Abstract: An electrophoretic display comprises an electrophoretic medium having a plurality of charged particles suspended in a suspending fluid, and two electrodes disposed on opposed sides of the electrophoretic medium. At least one of the electrodes is light-transmissive and forming a viewing surface. The display has a closed optical state in which the charged particles are spread over substantially the entire viewing surface so that light cannot pass through the medium, and an open optical state in which the electrophoretic particles form chains extending between the electrodes so that light can pass through the electrophoretic medium. Insulating layers are disposed between the electrodes and the electrophoretic medium. Similarly electrophoretic displays are provided equipped with color filter arrays or reflectors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel electrophoretic displays and materials useful in fabricating such displays. In particular, novel encapsulated displays are disclosed. Particles encapsulated therein are dispersed within a suspending, or electrophoretic, fluid. This fluid may be a mixture of two or more fluids or may be a single fluid. The displays may further comprise particles dispersed in a suspending fluid, wherein the particles contain a liquid. In either case, the suspending fluid may have a density or refractive index substantially matched to that of the particles dispersed therein. Finally, also disclosed herein are electro-osmotic displays. These displays comprise at least one capsule containing either a cellulosic or gel-like internal phase and a liquid phase, or containing two or more immiscible fluids. Application of electric fields to any of the electrophoretic displays described herein affects an optical property of the display.

Abstract: A gray scale bistable electro-optic display is driven by storing a look-up table containing data representing the impulses necessary for transitions, storing data representing at least an initial state of each pixel of the display, storing data representing temporal and gray level prior states of each pixel, receiving an input signal representing a desired final state of at least one pixel of the display; and generating an output signal representing the impulse necessary for a transition, as determined from the look-up table, dependent upon the temporal and gray level prior states. Other similar methods for driving such displays are also disclosed.

Abstract: A reflective electro-optic display (200) has a bar code display area (206) arranged to display a bar code readable by a bar code scanner.

Abstract: A gray scale bistable electro-optic display is driven by storing a look-up table containing data representing the impulses necessary for transitions, storing data representing at least an initial state of each pixel of the display, storing data representing temporal and gray level prior states of each pixel, receiving an input signal representing a desired final state of at least one pixel of the display; and generating an output signal representing the impulse necessary for a transition, as determined from the look-up table, dependent upon the temporal and gray level prior states. Other similar methods for driving such displays are also disclosed.

Abstract: A non-linear element is formed on a flexible substrate by securing the substrate to a rigid carrier, forming the non-linear element, and then separating the flexible substrate from the carrier. The process allows flexible substrates to be processed in a conventional fab intended to process rigid substrates. In a second method, a transistor is formed on a insulating substrate by forming gate electrodes, depositing a dielectric layer, a semiconductor layer and a conductive layer, patterning the conductive layer to form source, drain and pixel electrodes, covering the channel region of the resultant transistor with an etch-resistant material and etching using the etch-resistant material and the conductive layer as a mask, the etching extending substantially through the semiconductor layer between adjacent transistors.

Abstract: A display pixel unit provides reduced capacitative coupling between a pixel electrode and a source line. The unit includes a transistor, the pixel electrode, and the source line. The source line includes an extension that provides a source for the transistor. A patterned conductive portion is disposed adjacent to the source line.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display comprises an electrophoretic medium having a plurality of charged particles suspended in a suspending fluid, and two electrodes disposed on opposed sides of the electrophoretic medium. At least one of the electrodes is light-transmissive and forming a viewing surface. The display has a closed optical state in which the charged particles are spread over substantially the entire viewing surface so that light cannot pass through the medium, and an open optical state in which the electrophoretic particles form chains extending between the electrodes so that light can pass through the electrophoretic medium. Insulating layers are disposed between the electrodes and the electrophoretic medium. Similarly electrophoretic displays are provided equipped with color filter arrays or reflectors.

Abstract: Various improvements are provided in gas-based electrophoretic displays, including (a) the use of water getters to remove water from the gas; (b) the use of electron accepting or donating gases; (c) the use of electrophoretic polymer particles having high glass transition temperatures; (d) lateral movement of electrophoretic particles within the display; and (e) the use of variable thickness coatings on electrodes to provide for gray scale.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel electrophoretic displays and materials useful in fabricating such displays. In particular, novel encapsulated displays are disclosed. Particles encapsulated therein are dispersed within a suspending, or electrophoretic, fluid. This fluid may be a mixture of two or more fluids or may be a single fluid. The displays may further comprise particles dispersed in a suspending fluid, wherein the particles contain a liquid. In either case, the suspending fluid may have a density or refractive index substantially matched to that of the particles dispersed therein. Finally, also disclosed herein are electro-osmotic displays. These displays comprise at least one capsule containing either a cellulosic or gel-like internal phase and a liquid phase, or containing two or more immiscible fluids. Application of electric fields to any of the electrophoretic displays described herein affects an optical property of the display.

