Electronic book using grayscale inversion for image signal correction

• US 9,153,181 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyaguchi, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, KEITH L
• Application Number:
  US12/844,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20110032227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 345/107, 345/207, 345/214, 345/690, 345/901, 359/296
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0254 Control of polarity reversal in general, other than for liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0271 Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/035 for flexible display surfaces
• 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 object is to improve visibility without causing increases in device size and cost. Another object is to improve visibility and reduce the burden on a user without blocking external light when reflection of external light is high. An electronic book includes a display panel having an electrophoretic display element controllable by a pixel circuit of each pixel, and an illuminance sensor, and a display control portion having a circuit configured to correct an image signal for the electrophoretic display element to display a grayscale image in accordance with illuminance that is detected by the illuminance sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic book comprising:

a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and an illuminance sensor, each of the plurality of pixels comprising an electrophoretic display element;

a display control portion comprising a circuit configured to correct an image signal for the electrophoretic display element in accordance with illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and a ratio of black grayscale level signals to white grayscale level signals among image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen; and

a pixel circuit operationally connected to the electrophoretic display element,

wherein the correction of the image signal is a process for inverting a grayscale level of the image signal from black to white or from white to black,

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is performed when there are more black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals, and

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is not performed when there are fewer black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals.

2. The electronic book according to claim 1, wherein the display control portion comprises a memory portion, a data input/output portion, an operation portion, and a power supply portion.

3. An electronic book comprising:

a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and an illuminance sensor, each of the plurality of pixels comprising an electrophoretic display element;

a display control portion comprising a grayscale correction circuit, an arithmetic circuit, and an image signal generation circuit; and

a pixel circuit operationally connected to the electrophoretic display element,

wherein the arithmetic circuit is configured to compare a level of illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor with reference values and to determine a ratio of black grayscale level signals to white grayscale level signals among image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen,

wherein the grayscale correction circuit controllable by the arithmetic circuit is configured to correct a grayscale level of an image signal to be input to the image signal generation circuit, for the electrophoretic display element in accordance with the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and the ratio of the black grayscale level signals to the white grayscale level signals among the image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen,

wherein the correction of the grayscale level of the image signal is a process for inverting the grayscale level of the image signal from black to white or from white to black,

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is performed when there are more black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals, and

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is not performed when there are fewer black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals.

4. The electronic book according to claim 3, wherein the display control portion comprises a memory portion, a data input/output portion, an operation portion, and a power supply portion.

5. An electronic book comprising:

a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and an illuminance sensor, each of the plurality of pixels comprising an electrophoretic display element;

a display control portion comprising a circuit configured to correct an image signal for the electrophoretic display element to display an enlarged character and a circuit configured to correct the image signal in accordance with illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and a ratio of black grayscale level signals to white grayscale level signals among image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen; and

a pixel circuit operationally connected to the electrophoretic display element,

wherein the correction of the image signal is a process for inverting a grayscale level of the image signal from black to white or from white to black,

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is performed when there are more black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals, and

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is not performed when there are fewer black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals.

6. The electronic book according to claim 5, wherein the display control portion comprises a memory portion, a data input/output portion, an operation portion, and a power supply portion.

7. An electronic book comprising:

a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and an illuminance sensor, each of the plurality of pixels comprising an electrophoretic display element;

a display control portion comprising a grayscale correction circuit, an arithmetic circuit, a character enlargement circuit, and an image signal generation circuit; and

a pixel circuit operationally connected to the electrophoretic display element,

wherein the arithmetic circuit is configured to compare a level of illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor with reference values and to determine a ratio of black grayscale level signals to white grayscale level signals among image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen,

wherein the character enlargement circuit controllable by the arithmetic circuit is configured to correct an image signal to be input to the image signal generation circuit, for the electrophoretic display element to display an enlarged character in accordance with the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and the ratio of the black grayscale level signals to the white grayscale level signals among the image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen,

wherein the grayscale correction circuit controllable by the arithmetic circuit is configured to correct a grayscale level of the image signal to be input to the image signal generation circuit for the electrophoretic display element in accordance with the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and the ratio of the black grayscale level signals to the white grayscale level signals among the image signals to be input to the pixels in one screen, and

wherein the correction of the grayscale level of the image signal is a process for inverting the grayscale level of the image signal from black to white or from white to black,

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is performed when there are more black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals, and

wherein the process for inverting the grayscale level is not performed when there are fewer black grayscale level signals than white grayscale level signals.

8. The electronic book according to claim 7, wherein the display control portion comprises a memory portion, a data input/output portion, an operation portion, and a power supply portion.