Time-Overlapping Partial-Panel Updating Of A Bistable Electro-Optic Display

• US 20090256868A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated, Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Ohkami, Takahide, van Baarsen, John Peter, Low, Yun Shon
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/691
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display driving waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/344 based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices electrophoretic devices per se G02F1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

A method for updating two or more regions of the display area of a bistable, electro-optic display device comprises selecting at least one first waveform for at least one pixel of a first region; (b) selecting at least one second waveform for at least one pixel of a second region; (c) updating the first region by generating and providing the first waveform to the at least one pixel of the first region; and (d) updating the second region by generating and providing the second waveform to the at least one pixel of the second region, wherein the first and second updates at least partially coincide in time. The first waveform is selected from a first drive scheme for use in a first update mode having a first period. The second waveform is selected from second a drive scheme for use in a second update mode having a second period.

Claims

1. A method for updating two or more regions of the display area of a bistable, electro-optic display device, comprising:

(a) selecting at least one first waveform for at least one pixel of a first region of the display area, the first waveform being selected from a first drive scheme for use in a first update mode, the first update mode having a first period;

(b) selecting at least one second waveform for at least one pixel of a second region of the display area, the second waveform being selected from a second drive scheme for use in a second update mode, the second update mode having a second period;

(c) updating the first region by generating and providing the first waveform to the at least one pixel of the first region; and

(d) updating the second region by generating and providing the second waveform to the at least one pixel of the second region, wherein the first and second periods at least partially coincide in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second periods are different.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the first region starts at a first time and updating the second region starts at a second time, and the first and second times are different.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is an electrophoretic display device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display device is an encapsulated electrophoretic display device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the display device is an active matrix display device.

10. A display controller for updating two or more regions of a display area of a bistable, electro-optic display device, comprising:

a first display pipe to fetch pixel transitions for a first region, to fetch a first drive scheme having a first period for the first region, and to determine a waveform for at least one pixel of the first region;

at least one second display pipe to fetch pixel transitions for a second region, to fetch a second drive scheme having a second period for the second region, and to determine a waveform for at least one pixel of the second region, wherein the determinations of waveforms by the first display pipe and the at least one second display pipe at least partially coincide in time.

11. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first and at least one second display pipes each comprise a lookup table to store drive scheme data for one frame period, and the first and at least one second display pipes fetch pixel transitions from an update buffer during each frame.

12. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first and second periods are different.

13. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first display pipe starts determining waveforms at a first time and the at least one second display pipe starts determining waveforms at a second time, and the first and second times are different.

14. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme.

15. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

16. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the first drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

17. The display controller of claim 10, wherein the display device is an electrophoretic display device.

18. The display controller of claim 17, wherein the display device is an encapsulated electrophoretic display device.

19. The display controller of claim 18, wherein the display device is an active matrix display device.

20. A bistable, electro-optic display device, comprising:

a display panel having a display area; and

a display controller to update two or more regions of the display area, the display controller including;

a first display pipe to fetch pixel transitions for a first region, to fetch a first drive scheme having a first period for the first region, and to determine a waveform for at least one pixel of the first region;

at least one second display pipe to fetch pixel transitions for a second region, to fetch a second drive scheme having a second period for the second region, and to determine a waveform for at least one pixel of the second region, wherein the determinations of waveforms by the first display pipe and the at least one second display pipe at least partially coincide in time.

21. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first and at least one second display pipes each comprise a lookup table to store drive scheme data for one frame period, and the first and at least one second display pipes fetch pixel transitions from an update buffer during each frame.

22. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first and second periods are different.

23. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first display pipe starts determining waveforms at a first time and the at least one second display pipe starts determining waveforms at a second time, and the first and second times are different.

24. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme.

25. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

26. The display device of claim 20, wherein the first drive scheme is a monochrome drive scheme and the second drive scheme is a pen drive scheme.

27. The display device of claim 20, wherein the display device is an electrophoretic display device.

28. The display device of claim 27, wherein the display device is an encapsulated electrophoretic display device.

29. The display device of claim 28, wherein the display device is an active matrix display device.