connected state by operating the switch circuit on the basis of an output from the memory circuit that holds the first image signal, in each pixel that displays the second gray scale, the second control line and the pixel electrode are made into a connected state by operating the switch circuit on the basis of an output from the memory circuit that holds the second image signal, the first control line is made into a high impedance state by the electric potential control portion such that the first control line is electrically disconnected and the second control line is supplied with the second electric potential to thereby change at least a portion of the pixels of the display portion from the first gray scale to the second gray scale, and the first control line is supplied with the first electric potential and the second control line is made into a high impedance state by the electric potential control portion such that the second control line is electrically disconnected to thereby change at least a portion of the pixels of the display portion from the second gray scale to the first gray scale, and the first control line is connected to a source side of a first transistor of the switch circuit and the second control line is connected to a source side of a second transistor of the switch circuit.

2. The driving method according to claim 1 , wherein a display image is updated by repeating the operation in which the at least portion of the pixels of the display portion are changed from the first gray scale to the second gray scale and the operation in which the at least portion of the pixels of the display portion are changed from the second gray scale to the first gray scale.

3. The driving method according to claim 1 , wherein

between the operation in which the at least portion of the pixels of the display portion are changed from the first gray scale to the second gray scale and the operation in which the at least portion of the pixels of the display portion are changed from the second gray scale to the first gray scale, the first control line and the second control line are made into a high impedance state where the first control line and the second control line are electrically disconnected.

4. The driving method according to claim 1 , wherein after the rectangular wave that repeats the first electric potential and the second electric potential and that has more than one cycle has been input to the opposite electrode, each of the memory circuits, each of the switch circuits and the opposite electrode are made into a high impedance state where each of the memory circuits, each of the switch circuits and the opposite electrode are electrically disconnected.

5. An electrophoretic display device comprising a control portion that executes the driving method according to claim 1 .

6. An electronic apparatus comprising the electrophoretic display device according to claim 5 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: E INK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047072/0325 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2008
From: MAEDA, HIROSHI; SHIMODAIRA, YASUHIRO
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020717/0212 →