IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,508,308
Granted Patent B1
US 9,508,308 · App. 14/319,820 · Granted Nov 29, 2016

Display device control method

Inventors: Pavel Novoselov (Eindhoven, NL); Jozef Elisabeth Aubert (Roermond, NL)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
G09G5/00G02B26/005G09G3/348G09G3/3696G09G2310/06
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 9,508,308
App. No.
14/319,820
Granted
Nov 29, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

The patent application relates to a method of controlling a display device including display elements arranged in a matrix with n rows of display elements. The method includes: driving a first row of display elements, with a first output of a driving system being connected to the first row and disconnected from at least one further row of display elements.

Claims (76)

1. A method of controlling a display device comprising display elements arranged in a matrix with n rows of display elements, the method comprising:

selecting one of the n rows as a first row of display elements to be driven, the first row being one row of a first plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows;

generating a first row driving voltage pulse;

transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse from a first output of a row driving system to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements;

for the transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse, connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements, the first output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows;

after the transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse:

selecting one of the n rows, different from the first row of display elements, as a second row of display elements to be driven, the second row being one row of a second plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows;

generating a second row driving voltage pulse; and

transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse from a second output of the row driving system to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements, and

for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse:

switching a first driving element to a high impedance mode for the first output to provide a high impedance state, the first driving element connected to the first output;

switching a second driving element to a driving mode for the transmitting of the second row driving voltage pulse from the second output, the second driving element connected to the second output; and

connecting the second output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements, with the second output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of at least one further row of display elements of the second plurality of rows.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, after the transmitting the first row driving voltage:

selecting one of the first plurality of rows of display elements, different from the first row of display elements, as a different row of display elements to be driven;

generating a different row driving voltage pulse;

transmitting the different row driving voltage pulse from the first output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements;

for the transmitting the different row driving voltage pulse, disconnecting the first output from the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements; and

connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein

the disconnecting the first output from the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements comprises removing a first row selection voltage pulse from a switching element associated with the first row of display elements, and

the connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements comprises transmitting a different row selection voltage pulse to a switching element associated with the different row of display elements.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements comprises transmitting a first row selection voltage pulse to a switching element associated with the first row of display elements.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the first output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element, for all rows of the first plurality of rows except the first row of display elements.

6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse, disconnecting the first output from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one displayelement of each row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of dis play elements.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse, connecting the first output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of each row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements.

8. A display apparatus comprising a display device comprising a matrix with n rows of display elements comprising:

a first plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows; and

a second plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows;

the display apparatus comprising:

a row driving system comprising a first output and a second output, the row driving system configurable for the first output to provide a high impedance state with the first output not transmitting a row driving voltage pulse, and the row driving system configurable, independently of the first output, for the second output to provide a high impedance state with the second output not transmitting a row driving voltage pulse;

a row selection system comprising:

a first switching element, associated with a first row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements, and switchable to selectively connect the first row of display elements to the first output;

at least one further first switching element, associated respectively with at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements, and independently switchable to selectively connect a respective one of any of the at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements to the first output;

a second switching element, associated with a second row of display elements of the second plurality of rows of display elements, and switchable to selectively connect the second row of display elements to the second output; and

at least one further second switching element, associated respectively with at least one further row of display elements of the second plurality of rows of display elements, and independently switchable to selectively connect a respective one of any of the at least one further row of display elements of the second plurality of rows of display elements to the second output.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising a controller configured to selectively switch the first switching element and the at least one further first switching element, wherein, for transmitting a first row driving voltage pulse from the first output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements, the controller is configured to:

switch the first switching element to connect the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements; and

switch the at least one further first switching element to disconnect the first output from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to, after the transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse:

switch the first switching element to disconnect the first output from the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements; and

switch the at least one further first switching element to connect the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with the at least one display element of the at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising a controller configured to selectively switch the second switching element and the at least one further second switching element, wherein, for transmitting a second row driving voltage pulse from the second output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements, the controller is configured to:

switch the second switching element to connect the second output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements; and

switch the at least one further second switching element to disconnect the second output from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the at least one further row of display elements of the second plurality of rows of display elements.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the row driving system comprises a first driving element having the first output and a second driving element having the second output, each of the first driving element and the second driving element independently switchable between a driving mode, for transmitting of a row driving voltage pulse from the respective one of the first output or the second output, and a high impedance mode, for providing a high impedance state from the respective one of the first output or the second output.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the display apparatus is an electrowetting display apparatus and the display elements are each an electrowetting display element respectively comprising a first fluid and a second fluid substantially immiscible with the first fluid, each of the display elements configurable to provide a respective display effect by controlling a configuration of the first fluid and the second fluid.

14. An apparatus for controlling a display device comprising display elements arranged in a matrix with n rows of the display elements, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program instructions,

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

selecting one of the n rows as a first row of display elements to be driven, the first row being one row of a first plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows;

generating a first row driving voltage pulse;

transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse from a first output of a row driving system to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements; and

for the transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse, connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements, the first output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of at least one further row of display elements of the first plurality of rows;

after the transmitting the first row driving voltage pulse:

selecting one of the n rows, different from the first row of display elements, as a second row of display elements to be driven, the second row being one row of a second plurality of rows of display elements of the n rows;

generating a second row driving voltage pulse; and

transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse from a second output of the row driving system to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements, and

for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse:

switching a first driving element to a high impedance mode for the first output to provide a high impedance state, the first driving element connected to the first output;

switching a second driving element to a driving mode for the transmitting of the second row driving voltage pulse from the second output, the second driving element connected to the second output; and

connecting the second output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the second row of display elements, with the second output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of at least one further row of display elements of the second plurality of rows.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , the method comprising, after the transmitting the first row driving voltage:

selecting one of the first plurality of rows of display elements, different from the first row of display elements, as a different row of display elements to be driven;

generating a different row driving voltage pulse;

transmitting the different row driving voltage pulse from the first output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements;

for the transmitting the different row driving voltage pulse, disconnecting the first output from the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements; and

connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the disconnecting the first output from the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements comprises removing a first row selection voltage pulse from a switching element associated with the first row of display elements, and

the connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the different row of display elements comprises transmitting a different row selection voltage pulse to a switching element associated with the different row of display elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the connecting the first output to the at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of the first row of display elements comprises transmitting a first row selection voltage pulse to a switching element associated with the first row of display elements.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , the first output disconnected from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of all rows of the first plurality of rows except the first row of display elements.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , comprising, for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse, disconnecting the first output from at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of each row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , comprising, for the transmitting the second row driving voltage pulse, connecting the first output to at least one switching element associated respectively with at least one display element of each row of display elements of the first plurality of rows of display elements.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2016
From: NOVOSELOV, PAVEL; AUBERT, JOZEF ELISABETH; SANDHU, SUKHDIP
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 039626/0139 →
BILL OF SALE Recorded Jul 29, 2014
From: LIQUAVISTA B.V.
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033792/0968 →