Abstract: An encapsulated electrophoretic display is produced by laminating an electrophoretic medium, comprising a plurality of discrete droplets (104) in a polymeric binder (106?), each droplet (104) comprising a plurality of electrophoretic particles dispersed in a suspending fluid, to a backplane (110) having at least one electrode at a temperature such that the polymeric binder (106?) flows and secures the electrophoretic medium to the backplane (110).

Abstract: An electro-optic display comprises a layer (130) of a solid electro-optic material, at least one electrode disposed adjacent the layer (130) of electro-optic material, and a layer (180) of a lamination adhesive interposed between the layer (130) of electro-optic material and the electrode, the lamination adhesive (180) having a higher electrical conductivity in a direction perpendicular to the layer of lamination adhesive than in the plane of the layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and materials for controlling stability and color intensity in an electrophoretic display element. Filler particles in the electrophoretic display element, serves as a medium that the electrophoretic particles must travel through during switching between optical states of the display. The filler particles provide improved control over the color intensity of the electrophoretic display element. In addition, the filler particles create resistance to the migration of the electrophoretic particles, thereby improving the bistability of the electrophoretic displays and inhibiting settling of the electrophoretic particles. Also, migration resistance provided by the filler particles can enable threshold addressing of an electrophoretic display.

Abstract: An electronic book comprising multiple, electronically addressable, page displays is described. Said page displays may be formed on flexible, thin substrates. Said book may additionally encompass memory, power, control functions and communications.

Abstract: A first apparatus for displaying drawings comprises a housing having an aperture, a drawing sheet comprising electro-optic material movable through the aperture between closed and open positions, and a writing device for writing on the sheet as it moved between its closed and open positions. A second apparatus comprises a display member having a viewing surface, support means for supporting this display member above a floor, an electro-optic medium disposed on the display member, and a movable writing head for writing on the electro-optic medium. Another display comprises an optic medium with two display states visible through a viewing surface. A touch screen is disposed on the opposed side of the optic medium from the viewing surface, and the optic medium is deformable such that pressure applied to the viewing surface will be transmitted to the touch screen.

Abstract: The electrophoretic device of the present invention obtains a plurality of different optical characteristics by changing a proportion of number of pixel electrodes supplied with a first voltage and a number of pixel electrodes supplied with a second voltage. The transition of the optical characteristics accompanied by the changes of the proportion is previously obtained as an actual measurement value. The preferable proportion displaying the desired optical characteristic is calculated based on the actual measurement value.

Abstract: An encapsulation material, intended for use in encapsulated electrophoretic displays, comprises the coacervation product of a polyanionic polymer having a vinyl main chain and a plurality of anionic groups bonded to the main chain, with a cationic or zwitterionic water-soluble polymer capable of forming an immiscible second phase on contact with the polyanionic polymer.

Abstract: A first apparatus for displaying drawings comprises a housing having an aperture, a drawing sheet comprising electro-optic material movable through the aperture between closed and open positions, and a writing device for writing on the sheet as it moved between its closed and open positions. A second apparatus comprises a display member having a viewing surface, support means for supporting this display member above a floor, an electro-optic medium disposed on the display member, and a movable writing head for writing on the electro-optic medium. Another display comprises an optic medium with two display states visible through a viewing surface. A touch screen is disposed on the opposed side of the optic medium from the viewing surface, and the optic medium is deformable such that pressure applied to the viewing surface will be transmitted to the touch screen.

Abstract: A portable electronic device, for example a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant, has an internal screen for the display of information, the electronic device also having an external screen arranged to receive information from the electronic device and being capable of displaying this information on an electro-optic medium. There is also provided a cellular telephone having a visual indicator comprising an electro-optic medium having at least two different display states, the electro-optic medium being arranged to change its display state when a call is received by the telephone.

Abstract: An electrophoresis device includes a pair of substrates, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a common electrode formed on the pair of substrates, a liquid material formed by dispersing charged particles sealed between the pair of substrates and a driving circuit for applying a voltage to the pixel electrodes and the common electrode to generate an electric field therebetween. When display image is changed, the driving circuit generates a first electric field between all the pixel electrodes and the common electrode to delete the image displayed by that time over the entire display region. Then, when new display image is written, the driving circuit generates a second electric field between the pixel electrodes corresponding to display and the common electrode, and generates a third electric field between the common electrode and the pixel electrodes not corresponding to display.