Three-dimensional electrophoretic displays

• US 7,408,696 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E Ink California, LLC (E Ink Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SiPix Imaging, Inc. (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liang, Rong-Chang, Chen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US10/841,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 359/290, 359/291, 359/295, 359/322, 359/315, 359/316
• US Class Current: 359/296
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133377 Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1677 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing

Abstract

This invention relates to three-dimensional (3-D) electrophoretic displays comprising individually sealed cells filled with optically active electrophoretic dispersions, and more particularly to bi-stable, low-power-consumption and sealed microcup-based electrophoretic displays for high-quality three-dimensional imagery applications.

Claims

1. A 3-D display comprising an array of cells wherein said cells are filled with an optically active electrophoretic dispersion and are sealed with a sealing layer formed on top of the optically active electrophoretic dispersion from a sealing composition having a specific gravity lower than that of the optically active electrophoretic dispersion.

2. The 3-D display of claim 1 wherein said optically active electrophoretic dispersion comprises R- or L-type of CLC or charged CLC pigment particles.

3. The 3-D display of claim 1 wherein said optically active electrophoretic dispersion comprises charged pigment particles dispersed in R- or L-type of optically selective CLCs.

4. The 3-D display of claim 3 wherein said charged pigment particles are of the white color.

5. The 3-D display of claim 3 wherein said charged pigment particles are of the black color.

6. The 3-D display of claim 3 wherein said R- or L-type of optically selective CLCs are of the red, blue or green color.

7. The 3-D display of claim 1 wherein said optically active electrophoretic dispersion comprises charged R- or L-type of optically selective CLC pigment particles dispersed in a dielectric solvent.

8. The 3-D display of claim 7 wherein said charged R- or L-type of optically selective CLC pigment particles are of the red, green or blue color.

9. The 3-D display of claim 7 wherein said dielectric solvent is colored.

10. The 3-D display of claim 9 wherein said dielectric solvent is black.

12. The 3-D display of claim 1 which has an up-down, in-plane or dual switching mode.

14. The 3-D display of claim 1 wherein said sealing composition is a radiation curable composition.

15. The 3-D display of claim 1 wherein said sealing composition is a heat or moisture curable composition.

11. A 3-D display comprising

a) an array of cells of well-defined shape, size and aspect ratio, and said cells are filled with an electrophoretic dispersion comprising charged pigment particles dispersed in a dielectric solvent and sealed with a sealing layer formed on top of the electrophoretic dispersion from a sealing composition having a specific gravity lower than that of the electrophoretic dispersion;

and

b) optically selective R- or L-type of CLC color filters.

13. The 3-D display of claim 11 which has an up-down, in-plane or dual switching mode.

16. The 3-D display of claim 11 wherein said sealing composition is a radiation curable composition.

17. The 3-D display of claim 11 wherein said sealing composition is a heat or moisture curable composition.