Techniques for operating electronic paper displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9990063-B1
Application number	US-201113247641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2011
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Techniques for operating electronic paper displays of respective electronic devices are described. One set of techniques described below enhances user experience by utilizing multiple different waveform and/or display-update modes when rendering content on these displays. Another set of techniques are able to render lines on electronic paper displays having variable and arbitrary darkness, despite the restricted color depth inherent in these displays. In addition, this disclosure describes techniques for utilizing supersampling to select which shades to render on an electronic paper display of an electronic device. In still other implementations, the techniques described herein allocate a predefined frame rate of an electronic paper display between multiple different application components requesting to update the display, resulting smooth animation and relatively high-frame updates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
under control of an electronic device that includes an electronic paper display and a touch sensor and that is configured with executable instructions that include at least instructions for performing a flashing clear and instructions for performing a non-flashing clear,
receiving a first indication, from the touch sensor, that a first drawing element is being used to draw an image that includes black, gray, and white pixels on the electronic paper display;
at least partly in response to the receiving the first indication, rendering an original version of the image that includes the black, gray, and white pixels on the electronic paper display;
receiving a second indication, from the touch sensor, that at least one of the first drawing element or a second drawing element is being used to erase a first portion of the image; and
at least partly in response to the receiving the second indication:
executing the instructions for performing the non-flashing clear to render a ghosted version of the first portion of the image on the electronic paper display, wherein subsequent to the executing the instructions for performing the non-flashing clear, the ghosted version of the first portion of the image remains at least partially perceptible and lighter than the original version of the first portion of the image; and
refraining from altering the ghosted version of the first portion of the image.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising rendering a black and white version of the image prior to the rendering the original version of the image, wherein the rendering of the black and white version of the image comprises assigning a value of at least some gray pixels, of the black, gray, and white pixels, to one of black or white.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the assigning comprises:
determining, for each respective gray pixel of the original version of the image, whether the value of the gray pixel is nearer black or nearer white; and
assigning the value of the gray pixel to black at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is nearer black; or
assigning the value of the gray pixel to white at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is nearer white.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the assigning comprises:
determining, for a gray pixel of the original version of the image, whether the value of the gray pixel is less than a threshold value; and
assigning the value of the gray pixel to white at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is less than the threshold value; or
assigning the value of the gray pixel to black at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the original version of the image is rendered more slowly than the black and white version.

6. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein rendering the black and white version of the image and rendering the original version of the image are performed using one or more display-update modes.

7. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein rendering the black and white version of the image and rendering the original version of the image are performed using one or more waveform modes.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rendering the original version of the image comprises using a different waveform mode for altering positions of particles of the electronic paper display than the instructions for performing the non-flashing clear to render the ghosted version of the image.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of an electronic book reading device, a laptop computer, a tablet computing device, a portable digital assistant, a desktop computer, or a television.

10. An electronic device comprising:
an electronic paper display;
a touch sensor;
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving a first indication, from the touch sensor, that a first drawing element is being used to draw an image that includes black, gray, and white pixels on the electronic paper display;
at least partly in response to the receiving the first indication, rendering an original version of the image that includes the black, gray, and white pixels on the electronic paper display;
receiving a second indication, from the touch sensor, that at least one of the first drawing element or a second drawing element is being used to erase a first portion of the image; and
at least partly in response to the receiving the second indication:
performing a non-flashing clear to render a ghosted version of the first portion of the image on the electronic paper display, wherein subsequent to performing the non-flashing clear, the ghosted version of the first portion of the image remains at least partially perceptible and lighter than the original version of the first portion of the image; and

refraining from altering the ghosted version of the first portion of the image.

11. An electronic device as recited in claim 10 , further comprising rendering a black and white version of the image prior to the rendering the original version of the image, wherein the rendering of the black and white version of the image comprises assigning a value of at least some gray pixels, of the black, gray, and white pixels, to one of black or white.

12. An electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the assigning comprises:
determining, for each respective gray pixel of the original version of the image, whether the value of the gray pixel is nearer black or nearer white; and
assigning the value of the gray pixel to black at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is nearer black; or
assigning the value of the gray pixel to white at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is nearer white.

13. An electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the assigning comprises:
determining, for a gray pixel of the original version of the image, whether the value of the gray pixel is less than a threshold value; and
assigning the value of the gray pixel to white at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is less than the threshold value; or
assigning the value of the gray pixel to black at least partly in response to determining that the value of the gray pixel is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

14. An electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the original version of the image is rendered at a first rate that is slower than a second rate at which the black and white version of the image is rendered.

15. An electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein rendering the black and white version of the image and rendering the original version of the image are performed using one or more display-update modes.

16. An electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein rendering the black and white version of the image and rendering the original version of the image are performed using one or more waveform modes.

17. An electronic device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the rendering the original version of the image comprises using a different waveform mode for altering positions of particles of the electronic paper display than performing the non-flashing clear to render the gh

Assignees

• Beguin Julien G
• Bozarth Bradley J
• Rosenberg Ilya D
• Puckett Jay Michael
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Beguin Julien G
• Bozarth Bradley J
• Rosenberg Ilya D
• Puckett Jay Michael

Classifications

• G06F3/02

  Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title

• G06F3/041 Primary

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

• G02B26/005

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G09G3/001

  using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background (slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP) · CPC title