Electrophoretic display device

• US 8,749,476 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Roh, Nam-Seok, Hong, Mun-Pyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES FERNANDEZ, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US11/140,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,297 Days
• Field of Search: 345/36, 345/48, 345/63, 345/77, 345/84, 345/89, 345/103, 345/104, 345/105, 345/106, 345/107, 345/108, 345/109, 345/110, 345/111, 345/173, 345/175, 345/176, 345/178, 345/204, 345/205, 345/206, 345/207, 345/208, 345/209, 345/210, 345/211, 345/214, 345/690, 345/691, 345/692, 345/693, 324/71.1, 324/96, 324/750, 358/519, 359/109, 359/242, 359/245, 359/296, 382/169, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.09, 178/18.11, 430/32
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16757 Microcapsules
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/16766 for active matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0809 Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/14 Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors
• 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

A electrophoretic display device is provided, which includes: a thin film transistor array panel including a substrate, gate and data lines formed on the substrate and crossing each other, switching thin film transistors electrically connected to the gate and data lines, a photo sensor formed on the substrate, and pixel electrodes electrically connected to the switching thin film transistors; a common electrode panel facing the thin film transistor array panel and having a common electrode; and a display layer disposed between the thin film transistor array panel and the common electrode panel. The display layer includes micro capsules containing negative and positive pigment particles.

Claims

1. An electrophoretic display device, comprising:

a thin film transistor array panel including a substrate, gate lines and data lines formed on the substrate and crossing each other, switching thin film transistors electrically connected to the gate and data lines, an off voltage line disposed in parallel with the gate lines and insulated from the data lines, a supply voltage line disposed in parallel with the data lines and insulated from the gate lines and the off voltage line, a photo sensor formed on the substrate, and pixel electrodes electrically connected to the switching thin film transistors;

a common electrode panel facing the thin film transistor array panel and having a common electrode; and

a display layer disposed between the thin film transistor array panel and the common electrode panel,

wherein the display layer includes electric ink containing separately disposed negatively charged pigment particles and positively charged pigment particles,

wherein the photo sensor includes a photo sensing transistor and a signal sensing capacitor, wherein the photo sensing transistor has an output terminal connected to the signal sensing capacitor, a control terminal connected to the off voltage line, and an input terminal directly connected to the supply voltage line, and is turned on by light incident on a channel of the photo sensing transistor,

wherein the signal sensing capacitor has a first terminal connected to the output terminal of the photo sensing transistor and a second terminal connected to the off voltage line, and

wherein each of the pixel electrodes have a light transmissive hole exposing the channel of the photo sensing transistor.

2. The electrophoretic display device of claim 1, further comprising:

an output scanning line disposed parallel to the gate lines and insulated from the data lines; and

a signal output line disposed parallel to the data lines and insulated from the gate lines, the off voltage line and the output scanning line,

wherein the photo sensor further includes an output transistor having an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the photo sensing transistor and one terminal of the signal sensing capacitor, an output terminal connected to the signal output line, and a control terminal connected to the output scanning line.

3. The electrophoretic display device of claim 2, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer insulating the gate lines and the data lines from each other line; and

a passivation layer formed on the photo sensing transistor, the output transistor and each switching thin film transistor, and having a light transmissive hole exposing the channel of the photo sensing transistor.

4. The electrophoretic display device of claim 2, wherein the photo sensing transistor is configured to turn off responsive to an object at a surface of the electrophoretic display.

5. The electrophoretic display device of claim 4, wherein the photo sensor is configured to communicate a position of the object at the surface of the display device to a contact position sensor.

6. The electrophoretic display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer insulating the gate lines and the data lines from each other line; and

a passivation layer formed on a photo sensing transistor of the photo sensor, an output transistor and each switching thin film transistor, and having a light transmissive hole exposing a channel of the photo sensing transistor.

7. The electrophoretic display device of claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode includes a reflective conductive material.