Electronic ink screen and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809649-B2
Application number	US-201917044005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An electronic ink screen and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The electronic ink screen includes: a display module including pixel units configured to display by using electronic ink; and a control module configured to convert a touch signal applied from outside into a change of electric signal of corresponding one or more pixel units through an electrode microstructure, so that a display state of the corresponding one or more pixel units is changed from an initial state; the electrode microstructure includes sub-electrode microstructures, each sub-electrode microstructure includes a first nano electrode and a second nano electrode which are made of different materials, the first nano electrode and the second nano electrode are arranged at intervals and configured to be in mutual friction contact in response to that the touch signal applied from the outside is received, so as to generate charge transferring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic ink screen, comprising a display module, a control module and a circuit module, wherein the display module comprises a plurality of pixel units and is configured to display by using electronic ink;
the control module is configured to convert a touch signal applied from outside into a change of electric signal of corresponding one or more of the pixel units through an electrode microstructure, so that a display state of the corresponding one or more of the pixel units is changed from an initial state; the electrode microstructure comprises sub-electrode microstructures in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units, each of the sub-electrode microstructures comprises a first nano electrode and a second nano electrode which are made of different materials, and the first nano electrode and the second nano electrode are arranged at intervals and configured to be in mutual friction contact in response to that the touch signal applied from the outside is received, so as to generate charge transferring;
the circuit module is configured to supply power and control the control module to restore the display module to the initial state,
wherein the first nano electrode and second nano electrode are comb-shaped electrodes, and teeth of the first nano electrode and teeth of the second nano electrode are alternately arranged in a direction parallel to a display surface and partially overlap in a direction perpendicular to the display surface.

2. The electronic ink screen of claim 1 , wherein the control module comprises an intermediate substrate and a first substrate disposed opposite one another;
a plurality of intermediate electrodes, a plurality of thin film transistors, a coupling wire, an intermediate common electrode line and an intermediate electrode gate line are arranged on a surface of the intermediate substrate facing the first substrate, and the intermediate electrodes are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units; for each of the pixel units, the first nano electrode is arranged on a surface of the intermediate electrode away from the intermediate substrate, and is electrically coupled to the intermediate electrode; the thin film transistors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units; for each of the pixel units, a gate electrode of the thin film transistor is electrically coupled to the intermediate electrode gate line; a source electrode of the thin film transistor is electrically coupled to the intermediate common electrode line through the coupling wire, and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor is electrically coupled to the intermediate electrode;
a plurality of first electrodes and a first common electrode line are arranged on a surface of the first substrate facing the intermediate substrate, wherein the first electrodes are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the intermediate electrodes, and are electrically coupled to the first common electrode line; and for each of the pixel units, the second nano electrode is arranged on a surface of the first electrode away from the first substrate, and is electrically coupled to the first electrode.

3. The electronic ink screen of claim 2 , wherein the display module further comprises a second substrate disposed opposite to the intermediate substrate and on a side away from the first substrate, and wherein a second electrode is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the intermediate substrate and electronic ink is disposed between the second electrode and the intermediate substrate.

4. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the circuit module includes a power supply, a first switch, and a second switch;
a first terminal of the power supply is electrically coupled to the second electrode, and a second terminal of the power supply is electrically coupled to the first common electrode line;
a first coupling circuit is arranged between the intermediate electrode gate line and a first terminal of the power supply, and the first switch is provided in the first coupling circuit;
a second coupling circuit is arranged between the intermediate common electrode line and the first common electrode line, and the second switch is provided in the second coupling circuit.

5. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the circuit module includes a recovery power supply, a holding power supply, a first switch, and a second switch;
a first terminal of the holding power supply is electrically coupled to the second electrode, and a second terminal of the holding power supply is electrically coupled to the first common electrode line;
a first coupling circuit is arranged between a first terminal of the recovery power supply and the intermediate electrode gate line, and the first switch is provided in the first coupling circuit; a second terminal of the recovery power supply is electrically coupled to the first common electrode line;
a second coupling circuit is arranged between the intermediate common electrode line and the first common electrode line, and the second switch is provided in the second coupling circuit.

6. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the intermediate substrate, the first substrate, and the second substrate are all flexible substrates.

7. The electronic ink screen of claim 2 , wherein a first isolation pillar is further disposed between the intermediate substrate and the first substrate at a position where the thin film transistor is located.

8. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the display module further comprises a plurality of ink bags, each of the ink bags is configured to contain the electronic ink and the ink bags are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units.

9. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the display module further comprises a black matrix, the black matrix is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the intermediate substrate, and a second isolation pillar is further disposed between the intermediate substrate and the second substrate at a position of the black matrix.

10. The electronic ink screen of claim 3 , wherein the electronic ink includes a transparent dispersion medium, a white ink, and a black ink, the white ink having a polarity opposite to that of the black ink; alternatively, the electronic ink includes electrophoretic particles and a dye solution.

11. The electronic ink screen of claim 4 , wherein the power supply is a direct current power supply; a value of voltage output by the direct current power supply ranges from 0.5V to 5V.

12. The electronic ink screen of claim 5 , wherein the recovery power supply and the holding power supply are both direct current power supplies, wherein a value of voltage output by the recovery power supply ranges from 3V to 5V; a value of voltage output by the holding power supply ranges from 0.5V to 1V.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic ink screen, comprising:
manufacturing a second substrate;
manufacturing an intermediate substrate;
manufacturing a first substrate;
aligning and gluing the intermediate substrate and the first substrate to form a composite substrate structure;
aligning and gluing the second substrate and the intermediate substrate in the composite substrate structure to form a cell, and injecting electronic ink into the cell;
wherein the manufacturing the second substrate comprises: manufacturing a black matrix, a second electrode and a second isolation pillar on the second substrate;
the manufacturing the intermediate substrate comprises: manufacturing an intermediate electrode gate line, an intermediate electrode, an intermediate c

Assignees

• Fuzhou Boe Optoelectronics Tech Co Ltd
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Li
• Huang Jianming
• Yu Hailong
• Lin Yabin
• Jing Chuanhe
• Pan Wanping
• Jin Xianjuan

Classifications

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/04164

  Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads · CPC title

• G02F1/167

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title