Abstract: A variety of methods for driving electro-optic displays so as to reduce visible artifacts are described. Such methods include (a) applying a first drive scheme to a non-zero minor proportion of the pixels of the display and a second drive scheme to the remaining pixels, the pixels using the first drive scheme being changed at each transition; (b) using two different drive schemes on different groups of pixels so that pixels in differing groups undergoing the same transition will not experience the same waveform; (c) applying either a balanced pulse pair or a top-off pulse to a pixel undergoing a white-to-white transition and lying adjacent a pixel undergoing a visible transition; (d) driving extra pixels where the boundary between a driven and undriven area would otherwise fall along a straight line; and (e) driving a display with both DC balanced and DC imbalanced drive schemes, maintaining an impulse bank value for the DC imbalance and modifying transitions to reduce the impulse bank value.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 30, 2022
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Karl Raymond Amundson, Matthew J. Aprea, Kenneth R. Crounse, Demetrious Mark Harrington, Jason Lin, Theodore A. Sjodin, Chia-Chen Su
Abstract: An electro-optic display is provided that may include a layer of light-transmissive conductive material, a substrate, a layer of an electro-optic medium disposed between the layer of conductive material and the substrate, a color filter array, and a light emitting layer. The electro-optic medium may include a photo-luminescent material that functions as either a down-converter or an up-converter that may be excited by the light received from the light emitting layer. The photo-luminescent material may be excited by radiation having a first wavelength transmitted by a filter within the color filter array and emit radiation having a second wavelength transmitted by the filter. The photo-luminescent material may also be excited by radiation at a wavelength within a first and second range of wavelengths transmitted by two filters within the color filter array and emit radiation at a wavelength within one of the first and second ranges.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 24, 2021
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Kenneth R. Crounse, Stephen J. Telfer, Dirk Hertel
Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrophoretic display medium. The display medium can include a substrate, an electrophoretic layer, and a network electrode. A flowable conductive material is disposed on the substrate and the electrophoretic layer is subsequently disposed into the flowable conductive material. The electrophoretic layer includes a plurality of encapsulated droplets including an internal phase and at least partially surrounded by a binder. A bottom portion of the plurality of microcapsules is embedded within the binder. The flowable conductive material is cured to create a network electrode between the plurality of encapsulated droplets and the substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 15, 2021
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Jay William Anseth
Abstract: There are provided methods for driving an electro-optic display having a plurality of display pixels, a such method includes receiving an image, converting the image into a YCbCr image; and processing the YCbCr image to generate a luma image. The method further includes calculating variations in a local area for the YCbCr image to obtain a variation map, and calculating an effect ratio map using the calculated variation.
Abstract: A temperature regulation system includes a laminate material that has a first light transmissive electrode layer, a rear electrode layer, and a bistable electrophoretic medium disposed between the first and second electrode layer. The electrophoretic medium includes two types of particles that have different charges and color. The amount of incident radiation (visible light, infrared, etc.) that is absorbed by the laminate can be modified by providing a voltage between the electrode layers.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 25, 2019
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
John L. Marshall, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Jay William Anseth, Joanna F. Au
Abstract: An electro-optic fiber including a conductive fiber, a layer of electro-optic medium on the conductive fiber, and a conductor on the layer of electro-optic medium. A method of making the electro-optic fiber including the steps of coating a conductive fiber with an electro-optic medium and applying a conductor to the electro-optic medium. The resulting fibers can be woven to create a color-changing material, such as a fabric.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 27, 2019
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Jay William Anseth, Richard J. Paolini, Jr.
Abstract: An apparatus for driving an electro-optic display may comprise a first switch designed to supply a voltage to the electro-optic display during a first driving phase, a second switch designed to control the voltage during a second driving phase and a resistor coupled to the first and second switches for controlling the rate of decay of the voltage during the second driving phase.
Abstract: An autostereoscopic device and a method for generating an autostereoscopic image are disclosed. The device includes a substrate, a first image-forming layer disposed on the substrate, a second image-forming layer, a light-transmissive layer positioned between the first image-forming layer and the second image-forming layer, and an addressing unit. The addressing unit is used to substantially simultaneously adjust the first image-forming layer and the second image-forming layer in order to generate an autostereoscopic image. The image-forming layers may be thermally sensitive or they may include capsules containing electrophoretically responsive particles.
Abstract: A method of forming a color-changing fiber that can be incorporated into fabrics and other woven materials. The color changing fibers include an annular wall and a conductive wire axially extending through the annular wall, a core strand surrounded by the annular wall and extending axially through a central portion of the fiber, and an encapsulated electro-optic medium disposed on a surface of the core strand.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 17, 2020
Date of Patent:
April 25, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Jay William Anseth
Abstract: Enhanced push pull driving waveforms for driving a four particle electrophoretic medium including four different types of particles, for example a set of scattering particles and three sets of subtractive particles. Methods for identifying a preferred waveform for a target color state when using a voltage driver having at least five different voltage levels.
Abstract: A polysiloxane-substituted quinacridone pigment is produced by a quinacridone pigment with an epoxy-terminated polysiloxane under conditions effective to cause the epoxy group on the polysiloxane to react with, and bond the polysiloxane to, the quinacridone pigment. The quinacridone pigment thus produced has the polysiloxane grouping bonded to one of the quinacridone nitrogen atoms via a hydrocarbon linking group, which bears a hydroxyl group on a carbon atom ? or ? to the quinacridone nitrogen atom. These quinacridone pigments are useful in electrophoretic displays.
