ELECTROPHORESIS DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DRIVING ELECTROPHORESIS DEVICE

Abstract

An electrophoresis device is provided which includes: a display area including electrophoresis elements, each of which has a dispersion system, which includes first electrophoresis particles and second electrophoresis particles having different electrical polarities, between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to each other; and a voltage control unit allowing the first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the first and second electrodes, respectively, so as to form an image by applying a voltage to the electrophoresis elements. Here, the first electrode has a first partial electrode and a second partial electrode and the voltage control unit unevenly distributes the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the first electrode onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode prior to changing display.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a section of an electrophoresis display device 1 which is an example of an electrophoresis device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a circuit structure of the electrophoresis display device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of each pixel driving circuit.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged diagram partially illustrating the section of the electrophoresis display device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged diagram partially illustrating the circuit structure of the electrophoresis display device.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating a method of driving the electrophoresis display device according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating another example of the method of driving the electrophoresis display device according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the electrophoresis display device according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 9A to 9C are diagrams illustrating examples of a shape of a sub-pixel electrode according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method of driving an electrophoresis display device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a method of driving an electrophoresis display device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are diagrams illustrating specific examples of an electronic apparatus employing the electrophoresis display device according to the embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrophoresis device comprising: a display area including electrophoresis elements, each of which has a dispersion system, which includes first electrophoresis particles and second electrophoresis particles having different electrical polarities, between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite to each other; anda voltage control unit allowing the first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the first and second electrodes, respectively, so as to form an image by applying a voltage to the electrophoresis elements,wherein the first electrode has a first partial electrode and a second partial electrode and the voltage control unit unevenly distributes the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the first electrode onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode prior to changing display.

2. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage control unit unevenly distributes the electrophoresis particles migrating to the first electrode onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode when the display is changed.

3. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an electrode on a surface opposite an observation surface.

4. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the area of the first partial electrode is different from the area of the second partial electrode.

5. The electrophoresis device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode has a third partial electrode and a fourth partial electrode and the voltage control unit unevenly distributes the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the second electrode onto one of the third and fourth partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the third partial electrode and the fourth partial electrode prior to changing the display.

6. The electrophoresis device according to claim 5, wherein the voltage control unit unevenly distributes the electrophoresis particles migrating to the second electrode onto one of the third and fourth partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the third partial electrode and the fourth partial electrode when the display is changed.

7. The electrophoresis device according to claim 5, wherein the area of the third partial electrode is different from the area of the fourth partial electrode.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising the electrophoresis device according to claim 1.

9. A method of driving an electrophoresis device which has a display area including electrophoresis elements, each of which has a dispersion system, which includes at least two types of electrophoresis particles having different electrical polarities, between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite each other and which allows first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the first and second electrodes, respectively, so as to form an image by applying a voltage to the electrophoresis elements, wherein the first electrode has a first partial electrode and a second partial electrode, andwherein the method comprises: a first process of unevenly distributing the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the first electrode onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode prior to changing display; anda second process of reversing the polarities of the first electrode and the second electrode so as to allow the first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the opposite electrodes, thereby changing the display.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the second process, the electrophoresis particles migrating to the first electrode are unevenly distributed onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode.

11. A method of driving an electrophoresis device which has a display area including electrophoresis elements, each of which has a dispersion system, which includes at least two types of electrophoresis particles having different electrical polarities, between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite each other and which allows first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the first and second electrodes, respectively, so as to form an image by applying a voltage to the electrophoresis elements, wherein the first electrode has a first partial electrode and a second partial electrode,wherein the second electrode has a third partial electrode and a fourth partial electrode, andwherein the method comprises: a first process of unevenly distributing the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the first electrode onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode prior to changing display, and unevenly distributing the electrophoresis particles distributed close to the second electrode onto one of the third and fourth partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the third partial electrode and the fourth partial electrode, prior to changing display; anda second process of reversing the polarities of the first electrode and the second electrode so as to allow the first and second electrophoresis particles to migrate to the opposite electrodes, thereby changing the display.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the second process, the electrophoresis particles migrating to the first electrode are unevenly distributed onto one of the first and second partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the first partial electrode and the second partial electrode and the electrophoresis particles migrating to the second electrode are unevenly distributed onto one of the third and fourth partial electrodes by applying different voltages to the third partial electrode and the fourth partial electrode.