ELECTROPHORETIC DEVICE, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20080277279A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: HIRAYAMA, Hiroshi, YOSHIDA, Junpei
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/406
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44713 Particularly adapted electric power supply

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of driving an electrophoretic device that includes an electrophoretic element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, and further includes a capacitor connected to the first electrode at one terminal. The method includes (a) applying a reference potential or a first potential higher than the reference potential to the first electrode of the electrophoretic element and the terminal of the capacitor and applying the reference potential to the second electrode of the electrophoretic element, and (b) applying a signal fluctuating between a second potential and a third potential to the second electrode subsequently to the step (a), the second potential being equal to or higher than the reference potential, the third potential being higher than the second potential and being equal to or lower than the first potential.

Claims

1. A method of driving an electrophoretic device that includes an electrophoretic element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, and further includes a capacitor connected to the first electrode at one terminal, the method comprising:

(a) applying a reference potential or a first potential higher than the reference potential to the first electrode of the electrophoretic element and the terminal of the capacitor and applying the reference potential to the second electrode of the electrophoretic element; and

(b) applying a signal fluctuating between a second potential and a third potential to the second electrode subsequently to the step (a), the second potential being equal to or higher than the reference potential, the third potential being higher than the second potential and being equal to or lower than the first potential.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second potential is equal to the reference potential and the third potential is equal to the first potential.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second potential is higher than the reference potential and the third potential is lower than the first potential.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps (a) and (b) are repeated a plurality of times.

2. A method of driving an electrophoretic device having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of m rows and n columns, each pixel including an electrophoretic element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, each pixel further including a capacitor connected to the first electrode at one terminal, the method comprising:

(a) sequentially selecting the pixels in the respective rows, applying a reference potential or a first potential higher than the reference potential to the first electrode of the electrophoretic element and the terminal of the capacitor in each selected pixel, and applying the reference potential to the second electrode of the electrophoretic element; and

(b) applying a signal fluctuating between a second potential and a third potential to the second electrode subsequently to the step (a), the second potential being equal to or higher than the reference potential, the third potential being higher than the second potential and being equal to or lower than the first potential.

6. An electrophoretic device comprising:

an electrophoretic element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes;

a capacitor connected to the first electrode at one terminal; and

a drive circuit connected to the electrophoretic element and the capacitor, wherein

the drive circuit performs;

(a) applying a reference potential or a first potential higher than the reference potential to the first electrode of the electrophoretic element and the terminal of the capacitor and applying the reference potential to the second electrode of the electrophoretic element; and

(b) applying a signal fluctuating between a second potential and a third potential to the second electrode subsequently to the step (a), the second potential being equal to or higher than the reference potential, the third potential being higher than the second potential and being equal to or lower than the first potential.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second potential is equal to the reference potential and the third potential is equal to the first potential.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second potential is higher than the reference potential and the third potential is lower than the first potential.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drive circuit repeats the steps (a) and (b) a plurality of times.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising the electrophoretic device according to claim 6 as a display unit.

7. An electrophoretic device comprising:

a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of m rows and n columns; and

a drive circuit connected to the pixels, wherein each pixel includes;

an electrophoretic element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes; and

a capacitor connected to the first electrode at one terminal, and the drive circuit performs;

(a) sequentially selecting the pixels in the respective rows, applying a reference potential or a first potential higher than the reference potential to the first electrode of the electrophoretic element and the terminal of the capacitor in each selected pixel, and applying the reference potential to the second electrode of the electrophoretic element; and

(b) applying a signal fluctuating between a second potential and a third potential to the second electrode subsequently to the step (a), the second potential being equal to or higher than the reference potential, the third potential being higher than the second potential and being equal to or lower than the first potential.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the second electrode is a common electrode shared by the electrophoretic elements.