Method for writing data to an electrophoretic display panel

Claim 1

A method for decreasing the time to write a frame of display data composed of a plurality of lines of displayable pixels on an electrophoretic display requiring a minimum time period for a line to be fully written comprising the following steps: (a) selecting a shortened period which is shorter in duration than said minimum period; (b) writing a line set of at least two adjacent lines in said shortened period; (c) shifting the lines of said line set such that said line set contains at least one new line and at least one old line; (d) writing said shifted line set in a subsequent shortened period following said step of shifting; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until said frame is completely written.

Claim 2

A method for decreasing the time to write a frame of display data composed of a plurality of lines of displayable pixels on an electrophoretic display requiring a minimum time period for a line to be fully written comprising the following steps: (a) selecting a shortened period which is shorter in duration than said minimum period; (b) writing a line set of at least two adjacent lines in said shortened period; (c) shifting the lines of said line set such that said line set contains at least one new line and at least one old line; (d) writing said shifted line set in a subsequent shortened period following said step of shifting; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until said frame is completely written.

Claim 10

A method for operating an electrophoretic display of the type having a first plurality of parallel conductive lines disposed within a first plane and a second plurality of parallel conductive lines disposed within a second plane insulated from said first plurality, said first and said second plane being substantially parallel and said first and said second plurality being substantially perpendicular to form an X-Y addressing matrix, said display having a conventional anode electrode separated from said X-Y matrix with the space therebetween accommodating an electrophoretic dispersion including pigment particles suspended in a fluid, each of said first and said second plurality being selectively electrically chargeable to create a voltage gradient at each of said intersections of said X-Y matrix in conjunction with said anode to cause a localized migration of pigment particles relative to said intersections, said intersections constituting displayable pixels, comprises the following steps in substantially the following order: (a) selectively electrically charging each of said first plurality of lines with a first set of voltage levels; (b) while said first plurality remains electrically charged, simultaneously electrically charging a set of 2 or more adjacent lines of said second plurality of lines for a selected period such that said pigment particles are caused either to migrate or not to migrate proximate said intersections associated with said 2 or more adjacent lines depending upon said voltage levels applied to each said line of said first plurality of lines; (c) shifting the elements of said set by one adjacent line, such that the same number of elements are present in said set but the content of said set excludes at least one previously included element and includes at least one common element which was previously included in said set prior to shifting and one new element which is a line adjacent to said at least one common element; (d) selectively electrically charging each of said first plurality of lines with a second set of voltage levels; and (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) substituting subsequent sets of voltage levels in step (d) until all said pixels at said intersections of said X-Y matrix have been placed in a selected display state.

Claim 11

A method for operating an electrophoretic display of the type having a first plurality of parallel conductive lines disposed within a first plane and a second plurality of parallel conductive lines disposed within a second plane insulated from said first plurality, said first and said second plane being substantially parallel and said first and said second plurality being substantially perpendicular to form an X-Y addressing matrix, said display having a conventional anode electrode separated from said X-Y matrix with the space therebetween accommodating an electrophoretic dispersion including pigment particles suspended in a fluid, each of said first and said second plurality being selectively electrically chargeable to create a voltage gradient at each of said intersections of said X-Y matrix in conjunction with said anode to cause a localized migration of pigment particles relative to said intersections, said intersections constituting displayable pixels, comprises the following steps in substantially the following order: (a) selectively electrically charging each of said first plurality of lines with a first set of voltage levels; (b) while said first plurality remains electrically charged, simultaneously electrically charging a set of 2 or more adjacent lines of said second plurality of lines for a selected period such that said pigment particles are caused either to migrate or not to migrate proximate said intersections associated with said 2 or more adjacent lines depending upon said voltage levels applied to each said line of said first plurality of lines; (c) shifting the elements of said set by one adjacent line, such that the same number of elements are present in said set but the content of said set excludes at least one previously included element and includes at least one common element which was previously included in said set prior to shifting and one new element which is a line adjacent to said at least one common element; (d) selectively electrically charging each of said first plurality of lines with a second set of voltage levels; and (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) substituting subsequent sets of voltage levels in step (d) until all said pixels at said intersections of said X-Y matrix have been placed in a selected display state.