Color display device

• US 9,285,649 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: E Ink California, LLC (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Du, Hui, Zang, HongMei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tra, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US14/256,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 359/296, 359/900, 345/105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• 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

The present invention provides a realistic solution for a highlight or multicolor display device which can display high quality color states. More specifically, an electrophoretic fluid is provided which comprises four types of particles, having different levels of size, threshold voltage or charge intensity.

Claims

1. A driving method for driving a display layer comprising an electrophoretic medium and having a first surface on the viewing side and a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, the electrophoretic medium which is sandwiched between a common electrode and a layer of pixel electrodes comprising a first type of particles, a second type of particles, a third type of particles and a fourth type of particles which is additive particles, all dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture;

the first, second and third types of particles having respectively first, second and third optical characteristics differing from one another;

the first type of particles having a charge of one polarity and the second, third and fourth types of particles having charges of the opposite polarity, and the second type of particles having an electric field threshold;

the method comprises;

(a) applying a voltage potential difference between the common electrode and a pixel electrode to generate an electric field stronger than the electric field threshold, and the voltage potential difference has the same polarity as the second type of particles to cause a pixel corresponding to the pixel electrode to display the second optical characteristic at the first surface;

(b) applying a voltage potential difference between the common electrode and a pixel electrode to generate an electric field stronger than the electric field threshold, and the voltage potential difference has the same polarity as the first type of particles to cause a pixel corresponding to the pixel electrode to display the first optical characteristic at the first surface;

or (c) once the first optical characteristic is displayed at the first surface, applying a voltage potential difference between the common electrode and a pixel electrode to generate an electric field weaker than the electric field threshold, and the voltage potential difference has the same polarity as the third type of particles to cause a pixel corresponding to the pixel electrode to display the third optical characteristic at the first surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c), the voltage potential difference is applied for not longer than 30 seconds.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in step (c), the voltage potential difference is applied for not longer than 15 seconds.

4. A driving method for driving a display layer comprising an electrophoretic medium and having first and second surfaces on opposed sides thereof, the electrophoretic medium comprising a first type of particles, a second type of particles, a third type of particles and a fourth type of particles which is additive particles, all dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture;

the first, second and third types of particles having respectively first, second and third optical characteristics differing from one another;

the first type of particles having a charge of one polarity, and the second, third and fourth types of particles having charges of the opposite polarity, and the second type of particles having an electric field threshold;

the method comprises driving a pixel from a color state of the first type of particles to a color state of the third type of particles by applying an electric field weaker than the electric field threshold of the second type of particles.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein when the color of the third type of particles is seen at a viewing side, the first and second types of particles gather at the side opposite of the viewing side resulting in an intermediate color between the colors of the first and second types of particles.