This disclosure is directed to methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing driving signals to present electronic content on an electronic display. The electronic display may include an electronic paper display that utilizes electronic ink to render the electronic content. An electronic signal can be generated by a display controller to drive individual pixels to a black state, a white state, or a gray state in-between the black state and the white state. In some instances, the display controller can provide a first driving signal to set a pixel to a target state, followed by turning a power off for the display. After a predetermined amount of time, a second driving signal can be provided to drive the pixel to the target state, without changing the target state of the pixel.

The present invention provides four-particle electrophoretic displays with improved driving methods to achieve better color separation between adjacent pixel electrodes. The driving methods improve the color state performance when a first pixel is displaying a mixed state of a first highly-charged particle and a second lower-charged particle of the opposite polarity, while a neighboring pixel is displaying a state of a second highly-charged particle having the opposite polarity to the first highly-charged particle. The particles can be, for example, all reflective or one type of particle can be partially light transmissive.

In one embodiment, a display screen includes one or more pixels that are configured to operate in multiple modes. The multiple modes include a first mode in which the one or more pixels modulate, absorb, or reflect visible light and a second mode in which the one or more pixels are substantially transparent to visible light. When the one or more pixels are in the second mode a component behind the display screen is viewable through the one or more pixels.

The optical device (100) includes a first substrate (10), a second substrate (20), and an optical layer (30). The first substrate includes a first electrode (11) and a second electrode (12) configured to be provided with mutually different electrical potentials within a pixel. The optical layer may include a medium (31) and a plurality of shape-anisotropic particles (32) dispersed in the medium. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode may include a plurality of comb teeth portions (11a, 12a) arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction (D1). When an electric potential difference is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the pixel may be configured to have an electrical field distribution in which a strong electric field region having a stronger field intensity than another region is periodically formed parallel to the surface of the optical layer along a second direction (D2) orthogonal to the first direction.

A system can include a projection layer. The projection layer can include a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels can be electronically controllable to vary appearance of at least one of the plurality of pixels in coordination with an image projected onto the projection layer.

A method for driving an electro-optic display having a front electrode and a back plane, the method including applying a first voltage to the front electrode having a first magnitude, applying a second voltage to the back plane having a second magnitude, the second voltage including an offset voltage having a third magnitude; and determining an impulse offset value based on the applied offset voltage.

A pixel structure, a display panel and a driving method are provided. The pixel structure is used for a display panel and includes a first substrate and a second substrate, the pixel structure further includes a light blocking switching member that covers an opening region of the pixel structure, the light blocking switching member is configured to switch between a first state and a second state, in the first state, light is allowed to pass through the light blocking switching member so as to enter the opening region; and in the second state, the opening region of the pixel structure is shielded by the light blocking switching member.

A variable transmission display comprises an electrophoretic medium having electrically charged particles dispersed in a fluid, the electrophoretic medium being capable of assuming a light-transmissive state and a substantially non-light-transmissive state; a light-transmissive first electrode disposed adjacent one side of the electrophoretic medium; light-transmissive second electrodes disposed adjacent the other side of the electrophoretic medium; and voltage means for varying the potential each of the second electrodes independently of one another.

Some embodiments are directed to a light modulator comprising transparent or reflective substrates, multiple electrodes being applied to the substrates in a pattern across the substrate. A controller may apply an electric potential to the electrodes to obtain an electro-magnetic field between the electrodes providing electrophoretic movement of the particles towards or from an electrode.

The present disclosure is in the field of an electrophoretic device for switching between a transparent and non-transparent mode, comprising a fluid and particles, electrodes for moving said particles, and comprising various further elements, as well as uses thereof, in particular as a window blind.