JP2008076843A - Driving method of information display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving method of information display panel which does not allow a drawing speed to get slow even in an information display panel successively addressed every scanning electrode upon image display of information. <P>SOLUTION: In the driving method of information display panel, at least one kind of display medium composed of at least one kind of particle is enclosed between two sheets of substrates of which at least one side is transparent, a voltage is applied between a scanning electrode and a data electrode to generate an electric field in the substrates and, thereby, the display medium is moved to display information such as an image, wherein displayed image data apply the same voltage to a plurality of the same scanning electrodes at the same time to form an information image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

In the present invention, at least one kind of display medium composed of at least one kind of particles is sealed between two opposing substrates at least one of which is transparent, and a voltage is applied between the scanning electrode and the data electrode. The present invention relates to a method for driving an information display panel that displays information such as images by moving a display medium by an electric field generated in a substrate.
It is.

Conventionally, at least one kind of display medium composed of at least one kind of particles is sealed between two opposing substrates, at least one of which is transparent, and a voltage is applied between the scanning electrode and the data electrode. An information display panel that displays information such as an image by moving a display medium by an electric field generated in a substrate is known (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
趙 Kuniori and three others, “New Toner Display Device (I)”, July 21, 1999, Annual Meeting of the Imaging Society of Japan (83 times in total) “Japan Hardcopy'99” Proceedings, p.249-252

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a driving method in the above-described conventional information display panel. The example shown in FIG. 12 shows an information display panel composed of a 9 × 12 dot matrix composed of nine horizontal stripe-shaped scanning electrodes and 12 vertical stripe-shaped data electrodes. In the example shown in FIG. 12, since the scanning electrode (9 dots side) is scanned to form an information image, if it takes 1 ms to apply a voltage to one scanning electrode, it takes 9 ms to form one screen. There was a problem of slow speed.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and provide a method for driving an information display panel that does not slow down the drawing speed even in an information display panel that is sequentially addressed for each scan electrode when displaying information in an image. It is what.

  According to the information display panel driving method of the present invention, at least one kind of display medium composed of at least one kind of particles is sealed between two opposing substrates, at least one of which is transparent, and the scan electrode and data In an information display panel driving method for displaying information such as an image by moving a display medium by an electric field generated in a substrate by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a plurality of images with the same image data displayed are displayed. An information image is formed by simultaneously applying the same voltage to the scanning electrodes.

  As a preferred example of the method for driving the information display panel of the present invention, a scan electrode capable of simultaneously forming an information image is specified when displaying displayed image data in advance or temporarily in the information image forming process. The information that can be stored is combined with the displayed image data, and at the same time, the overlapping portion of the displayed image data related to the scanning electrodes that can form the information image is omitted, and the data amount of the displayed image data is reduced.

  According to the present invention, the displayed image data applies the same voltage to the same scan electrode, and simultaneously forms an information image, whereby the information display panel is sequentially addressed for each scan electrode when displaying information on the image. In this case, it is possible to obtain a method for driving the information display panel that does not slow down the drawing speed.

  First, a basic configuration of an information display panel that is an object of the driving method of the present invention will be described. In the information display panel which is a target of the driving method of the present invention, an electric field is applied to a display medium sealed between two opposing substrates. In accordance with the applied electric field direction, the charged display medium is attracted by an electric field force or a Coulomb force, and the display medium is moved (driven) by a change in the electric field direction, whereby information such as an image is displayed. Therefore, it is necessary to design the information display panel so that the display medium can move uniformly and maintain stability when rewriting the display repeatedly or when displaying the display information continuously. Here, as the force applied to the particles constituting the display medium, in addition to the force attracting each other by the Coulomb force between the particles, an electric mirror image force between the electrode and the substrate, an intermolecular force, a liquid cross-linking force, gravity and the like can be considered.

