Abstract: This invention relates to an electro-optically active display device, comprising at least one individually addressable pixel, each pixel being provided with an obstructing element, such as a reservoir light shield, a black matrix or a mirror element. According to the invention, a portion of at least one component is positioned beneath the obstructing element in such a way that the portion is not visible for a viewer of the display device.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display (10) and a system (12) implement a method of activating a portion of the electrophoretic display (10). The method involves a reception of drawing information (14), a determination of at least one drawing-mode waveform (68) based on the drawing information (14), and an addressing of the electrophoretic display (10) based on the received drawing information (14) and the drawing-mode waveform (68).

Abstract: A cyclic rail-stabilized method of driving an electrophoretic display device (1), wherein a substantially dc-balanced driving waveform is used to effect the various required optical transitions. The driving waveform consists of a plurality of picture potential differences (20), which cause the charged particles (6) of the electrophoretic device (1) to cyclically between extreme optical positions in a single optical path, irrespective of the image sequence required to be displayed, i.e. in order to display each grey scale, it is necessary for the particles (6) to first pass through one of the extreme optical states. In order to minimise the effects of dwell time on the image quality and minimise, or even eliminate, the need to consider image history, shaking pulses (10) are generated immediately prior to each picture potential difference (20).

Abstract: An electrophoretic display (1) comprising an electrophoretic medium (5) comprising a plurality of negatively charged black particles (6) and a plurality of positively charged white particles (6) in fluid. The average dc value of the drive voltages is arranged to be non-zero, so as to maximise brightness or contrast ratio of the displayed image, as required. If the average dc value of the drive voltages has a positive polarity, such that a small positive voltage is applied to the pixel electrode (3), although the white level may be less bright, the black level becomes darker, thereby increasing the contrast ratio during the driving sequence, which is obviously advantageous if the contrast ratio is the most important display parameter.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for displaying data on a display, the apparatus comprising an electrophoretic display device, a storage device, user input means and a central processing unit conceived to retrieve data from the storage device and send the retrieved data to the display device for display. Advantageously, the storage device is a disk drive for reading data from removable optical disks with a diameter between 25 millimeter and 50 millimeter. The apparatus can be used as an electronic book.

Abstract: The electrophoretic multi-color display device has a plurality of cells (10, 10?, 10?, . . . ) with an electrophoretic medium (14) and pixel electrodes (11, 11, 11?, . . . ) for selecting a subgroup of cells. A color filter array (13) is associated with the pixel electrodes. The color filter array (13) and the pixel electrodes (11, 11?, 11, . . . ) are provided at the same side of the electrophoretic medium (14). Preferably, the cells (10, 10?, 10?, . . . ) of the color filter array (13) are arranged according to a matrix and are disposed along lines registering with the pixel electrodes (11, 11, 11?, . . . ). Preferably, an insulating material (17) with a relatively low refractive index is provided between the pixel electrodes (11, 11, 11? . . . ) and the color filter array (13). Preferably, the insulating material (17) is selected from the group formed by a fluor-polymer, a low-dielectric inorganic film and a low-dielectric nano-porous film.

Abstract: The electrophoretic display panel (1) for displaying a picture corresponding to image information has drive means (100) which are able to control for each picture element (2) the potentials, thereby being able to change the position of the particles (6) based on the image information. Furthermore, the display panel (1) has monitoring means (101) which are able to generate for each picture element (2) actual position information indicative for the actual position of the particles (6), and control means (103) which are able to control for each picture element (2) the drive means (100) in dependence of the actual position information and the image information to reduce a difference between the position of the particles (6) and the position off the particles (6) corresponding to the image information.

Abstract: The active matrix display comprises a matrix of display pixels (10) which are associated with intersections of crossing select electrodes (11) and control electrodes (12). A select driver (2) supplies a select signal (SE) to the select electrodes (11). A control driver (3) supplies control signals (D)A) to the control electrodes (12). A voltage level generator (5) supplies a plurality of different voltage levels (VBi) to level electrodes (13) of the active matrix display. The active matrix display further comprises select circuits (6) which are arranged to selectively couple the voltage levels (VBi) on the voltage level electrodes (13) to the pixels (10) to supply one of the plurality of different voltage levels (VBi) to a particular one of the pixels (10) in dependence on the select signal (SE) and the control signal (DA) associated with this particular pixel (10).

Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optically active display device, comprising at least one individually addressable pixel, each pixel being provided with an obstructing element (3), such as a reservoir light shield, a black matrix or a mirror element. According to the invention, a portion of at least one component is positioned beneath the obstructing element in such a way that the portion is not visible for a viewer of the display device.

Abstract: This invention relates to an in-plan switching electrophoretic display device (IPS-EPD), comprising a layer of electrophoretic material (2), being sandwiched between a first and a second substrate (3, 4), a pixel of said display further comprising a first and a second electrode (5, 6) for locally controlling the material of said electrophoretic layer. The first and second electrodes (5, 6) are positioned on essentially the same distance from said first substrate, so that an essentially lateral field is generated in said electrophoretic layer (2) when a signal is applied over said electrodes (5, 6), in order to enable transflective operation. The display device may further comprise an optionally patterned reflector (8), and a light schielding layer (7).

Abstract: A touch sensitive matrix display senses touch input in sense periods (SP) which are selected to occur non-concurrently with data (DA) written to the pixels (10) of the matrix display during the addressing period (AP). As now, no data (DA) is written to the display while the sensing is performed during the sense periods (SP), the sensing will be less complicated. The sense periods (SP) are selected to occur in-between successive addressing periods (AP) because the display has pixels (10) of which the optical state is maintained substantially longer than the addressing period (AP) lasts. Such a hold period (HP) which lasts substantially longer than the addressing period (AP) is for example available in bistable displays such as electrophoretic displays.

Abstract: A touch sensitive matrix display senses touch input during a sense period (TS) in a separate sense area (A1) which is selected to be non-overlapping with a display area (A2) in which information is displayed dependent on the touch position which is sensed in the sense area (A1). During the sense period (TS), the sense area (A1) is not addressed. The non-address period of time (TR) occurring between two successive sense area addressing periods (TA2) of the sense area (A1) lasts at least as long as, but preferably substantially longer than, the display area address period (TA1,i) required to address the complete display area (A2). The data displayed in the sense area (A1) is refreshed by addressing the sense area (A1) during the sense area address periods (TA2) in-between the sense periods (TS).

Abstract: An electrophoretic display panel (1) for displaying pictures has a first and a second opposed substrate (8,9), an electrophoretic medium (5) between the substrates (8,9), a plurality of pixels (2) and drive means (100). The electrophoretic medium (5) has charged particles (6) in a fluid. The first and the second substrate (8,9) have for each pixel (2) a first and a second electrode (3,4), for receiving a potential difference. The potential difference determines positions of the charged particles (6). The drive means (100) are able to control the potential difference of each pixel (2). The switching time is the time interval to change, in operation, the position of the charged particles (6) between the first and the second electrode (3,4). For the display panel (1) to be able to have a reproducible switching time the display panel (1) further has heating means (13) for heating the medium (5) to a medium temperature in the range of 30° C. and 70° C.

Abstract: This invention relates to an non-emissive display device which is arranged to operate using electro-optical modes, said display device comprising at least one individually addressable pixel (1,10), wherein at least one of scattering and absorption of light is arranged to occur within said pixel. The device comprises means for monitoring a grey scale level (8b,8c,8d,8e,15) within said at least one pixel (1,10), means for adjusting the grey scale level (20,21) of said pixel (1,10) and means for feeding grey scale information from said monitoring means to said adjusting means in order to control said adjusting means. The invention also relates to a method of driving a pixel of such a non-emissive display device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a display device comprising electrophoretic particles, a display element comprising a pixel electrode and an associated counter electrode, between which a portion of the electrophoretic particles is present, and a controller for supplying a drive signal to the electrodes to bring the display element to a predetermined black or white state, corresponding to the image information to be displayed. In order to improve the refresh time of the display, the controller is further arranged to supply a preset signal preceding the drive signal comprising a preset pulse representing an energy which is sufficient to release the electrophoretic particles at a first position near one of the two electrodes corresponding to a black state, but is too low to enable the particles to reach a second position near the other electrode corresponding to a white state.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display device (1) comprising one pixel (10) with an electrophoretic medium (13), electrodes (6, 7), as well as drive means (4) by which the pixels can be brought into different optical states. Some time (thold) after the application of an addressing pulse (Paddress) for setting the brightness level (Rw, Rb) of a pixel (10), a restore pulse voltage (Prestore) is applied between the electrodes (6,6?,7) for restoring the brightness level of a pixel to the set level (Rw, Rb). The restore pulse may be a set of consecutive pulses to bring the drifted brightness level even more smoothly (i.e. less perceivably) back to the original brightness level.