Electrophoretic display panel and control method

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrophoretic display panel and a control method. The electrophoretic display panel comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and an electrophoretic layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate comprises sub-pixels which are distributed in an array mode and arranged at intervals, and the electrophoretic layer comprises stability maintaining liquid located in the sub-pixels and ink liquid arranged below the stability maintaining liquid in a layered mode; each sub-pixel comprises at least one light reflecting structure, and the light reflecting structures are immersed in the stability maintaining liquid and the ink liquid; a horizontal electric field corresponding to each sub-pixel is formed on the second substrate, the horizontal electric field is used for driving the reflective structure to deflect relative to the preset position area of the first substrate, and the deflection angle is consistent with the user sight line data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electrophoretic display, and in particular to an electrophoretic display panel and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] E-paper, a reflective display, displays content by reflecting natural light. The stronger the natural light, the clearer the display, offering some protection for the human eye, which has attracted considerable attention. As a display that mimics paper, e-paper offers advantages such as lightness, simplicity of manufacturing, low power consumption, eye protection, and, compared to paper, reusability, thus creating a promising market.

[0003] However, general e-paper can only reflect ambient light at a fixed angle. This results in the best viewing experience when looking directly at the e-paper, while the viewing experience will gradually weaken as the angle increases when viewed from the side, affecting the user's viewing experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides an electrophoretic display panel and a driving method to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the visual effect of side-view electronic paper gradually decreases as the angle increases.

[0005] The electrophoretic display panel provided by the present invention includes: a first substrate, a second substrate and an electrophoretic layer therebetween, the first substrate including sub-pixels distributed in an array and spaced apart from each other, the electrophoretic layer including a stabilizing liquid located in each of the sub-pixels and an ink liquid layered below the stabilizing liquid; each of the sub-pixels includes at least one reflective structure immersed in the stabilizing liquid and the ink liquid; the second substrate forms a horizontal electric field corresponding to each of the sub-pixels; the horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure to deflect relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate, and the deflection direction and angle are consistent with the user's line of sight.

[0006] Among them, the electrophoretic display panel also includes a control system and an image acquisition device. The image acquisition device is used to obtain user line of sight information in real time and send the user line of sight information to the control system. The control system processes the user line of sight information to obtain user line of sight data. The control system adjusts the direction and size of the horizontal electric field according to the user line of sight data.

[0007] In which, the second substrate is formed with a first driving electrode and a second driving electrode corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode are located on both sides of each of the sub-pixels along the first direction, and the control system is used to respectively control the voltages of the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode to form the horizontal electric field along the first direction.

[0008] In which, the second substrate is also formed with a third driving electrode corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, the third driving electrode is located on one side of each of the sub-pixels along the second direction, and the third driving electrodes are spaced apart and located between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode. The control system is used to respectively control the voltages of the first driving electrode, the second driving electrode and the third driving electrode to form the horizontal electric field along the second direction.

[0009] In which, the second substrate is also formed with a fourth driving electrode corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, and the first substrate is formed with a common electrode corresponding to each of the sub-pixels. The control system controls the voltages of the common electrode and the fourth driving electrode respectively to form the vertical electric field therebetween. The vertical electric field is used to drive the ink liquid to move along the third direction, and the vertical electric field and the horizontal electric field do not affect each other.

[0010] In which, during the rotation of the reflective structure, along the irradiation direction of ambient light at different angles, the light-emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures form a continuous reflective surface, and the ink liquid between the two adjacent reflective structures will not appear in the display area of ​​the first substrate.

[0011] In which, the reflective structure is constructed as a three-dimensional geometric shape enclosed by a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface, the first reflective surface is arranged toward the first substrate, and the second reflective surface is arranged toward the second substrate, and the second reflective surface of the reflective structure is used to slide relative to the surface of the second substrate so that the reflective structure can swing relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate.

[0012] The surface of the second substrate has a recessed area, the second reflective surface is configured as a curved surface that matches the shape of the recessed area, and the reflective structure is slidably engaged with the recessed area via the second reflective surface.

[0013] The first reflective surface includes a plurality of continuously arranged bending planes, each of which is a reflective sub-plane. The ambient light is reflected by at least two of the reflective sub-planes and then reflected into the user's field of view.