  An example of an information display panel that is an object of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, at least two kinds of display media 3 (here, white display medium particles 3Wa) having at least one kind of particles and having different optical reflectance and charging characteristics are used. The electrode 5 (individual electrode) provided on the substrate 1 in each cell formed by the partition walls 4 is provided with a white display medium 3W composed of a plurality of particle groups and a black display medium 3B composed of a particle group of black display medium particles 3Ba. ) And an electrode 6 (individual electrode) provided on the substrate 2, the substrate is moved perpendicularly to the substrates 1 and 2 in accordance with an electric field generated by applying a voltage. Then, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 1A, or white display is performed, or the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 1B. The display is black. In addition, in FIG. 1 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, at least two or more types of display media 3 (here, white display medium particles 3Wa) having different optical reflectance and charging characteristics composed of at least one type of particles. The electrode 5 (line electrode) provided on the substrate 1 in each cell formed by the partition walls 4 is provided with a white display medium 3W composed of a plurality of particle groups and a black display medium 3B composed of a particle group of black display medium particles 3Ba. ) And an electrode 6 (line electrode) provided on the substrate 2, and is moved perpendicularly to the substrates 1 and 2 according to an electric field generated by applying a voltage. Then, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 2A, or white display is performed, or the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 2B. The display is black. In addition, in FIG. 2 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the display medium 3 (in this case, from the particle group of white display medium particles 3Wa) having at least an optical reflectance and a charging property composed of at least one kind of particles. In each cell formed by the partition walls 4 in accordance with an electric field generated by applying a voltage between the electrode 5 and the electrode 6 provided on the substrate 1. 2 in the direction parallel to Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer to display white, or as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the color of the black plate 7 is changed to the observer. Is displayed in black. In addition, in the example shown to Fig.3 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, first, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4C, at least the optical reflectivity and charging characteristics of at least one kind of particles are different. Two or more kinds of display media 3 (here, a white display medium 3W composed of particles of white display medium particles 3Wa and a black display medium 3B composed of particles of black display medium particles 3Ba are shown) are formed by partition walls 4. In each of the formed cells, the substrate 1 corresponds to the electric field generated by applying a voltage between the external electric field forming means 11 provided outside the substrate 1 and the external electric field forming means 12 provided outside the substrate 2. 2 and move vertically. Then, the white display medium 3W is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 4B, or white display is performed, or the black display medium 3B is visually recognized by the observer as shown in FIG. 2D. The display is black. In addition, in FIG. 4 (a)-(d), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted. A conductive member 13 is provided inside the substrate 1, and a conductive member 14 is provided inside the substrate 2.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, an example of color display in which a unit pixel is configured by three cells is shown. In the example shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, as the display medium, all the cells 21-1 to 21-3 are filled with the white display medium 3W and the black display medium 3B, and the first cell 21-1 is filled. A red color filter 22R is provided on the viewer side, a green color filter 22G is provided on the viewer side of the second cell 21-2, a blue color filter 22BL is provided on the viewer side of the third cell 21-3, A unit pixel is composed of three cells, the first cell 21-1, the second cell 21-2, and the third cell 21-3. In this example, as shown to Fig.5 (a), by arrange | positioning the white display medium 3W in all the 1st cells 21-1-3rd cells 21-3 to the observer side with respect to an observer, By performing white display or arranging the black display medium 3B in all the first cells 21-1 to 21-3 on the viewer side as shown in FIG. 5B, Black display is given to the observer. In addition, in FIG. 5 (a), (b), the partition in front is abbreviate | omitted.

  The above description is similarly applied to the case where the white display medium 3W including the particle group is replaced with the white display medium including the powder fluid and the black display medium 3B including the particle group is replaced with the black display medium including the powder fluid. I can do it. The powder fluid will be described later.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, another example in which black and white display is performed using the line electrodes 5 and 6 is described, similar to the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the white display medium 3W and the black display medium are used instead of the cells formed by the partition walls 4 filled with the white display medium 3W and the black display medium 3B shown in FIGS. A microcapsule 9 filled with 3B together with the insulating liquid 8 is used. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 7, instead of the cell formed by the partition 4 filled with the white display medium 3 </ b> W and the black display medium 3 </ b> B shown in FIGS. In addition, a microcapsule 9 filled with an insulating liquid 8 as a display medium with a rotating ball 10 configured to have opposite polarities is also used. In both examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, monochrome display can be performed in the same manner as the example shown in FIG.

