Driving of electrowetting display device

1. A method of driving an electrowetting picture element to substantially maintain a first display state of the electrowetting picture element during a first frame, the method comprising:

applying a first picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a first sub-frame of the first frame, the first picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state and having a first picture element voltage polarity;

applying a second picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a second sub-frame of the first frame, the second picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state, the second picture element voltage having a second picture element voltage polarity different from the first picture element voltage polarity; and

holding the electrowetting picture element at the second picture element voltage during a third sub-frame of the first frame.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-frame is one of: shorter than or equal to the second sub-frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a third picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state during a last sub-frame of the first frame, the last sub-frame being the third sub-frame or different from the third sub-frame, the third picture element voltage having a third picture element voltage polarity, and

applying a fourth picture element voltage corresponding to a second display state during a first sub-frame of a second frame, the second frame subsequent to the first frame, the fourth picture element voltage having a fourth picture element voltage polarity different from the third picture element voltage polarity.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the applying the first picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element comprises applying the first picture element voltage between a first electrode of a first support plate of the electrowetting picture element and a second electrode of the electrowetting picture element, the electrowetting picture element further comprising:

a second support plate;

a first fluid; and

a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid, the second fluid being one or more of: electroconductive or polar,

the first fluid and the second fluid located between the first support plate and the second support plate,

the second electrode in electrical contact with the second fluid; and

the applying the second picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element comprises applying the second picture element voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the method further comprising applying an alternating voltage to the second electrode.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrowetting picture element comprises a storage capacitor directly connected between the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third sub-frame is subsequent to the second sub-frame, and the second sub-frame is subsequent to the first sub-frame.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third sub-frame is at least one of: longer than the first sub-frame or longer than the second sub-frame.

8. A method of driving an electrowetting display device comprising an electrowetting picture element, the method comprising:

applying a first picture element voltage having a first picture element voltage polarity and a first picture element voltage magnitude during a first period to provide a first display state; and

applying a second picture element voltage having a second picture element voltage polarity, different from the first picture element voltage polarity, and a second picture element voltage magnitude, different from the first picture element voltage magnitude, during a second period to substantially maintain the first display state.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first period is a first frame and the second period is a second frame.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first period is a first sub-frame of a frame and the second period is a second sub-frame of the frame.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a duration of the first period is one of: shorter than or equal to a duration of the second period.

12. The method according to claim 8 , comprising:

obtaining the first picture element voltage using a first conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude; and

obtaining the second picture element voltage using a second conversion, different from the first conversion, from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the using the first conversion comprises applying a first offset voltage and the using the second conversion comprises applying a second offset voltage different from the first offset voltage.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the using the first conversion comprises applying a first picture element voltage versus input data curve having a first shape and the using the second conversion comprises applying a second picture element voltage versus input data curve having a second shape different from the first shape.

15. A display driving system for driving an electrowetting display device, the display driving system comprising:

an input for display input data;

an output for providing a picture element voltage to an electrowetting picture element of the electrowetting display device; and

a processor for converting the display input data to the picture element voltage, the processor adapted for carrying out a method of driving the electrowetting picture element to substantially maintain a first display state of the electrowetting picture element during a first frame, the method comprising:

applying a first picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a first sub-frame of the first frame, the first picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state and having a first picture element voltage polarity;

applying a second picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a second sub-frame of the first frame, the second picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state, the second picture element voltage having a second picture element voltage polarity different from the first picture element voltage polarity; and

holding the electrowetting picture element at the second picture element voltage during a third sub-frame of the first frame.

16. The display driving system according to claim 15 , wherein the first sub-frame is one of: shorter than or equal to the second sub-frame.

17. The display driving system according to claim 15 , the method further comprising:

applying a third picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state during a last sub-frame of the first frame, the last sub-frame being the third sub-frame or different from the third sub-frame, the third picture element voltage having a third picture element voltage polarity, and

applying a fourth picture element voltage corresponding to a second display state during a first sub-frame of a second frame, the second frame subsequent to the first frame, the fourth picture element voltage having a fourth picture element voltage polarity different from the third picture element voltage polarity.

18. A display driving system for driving an electrowetting display device, the display driving system comprising:

an input for display input data;

an output for providing a picture element voltage to an electrowetting picture element of the electrowetting display device; and

a processor for converting the display input data to the picture element voltage,

the processor adapted for carrying out a method comprising:

applying a first picture element voltage having a first picture element voltage polarity and a first picture element voltage magnitude during a first period to provide a first display state; and

applying a second picture element voltage having a second picture element voltage polarity, different from the first picture element voltage polarity, and a second picture element voltage magnitude, different from the first picture element voltage magnitude, during a second period to substantially maintain the first display state.

19. The display driving system according to claim 18 , wherein the processor is adapted to:

obtain the first picture element voltage using a first conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude; and

obtain the second picture element voltage using a second conversion, different from the first conversion, from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude.

20. The display driving system according to claim 18 , comprising:

a first converter configured to perform a first conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude to obtain the first picture element voltage; and

a second converter configured to perform a second conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude to obtain the second picture element voltage.

21. The display driving system according to claim 18 , comprising a convertor comprising:

a first look-up table for use in a first conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude for the first picture element voltage; and

a second look-up table for use in a second conversion from display input data to picture element voltage magnitude for the second picture element voltage.

22. A display apparatus comprising a display device and a display driving system for driving the display device,

the display device comprising an electrowetting picture element comprising:

a first support plate comprising a first electrode;

a second support plate;

a first fluid;

a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid, the second fluid being one or more of: electroconductive or polar,

the first fluid and the second fluid located between the first support plate and the second support plate; and

a second electrode in electrical contact with the second fluid; and

the display driving system comprising:

an input for display input data;

an output for providing a picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element of the display device; and

a processor for converting the display input data to the picture element voltage, the processor adapted for carrying out a method of driving the electrowetting picture element to substantially maintain a first display state of the electrowetting picture element during a first frame, the method comprising:

applying a first picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a first sub-frame of the first frame, the first picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state and having a first picture element voltage polarity;

applying a second picture element voltage to the electrowetting picture element during a second sub-frame of the first frame, the second picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state, the second picture element voltage having a second picture element voltage polarity different from the first picture element voltage polarity; and

holding the electrowetting picture element at the second picture element voltage during a third sub-frame of the first frame.

23. The display apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the first sub-frame is one of: shorter than or equal to the second sub-frame.

24. The display apparatus according to claim 22 , the method further comprising:

applying a third picture element voltage corresponding to the first display state during a last sub-frame of the first frame, the last sub-frame being the third sub-frame or different from the third sub-frame, the third picture element voltage having a third picture element voltage polarity, and

applying a fourth picture element voltage corresponding to the second display state during a first sub-frame of a second frame, the second frame subsequent to the first frame, the fourth picture element voltage having a fourth picture element voltage polarity different from the third picture element voltage polarity.