Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Pavel Novoselov

Tulasi Sridhar Reddy Guntaka

Steven Ramos Carneiro

Jozef Elisabeth Aubert

Gor Manukyan

Henricus Petronella Maria Derckx

Sukhdip Sandhu

Toru Sakai

Erno Hermanus Antonius Langendijk

Christian Etienne Hendriks

Petrus Maria De Greef

Anthony John Slack

Lara Tauk

Suki Sandhu

Andrea Giraldo

Daniel Figura

Gerben Boon

Johannes Wilhelmus Hendrikus Mennen

Chiara Cometti

Peter Theresia Leonard Maria Notermans

A display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate. The display device includes a pixel region on the first substrate. The pixel region includes a plurality of input lines. Each input line is configured to apply an electric potential to a portion of a pixel in the pixel region. The display device includes a memory storing a drive scheme for the display device and a pixel control system. A solution to a cost function for the display device is calculated, such as by the pixel control system. The cost function expresses a performance attribute of the display device. The drive scheme is modified using the solution to the cost function to create a modified drive scheme, and a voltage is applied to one of the plurality of input lines according to the modified drive scheme to drive the display device.

Adaptive drive scheme for electrowetting displays

An electrowetting display device may comprise pixel regions arranged on a support plate, wherein each of the pixel regions includes a thin film transistor (TFT); a sensor disposed on the support plate, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a voltage based, at least in part, on light impinging on at least a portion of the pixel regions; and a reset control circuit configured to: based, at least in part, on the voltage generated by the sensor, determine an amount of modulation of the light; generate a reset pulse based, at least in part, on the determined amount of modulation of the light; and apply the reset pulse to each of the TFTs of at least some of the pixel regions.

Reset pulse control to manage flicker of an electrowetting display device

An apparatus comprising an electrowetting display element comprising a radiation filter, a first support plate, a second support plate, a first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. The apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program instructions operable to, with the at least one processor: determine, based on an input signal indicative of a characteristic of an input to the apparatus, that a predetermined condition for reduction of an exposure of the first fluid to incident light is satisfied; and, in response, generate an output signal to control the electrowetting display element to configure the first fluid in a retracted configuration with the first fluid at least partly overlapped by the radiation filter and with both the first fluid and the second fluid in contact with a surface of the first support plate.

Electrowetting display element with radiation filter

An electrowetting display device may comprise at least one pixel region that includes: a hydrophobic layer portion; an oil disposed on the hydrophobic layer portion, wherein an amount of light transmitted through the pixel region is based, at least in part, on an area of the hydrophobic layer portion that is covered by the oil; and a thin film transistor (TFT); a photo-sensor configured to generate a voltage based, at least in part, on the amount of light that transmits through the pixel region; and an electronic control circuit configured to (i) receive the voltage from the photo-sensor and (ii) provide a driving signal to the TFT of the pixel region, wherein an amplitude of the driving signal is based, at least in part, on the voltage from the photo-sensor.

Photo sensitive control for an electrowetting display device

An electrowetting display device includes a first support plate and a second support plate. The first support plate has rows and columns of pixel walls defining individual electrowetting pixels. A first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid are between the first support plate and the second support plate. A sensor is coupled to the second support plate and configured to detect a first intensity of light incident upon the second support plate at a first angle. A controller is configured to displace the first fluid in either a first direction or a second direction based at least in part upon the first intensity of light detected by the sensor.

Electrowetting display device with ambient light detection

An electrowetting display device may comprise rows and columns of pixels. Each of the pixels may include a thin film transistor (TFT) that is switchable to select each of the pixels using active matrix addressing. The electrowetting display device may further comprise source lines connected to the TFT of each of the pixels; gate lines connected to the TFT of each of the pixels; and a supplemental capacitor disposed between each of the gate lines and a ground and having a capacitance approximately equal to an equivalent capacitance of a group of pixels that are interconnected with one another on one of the gate lines, wherein the group of pixels are a subset of the rows and columns of pixels.