  A feature of the driving method of the information display panel of the present invention is that the displayed image data applies the same voltage to the same scanning electrode and forms information such as an image at the same time. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining scan electrodes having the same image data in the driving method of the information display panel of the present invention, and FIGS. It is a figure for demonstrating the procedure of image formation in the drive method of the information display panel of invention. Hereinafter, the features of the present invention will be described using the same image as the conventional example shown in FIG.

  First, when a set of scan electrodes having the same image data is obtained from the image data shown in FIG. 12, a set of scan electrodes (2, 4, 6, 8) having the same image data is obtained as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8B, it can be seen that there is a set of scan electrodes (3, 7) having the same image data. In image formation, first, as shown in FIG. 9A, the entire screen is erased. Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, simultaneous writing of the scan electrodes (2, 4, 6, 8) having the same image data is performed. Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, simultaneous writing of the scanning electrodes (3, 7) having the same image data is performed. Predetermined image formation can be performed by the above procedure. Therefore, if it takes 1 ms to apply a voltage to one scan electrode, one screen can be formed in 2 ms, and the time required for screen formation can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional example of 9 ms shown in FIG. it can. Of course, the degree of shortening the display time varies depending on the pattern of the image to be displayed. In the case of a complex image, the effect of shortening the display time is not recognized so much.

  Next, a preferred example of the information display panel driving method of the present invention will be described. An example of a preferred example is that when displaying the displayed image data in advance or temporarily in the information forming process, it is stored in combination with the displayed image data that can specify the scanning electrodes that can form the information image at the same time. In addition, the overlapping part of the display data related to the scanning electrodes that can form an information image at the same time is omitted, and the data amount of the displayed image data is reduced.

  FIGS. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining an example of a data processing procedure of a preferred example in the method for driving the information display panel of the present invention. Hereinafter, a preferred example will be described in comparison with the conventional example of FIG. The display image data in the conventional example shown in FIG. 12 is 1 bit × 9 × 2 = 108 bits when one pixel is binary (no gradation display). Therefore, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 12, a 108-bit memory is required for storing display data for one screen. On the other hand, in the above preferred example, first, as shown in FIG. 10A, the column number is associated with the column data (binary number). For example, the column data of column number 2 is (001110001000). Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, the columns are sorted in descending order of the number of rewrite dots. Although there are various sorting methods, in the example shown in FIG. 10B, the column data is replaced with binary numbers and sorted in descending order. Next, as shown in FIG. 10C, the image data is compressed and stored in combination with image data displaying information that can specify scan electrodes that can simultaneously form an information image. Therefore, the display image data in the preferred example shown in FIG. 10C is 1 bit × 3 × 12 = 36 bits when one pixel is binary (no gradation display), which is compared with the 108 bits of the conventional example shown in FIG. Thus, the memory required for accumulation can be greatly reduced. As a result, it is possible to achieve higher processing speed, memory saving (allocated to other processing), improvement of data transfer speed, reduction of power consumption, and the like.

  Hereinafter, each member which comprises the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention is demonstrated.

  As for the substrate, at least one substrate is the transparent substrate 2 from which the color of the display medium can be confirmed from the outside of the information display panel, and a material having high visible light transmittance and good heat resistance is preferable. The substrate 1 may be transparent or opaque. Examples of substrate materials include polymer sheets such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethersulfone, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyimide, and acrylic, flexible materials such as metal sheets, and glass and quartz. An inorganic sheet having no flexibility is mentioned. The thickness of the substrate is preferably from 2 to 5000 μm, more preferably from 5 to 2000 μm. If it is too thin, it will be difficult to maintain the strength and the spacing uniformity between the substrates, and if it is thicker than 5000 μm, it will be a thin information display panel. Is inconvenient.