[0014] The electrophoretic display panel has a first central axis, the reflective structure has a second central axis, and the reflective structure has a first state and a second state during the rotation process;

[0015] In the first state, the second central axis is parallel to the first central axis, and the vertical projection area of ​​the first reflective surface toward the second substrate completely covers the ink liquid below;

[0016] In the second state, an angle is formed between the second central axis and the first central axis, and a gap is formed between each second reflecting surface and the adjacent boundary of each sub-pixel, and the stabilizing liquid and / or the ink liquid can flow back and forth in the third direction in the area of ​​the gap.

[0017] There is a boundary connection position between the second reflective surface and the first reflective surface, and the reflective structure as a whole constitutes a solid structure. During the rotation of the reflective structure, the distance between the second reflective surface and the boundary of the adjacent sub-pixel is the smallest in the first state.

[0018] The overall shape of the reflective structure is any one of a prism, a pyramid or a hemisphere.

[0019] The projection area of ​​the reflective structure along the third direction is in the shape of a circle, and the sub-pixel is circumscribed to the circle.

[0020] The control method provided by the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned electrophoretic display panel, and the control method includes:

[0021] Get user's sight information;

[0022] Obtaining user sight line data according to the user sight line information;

[0023] According to the user's sight data, the direction and size of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate are controlled respectively. The horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure to deflect relative to the preset position area of ​​the first substrate, and the deflection angle is consistent with the user's sight data.

[0024] The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate according to the user sight line data includes:

[0025] Different first voltage signals are applied to the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode of each sub-pixel of the second substrate, respectively, so that a horizontal electric field along a first direction is formed between each first driving electrode and the second driving electrode of each sub-pixel.

[0026] The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate according to the user sight line data further includes:

[0027] The same second voltage signal is applied to the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode of each sub-pixel of the second substrate, and a third voltage signal is applied to the third driving electrode, wherein the second voltage signal is different from the third voltage signal, so that a horizontal electric field along a second direction is formed between the first driving electrode, the second driving electrode and the third driving electrode of each sub-pixel, and the first direction has an angle with the second direction.

[0028] The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate according to the user sight line data further includes:

[0029] A common voltage signal is applied to the common electrode of each sub-pixel of the first substrate, and a fourth voltage signal is applied to the third driving electrode of each sub-pixel of the second substrate, so as to form a vertical electric field between the third driving electrode of each sub-pixel and the common electrode.

[0030] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0031] The electrophoretic display panel and control method provided in the embodiments of the present application include a reflective structure disposed on the electrophoretic layer and a horizontal electric field corresponding to each of the sub-pixels formed on the second substrate. The horizontal electric field can be multi-directional. Under the action of the horizontal electric field, the reflective structure can deflect relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate. The direction and angle of the reflective structure's deflection are set to be consistent with the user's line of sight data, which can be understood as the angle of the user's line of sight at the position of the screen. Thus, as the angle of the user's gaze at the screen changes, the horizontal electric field can drive the reflective structure to deflect, with the direction and angle of the deflection consistent with the user's line of sight. As the reflective structure deflects, the light-emitting side of the reflective structure also deflects accordingly, allowing ambient light from more angles to illuminate the light-emitting side of the reflective structure, thereby achieving a wider viewing angle. Furthermore, because the reflective structure deflects in accordance with the user's line of sight, the viewing experience at each viewing angle can be consistent with that when looking directly at the screen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0034] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a planar top view of the electrophoretic display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application (i.e., a circuit layout diagram between sub-pixels of the electrophoretic display panel);

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure along the thickness direction of an electrophoretic display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic top view of the reflective structure relative to the sub-pixels and circuit layout structure in the electrophoretic display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the deflection state of the reflective structure in the electrophoretic display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Description of reference numerals:

[0040] 1. First substrate; 2. Second substrate; 21. Recessed area; 3. Electrophoretic layer; 31. Stabilizing liquid; 32. Ink liquid; 4. Reflective structure; 41. First reflective surface; 42. Second reflective surface; 5. First drive electrode; 6. Second drive electrode; 7. Third drive electrode; 8. Fourth drive electrode; 9. Common electrode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different configurations of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and configurations of specific examples are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in different examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0043] For ease of description, spatially relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures, such as "inside", "outside", "inside", "outside", "below", "beneath", "above", "above", "front", "back", etc. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation other than the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures undergoes a position flip or a change in posture or a change in motion state, then these directional indications will also change accordingly. For example, an element described as "below" or "below" another element or feature will then be oriented as "above" or "above" another element or feature. Thus, the example term "below" can include both above and below orientations. The device can be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptions used herein have been interpreted accordingly.

