Electrowetting display device including reset signal lines that include notch electrodes and driving method thereof
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsUk Chul Choi, Cheol Woo Park, Hyun Sik Hwang, Yong Jun Jang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention applies the voltage that is swung to the notch electrode of each pixel of the electrowetting display device to reset the oil layer to not backflow such that an additional element is not disposed in the pixel, thereby increasing the aperture ratio of the pixel. Also, the reset signal generator generating and applying the reset signal is disposed inside the electrowetting display device such that additional wiring may not be disposed in the outer part of the panel.
Claims15
An electrowetting display device comprising:
- a lower substrate;
- a pixel electrode disposed on the lower substrate;
- a notch electrode spaced apart from the pixel electrode by an interval;
- a water-repellent layer covering the pixel electrode and the notch electrode;
- a partition disposed on the water-repellent layer;
- an oil layer disposed on the water-repellent layer between partitions;
- a reset signal line comprising the notch electrode and a connection between the notch electrode and an adjacent notch electrode;
- an upper substrate disposed on the lower substrate;
- a common electrode disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate;
- a reset signal generator connected to the reset signal line, wherein the reset signal generator is configured to generate and apply a reset signal to the notch electrode in the form of a voltage having a value that ranges between a high voltage and a low voltage, and wherein the value has a magnitude equal to a magnitude of a value of a voltage applied to the common electrode;
- and
- a gate driver connected to the pixel electrode and separate from the reset signal generator, wherein the gate driver is configured to supply a voltage to the pixel electrode having a value that ranges between the high voltage and the low voltage.
A method of driving an electrowetting display device comprising a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of reset signal lines comprising notch electrodes and connections between the notch electrodes, a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of reset signal lines, a plurality of partitions, a common electrode, and an oil layer, the method comprising:
- applying a reset signal by a reset signal generator to the plurality of reset signal lines;
- and
- applying a gate-on voltage by a gate driver to a gate line of the plurality of gate lines, wherein the gate driver is separate from the reset signal generator;
- wherein the reset signal varies between a first voltage and a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage,
- wherein the second voltage has a value that has a magnitude equal to a magnitude of a value of a voltage applied to the common electrode, and
- wherein the values of the first voltage and the second voltage are in a range that is equal to a range of values of voltage applied to the pixel electrodes.
An electrowetting display device, comprising:
- a plurality of gate lines;
- a plurality of reset signal lines comprising notch electrodes and connections between notch electrodes;
- a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of reset signal lines;
- a common electrode;
- a plurality of partitions;
- an oil layer;
- a reset signal generator connected to the plurality of reset signal lines, wherein the reset signal generator is configured to generate and apply a reset signal to the reset signal lines in the form of a voltage having a value that ranges between a high voltage and a low voltage, and wherein the value has a magnitude equal to a magnitude of a value of voltage applied to the common electrode;
- and
- a gate driver connected to the plurality of pixel electrodes and separate from the reset signal generator, wherein the gate driver is configured to supply a voltage to the pixel electrodes having a value that ranges between the high voltage and the low voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.