  As an electrode forming material when an electrode is provided on an information display panel as required, metals such as aluminum, silver, nickel, copper, and gold, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium oxide, antimony tin oxide (ATO) ), Conductive metal oxides such as conductive tin oxide and conductive zinc oxide, and conductive polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole and polythiophene are exemplified and used as appropriate. As a method for forming the electrode, a method of forming the above-described material into a thin film by sputtering, vacuum deposition, CVD (chemical vapor deposition), coating, or the like, or mixing a conductive member with a solvent or a synthetic resin binder. The method of apply | coating is used. The electrode provided on the display surface side substrate 2 which is on the viewing side and needs to be transparent needs to be transparent, but the electrode provided on the back side substrate 1 does not need to be transparent. In any case, the above-mentioned material that can be patterned and is electrically conductive can be suitably used. Note that the electrode thickness is not particularly limited as long as the conductivity can be secured and the light transmittance is not hindered, and is preferably 3 to 1000 nm, preferably 5 to 400 nm. The material and thickness of the electrode provided on the back side substrate 1 are the same as those of the electrode provided on the display surface side substrate described above, but need not be transparent. In this case, the external voltage input may be superimposed with direct current or alternating current.

The shape of the partition walls 4 provided on the substrate as required is appropriately set appropriately depending on the type of display medium involved in display, the shape and arrangement of electrodes to be arranged, and is not limited in general. The height of the partition is adjusted to 100 to 100 μm, preferably 3 to 50 μm, and the height of the partition wall to 10 to 100 μm, preferably 10 to 50 μm.
In forming the partition wall, a both-rib method in which ribs are formed on each of the opposing substrates 1 and 2 and then bonded, and a single-rib method in which ribs are formed only on one substrate are conceivable. In the present invention, any method is preferably used.
As shown in FIG. 11, the cells formed by the partition walls made up of these ribs are exemplified by a square shape, a triangular shape, a line shape, a circular shape, and a hexagonal shape as viewed from the substrate plane direction. And a mesh shape. It is better to make the portion corresponding to the cross section of the partition wall visible from the display surface side (the area of the cell frame) as small as possible, and the display becomes clearer.
Examples of the method for forming the partition include a mold transfer method, a screen printing method, a sand blast method, a photolithography method, and an additive method. Any of these methods can be suitably used for the information display panel of the present invention, and among these, a photolithography method using a resist film and a mold transfer method are suitably used.

  Next, for example, the powder fluid used as the display medium used in the information display panel according to the present invention will be described. As for the name of the powder fluid used in the information display panel of the present invention, the present applicant has obtained the right of “Electronic Powder Fluid (registered trademark): Registration No. 4636931”.

  The “powder fluid” in the present invention is a substance in an intermediate state of both fluid and particle characteristics that exhibits fluidity by itself without borrowing the force of gas or liquid. For example, liquid crystal is defined as an intermediate phase between a liquid and a solid, and has fluidity that is a characteristic of liquid and anisotropy (optical properties) that is a characteristic of solid (Heibonsha: Encyclopedia) . On the other hand, the definition of particle is an object with a finite mass even if it is negligible, and is said to be affected by gravity (Maruzen: Physics Encyclopedia). Here, even in the case of particles, there are special states of gas-solid fluidized bed and liquid-solid fluids. When gas is flowed from the bottom plate to the particles, upward force is applied to the particles according to the velocity of the gas. Is a gas-solid fluidized bed that is in a state where it can easily flow when it balances with gravity, and it is also called a liquid-solid fluidized state that is fluidized by a fluid (ordinary) Company: Encyclopedia). As described above, the gas-solid fluidized bed body and the liquid-solid fluid are in a state of using a gas or liquid flow. In the present invention, it has been found that a substance in a state of fluidity can be produced specifically without borrowing the force of such gas and liquid, and this is defined as powder fluid.

  That is, the pulverulent fluid in the present invention is in an intermediate state having both the characteristics of particles and liquid, as in the definition of liquid crystal (liquid and solid intermediate phase), and is the characteristic of the above-mentioned particles. It is a substance that is extremely unaffected and exhibits a unique state with high fluidity. Such a substance can be obtained in an aerosol state, that is, in a dispersion system in which a solid or liquid substance is stably suspended as a dispersoid in a gas, and the solid substance is regarded as a dispersoid in the information display panel of the present invention. To do.

The information display panel that is the object of the driving method of the present invention is a powder that exhibits high fluidity in an aerosol state in which solid particles are stably suspended as a dispersoid, for example, in a gas between opposing substrates, at least one of which is transparent. This type of pulverulent fluid is so fluid that it cannot measure the angle of repose, which is an index indicating the fluidity of the powder. It can be moved stably.
As described above, for example, the powder fluid used as the display medium in the present invention is a substance in the intermediate state between the fluid and particles that exhibits fluidity by itself without borrowing the force of gas or liquid. It is. This powder fluid can be in an aerosol state in particular, and in the information display panel of the present invention, it is used as a display medium in a state where a solid substance floats relatively stably as a dispersoid in the gas.