[0044] With the continuous evolution of display technology, LCD, OLED, and CRT display tubes have become increasingly popular. Gradually, electronic paper, also known as electronic ink screens, has become a unique phenomenon. Essentially, electronic paper is a thin film coated with a layer of charged material, known as electronic ink. This advanced technology uses electrophoretic display (EPD) technology to display color, allowing it to display content by reflecting ambient light. Traditional displays use strong liquid crystal backlights, which shine directly into the eye, causing dry eyes and visual fatigue. The blue light emitted by the display can even cause eye problems. Electronic paper displays, on the other hand, require no backlight at all. Instead, ambient light shines onto the electronic paper, which then reflects back to the human eye. This is identical to the visual principle of traditional paper or everyday objects. Therefore, the brighter the ambient light, the clearer the electronic paper. Its advantages include environmental protection, paper conservation, unlimited reuse, low power consumption, energy efficiency, and improved vision.

[0045] E-paper has two core characteristics: first, a paper-like display that emits no light of its own, relying on ambient light reflection to present images. This offers eye protection, wide viewing angles, and excellent outdoor viewing. Second, bistability, resulting in zero power consumption for static images. This is particularly evident in the fact that e-paper displays can maintain their display even after a power outage, even without requiring a power source.

[0046] Based on the above advantages of e-paper, it is applied to various scenarios, such as outdoor bus stops, outdoor advertising headers, indoor displays or terminal displays, etc. Taking the application of e-paper technology in the field of terminal display as an example, the existing e-paper display panel, also known as the electrophoretic display panel, can only reflect ambient light at a fixed angle during application. This will result in the best viewing experience when looking directly at the e-paper, while the viewing experience will gradually weaken as the angle increases when viewed from the side, affecting the user's viewing experience.

[0047] In order to alleviate the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electrophoretic display panel, which has a reflective structure with adjustable multiple angles and can be deflected as the user's line of sight changes. Since the reflective structure itself is an integral structure, during the deflection of the reflective structure, the side of the reflective structure used to reflect ambient light also follows the deflection, thereby enabling the ambient light originally absorbed obliquely along the periphery of the screen to form a positive viewing angle with the deflected reflective structure. That is, the reflective structure can always be deflected following the user's line of sight, and after deflection, the effect of positive viewing of the ambient light can still be obtained. In this way, when the user is not facing the screen directly, he can also obtain the viewing effect of facing the screen directly.

[0048] Reference below Figures 1-4 The electrophoretic display panel and control method of the present invention are further described.

[0049] An electrophoretic display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first substrate 1, a second substrate 2 and an electrophoretic layer 3 therebetween, the first substrate 1 includes sub-pixels distributed in an array and spaced apart from each other, the electrophoretic layer 3 includes a stabilizing liquid 31 located in each sub-pixel and an ink liquid 32 layered below the stabilizing liquid 31; each sub-pixel includes at least one reflective structure 4, the reflective structure 4 is immersed in the stabilizing liquid 31 and the ink liquid 32, the second substrate 2 forms a horizontal electric field corresponding to each sub-pixel; the horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure 4 to deflect relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate 1, and the deflection direction and angle are consistent with the user's line of sight.

[0050] For example, the reflective structure 4 and ink 32 of the present invention can be charged or uncharged. When uncharged, the pressure difference in the electric field is used to drive the reflective structure 4 or the electrophoretic particles in the ink 32. Alternatively, for example, the reflective structure 4 is more sensitive to the electric field (the voltage controlling its deflection and tilt is set to 0-3V), while the ink 32 is less sensitive to the electric field (the voltage controlling its vertical movement is set to 10-20V, and the com voltage is 15V). Therefore, the display function is performed first, followed by the direction change function. The two functions are not performed simultaneously to avoid mutual influence.

[0051] In this way, a reflective structure 4 is set on the electrophoretic layer 3, and a horizontal electric field corresponding to each sub-pixel is formed on the second substrate 2. The horizontal electric field here can be multi-directional. The multi-directional horizontal electric fields can be controlled separately by the control system and operate independently, or they can be controlled separately by the control system and operate in combination according to a preset timing. The present invention does not limit the preset timing, as long as the control system can realize real-time control of the direction and size of each horizontal electric field.

[0052] Under the influence of the horizontal electric field, the reflective structure 4 can deflect relative to the preset position area of ​​the second substrate 2. The direction and angle of the reflective structure 4's deflection are set to be consistent with the user's line of sight data, which can be understood as the angle of the user's gaze at the screen. As the user's gaze position on the screen changes, the control system controls the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field so that the horizontal electric field drives the reflective structure 4 to deflect at different angles, which correspond to the different angles of the user's gaze position on the screen.

