Electrophoretic displays
AssigneeE Ink Corporation
InventorsAlexi C. Arango, Joseph M. Jacobson, Karl Raymond Amundson, Dirk Hertel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dielectrophoretic display comprises a substrate having walls defining at least one cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface and a side wall inclined to the viewing surface; a suspending fluid contained within the cavity; a plurality of at least one type of particle suspended within the suspending fluid; and means for applying to the fluid an electric field effective to cause dielectrophoretic movement of the particles to the side wall of the cavity.
Claims15
A display comprising:
- a substrate having walls defining at least one cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface, a rear surface on the opposed side of the cavity from the viewing surface, and at least one side wall extending between the viewing surface and the rear surface;
- a colored fluid contained within the cavity;
- a plurality of electrically charged solid particles within the fluid;
- a front electrode adjacent the viewing surface of the cavity;
- a rear electrode adjacent the rear surface;
- and
- a side electrode adjacent the side wall,
- the display having a first optical state in which the solid particles lie adjacent the front electrode, a second optical state in which the solid particles lie adjacent the rear electrode and a third optical state in which the solid particles lie adjacent the side electrode.
A process for operating a display, the process comprising:
- providing a substrate having walls defining at least one cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface, a rear surface on the opposed side of the cavity from the viewing surface, and at least one side wall extending between the viewing surface and the rear surface;
- a colored fluid contained within the cavity;
- a plurality of electrically charged solid particles within the fluid;
- a front electrode adjacent the viewing surface of the cavity;
- a rear electrode adjacent the rear surface;
- and a side electrode adjacent the side wall;
- and
- applying to the front, rear and side electrodes electrical potentials effective to cause the solid particles fluid to assume:
- (a) a first position in which the solid particles lie adjacent the front electrode, and the display shows a first optical state;
- (b) a second position in which the solid particles lie adjacent the rear electrode and the display shows a second optical state;
- and
- (c) a third position in which the solid particles lie adjacent the side electrode and the display shows a third optical state.
A variable transmission display comprising:
- an electrophoretic medium comprising a fluid and a plurality of electrically charged particles dispersed in the fluid, the electrophoretic medium being capable of assuming a light-transmissive state and a substantially non-light-transmissive state;
- at least one light-transmissive first electrode disposed adjacent the electrophoretic medium;
- a plurality of light-transmissive second electrodes disposed adjacent the electrophoretic medium on the side thereof remote from the first electrode(s);
- and
- voltage means for varying the potential each of the second electrodes independently of one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.