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

• US 8,102,363 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hirayama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US12/177,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 345/33, 345/76, 345/84, 345/87, 345105-107, 345/204, 345/690, 345211-214, 359/273, 359/296, 347/111, 347/112, 347/153, 347/167, 430/19
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0251 Precharge or discharge of pixel before applying new pixel voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• 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

In at least one embodiment, a driving method of an electrophoresis display device includes an image-erasing step in which an old image displayed on the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device is erased. The image-erasing step of the driving method of the electrophoresis display device further includes a first image-erasing sub step of displaying a first gradation in each of the pixels of a first area and displaying a second gradation in each of the pixels of a second area; and a second image-erasing sub step of displaying the second gradation in each of the pixels of the first area and displaying the first gradation in each of the pixels of the second area.

Claims

1. A method for driving an electrophoresis display device that has a pair of substrates that sandwich an electrophoresis element that contains, without any limitation thereto, a plurality of electrophoresis particles and further has a displaying section that is made up of a plurality of pixels, the driving method of the electrophoresis display device comprising:

an image-erasing step in which an old image displayed on the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device is erased, the image-erasing step of the driving method of the electrophoresis display device further including

a first image-erasing sub step of displaying a first gradation in each of the pixels of a first area and displaying a second gradation in each of the pixels of a second area, where the pixels are grouped into the first area and the second area arrayed adjacent to each other in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device, the first area being made up of either a single pixel or plural pixels, the second area being also made up of either a single pixel or plural pixels; and

a second image-erasing sub step of displaying the second gradation in each of the pixels of the first area and displaying the first gradation in each of the pixels of the second area,

wherein;

each of the pixels of the first area and the second area comprises a pixel electrode formed on one of the pair of substrates and a common electrode formed on the other of the pair of substrates,

a first electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the first area and a second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the second area during the entirety of the first image-erasing sub step,

the second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the first area and the first electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the second area during the entirety of the second image-erasing sub step, and

the first electric potential is applied to the common electrode during a first half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps and the second electric potential is applied to the common electrode during a second half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps.

2. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1,

wherein the first image-erasing sub step and the second image-erasing sub step are executed more than one time in an alternate manner.

3. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

a plurality of the first areas and a plurality of the second areas are formed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device; and

the first areas and the second areas are arrayed in a grid pattern along the extending direction of the data line and the extending direction of the scanning line.

4. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 3,

wherein each of the first areas is made up of not plural pixels but a single pixel;

and

each of the second areas is also made up of not plural pixels but a single pixel.

5. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

the first area is elongated along the extending direction of the data line; and

the second area is also elongated along the extending direction of the data line.

6. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

the first area is elongated along the extending direction of the scanning line; and

the second area is also elongated along the extending direction of the scanning line.

7. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1 further comprising an image-writing step in which an image is displayed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device,

the common electrode is formed on the other of the pair of substrates in such a manner that the common electrode is provided opposite to the pixel electrodes with the electrophoresis element being interposed therebetween;

either the first electric potential or the second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes in the image-writing step; and

a signal that causes the electric potential level of the common electrode to switch over between the first electric potential and the second electric potential in an alternate manner is inputted into the common electrode in each of the first image-erasing sub step of the image-erasing step, the second image-erasing sub step of the image-erasing step, and the image-writing step.

8. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 7,

wherein each of the length of the time period of the first image-erasing sub step and the length of the time period of the second image-erasing sub step is shorter than each of the length of the time period during which the electric potential level of the signal that is inputted into the common electrode in the image-writing step in which an image is displayed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device is held at the first electric potential and the length of the time period during which the electric potential level of the signal that is inputted into the common electrode in the image-writing step in which an image is displayed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device is held at the second electric potential.

18. The method for driving the electrophoresis display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electric potential is applied to the common electrode during the entire first half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps and the second electric potential is applied to the common electrode during the entire second half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps.

9. An electrophoresis display device comprising:

a pair of substrates that sandwich an electrophoresis element that contains, without any limitation thereto, a plurality of electrophoresis particles;

a displaying section that is made up of a plurality of pixels; and

a controlling section that controls the plurality of pixels,

wherein the controlling section executes image-erasing operation through which an old image displayed on the displaying section is erased; and

the image-erasing operation executed by the controlling section includes;

a first image-erasing operation in which a first gradation is displayed in each of the pixels of a first area whereas a second gradation is displayed in each of the pixels of a second area, where the pixels are grouped into the first area and the second area arrayed adjacent to each other in the displaying section, the first area being made up of either a single pixel or plural pixels, the second area being also made up of either a single pixel or plural pixels; and

a second image-erasing operation in which the second gradation is displayed in each of the pixels of the first area whereas the first gradation is displayed in each of the pixels of the second area,

wherein;

each of the pixels of the first area and the second area comprises a pixel electrode formed on one of the pair of substrates and a common electrode formed on the other of the pair of substrates,

a first electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the first area and a second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the second area during the entirety of the first image-erasing sub step,

the second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the first area and the first electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes of the second area during the entirety of the second image-erasing sub step, and

the first electric potential is applied to the common electrode during a first half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps and the second electric potential is applied to the common electrode during a second half of each of the first and second image-erasing sub steps.

10. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 9,

wherein the controlling section executes the first image-erasing operation and the second image-erasing operation more than one time in an alternate manner.

11. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 9,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

a plurality of the first areas and a plurality of the second areas are formed in the displaying section of the electrophoresis display device; and

the first areas and the second areas are arrayed in a grid pattern along the extending direction of the data line and the extending direction of the scanning line.

12. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 11,

wherein each of the first areas is made up of not plural pixels but a single pixel;

and

each of the second areas is also made up of not plural pixels but a single pixel.

13. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 9,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

the first area is elongated along the extending direction of the data line; and

the second area is also elongated along the extending direction of the data line.

14. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 9,

wherein a data line and a scanning line that intersect with each other are formed in the displaying section;

the pixel is formed at a position corresponding to the intersection of the data line and the scanning line;

the first area is elongated along the extending direction of the scanning line; and

the second area is also elongated along the extending direction of the scanning line.

15. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 9 further executing an image-writing operation through which an image is displayed in the displaying section,

the common electrode is formed on the other of the pair of substrates in such a manner that the common electrode is provided opposite to the pixel electrode with the electrophoresis element being interposed therebetween;

either the first electric potential or the second electric potential is inputted into the pixel electrodes in the image-writing operation; and

a signal that causes the electric potential level of the common electrode to switch over between the first electric potential and the second electric potential in an alternate manner is inputted into the common electrode in each of the first image-erasing operation of the image-erasing operation, the second image-erasing operation of the image-erasing operation, and the image-writing operation.

16. The electrophoresis display device according to claim 15,

wherein each of the length of the time period of the first image-erasing operation and the length of the time period of the second image-erasing operation is shorter than each of the length of the time period during which the electric potential level of the signal that is inputted into the common electrode in the image-writing operation in which an image is displayed in the displaying section is held at the first electric potential and the length of the time period during which the electric potential level of the signal that is inputted into the common electrode in the image-writing operation in which an image is displayed in the displaying section is held at the second electric potential.

17. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electrophoresis display device according to claim 9.