[0053] In this way, as the reflective structure 4 deflects, the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4 also deflects, so that ambient light from more angles can be illuminated on the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4, thereby achieving a wider viewing angle observation effect. Moreover, since the reflective structure 4 deflects according to the user's line of sight data, a consistent viewing effect can be achieved at each viewing angle.

[0054] Considering how the reflective structure 4 in the electrophoretic display panel deflects following the user's line of sight, in this embodiment, the electrophoretic display panel also includes a control system and an image acquisition device. The image acquisition device is used to obtain the user's line of sight information in real time and send the user's line of sight information to the control system. The control system processes the user's line of sight information to obtain user's line of sight data. The control system adjusts the direction and size of the horizontal electric field according to the user's line of sight data.

[0055] Exemplarily, the image acquisition device can be a video device, such as a camera. The camera can be set on the first substrate 1. The present invention does not limit the installation method and position of the camera relative to the first substrate 1, as long as it can obtain the user's line of sight in real time.

[0056] For example, a camera can capture images or videos of the human eye; then, eye features can be extracted, such as by locating key feature points and calculating relevant parameters. The corresponding characteristic parameter data of the aforementioned eye features can then be analyzed and processed to establish a motion model, calculate gaze points, and identify behaviors. Finally, actions are executed and feedback is provided based on the analysis results, and the tracking effect is adjusted and optimized based on the feedback. This can be understood as processing user gaze information to obtain user gaze data, and the control system calculates the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field based on the user gaze data. The direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field here represent the electric field force required to drive the reflective structure 4 to deflect at a preset angle. This embodiment does not limit the process by which the control system calculates the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field based on the user gaze data. The direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field can be directly derived through model calculations, or can be derived through a combination of different rule-based algorithms or manual data input. As long as the control system can control the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field based on the user gaze data to drive the reflective structure 4 to deflect, and the direction and angle of the deflection are consistent with the user's gaze, it is sufficient. It can be understood that the deflected position can achieve a direct alignment with ambient light obliquely entering the screen.

[0057] Using the solution of this embodiment, based on the driving deflection characteristics of the horizontal electric field on the reflective structure 4, the direction of the horizontal electric field can be controlled by the chip, which can also be understood as a control system. For example, the setting of the direction of the horizontal electric field can be related to the user's line of sight acquired in real time. The user's line of sight can be acquired by an image acquisition device. For example, the image acquisition device can be a camera, which can send the acquired user line of sight information to the chip. The chip can control the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field based on the user's line of sight information. In this way, horizontal electric fields of different directions can act on the reflective structure 4 and deflect the reflective structure 4. The position after deflection can achieve a positive effect with the ambient light obliquely entering the screen and the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4.

[0058] For ease of description, the first, second, and third directions are used for illustration. The first direction can be either the length or width of the screen, and the second direction can be either the width or length of the screen, as long as the first and second directions are different. The following describes the electrophoretic display panel of the present invention in detail, taking the first direction as the length of the screen, the second direction as the width of the screen, and the third direction as the thickness of the screen as an example.

[0059] Considering one of the ways in which the control system forms a horizontal electric field, in the electrophoretic display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate 2 is formed with a first drive electrode 5 and a second drive electrode 6 corresponding to each sub-pixel, and the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 are located on both sides of each sub-pixel along the first direction. The control system is used to respectively control the voltages of the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 to form a horizontal electric field along the first direction.

[0060] Exemplarily, the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 are metal layers or metal lines formed on the second substrate 2 for conducting current, which can also be understood as resistor lines. The two drive electrodes are arranged in layers. Furthermore, the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of each sub-pixel along the first direction. To form a horizontal electric field between them, the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 are arranged opposite each other and separated.

[0061] Thus, when a horizontal electric field along the first direction is formed between the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6, the horizontal electric field can drive the reflective structure 4 to swing left and right along the first direction to adapt to changes in the user's line of sight within this range. The present invention does not limit the angular range of the left and right swing of the reflective structure 4 along the first direction, and the requirements of the actual application scenario shall prevail.

[0062] Considering the second way of controlling the control system to form a horizontal electric field, in the electrophoretic display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the second substrate 2 is further formed with a third driving electrode 7 corresponding to each sub-pixel, and the third driving electrode 7 is located on one side of each sub-pixel along the second direction. The third driving electrode 7 is spaced between the first driving electrode 5 and the second driving electrode 6. The control system is used to control the voltages of the first driving electrode 5, the second driving electrode 6 and the third driving electrode 7 respectively to form a horizontal electric field along the second direction.