Next, display medium particles (hereinafter, also referred to as particles) constituting the display medium in the information display panel that is the target of the driving method of the present invention will be described. The display medium particles are composed of the display medium particles as they are to form a display medium, or are combined with other particles to form a display medium, or adjusted and configured to become a powder fluid to form a display medium. Or used.
The particles can contain a charge control agent, a colorant, an inorganic additive, and the like, if necessary, in the resin as the main component, as in the conventional case. Examples of resins, charge control agents, colorants, and other additives will be given below.

  Examples of the resin include urethane resin, urea resin, acrylic resin, polyester resin, acrylic urethane resin, acrylic urethane silicone resin, acrylic urethane fluororesin, acrylic fluororesin, silicone resin, acrylic silicone resin, epoxy resin, polystyrene resin, styrene Acrylic resin, polyolefin resin, butyral resin, vinylidene chloride resin, melamine resin, phenol resin, fluororesin, polycarbonate resin, polysulfone resin, polyether resin, polyamide resin and the like can be mentioned, and two or more kinds can be mixed. In particular, acrylic urethane resin, acrylic silicone resin, acrylic fluororesin, acrylic urethane silicone resin, acrylic urethane fluororesin, fluororesin, and silicone resin are suitable from the viewpoint of controlling the adhesive force with the substrate.

  The charge control agent is not particularly limited. Examples of the negative charge control agent include salicylic acid metal complexes, metal-containing azo dyes, metal-containing oil-soluble dyes (including metal ions and metal atoms), and quaternary ammonium salt systems. Examples thereof include compounds, calixarene compounds, boron-containing compounds (benzyl acid boron complexes), and nitroimidazole derivatives. Examples of the positive charge control agent include nigrosine dyes, triphenylmethane compounds, quaternary ammonium salt compounds, polyamine resins, imidazole derivatives, and the like. In addition, metal oxides such as ultrafine silica, ultrafine titanium oxide, ultrafine alumina, nitrogen-containing cyclic compounds such as pyridine and derivatives and salts thereof, various organic pigments, resins containing fluorine, chlorine, nitrogen, etc. are also charged. It can also be used as a control agent.

  As the colorant, various organic or inorganic pigments and dyes as exemplified below can be used.

Examples of the black colorant include carbon black, copper oxide, manganese dioxide, aniline black, activated carbon and the like.
Examples of blue colorants include C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 3, C.I. I. Pigment Blue 15, Bituminous Blue, Cobalt Blue, Alkaline Blue Lake, Victoria Blue Lake, Phthalocyanine Blue, Metal-free Phthalocyanine Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue Partial Chlorides, Fast Sky Blue, Indanthrene Blue BC, and the like.
Examples of red colorants include bengara, cadmium red, red lead, mercury sulfide, cadmium, permanent red 4R, resol red, pyrazolone red, watching red, calcium salt, lake red D, brilliant carmine 6B, eosin lake, rhodamine lake B, Alizarin Lake, Brilliant Carmine 3B, C.I. I. Pigment Red 2 etc.

Yellow colorants include chrome yellow, zinc yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow iron oxide, mineral first yellow, nickel titanium yellow, navel yellow, naphthol yellow S, Hansa Yellow G, Hansa Yellow 10G, Benzidine Yellow G, Benzidine Yellow GR, Quinoline Yellow Lake, Permanent Yellow NCG, Tartrazine Lake, C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 12 etc.
Examples of green colorants include chrome green, chromium oxide, pigment green B, C.I. I. Pigment Green 7, Malachite Green Lake, Final Yellow Green G, etc.
Examples of the orange colorant include red chrome yellow, molybdenum orange, permanent orange GTR, pyrazolone orange, Vulcan orange, indanthrene brilliant orange RK, benzidine orange G, indanthrene brilliant orange GK, C.I. I. Pigment Orange 31 etc.
Examples of purple colorants include manganese purple, first violet B, and methyl violet lake.
Examples of white colorants include zinc white, titanium oxide, antimony white, and zinc sulfide.

