Electrowetting element with stable fluid configurations

Apparatus comprising:

• an electrowetting element comprising:
• a first fluid;
• a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid;
• a support plate comprising:
• a surface, the surface having:
• a first surface portion lying in a first plane, and
• a second surface portion lying in a second plane different from the first plane;
• and
• a first electrode;
• a second electrode in contact with the second fluid;
• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory comprising computer program instructions, the at least one memory and the computer program instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, perform a method comprising:
• receiving first display effect data indicative of a first requested display effect for display by the electrowetting element;
• based on the first display effect data, determining a voltage value of a voltage to apply to the first electrode and the second electrode;
• generating the voltage with the voltage value;
• and
• applying the voltage with the voltage value to the first electrode and the second electrode, to switch the electrowetting element to a state in which:
• the first fluid contacts substantially all of the first surface portion, and
• the second fluid contacts substantially all of the second surface portion;
• receiving second display effect data indicative of a second requested display effect for display by the electrowetting element;
• based on the second display effect data, determining the voltage value of the voltage to apply to the first electrode and the second electrode;
• generating the voltage with the voltage value;
• and
• applying the voltage with the voltage value to the first electrode and the second electrode, to switch the electrowetting element to the state.

A method of controlling an electrowetting element, the method comprising:

• receiving first display effect data indicative of a first requested display effect for display by the electrowetting element;
• based on the first display effect data, determining a voltage value of a voltage to apply to a first electrode and a second electrode of the electrowetting element;
• generating the voltage with the voltage value;
• and
• outputting the voltage with the voltage value to be applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, to switch the electrowetting element to a state in which:
• a first fluid contacts substantially all of a first surface portion of a surface of a support plate, the first surface portion lying in a first plane, and
• a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid contacts substantially all of a second surface portion of the surface, the second surface portion lying in a second plane different from the first plane;
• receiving second display effect data indicative of a second requested display effect for display by the electrowetting element;
• based on the second display effect data, determining the voltage value of the voltage to apply to the first electrode and the second electrode;
• generating the voltage with the voltage value;
• and
• outputting the voltage with the voltage value to be applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, to switch the electrowetting element to the state.