Electrophoretic display device, method of driving the same, and electronic apparatus

• US 8,576,163 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Atsushi, Miyasaka, Mitsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, EMILY J
• Application Number:
  US12/330,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/08 Active matrix structure, i.e. with use of active elements, inclusive of non-linear two terminal elements, in the pixels together with light emitting or modulating elements
• 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 device includes: first and second substrates; an electrophoretic element between the substrates and including a dispersion medium containing electrophoretic particles; pixel electrodes on the first substrate; a common electrode opposite the pixel electrodes on the second substrate; a unit supplying an image signal having a first or second potential<the first potential to the pixel electrodes according to image data; and another unit supplying a common potential to the common electrode. The image signal is supplied in predetermined frame periods in an image signal supply period according to image data associated with the same frame image as the image data. The common potential is switched into a third potential≦the first potential and>the second potential and a fourth potential<the third potential and≧the second potential, and the switched potentials are supplied to the common electrode in the frame periods.

Claims

1. An electrophoretic display device comprising:

a pair of first and second substrates;

an electrophoretic element which is interposed between the first and second substrates and includes a dispersion medium containing electrophoretic particles;

a plurality of pixel electrodes which are formed on the first substrate;

a common electrode which is formed opposite the plurality of pixel electrodes on the second substrate;

an image signal supply unit which supplies an image signal having a first potential or a second potential lower than the first potential to the plurality of pixel electrodes in accordance with image data;

a common potential supply unit which supplies a common potential to the common electrode, and

a plurality of scanning lines,

wherein the image signal supply unit supplies the image signal to the plurality of pixel electrodes in each of a predetermined number of frame periods in an image signal supply period containing the predetermined number of frame periods in accordance with the image data, the image signal supplied in each of the predetermined number of frame periods within the image signal supply period representing the same image, and wherein each frame period is a vertical scanning period over which a scanning signal is supplied sequentially to all of the plurality of scanning lines, and

wherein the common potential supply unit switches the common potential once per frame period alternately between a third potential lower than the first potential and higher than the second potential and a fourth potential lower than the third potential and higher than the second potential, and supplies the switched potentials to the common electrode in each of the frame periods in the image signal supply period.

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

on the first substrate,

data lines which intersect with the plurality of the scanning lines;

transistors which are formed in correspondence to intersection of the data lines and the scanning lines and electrically connected to the pixel electrodes; and

retention capacitors which are electrically connected between the transistors and the pixel electrodes and temporarily hold the image signal,

wherein the image signal supply unit supplies the image signal to the pixel electrodes through the data lines and the scanning lines.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising the electrophoretic display device according to claim 1.

4. A method of driving an electrophoretic display device including a pair of first and second substrates, an electrophoretic element which is interposed between the first and second substrates and includes a dispersion medium containing electrophoretic particles, a plurality of pixel electrodes which are formed on the first substrate, a common electrode which is formed opposite the plurality of pixel electrodes on the second substrate, an image signal supply unit which supplies an image signal having a first potential or a second potential lower than the first potential to the plurality of pixel electrodes in accordance with image data, a common potential supply unit which supplies a common potential to the common electrode, and a plurality of scanning lines, the method comprising:

supplying the image signal to the plurality of pixel electrodes in accordance with the image data in each of a predetermined number of frame periods in an image signal supply period containing the predetermined number of frame periods by the image signal supply unit, the image signal supplied in each of the predetermined number of frame periods within the image signal supply period representing the same image, each frame period being a vertical scanning period over which a scanning signal is supplied sequentially to all of the plurality of scanning lines; and

switching the common potential once per frame period alternately between a third potential lower than the first potential and higher than the second potential and a fourth potential lower than the third potential and higher than the second potential, and supplying the switched potentials to the common electrode in each of the frame periods in the image signal supply period by the common potential supply unit.