  Examples of extender pigments include barite powder, barium carbonate, clay, silica, white carbon, talc, and alumina white. Examples of various dyes such as basic, acidic, disperse, and direct dyes include nigrosine, methylene blue, rose bengal, quinoline yellow, and ultramarine blue.

Examples of inorganic additives include titanium oxide, zinc white, zinc sulfide, antimony oxide, calcium carbonate, lead white, talc, silica, calcium silicate, alumina white, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, cadmium orange, titanium yellow, Examples include bitumen, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, cobalt green, cobalt violet, iron oxide, carbon black, manganese ferrite black, cobalt ferrite black, copper powder, and aluminum powder.
These pigments and inorganic additives can be used alone or in combination. Of these, carbon black is particularly preferable as the black pigment, and titanium oxide is preferable as the white pigment.
By blending the colorant, particles for a display medium having a desired color can be produced.

  The particles for display medium of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as particles) preferably have an average particle diameter d (0.5) in the range of 1 to 20 μm and are uniform and uniform. If the average particle diameter d (0.5) is larger than this range, the display is not clear. If the average particle diameter d (0.5) is smaller than this range, the cohesive force between the particles becomes too large, which hinders movement as a display medium.

Furthermore, in the present invention, regarding the particle size distribution of each particle, the particle size distribution Span represented by the following formula is less than 5, preferably less than 3.
Span = (d (0.9) −d (0.1)) / d (0.5)
(However, d (0.5) is a numerical value expressing the particle diameter in μm that 50% of the particles are larger than this and 50% is smaller than this, and d (0.1) is a particle in which the ratio of the smaller particles is 10%. (Numerical value expressed in μm, and d (0.9) is a numerical value expressed in μm for a particle diameter of 90% or less.)
By keeping Span within a range of 5 or less, the size of each particle is uniform, and movement as a uniform display medium becomes possible.

  Furthermore, regarding the correlation between the particles, the ratio of d (0.5) of the particles having the minimum diameter to d (0.5) of the particles having the maximum diameter among the used particles is set to 50 or less, preferably 10 or less. It is essential. Even if the particle size distribution Span is reduced, particles with different charging characteristics move in opposite directions, so that the particle size is close to each other and each particle can be easily moved in the opposite direction by the equivalent amount. This is within this range.

The particle size distribution and the particle size can be obtained from a laser diffraction / scattering method or the like. When laser light is irradiated onto particles to be measured, a light intensity distribution pattern of diffracted / scattered light is spatially generated, and this light intensity pattern has a corresponding relationship with the particle diameter, so that the particle diameter and particle diameter distribution can be measured. .
Here, the particle size and particle size distribution in the present invention are obtained from a volume-based distribution. Specifically, using a Mastersizer2000 (Malvern Instruments Ltd.) measuring instrument, particles are introduced into a nitrogen stream, and the attached analysis software (software based on volume-based distribution using Mie theory) The diameter and particle size distribution can be measured.

  The charge amount of the display medium particles naturally depends on the measurement conditions, but the charge amount of the display medium particles in the information display panel is almost the same as the initial charge amount, the contact with the partition walls, the contact with the substrate, and the elapsed time. It was found that depending on the charge decay, the saturation value of the charging behavior of the particles for the display medium is a dominant factor.

  As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have been able to evaluate the range of proper charging characteristics of display medium particles by measuring the charge amount of the particles used in the display medium using the same carrier particles in the blow-off method. I found.

