Transflective electrophoretic display device

• US 20060087490A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Ding, Jau-Min, Liao, Chi-Chang, Jeng, Shie-Chang, Lu, Chih-Chiang, Chen, Yi-Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133377 Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1677 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective

Abstract

A transflective electrophoretic display device is disclosed. The device is comprised of a transparent top substrate and both top and bottom substrates have an electrode structure. A plurality of separated walls and an electrophoretic display solution including a plurality of chromatic particles and a transparent liquid are imposed between the two substrates. A device with a display liquid or a filter plate is used to generate a variety of lights such as monochromatic, color-level or true color having a mixture of red, green and blue. The device of the present invention integrates the merits of the reflective and transmitted displayer, and can be used outdoors, indoors or in darkness. Otherwise, a back light module can compensate for the contrast of the displayer effectively.

Claims

1. A transflective electrophoretic display device, which is composed of a plurality of display cells, the display device comprises:

a top substrate, which is a transparent substrate having a plurality of anisotropic reflective plates of the display device;

a bottom substrate having a plurality of light plates and a plurality of electrodes so as to generate an electric field, and the bottom substrate is installed opposite to the top substrate;

a plurality of partitioning walls, which are transparent materials and disposed between the top substrate and the bottom substrate so as to isolate the plurality of display cells;

a display solution, which is composed of a plurality of pigment particles and transparent liquid so as to fill a space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls;

wherein the electric field in the display cell is changed to guide the behavior of the plurality of charged pigment particles in the display solution, a light emits to the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate through the partitioning walls, and the plates reflect the light to the display solution so as to radiate monochromatic or gray-scale effects.

2. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein a light source is disposed below the display device.

3. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate are disposed relative to the partitioning walls.

4. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the light plates are reflective plates or absorbing plates.

5. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the light plates are chromatic reflective plates.

6. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of pigment particles are white particles, black particles, chromatic particles or chromatic transparent particles.

7. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate are a plurality of side electrodes.

8. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate generate an in-plane electric field.

9. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate and a plurality of electrodes of the top substrate generate an up/down switching mode, an in-plane switching mode or a dual switching mode electric field.

10. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of light guides connected with the top substrate and the bottom substrate is disposed in the space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls.

11. A transflective electrophoretic display device, the display device is composed of a plurality of display cells, and the display cells are further composed of a plurality of sub-display cells having red, green and blue colors, the display device comprises:

a top substrate, which is a transparent substrate having a plurality of anisotropic reflective plates of the display device;

a bottom substrate having a plurality of light plates and a plurality of electrodes so as to generate an electric field, and the bottom substrate is installed opposite to the top substrate;

a plurality of partitioning walls, which are transparent materials and disposed between the top substrate and the bottom substrate so as to isolate the plurality of sub-display cells;

a red display solution, which is composed of a plurality of pigment particles and transparent liquid so as to fill a space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls;

a green display solution, which is composed of a plurality of pigment particles and transparent liquid so as to fill a space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls;

a blue display solution, which is composed of a plurality of pigment particles and transparent liquid so as to fill a space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls;

wherein the electric field in the display cell is changed to guide the behavior of the plurality of charged pigment particles in the red, green and blue display solution, a light emits to the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate through the partitioning walls, and the reflective plates reflect the light to the red, green and blue display solution so as to radiate color effects.

12. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein a backlight module is disposed below the display device.

13. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate are disposed relative to the partitioning walls.

14. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the light plates are reflective plates or absorbing plates.

15. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the light plates are scattering-type reflective plates.

16. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of pigment particles are reflective white particles or absorbent black particles.

17. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate are a plurality of side electrodes.

18. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate generate an in-plane electric field.

19. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate and a plurality of electrodes of the top substrate generate an up/down switching mode, an in-plane switching mode or a dual switching mode electric field.

20. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 11, wherein one or a plurality of light guides connecting with the top substrate and the bottom substrate is disposed in the space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls.

21. A transflective electrophoretic display device, the display device is composed of a plurality of display cells, and the display cells are further composed of a plurality of sub-display cells having red, green and blue colors, the display device comprises:

a top substrate, which is a transparent substrate having a plurality of anisotropic reflective plates of the display device;

a bottom substrate having a plurality of light plates and a plurality of electrodes so as to generate an electric field, and the bottom substrate is installed opposite to the top substrate;

a plurality of partitioning walls, which are transparent materials and disposed between the top substrate and the bottom substrate so as to isolate the plurality of sub-display cells;

a plurality of display solutions, which are composed of a plurality of pigment particles and transparent liquids, the display solutions fill a space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the plurality of partitioning walls of the sub-display cells of the display cells;

a red filter is a transparent material installed on the top substrate or the bottom substrate;

a green filter is a transparent material installed on the top substrate or the bottom substrate;

a blue filter is a transparent material installed on the top substrate or the bottom substrate;

wherein the electric field in the display cell is changed to guide the behavior of the plurality of charged pigment particles in each display solution, a light emits to the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate through the partitioning walls, and the reflective plates reflect the light to the display solution and through the red, green and blue filters so as to radiate various effects.

22. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein a backlight module is disposed below the display device.

23. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the anisotropic reflective plates of the top substrate are disposed relative to the partitioning walls.

24. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the red, green and blue filters of the top substrates are disposed relative to the space.

25. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the red, green and blue filters of the bottom substrates are disposed relative to the space.

26. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the light plates are reflective plates or absorbent plates.

27. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the light plates are scattering-type reflective plates.

28. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the plurality of pigment particles are reflective white particles or absorbent black particles.

29. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate are a plurality of side electrodes.

30. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate generate an in-plane electric field.

31. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein the electrodes of the bottom substrate and a plurality of electrodes of the top substrate generate an up/down switching mode, an in-plane switching mode or a dual switching mode electric field.

32. The transflective electrophoretic display device as recited in claim 21, wherein one or a plurality of light guides connecting with the top substrate and the bottom substrate is disposed in the space isolated by the top substrate, the bottom substrate and the partitioning walls.