Electrophoretic ink composed of particles with field dependent mobilities
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electrophoretic display having a viewing surface, the display comprising:
- an image pixel comprising;
a first plurality of particles having a first mobility, μ
1(V); and
a second plurality of particles having a second mobility, μ
2(V), at least one of the first and second mobilities varying with the addressing voltage V applied to the pixel such that at a first addressing voltage V1;
μ
1(V1)>
μ
2(V1)whereas at a second addressing voltage V2;
μ
2(V2)>
μ
1(V2)whereby the image pixel can produce a first optical state determined by a motion of the first plurality of particles by application of the first addressing voltage V1 and a second optical state determined by a motion of the second plurality of particles by application of the second addressing voltage V2.
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Abstract
An electrophoretic display has a viewing surface, and includes an image pixel. The image pixel includes a first plurality of particles having a first mobility, and a second plurality of particles having a second mobility. At a first addressing voltage, the first mobility is greater than the second mobility. At a second addressing voltage, the second mobility is greater than the first mobility. At least one of the first and second mobilities is a variable function of voltage, i.e., a function of an applied electric field. Application of the first addressing voltage produces a first optical state, which is determined by a motion of the first plurality of particles. Application of the second addressing voltage produces a second optical state determined by a motion of the second plurality of particles.
563 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electrophoretic display having a viewing surface, the display comprising:
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an image pixel comprising; a first plurality of particles having a first mobility, μ
1(V); anda second plurality of particles having a second mobility, μ
2(V), at least one of the first and second mobilities varying with the addressing voltage V applied to the pixel such that at a first addressing voltage V1;
μ
1(V1)>
μ
2(V1)whereas at a second addressing voltage V2;
μ
2(V2)>
μ
1(V2)whereby the image pixel can produce a first optical state determined by a motion of the first plurality of particles by application of the first addressing voltage V1 and a second optical state determined by a motion of the second plurality of particles by application of the second addressing voltage V2. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
whereby the image pixel can produce a third optical state determined by a motion of the third plurality of particles by application of the third addressing voltage, V3.
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5. The electrophoretic display of claim 4 wherein the first, second and third pluralities of particles respectively have a first, a second and a third color to permit production of a color image by the electrophoretic display.
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6. The electrophoretic display of claim 4 wherein the first, second and third pluralities of particles respectively have a first, a second and a third grey level to permit display of at least three grey levels by the image element.
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7. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the image pixel further comprises one or more capsules that encapsulate the carrier medium.
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8. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of particles have a charge that is a function of the addressing voltage.
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9. The electrophoretic display of claim 2 wherein the carrier medium has a viscosity that is a function of a motion of the first plurality of particles.
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10. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the carrier medium has a viscosity that is a function of the addressing voltage.
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11. The electrophoretic display of claim 1 wherein the image pixel further comprises a third plurality of particles having a third mobility, μ
-
3(V) such that the following relationships are satisfied;
|μ
3(V)|<
|μ
1(V)| and
|μ
3(V)|<
|μ
2(V)|for all addressing voltages, V, whereby the image pixel can produce a third optical state by application of a third addressing voltage, V3, that causes a motion of the first and second pluralities of particles away from the viewing surface.
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3(V) such that the following relationships are satisfied;
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12. The electrophoretic display of claim 11 wherein μ
- 3(V) is a constant independent of voltage.
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13. The electrophoretic display of claim 11 wherein μ
-
3(V) has a polarity that is the same as both the polarity of μ
1(V) and the polarity of μ
2(V).
-
3(V) has a polarity that is the same as both the polarity of μ
-
14. The electrophoretic display of claim 11 wherein μ
-
3(V) has a polarity that is opposite to both the polarity of μ
1(V) and the polarity of μ
2(V).
-
3(V) has a polarity that is opposite to both the polarity of μ
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15. A method of forming an image in an electrophoretic display having a viewing surface, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing an image pixel comprising a first plurality of particles having a first mobility, μ
1(V); and
a second plurality of particles having a second mobility, μ
2(V), at least one of the first and second mobilities varying with the addressing voltage V applied to the pixel such that at a first addressing voltage V1;
μ
1(V1)>
μ
2(V1)whereas at a second addressing voltage V2;
μ
1(V2)<
μ
2(V2)addressing the image pixel with a first addressing voltage, V1, to produce a first optical state determined by a motion of the first plurality of particles; and addressing the image pixel with the second addressing voltage, V2, to produce a second optical state determined by a motion of the second plurality of particles. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
the method further comprising the step of addressing the image pixel with the third addressing voltage V3 to produce a third optical state determined by a motion of the third plurality of particles.
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18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first plurality of particles have a charge that is a function of the addressing voltage.
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19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of providing a particle carrier medium having a viscosity that is a function of a motion of the first plurality of particles, the first and second pluralities of particles being disposed in the particle carrier medium.
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20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of providing a particle carrier medium having a viscosity that is a function of voltage, the first and second pluralities of particles being disposed in the particle carrier medium.
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21. The method of claim 15 wherein the image pixel further comprises a third plurality of particles having a third mobility, μ
-
3(V) such that;
|μ
3(V)|<
|μ
1(V)| and
|μ
3(V)|<
|μ
2(V)|for all addressing voltages, V, the method further comprising addressing the image pixel with a third addressing voltage, V3, to produce a third optical state determined by a motion of the first and second pluralities of particles away from the viewing surface.
-
3(V) such that;
Specification
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Current AssigneeE Ink Holdings Incorporated
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Original AssigneeE Ink Holdings Incorporated
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InventorsHerb, Craig A., Zhang, Libing
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Primary Examiner(s)Shankar, Vijay
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Assistant Examiner(s)DHARIA, PRABODH M
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Application NumberUS10/298,468Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,261 DaysField of Search345/84, 345/87, 345/95, 345/97, 345/107, 345/108, 345/210, 359/240, 359/252, 359/267, 359/296, 359/443, 264/1.36, 430/32, 257/66, 428/690, 313/498US Class Current345/107CPC Class CodesG02F 1/167 by electrophoresisG02F 2001/1678 characterised by the compos...G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display dri...G09G 3/344 based on particles moving i...
