Handwritten type electronic paper display and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9830006-B2
Application number	US-201213700085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2012
Priority date	Aug 3, 2011
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a handwritten type electronic paper display and a manufacture method thereof. The handwritten type electronic paper display comprises: a first electrode substrate ( 1 ) and a second electrode substrate ( 2 ) having a same pixel electrode matrix structure, an electronic paper thin film ( 3 ), a flexible printed circuit ( 4 ), a stylus ( 5 ) and an electrical source. The electronic paper thin film ( 3 ) is bonded onto an upper surface of the first electrode substrate ( 1 ), a common electrode of the electronic paper thin film is electrically connected to a negative electrode of the electrical source; the second electrode substrate ( 2 ) is fixed on the electronic paper thin film ( 3 ) in a thin film manner; the flexible printed circuit ( 4 ) is adapted for electrically connecting pixels of the first electrode substrate ( 1 ) to corresponding pixels of the second electrode substrate ( 2 ); and the stylus ( 5 ) is electrically connect to a positive electrode of the electrical source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A handwritten type electronic paper display comprising:
a first electrode substrate and a second electrode substrate, an electronic paper thin film, a flexible printed circuit, a stylus and an electrical source; wherein
the first electrode substrate comprises first pixel electrode and the second electrode substrate comprises second pixel electrodes, and the first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes have a same pixel electrode matrix structure;
the electronic paper thin film is bonded onto an upper surface of the first electrode substrate, and a common electrode of the electronic paper thin film is electrically connected to a negative electrode of the electrical source for creating an electric field between the respective first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate and the common electrode to drive electronic ink in microcapsules of the electronic paper thin film to realize display;
the second electrode substrate is fixed on the electronic paper thin film in a thin film manner, opposite to the first electrode substrate, and therefore the electronic paper thin film is sandwiched therebetween;
the flexible printed circuit is adapted for electrically connecting the first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate to corresponding second pixel electrodes of the second electrode substrate, the flexible printed circuit comprising wrings that electrically connect the first pixel electrodes to the corresponding second pixel electrodes; and
the stylus is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the electrical source,
wherein a voltage is applied to the second pixel electrodes of the second electrode substrate by the stylus in an input operation, and the voltage applied by the stylus to the second pixel electrodes of the second electrode substrate is transferred from the second pixel electrodes though the wirings of the flexible printed circuit board to corresponding first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate such that the electric field is formed between the respective first pixel electrodes, which receive the voltage transferred from the second electrodes, and the common electrode to drive the electronic ink in the microcapsules of the electronic paper thin film to achieve a function of handwriting.

2. The handwritten type electronic paper display according to claim 1 further comprising:
a reversing switch connected between the common electrode of the electronic paper thin film and the negative electrode of the electrical source for resetting the electronic paper thin film.

3. The handwritten type electronic paper display according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises the wirings, FPC pins and metal terminals, and the wirings comprise too wirings and bottom wirings, wherein
the FPC pins are arranged at both ends of the flexible printed circuit for connecting the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate respectively;
the top wirings is adapted for electrically connecting the pixels of the first electrode substrate and the corresponding pixels of the second electrode substrate through the FPC pins; and
the bottom wirings are adapted for leading all wirings connected between the pixels of the first electrode substrate and the corresponding pixels of the second electrode substrate to the metal terminals.

4. The handwritten type electronic paper display according to claim 3 further comprising:
a switch connected to the metal terminals for applying a voltage, which is supplied by the electrical source and needed for erasing a displayed image.

5. The handwritten type electronic paper display according to claim 4 , wherein the switch is a button, a toggle switch or a photoelectric switch.

6. The handwritten type electronic paper display according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical source is a battery which is provided along with the electronic paper thin film.

7. A manufacturing method of handwritten type electronic paper display comprising:
step A, providing a first electrode substrate and a second electrode substrate, the first electrode substrate comprising first pixel electrodes and the second electrode substrate comprising second pixel electrodes, and the first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes have a same pixel electrode matrix structure;
step B, bonding an electronic paper thin film on an upper surface of the first electrode substrate, and connecting a common electrode of the electronic paper thin film and a negative electrode of the electrical source for creating an electric field between the respective first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate and the common electrode to drive electronic ink microcapsules of the electronic paper thin film to realize display;
step C, fixing the second electrode substrate on the electronic paper thin film in a thin film manner so as to be opposite to the first electrode substrate;
step D, electrically connect the first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate to corresponding second pixel electrodes of the second electrode substrate with a flexible printed circuit, the flexible printed circuit comprising wirings the electrically connect the first pixel electrodes to the corresponding second pixel electrodes; and
step E, electrically connect a stylus to an electrical source positive electrode, such that a voltage applied to the second pixel electrodes of the second electrode substrate by the stylus in an input operation is transferred from the second pixel electrodes through the wirings of the flexible printed circuit board to corresponding first pixel electrodes of the first electrode substrate such that the electric field is formed between the respective first pixel electrodes, which receive the voltage transferred from the second electrodes, and the common electrodes to drive the electronic ink in the microcapsules of the electronic paper thin film to achieve a function of handwriting.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
step F, connecting a reversing switch between the common electrode of the electronic paper thin film and the negative electrode of the electrical source.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible printed circuit comprises the wirings, FPC pins and metal terminals, and the wirings comprise top wirings and bottom wirings;
the step D comprises:
electrically connecting the pixels of the first electrode substrate and the corresponding pixels of the second electrode substrate through the FPC pins arranged at both ends of the flexible printed circuit with the top wirings, and
leading all wirings connected between the pixels of the first electrode substrate and the corresponding pixels of the second electrode substrate to the metal terminals with the bottom wirings.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 further comprising:
step G, providing a switch connected to the metal terminals for applying a voltage needed for erasing a displayed image.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein providing the first electrode substrate in the step A comprises:
step A11, depositing a conducting layer on a glass substrate to form pixel electrode wirings by patterning;
step A12, depositing a layer of conducting material to form a pixel electrode pattern by patterning; and
step A13, depositing an insulating layer to form an insulating layer pattern by patterning, and exposing a bonding area of the flexible printed circuit at an edge of the glass substrate.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 7 , wherein providing the second electrode substrate in step A comprises:

Assignees

• Song Danna
• Zhang Zhuo
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Danna
• Zhang Zhuo

Classifications

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/03545

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/00 Primary

  Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements · CPC title