Dynamic reset voltage for an electrowetting display device

An electrowetting element comprising a first fluid and a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. A support plate comprises a first layer comprising a migration pathway, the first layer comprising a first surface in contact with at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid. A substance is disposed within at least a portion of the migration pathway in the first layer. The substance is distinct from both the first fluid and the second fluid and is configured to reduce migration of at least a component of the first fluid or a component of the second fluid into the migration pathway in the first layer.

Systems and methods for improving a fluid contact layer in an electrowetting element

A method for fabricating an electrowetting display may include forming pixel electrodes on a support plate; depositing a first layer on the pixel electrodes; etching portions of the first layer to form pixel walls that partition pixel regions; depositing a second layer on the pixel electrodes and the pixel walls; etching portions of the second layer to form spacers on tops of the pixel walls; and depositing a hydrophobic layer to at least partially cover the pixel electrodes.

Pixel wall and spacer configuration for an electrowetting display

Subject matter disclosed herein relates to improving luminance and reducing color shifts in electrowetting displays. The electrowetting display comprises a plurality of electrowetting elements separated by partition walls and spacers. The spacers and/or partition walls are reflective. When incident light that enters a pixel or subpixel is reflected and encounters a spacer and/or partition wall, the light is reflected such that the reflected light exits the pixel or subpixel into which the incident light entered. This improves luminance and reduces color shifts of the electrowetting display.

Reflectance in electrowetting displays

A method for fabricating an electrowetting display may include depositing a first material layer on a support plate; placing a first mask on the first material layer, wherein the first mask covers first portions of the first material layer and does not cover second portions of the first photoresist layer; exposing second portions of the first material layer to electromagnetic radiation; depositing a second material layer on the first mask and the exposed second portions of the first material layer; placing a second mask on the second material layer; and etching to remove portions of the second material layer and the second portions of the first material layer. Portions of the first and second material layers that remain subsequent to the etching form spacers and a grid of pixel wall extensions.

A display device includes a first support plate. A pixel region is formed on the first support plate and a reflective layer is positioned in the pixel region. The reflective layer includes a specular reflector and a diffuse reflector.

Electrowetting display device including a reflective layer having a specular reflector and a diffuse reflector

An apparatus includes a current sensor configured to couple to a power source and to sense a present current draw on the power source by a powered device. A voltage converter is coupled to the current sensor. The voltage converter includes an output line configured to couple to the powered device to provide an output charge to the powered device. The voltage converter is configured to adjust the output charge in relation to the sensed present current draw on the power source.

Apparatus and method for dynamically providing charge

An electrowetting display device may comprise pixels that include: a hydrophobic layer portion disposed on a first electrode, electrowetting fluids overlying the hydrophobic layer portion, and a thin film transistor (TFT) that is in electrical contact with the first electrode. The electrowetting display device also comprises a display control circuit in electrical contact with a drain or a source of the TFT of each of the pixels to provide a drive voltage to the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels, and a reset control circuit in electrical contact with the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels to provide a reset voltage pulse to the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels. A magnitude of the reset voltage pulse may be based, at least in part, on the drive voltage.

Reset drive voltage to enhance grey scale resolution for an electrowetting display device

An electrowetting display device includes a first support plate and a second support plate. A first fluid and a second fluid that is immiscible with the first fluid are between the first support plate and the second support plate. A plurality of pixel walls having concave side surfaces are formed on the first support plate to define a plurality of electrowetting pixels. A pixel electrode is disposed on the first support plate for applying a voltage within each electrowetting pixel to cause relative displacement of the first fluid and the second fluid.

Electrowetting display pixels with pixel walls having non-planar side surfaces

An electrowetting display comprises a support plate on which individual electrowetting pixels separated from one another by pixel walls are formed. The individual electrowetting pixels include a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer on the support plate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are separated by a dielectric layer in first portions of the individual electrowetting pixels. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are in electrical contact with one another in second portions of the individual electrowetting pixels, wherein the second portions of the individual electrowetting pixels may be U-shaped.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Pavel Novoselov