Electrophoresis device, electronic apparatus, and driving method of electrophoresis device

• US 8,089,452 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kawai, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, TONY O
• Application Number:
  US11/467,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 345/107, 345/104, 345/211, 345/87
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display driving waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0223 Compensation for problems related to R-C delay and attenuation in electrodes of matrix panels, e.g. in gate electrodes or on-substrate video signal electrodes
• 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

Abstract

An electrophoresis device includes a first substrate having a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on a surface thereof, a second substrate having a common electrode formed on a surface thereof and disposed to face the pixel electrodes, and an electrophoretic layer disposed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. The electrophoresis device makes electrophoretic particles migrate by keeping the potential of each pixel electrode constant and changing a voltage to be applied to the common electrode. The device also includes a voltage control means which supplies a voltage whose minimum voltage is not less than V3 and whose maximum voltage are not more than V4 to the common electrode, in a case where a potential which appears in each pixel electrode when a minimum voltage V1 is supplied to a voltage supply means to each pixel electrode is set to V3 and a potential which appears in each pixel electrode when a maximum voltage V2 is supplied to the voltage supply means is set to V4.

Claims

1. An electrophoresis device which includes:

a first substrate having a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on a surface thereof,

a second substrate having a common electrode formed on a surface thereof and disposed to face the pixel electrodes, and

an electrophoretic layer disposed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, and

which makes electrophoretic particles migrate by keeping the potential of each pixel electrode constant and changing a voltage to be applied to the common electrode,

the device comprising;

a voltage control means which supplies first and second voltages V1 and V2 to the pixel electrodes, and in response to the first and second voltages V1 and V2 shifting to third and fourth voltages V3 and V4, respectively, supplies a voltage pulse that varies between fifth and sixth voltages V5 and V6 to the common electrode, wherein V1<

V3<

V5 and V6<

V4<

V2.

2. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1,

wherein the first substrate further comprises a thin film semiconductor circuitry layer.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising the electrophoresis device according to claim 1.

4. A method of driving an electrophoresis device which includes:

a first substrate having a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on a surface thereof,

a second translucent substrate having a common electrode formed on a surface thereof and disposed to face the pixel electrodes, and

an electrophoretic layer disposed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, and

which makes electrophoretic particles migrate by keeping the potential of each pixel electrode constant and changing a voltage to be applied to the common electrode,

the method comprising;

supplying first and second voltages V1 and V2 to the pixel electrodes, and in response to the first and second voltages V1 and V2 shifting to third and fourth voltages V3 and V4, respectively, supplying a voltage pulse that varies between fifth and sixth voltages V5 and V6 to the common electrode, wherein V1<

V3<

V5 and V6<

V4<

V2.

5. The method of driving an electrophoresis device according to claim 4,

wherein the voltage to be applied to the common electrode is a pulse voltage of 50% duty ratio.

6. The method of method an electrophoresis device according to claim 4,

wherein the voltage to be applied to the common electrode is changed at a pulse period of 50 to 1000 milliseconds.