Abstract: An energy harvesting electro-optic display is disclosed comprising a photovoltaic cell that converts part of the incident light to electric current or voltage, wherein the electric current or voltage is used for the operation of the electro-optic display upon the conversion or stored in a storage component to be used for the operation of the display.
Abstract: The disclosure relates to displays. In one arrangement a plurality of pixels is provided in which each pixel comprises a phase change material thermally switchable between a plurality of stable states. Each pixel comprises a switching device configured to heat the phase change material, and thereby thermally switch the phase change material, in response to a control signal. The switching device comprises a single electronic component capable of being switched between different states by the control signal and configured such that heat received by the phase change material of the pixel during the thermal switching of the phase change material of the pixel consists predominantly of heat generated within the single electronic component.
Abstract: A magneto-electrophoretic medium that can be globally and locally addressed and erased. The medium provides a writeable display with no perceivable lag and the ability to write and erase with only minimal power requirements. In particular, the magneto-electrophoretic medium can be erased by providing a subthreshold electric stimulus and supplementing a second non-electric stimulus that disturbs the written state and allows the magneto-electrophoretic particles to return to their original state.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 7, 2021
Date of Patent:
March 28, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Crystal Nguyen, Evan Griffith, Seth J. Bishop, Stephen J. Telfer, Kosta Ladavac, Andrew A. Drabek, Sunil Krishna Sainis, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Samantha Morrill
Abstract: A composite particle is provided that comprises a base particle comprising at least a pigment or dye and cross-linked polyurea, a plurality of hydrophilic oligomeric groups, and a plurality of amine groups on the exterior portion of the base particle, and a steric stabilization polymer which is chemically bonded or physi-sorbed on the surface of the base particle. The cross-linked polyurea may form a network throughout the base particle. A method of making the composite particle includes providing either a solution containing a dye or a dispersion containing a pigment in a water-dispersible polyfunctional isocyanate dissolved in a water-miscible solvent, forming an emulsion of the solution/dispersion in water, agitating the emulsion while the polyfunctional isocyanate is converted into a cross-linked polyurea, and separating the composite particle containing the cross-linked polyurea and the dye/pigment from the emulsion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 13, 2021
Date of Patent:
March 28, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Stephen J. Telfer, Craig A. Herb, Lee Yezek
Abstract: A variable light transmission device has at least one layer of electrophoretic medium comprising charged particles. Application of a an electric field having a waveform formed by a superposition of a carrier and a modulator waveform enables the switching of the device from a closed state to an open state, wherein the open state has higher light transmission than the closed state. As a result, the device enables the selection of the desired optical state by the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 30, 2020
Date of Patent:
February 14, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Kosta Ladavac, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Stephen J. Telfer, Lee Yezek, Sunil Krishna Sainis, Peter Carsten Bailey Widger
Abstract: There are provided methods for driving an electro-optic display having a plurality of display pixels, a such method includes detecting a white-to-white graytone transition on a first pixel; and determining whether a threshold number of cardinal neighbors of the first pixel are not making a graytone transition from white to white, or if the first pixel is a color pixel, and apply a first waveform.
Abstract: An electro-optic media includes either a plurality of microcapsules in a binder, a polymeric sheet containing sealed microcells, or droplets in a continuous polymeric phase. Each of the microcapsules, microcells, or droplets contain a dispersion that includes a plurality of charged composite particles and a suspending fluid, and the charged particles move through the suspending fluid under the influence of an electric field. The composite particles include one or more types of pigment particles that are at least partially coated with a polymeric material. Each of the binder, polymeric sheet, continuous polymeric phase, the charged composite particles, and the suspending fluid have an index of refraction, and a difference between the index of refraction of the composite particles and at least one of the binder, polymeric sheet, continuous polymeric phase, and solvent is less than or equal to 0.05 at 550 nm.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 29, 2020
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Jin-Gyu Park, Richard J. Paolini, Jr., Peter Carsten Bailey Widger, Jillian Smith, Jay William Anseth, Craig A. Herb, George G. Harris, Mark Benjamin Romanowsky
Abstract: A switchable light modulator device (201, 202, 203, 204, 205) comprises a first substrate (101, 102, 103) and a second substrate (141, 142, 143, 144) with opposite major surfaces spaced apart by one or more polymer structures that each comprise two or more parts and define wall features (21b, 22b, 23b) for a plurality of cavities (111, 112, 113, 114), the cavities sealing a fluid (71, 72, 73, 74) or gel in discrete volumes. Each of the one or more polymer structures comprises a mould part (21, 22, 23) bonded to the first substrate and defining a recess (31, 32, 33), and a cast part (81, 82, 83, 84) filling the recess and bonded to the second substrate and a surface of the recess, the cast part being defined by the surface of the recess and the second substrate replicating the surfaces of both.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 24, 2022
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Donal Martin O'Keeffe, Timothy O'Keeffe
Abstract: A variety of methods for driving electro-optic displays so as to reduce visible artifacts are described. Such methods includes updating a display having a plurality of display pixels with a first image, identifying display pixels with edge artifacts after the first image update, and storing the identified display pixels information in a memory. In particular, the methods are effective for minimizing edge ghosting when a pixel of an active matrix electrophoretic display undergoes a white to white transition or a black to black transition during an update between first and second images.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 26, 2022
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2023
Assignee:
E Ink Corporation
Inventors:
Teck Ping Sim, Yuval Ben-Dov, Joanna F. Au, Kenneth R. Crounse