# US 6,724,359 B2 · Electronic device and method for driving the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,724,359 B2 - Document ID: US6724359B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/027,114 - Filed: 2001-12-20 - Published: 2002-07-11 - Granted: 2004-04-20 - Earliest claimed: 2001-01-09 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tomohiko Yamamoto; Keiichi Tanaka; Hideki Ichioka; Naoto Inoue; Koji Fujiwara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6724359B2 ## CPC - G09G 3/3659: {the addressing of the pixel involving the control of two or more scan electrodes or two or more data electrodes, e.g. pixel voltage dependant on signal of two data electrodes} - G09G 2300/0842: forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract An electronic device includes on a substrate: a plurality of first capacitors each including a first electrode and a second electrode opposing the first electrode via a first dielectric layer; a plurality of second capacitors each including a third electrode electrically connected to the first electrode and a fourth electrode opposing the third electrode via a second dielectric layer; a first line whose electrical connection to the first electrode and the third electrode is turned ON/OFF by a first switching element; a second line electrically connected to the second electrode at least temporarily; a third line whose electrical connection to the fourth electrode is turned ON/OFF by a second switching element; and a fourth line whose electrical connection to the fourth electrode is turned ON/OFF by a third switching element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising on a substrate: a plurality of first capacitors arranged in a matrix pattern having rows and columns, each of the first capacitors including a first electrode and a second electrode opposing the first electrode via a first dielectric layer; a plurality of second capacitors provided so that there is one second capacitor at least for each row or each column, each of the second capacitors including a third electrode electrically connected to the first electrode and a fourth electrode opposing the third electrode via a second dielectric layer; a first line whose electrical connection to the first electrode and the third electrode is turned ON/OFF by a first switching element; a second line electrically connected to the second electrode at least temporarily; a third line whose electrical connection to the fourth electrode is turned ON/OFF by a second switching element; and a fourth line whose electrical connection to the fourth electrode is turned ON/OFF by a third switching element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second switching element and the third switching element are transistors of different conductivity types. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of first capacitors is a liquid crystal capacitor including the first electrode as a pixel electrode, the first dielectric layer as a liquid crystal layer, and the second electrode as a counter electrode opposing the pixel electrode via the liquid crystal layer; each of the plurality of second capacitors is a storage capacitor including the third electrode as a storage capacitor electrode, the second dielectric layer, and the fourth electrode as a storage capacitor counter electrode opposing the storage capacitor electrode via the second dielectric layer; and the liquid crystal layer modulates light passing therethrough according to a voltage applied between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the storage capacitor is provided so as to correspond to the liquid crystal capacitor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the first line is provided for each row or each column and functions also as the third line so as to supply a signal voltage to the pixel electrode, the storage capacitor electrode and the storage capacitor counter electrode, and the second line is provided for each row or each column and functions also as the fourth line so as to supply a counter voltage to the counter electrode and the storage capacitor counter electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of scanning lines provided so as to cross the first line for supplying a scanning signal to the first switching element, the second switching element and the third switching element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device of claim 6, wherein every adjacent two of the plurality of scanning lines form a scanning line pair, one of the two scanning lines, which form the scanning line pair, supplying a scanning signal to the first switching element and the third switching element with the other one supplying a scanning signal to the second switching element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first line is provided for each row or each column and functions also as the third line so as to supply a signal voltage to the pixel electrode, the storage capacitor electrode and the storage capacitor counter electrode, the second line supplies a counter voltage to the counter electrode, the fourth line supplies the same voltage as the counter voltage to the storage capacitor counter electrode, and the storage capacitor is provided so as to correspond to the first line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of scanning lines provided so as to cross the first line for supplying a scanning signal to the first switching element, the second switching element and the third switching element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein every adjacent two of the plurality of scanning lines form a scanning line pair, one of the two scanning lines, which form the scanning line pair, supplying a scanning signal to the first switching element and the third switching element with the other one supplying a scanning signal to the second switching element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of additional storage capacitors provided so as to correspond respectively to the plurality of liquid crystal capacitors, each of the additional storage capacitors including an additional storage capacitor electrode electrically connected to the pixel electrode and an additional storage capacitor counter electrode opposing the additional storage capacitor electrode via a third dielectric layer, wherein the third dielectric layer is formed from the same film as the second dielectric layer. ### Claim 12 A method for driving an electronic device, the electronic device comprising on a substrate: a plurality of first capacitors arranged in a matrix pattern having rows and columns, each of the first capacitors including a first electrode and a second electrode opposing the first electrode via a first dielectric layer; and a plurality of second capacitors provided so that there is one second capacitor at least for each row or each column, each of the second capacitors including a third electrode and a fourth electrode opposing the third electrode via a second dielectric layer, the method comprising the step of: switching a state where the first capacitor and the second capacitor are electrically connected in parallel to each other and another state where the first capacitor and the second capacitor are electrically connected in series with each other from one to another, thereby increasing a voltage being applied between the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for driving an electronic device of claim 12, the voltage increasing step further comprising the steps of: in the state where the first capacitor and the second capacitor are electrically connected in parallel to each other, applying a predetermined first potential to the first electrode and the third electrode while applying a predetermined second potential, which is different from the predetermined first potential, to the second electrode and the fourth electrode, so as to apply a predetermined voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, thus charging the first capacitor and the second capacitor; after charging the first capacitor and the second capacitor, achieving a state where the first electrode and the third electrode are electrically connected to each other and the first capacitor and the second capacitor are electrically connected in series with each other, while applying the predetermined second potential to the second electrode and applying the predetermined first potential to the fourth electrode, so as to increase the predetermined voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; and after increasing the predetermined voltage, achieving a state where at least one of the second electrode and the fourth electrode is electrically cut off, whereby the increased voltage is held by the first capacitor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method for driving an electronic device of claim 12, wherein: each of the plurality of first capacitors is a liquid crystal capacitor including the first electrode as a pixel electrode, the first dielectric layer as a liquid crystal layer, and the second electrode as a counter electrode opposing the pixel electrode via the liquid crystal layer; each of the plurality of second capacitors is a storage capacitor including the third electrode as a storage capacitor electrode, the second dielectric layer, and the fourth electrode as a storage capacitor counter electrode opposing the storage capacitor electrode via the second dielectric layer; and the liquid crystal layer modulates light passing therethrough according to a voltage applied between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method for driving an electronic device of claim 14, wherein the storage capacitor is provided so as to correspond to the liquid crystal capacitor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method for driving an electronic device of claim 14, wherein the storage capacitor is provided for each row or each column.