Furthermore, when applied to a dry information display panel in which a display medium such as a particle group or a powdered fluid composed of display medium particles is driven in the air space, the gas in the voids surrounding the display medium between the substrates Management is important and contributes to improved display stability. Specifically, it is important that the relative humidity at 25 ° C. is 60% RH or less, and preferably 50% RH or less for the humidity of the gas in the gap.
For example, in FIG. 1 (a), (b) to FIG. 3 (a), (b), the void portion refers to electrodes 5 and 6 (electrodes of the substrate) from the portion sandwiched between the opposing substrate 1 and substrate 2. It refers to a gas portion in contact with a so-called display medium excluding an occupied portion of the display medium 3, an occupied portion of the partition wall 4 (when a partition wall is provided), and a seal portion of the information display panel. .
The gas in the gap is not limited as long as it is in the humidity region described above, but dry air, dry nitrogen, dry argon, dry helium, dry carbon dioxide, dry methane, and the like are preferable. This gas needs to be sealed in an information display panel so that the humidity is maintained, for example, filling a display medium, assembling an information display panel, etc. in a predetermined humidity environment, It is important to apply a sealing material and a sealing method that prevent moisture from entering from the outside.

The distance between the substrates in the information display panel that is the subject of the driving method of the present invention is not limited as long as the display medium can be moved and the contrast can be maintained, but is usually adjusted to 10 to 500 μm, preferably 10 to 200 μm. .
The volume occupation ratio of the display medium in the space between the opposing substrates is preferably 5 to 70%, more preferably 5 to 60%. If it exceeds 70%, the movement of the display medium is hindered, and if it is less than 5%, the contrast tends to be unclear.

  The driving method of the present invention includes a notebook computer, an electronic notebook, a portable information device called PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a display unit of a mobile device such as a mobile phone and a handy terminal, an electronic book such as an electronic book and an electronic newspaper, and a signboard , Posters, bulletin boards such as blackboards, electronic desk calculators, home appliances, car supplies, card displays such as point cards, IC cards, electronic advertisements, information boards, electronic POPs (Point Of Presence, Suitable for display panels for various electronic devices such as point of purchase advertising), electronic price tags, electronic shelf labels, electronic scores, RF-ID device displays, POS terminals, car navigation devices, watches, etc. Used for. In addition, it can be suitably used for external electric field forming means used for rewritable paper (which can be rewritten using external electric field forming means).

  As for the driving method of the information display panel which is the target of the driving method of the present invention, a simple matrix driving display panel or static driving display panel which does not use a switching element in the panel itself, or an external electric field is used. The present invention can be applied as a driving method for various types of information display panels such as external electric field drive type display panels.

(A), (b) is a figure which shows an example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention, respectively. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the other example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention, respectively. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the further another example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention, respectively. (A)-(d) is a figure which shows the further another example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention, respectively. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the further another example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention, respectively. It is a figure which shows the further another example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention. It is a figure which shows the further another example of the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention. (A), (b) is a figure for demonstrating the scanning electrode with the same image data in the drive method of the information display panel of this invention, respectively. (A)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating the procedure of image formation in the drive method of the information display panel of this invention, respectively. (A)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data processing procedure of the suitable example in the drive method of the information display panel of this invention, respectively. It is a figure which shows an example of the shape of the partition in the information display panel used as the object of the drive method of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the driving method of the conventional information display panel.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2 Substrate 3 Display medium (particle group, powder fluid)
3W White display medium 3Wa White display medium particle 3B Black display medium 3Ba Black display medium particle 4 Bulkhead 5, 6 Electrode 7 Black plate 8 Insulating liquid 9 Microcapsule 10 Rotating ball 11, 12 External electric field forming means 13, 14 Conductive member 21-1 First cell 21-2 Second cell 21-3 Third cell 22R Red color filter 22G Green color filter 22BL Blue color filter

Claims (3)

  At least one kind of display medium composed of at least one kind of particles is sealed between two opposing substrates, at least one of which is transparent, and a voltage is applied between the scanning electrode and the data electrode so that the inside of the substrate In the method of driving an information display panel that displays information such as an image by moving the display medium by the electric field generated in the information, the same voltage is applied simultaneously to a plurality of scanning electrodes in which the displayed image data is the same. An information display panel driving method comprising forming an image.   In the process of forming an information image, when the displayed image data is stored in advance or temporarily, it is stored in combination with the displayed image data together with information that can specify a scanning electrode capable of forming an information image at the same time. Item 4. A method for driving an information display panel according to Item 1.   3. The method for driving an information display panel according to claim 2, wherein overlapping portions of the displayed image data relating to the scanning electrodes capable of forming an information image at the same time are omitted, and a data amount of the displayed image data is reduced.

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