Luminance and reducing power consumption in electrowetting displays
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorPetrus Maria de Greef
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to increasing luminance and reducing power consumption in electrowetting display devices. The electrowetting display comprises a plurality of electrowetting elements that are driven by a driving voltage that comprises a first voltage and a common voltage. A common electrode provides the common voltage. A timing controller is provided to drive the electrowetting elements. The timing controller controls the common electrode to increase an amplitude of the common voltage to thereby increase luminance of the electrowetting display during driving of the electrowetting elements.
Claims20
An electrowetting display comprising:
- an electrowetting element comprising:
- a hydrophobic layer portion;
- an oil on the hydrophobic layer portion;
- a first electrode;
- and
- a thin film transistor (TFT) in electrical contact with the first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- a gate driver to provide signals to a gate of the TFT of the electrowetting element;
- a source driver to provide signals to a source of the TFT of the electrowetting element to provide a data voltage at the first electrode of the electrowetting element;
- a voltage generator to provide a common voltage to the second electrode;
- and
- a timing controller to receive image data,
- wherein the timing controller is configured to generate control signals, based upon the image data, to send to the voltage generator, the gate driver and the source driver to drive the electrowetting element with an initial driving voltage that comprises the data voltage and the common voltage, and
- wherein the timing controller is configured to provide the control signals to the voltage generator to gradually increase an amplitude of the common voltage to a maximum in a range of four percent to six percent of a magnitude of the initial driving voltage.
An electrowetting display comprising:
- an electrowetting element comprising a first electrode;
- a second electrode, wherein the electrowetting element is drivable using an initial driving voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- a timing controller to provide control signals to:
- (i) a thin film transistor coupled to the first electrode;
- and
- (ii) a voltage generator coupled to the second electrode;
- wherein the timing controller is configured to provide the control signals to the voltage generator to gradually increase an amplitude of a common voltage applied to the second electrode during driving of the electrowetting element, to gradually increase a magnitude of the initial driving voltage.
A method of driving an electrowetting display comprising a plurality of electrowetting elements, the method comprising:
- based upon image data, providing control signals to selected electrowetting elements of the plurality of electrowetting elements;
- based upon the control signals, driving the selected electrowetting elements with an initial driving voltage comprising a first voltage and a common voltage;
- and
- while driving the selected electrowetting elements, increasing an amplitude of the common voltage from a first amplitude at a first time to a second amplitude at a second time, to increase a magnitude of the initial driving voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.