Display element, electronic paper including the same, electronic terminal apparatus including the same, display system including the same, and method of processing image in display element

• US 8,144,074 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iris Optronics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nose, Masayuki, Yamaguchi, Hisashi, Watanuki, Tsuneo, Fukuda, Makoto, Yoshihara, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US12/411,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87-100, 345/204, 345/211, 345695-699
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13478 based on selective reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13718 based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

A liquid crystal display element includes a G display unit, serving as a first display unit, R and B display units and, serving as second and third display units, that are laminated on the G display unit and have display regions arranged so as to correspond to a display region of the G display unit, and a display control unit that performs a reset process of changing the display region to the same display state on the G display unit and then starts the reset process of the R and B display units.

Claims

1. A display element comprising:

a first display unit that has a first display region;

a second display unit that is laminated on the first display unit and has a second display region arranged so as to correspond to the first display region; and

a display control unit that performs a reset process of changing the display region to the same display state on the first display unit and starts the reset process of the second display unit.

2. The display element according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second display units includes:

a plurality of scanning electrodes;

a plurality of data electrodes that are arranged so as to intersect the plurality of scanning electrodes; and

a plurality of pixels that are formed at intersections of the plurality of scanning electrodes and the plurality of data electrodes and are arranged in a matrix, and

the display control unit performs the reset process on the first or second display unit such that the plurality of scanning electrodes are simultaneously selected.

3. The display element according to claim 2,

wherein the display control unit performs the reset process on the first or second display unit such that a voltage pulse having substantially the same waveform is simultaneously applied to the plurality of pixels.

4. The display element according to claim 1,

wherein the display control unit starts a write process of writing image data to the first display region after the reset process of the first display unit ends, and starts the reset process of the second display unit after the write process ends.

5. The display element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third display unit that is laminated on the first and second display units, each having a light reflection state, a light transmission state, or an intermediate state therebetween, reflecting different color light components, includes a third display region arranged so as to correspond to the first and second display regions, has the light reflection state, the light transmission state, or the intermediate state therebetween, and reflects a light component having a color that is different from those of the light components reflected by the first and second display units.

6. The display element according to claim 5,

wherein the display control unit performs the reset process on one of the first to third display units reflecting a color closest to the color of a display image, independently from the other display units.

7. The display element according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting unit that detects the start time of the reset process.

8. The display element according to claim 7,

wherein the detecting unit includes a measuring unit that measures a time interval capable of preventing image sticking of the display region.

9. The display element according to claim 7,

wherein the detecting unit includes a light detecting unit that detects the illuminance of an external environment.

10. The display element according to claim 9,

wherein, when the illuminance detected by the light detecting unit is less than a predetermined value, the display control unit starts the reset process of the first display unit.

11. The display element according to claim 5,

wherein the first to third display units each have a memory property.

12. The display element according to claim 5,

wherein each of the first to third display units includes:

a pair of substrates that are arranged so as to face each other; and

liquid crystal that is sealed between the substrates and forms a cholesteric phase.

13. The display element according to claim 12,

wherein a DDS driving method is used for the reset process and the write process.

14. The display element according to claim 1,

wherein the first and second display regions are display segments of a segment display type.

15. An electronic paper for displaying an image, comprising:

the display element according to claim 1.

16. An electronic terminal apparatus for displaying an image, comprising:

the electronic paper according to claim 15.

17. A display system for displaying an image, comprising:

the electronic terminal apparatus according to claim 16.

18. A method of processing an image in a display element that drives a first display unit having a first display region and a second display unit laminated on the first display unit and having a second display region arranged so as to correspond to the first display region to display an image, the method comprising:

performing a reset process of changing the display region to the same display state on the first display unit and starting the reset process of the second display unit.

19. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the reset process is performed on the first or second display unit such that a plurality of scanning electrodes are simultaneously selected.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the reset process is performed on the first or second display unit such that a voltage pulse having substantially the same waveform is simultaneously applied to a plurality of pixels that are formed at intersections of the plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of data electrodes arranged so as to intersect the plurality of scanning electrodes and are arranged in a matrix.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

starting a write process of writing image data to the first display region after the reset process of the first display unit ends; and

starting the reset process of the second display unit after the write process ends.

22. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the first display unit, the second display unit, and a third display unit that is laminated on the first and second display units and has a third display region reflect different color light components, and

the reset process is performed on one of the first to third display units reflecting a color closest to the color of a display image, independently from the other display units.

23. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the reset process is performed at a time interval capable of preventing image sticking of the display region.

24. The method according to claim 23,

wherein, when the illuminance of an external environment is less than a predetermined value, the reset process of the first display unit starts.

25. The method to claim 22,

wherein a DDS driving method is used to perform the reset process and the write process.