IP Library Granted Patent US 9,293,089
Granted Patent B2
US 9,293,089 · App. 14/137,017 · Granted Mar 22, 2016

Display driving method

Inventors: Henricus Petronella Maria Derckx (Weert, NL); Jozef Elisabeth Aubert (Roermond, NL); Johannes Wilhelmus Hendrikus Mennen (Budel, NL)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
G09G3/348G09G2300/0452G09G2300/08G09G2310/0256
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,293,089
App. No.
14/137,017
Granted
Mar 22, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of driving an electrowetting display device for displaying images. The display device has a plurality of display elements arranged in an active matrix. The matrix has rows and columns. A specific display element is addressed by applying a voltage to the display elements along the column of the specific display element and selecting the row of the specific display element. The method includes determining a first group of rows where the voltages to be applied to the display elements in a predefined column or group of columns are within a first range smaller than a range over which the voltage is controllable; and selecting the rows in the first group consecutively.

Claims (46)

1. A method of driving an electrowetting display device for displaying images, the electrowetting display device having a plurality of display elements arranged in a matrix having columns and n rows, where n is larger than one, a display element of the plurality of display elements being addressable by applying a voltage to a column of the columns, which column comprises the display element, and selecting a row of the n rows, which row comprises the display element, the method comprising:

determining a first group of q rows of the n rows, where q is less than n, for which voltages to be applied to display elements of the plurality of display elements in a predefined column or group of the columns are within a first range, an extent of the first range being smaller than an extent of a range over which the voltages are controllable; and

selecting the rows in the first group consecutively.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the images in frames; and

performing the determining and the selecting for at least one of the frames.

3. A method according to claim 1 , in which the display elements of the plurality of display elements are divided in subdisplay elements that are arranged over at least two rows of the n rows.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a second group of rows of the n rows, different from the first group of q rows, where voltages to be applied to the display elements in the predefined column or group of the columns are within a second range, the second range not overlapping with the first range; and

selecting the rows in the second group consecutively.

5. A method according to claim 1 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

6. A method according to claim 4 , the second range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

7. A method according to claim 4 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable and the second range at another end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

8. A display controller for an electrowetting display device, the display controller comprising at least one processor, at least one memory comprising computer program instructions, and an input of the display controller for data representing images,

the electrowetting display device comprising a plurality of display elements arranged in a matrix having columns and n rows, where n is larger than one, a display element of the plurality of display elements being addressable by applying a voltage to a column of the columns, which column comprises the display element, and selecting a row of the n rows, which row comprises the display element,

the at least one memory and the computer program instructions being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the display controller to perform a method of driving the electrowetting display device comprising:

determining a first group of rows of the n rows, where q is less than n, where voltages to be applied to display elements of the plurality of display elements in a predefined column or group of the columns are within a first range, an extent of the first range being smaller than an extent of a range over which the voltages are controllable; and

selecting the rows in the first group consecutively.

9. A display controller according to claim 8 , configured to:

display the images in frames; and

perform the determining and the selecting for at least one of the frames.

10. A display controller according to claim 8 , in which the display elements are divided in sub-display elements that are arranged over at least two rows of the n rows.

11. A display controller according to claim 8 , configured to perform:

determining a second group of rows of the n rows, different from the first group of q rows, where voltages to be applied to the display elements in the predefined column or group of the columns are within a second range, the second range not overlapping with the first range; and

selecting the rows in the second group consecutively.

12. A display controller according to claim 8 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

13. A display controller according to claim 11 , the second range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

14. A display controller according to claim 11 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable and the second range at another end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

15. An electrowetting display apparatus comprising:

an electrowetting display device comprising a plurality of display elements arranged in a matrix having columns and n rows, where n is larger than one, a display element of the plurality of display elements being addressable by applying a voltage to a column of the columns, which column comprises the display element, and selecting a row of the n rows, which row comprises the display element;

a display driver; and

a display controller comprising at least one processor, at least one memory comprising computer program instructions, and an input of the display controller for data representing images,

the at least one memory and the computer program instructions being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the display controller to, using the display driver, perform a method of driving the electrowetting display device comprising:

determining a first group of q rows of the n rows, where q is less than n, for which voltages to be applied to display elements of the plurality of display elements in a predefined column or group of the columns are within a first range, an extent of the first range being smaller than an extent of a range over which the voltages are controllable; and

selecting the rows in the first group consecutively.

16. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 15 , the display controller configured to:

display the images in frames; and

perform the determining and the selecting for at least one of the frames.

17. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 15 , the display elements divided in sub-display elements that are arranged over at least two rows of the n rows.

18. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 15 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

19. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 15 , the display controller configured to perform:

determining a second group of rows of the n rows, different from the first group of q rows, where voltages to be applied to the display elements in the predefined column or group of the columns are within a second range, the second range not overlapping with the first range; and

selecting the rows in the second group consecutively.

20. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 19 , the second range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

21. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 19 , the first range at an end of the range over which the voltages are controllable and the second range at another end of the range over which the voltages are controllable.

22. An electrowetting display apparatus according to claim 1 , the selecting the rows in the first group consecutively comprising consecutively switching transistors, each of the transistors connected to a respective row of the q rows, for applying the voltages to the display elements of the plurality of display elements in the predefined column or group of the columns.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2014
From: DERCKX, HENRICUS PETRONELLA MARIA; AUBERT, JOZEF ELISABETH; MENNEN, JOHANNES WILHELMUS HENDRIKUS
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033457/0946 →
BILL OF SALE Recorded Jul 29, 2014
From: LIQUAVISTA B.V.
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033792/0968 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150179096A1 · Jun 25, 2015