Driving methods with variable frame time

1. A method for driving an electrophoretic display including a plurality of pixels, the method comprising:

applying a common voltage to a common electrode associated with the plurality of pixels, the common voltage being configured to alternate between a positive bias voltage, a negative bias voltage, or a zero-volt bias voltage;

applying a first driving phase to at least one individual pixel of said plurality of pixels, the first driving phase comprising a first instance of a shortened driving frame having a first frame time, and a first plurality of regular driving frames each of which has a second frame time; and

applying a second driving phase to said at least one individual pixel of said plurality of pixels, the second driving phase comprising a second instance of the shortened driving frame having the first frame time, and a second plurality of regular driving frames each of which has the second frame time;

wherein the first frame time of the first instance and the second instance of the shortened driving frame is about 5% to about 80% in duration of the second frame time of the first plurality of regular driving frames and the second plurality of regular driving frames;

wherein each of the first instance and the second instance of the shortened driving frame occurs at a transition time point, at which a driving waveform for the electrophoretic display transitions from one driving phase among multiple driving phases including the first driving phase and the second driving phase to another driving phase among the multiple driving phases including the first driving phase and the second driving phase, wherein the transition time point is a time point at which the common voltage alternates between the positive bias voltage, the negative bias voltage, or the zero-volt bias voltage;

wherein the electrophoretic display comprising a plurality of pixel electrodes, each of said plurality of pixels is sandwiched between the common electrode and a pixel electrode of said plurality of pixel electrodes;

wherein the electrophoretic display further includes an active matrix driving system that applies a driving voltage to said at least one individual pixel of said plurality of pixels during each driving frame being one of the first instance or the second instance of the shortened driving frame or the first plurality of regular driving frames or the second plurality of regular driving frames.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frame time is about 5% to about 60% of the second frame time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a voltage is applied to the common electrode in each of the first driving phase and the second driving phase and the voltages applied to the common electrode in the first driving phase and the second driving phase are not identical.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first instance and the second instance of the shortened driving frames have the first frame time that is identical in the first driving phrase and the second driving phase.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of regular driving frames and the second plurality of regular driving frames have the second frame time that is identical in the first driving phase and the second driving phase.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active matrix driving system applies a first constant voltage to said at least one individual pixel during all driving frames including the shortened driving frame and the regular driving frames of the first driving phase, and wherein the active matrix driving system applies a second constant voltage to said at least one individual pixel during all driving frames including the shortened driving frame and the second plurality of regular driving frames.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shortened driving frame of the first driving phase is equal to the shortened driving frame of the second driving phase.