METHODS FOR DRIVING ELECTRO-OPTIC DISPLAYS

• US 20110285754A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Harrington, Demetrious Mark, Paletsky, Benjamin Harris, Zehner, Robert W., O'Malley, Timothy J., Sjodin, Theodore A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/063 Waveforms for resetting the whole screen at once
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0204 Compensation of DC component across the pixels in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0209 Crosstalk reduction, i.e. to reduce direct or indirect influences of signals directed to a certain pixel of the displayed image on other pixels of said image, inclusive of influences affecting pixels in different frames or fields or sub-images which constitute a same image, e.g. left and right images of a stereoscopic display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0257 Reduction of after-image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2022 using sub-frames
• 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

An electro-optic display uses first and second drive schemes differing from each other, for example a slow gray scale drive scheme and a fast monochrome drive scheme. The display is first driven to a pre-determined transition image using the first drive scheme, then driven to a second image, different from the transition image, using the second drive scheme. The display is thereafter driven to the same transition image using the second drive scheme; and from thence to a third image, different from both the transition image and the second image, using the first drive scheme.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electro-optic display using first and second drive schemes differing from each other, the method comprising, in this order:

driving the display to a pre-determined transition image using the first drive scheme;

driving the display to a second image, different from the transition image, using the second drive scheme

driving the display to the same transition image using the second drive scheme; and

driving the display is driven to a third image, different from both the transition and the second image, using the first drive scheme.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme capable of driving the display to at least four gray levels.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme capable of driving the display to at least eight gray levels.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the second drive scheme is an application update drive scheme having fewer gray levels than the first drive scheme and a maximum update time less than the length of the saturation pulse of the display.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transition image comprises a single tone applied to all the pixels of the display.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the display is provided with a plurality of transition images and a display controller is arranged to choose one transition image dependent upon the image already present on the display.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the display is driven successively to a plurality of transition images before being driven to the second image and/or before being driven to the third image.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic display comprises a rotating bichromal member or electrochromic material.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electro-optic display comprises an electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of capsules or microcells.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are present as a plurality of discrete droplets surrounded by a continuous phase comprising a polymeric material.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the fluid is gaseous.

13. A method of operating an electro-optic display using first and second drive schemes differing from each other and at least one transition drive scheme different from both the first and second drive schemes, the method comprising, in this order:

driving the display to a first image using the first drive scheme;

driving the display to a second image, different from the transition image, using the transition drive scheme;

driving the display to a third image, different from the second image using the second drive scheme;

driving the display to a fourth image, different from the third image, using the transition drive scheme; and

driving the display to a fifth image, different from both the fourth image, using the first drive scheme.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme capable of driving the display to at least four gray levels.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the first drive scheme is a gray scale drive scheme capable of driving the display to at least eight gray levels.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the second drive scheme is an application update drive scheme having fewer gray levels than the first drive scheme and a maximum update time less than the length of the saturation pulse of the display.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein a first transition drive scheme is used for the transition from the first to the second image, and a second transition drive scheme, different from the first transition drive scheme, is used for the transition from the third to the fourth image.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the electro-optic display comprises a rotating bichromal member or electrochromic material.

19. A method according to claim 13 wherein the electro-optic display comprises an electrophoretic material comprising a plurality of electrically charged particles disposed in a fluid and capable of moving through the fluid under the influence of an electric field.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are confined within a plurality of capsules or microcells.

21. A method according to claim 19 wherein the electrically charged particles and the fluid are present as a plurality of discrete droplets surrounded by a continuous phase comprising a polymeric material.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein the fluid is gaseous.

23. A method of operating an electro-optic display in which an image is scrolled across the display, and in which a clearing bar is provided between two portions of the image being scrolled, the clearing bar scrolling across in display in synchronization with said two portions of the image, the writing of the clearing bar being effected such that every pixel over which the clearing bar passes is rewritten.

24. A method of operating an electro-optic display in which a image is formed on the display, and in which a clearing bar is provided which travels across the image on the display, such that every pixel over which the clearing bar passes is rewritten.