[0063] Exemplarily, the third drive electrode 7 is made of the same material as the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6, and is a metal layer or metal wire formed on the second substrate 2 for conducting current, which can also be understood as a resistor wire. The three drive electrodes are arranged in layers. Moreover, the third drive electrode 7 is spaced between the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6. In this way, when a current of the same magnitude and direction is simultaneously applied to the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6, the electric field along the first direction between the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 is canceled. At this time, when a current in the opposite direction is applied to the third drive electrode 7, a horizontal electric field along the second direction is formed between the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6, and the third drive electrode 7. Here, the first direction and the second direction have an angle. The present invention does not limit the angle range of this angle, and it can be any angle within the range of 0°-90°, 90°, and 90°-180°.

[0064] In this way, when a horizontal electric field along the second direction is formed between the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6, and the third drive electrode 7, this horizontal electric field can drive the reflective structure 4 to swing left and right along the second direction to adapt to changes in the user's line of sight within this range. The present invention does not limit the angular range of the left and right swing of the reflective structure 4 along the second direction, which is based on the needs of the actual application scenario. The first drive electrode 5 can also be a structure that is opposite to both the second drive electrode 6 and the third drive electrode 7.

[0065] In this way, at least a portion of the first drive electrode 5 can form a horizontal electric field along the first direction with the second drive electrode 6 when powered on. At least a portion of the first drive electrode 5 can also form a horizontal electric field along the second direction with the third drive electrode 7 when powered on. The present invention does not limit the specific structure of the first drive electrode 5, and it can be a multi-segment structure.

[0066] Considering that the user's line of sight is at different angles of the screen, the screen can still display the image normally, that is, when the control system forms a horizontal electric field, the control system can also drive the ink liquid 32, and the electric field used to drive the ink liquid 32 is unrelated to the horizontal electric field.

[0067] In the electrophoretic display panel of the present invention, the second substrate 2 is further formed with a fourth driving electrode 8 corresponding to each sub-pixel, and the first substrate 1 is formed with a common electrode 9 corresponding to each sub-pixel. The control system controls the voltages of the common electrode 9 and the fourth driving electrode 8 respectively, so that a vertical electric field is formed between the two. The vertical electric field is used to drive the ink liquid 32 to move along the third direction, and the vertical electric field and the horizontal electric field do not affect each other.

[0068] Exemplarily, the fourth drive electrode 8 is made of the same material as the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6, and the third drive electrode 7. Each of these is a metal layer or metal wire formed on the second substrate 2 for conducting current, which can also be understood as a resistor wire. The four drive electrodes are arranged in layers. Furthermore, the fourth drive electrode 8 is used to form a vertical electric field between the common electrode 9 corresponding to each sub-pixel. Exemplarily, multiple fourth drive electrodes 8 are provided, with one fourth drive electrode 8 corresponding to each sub-pixel.

[0069] In this way, when different voltage signals are simultaneously given to the common electrode 9 of the first substrate 1 and the fourth driving electrode 8 of the second substrate 2 , a vertical electric field along the third direction is formed between the common electrode 9 and the fourth driving electrode 8 .

[0070] Furthermore, when different currents are simultaneously applied to the first, second, third, and fourth drive electrodes 5, 6, 7, and 8, the differences may be in direction only, magnitude only, or both spacing and direction. Consequently, a horizontal electric field along the first direction, a horizontal electric field along the second direction, and a vertical electric field along the third direction may coexist. Because the ink 32 and the reflective structure 4 have different sensitivities to electric fields, with the reflective structure 4 having a higher sensitivity to electric fields and the ink 32 having a lower sensitivity, the control system, when controlling the electric field, adjusts the horizontal electric field to a smaller value and the vertical electric field to a larger value. The smaller horizontal electric field only affects the reflective structure 4 and not the ink 32. The larger vertical electric field only drives the ink 32 to move when a pressure differential is generated. Since the vertical electric field is perpendicular to the reflective structure 4, it does not affect the left-right swing of the reflective structure 4.

[0071] Taking into account the problem of black spots on the screen that may appear during the application of the electrophoretic display panel, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an electrophoretic display panel, which limits the reflective structure 4 to form a continuous reflective surface on the light-emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures 4 during the deflection process. In this way, the ink liquid 32 under the reflective structure 4 can be prevented from appearing in the display area of ​​the first substrate 1, so as to further avoid the problem of black spots in the display area of ​​the electrophoretic display panel.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the reflective structure 4 rotates, the light-emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures 4 form a continuous reflective surface along the irradiation direction of ambient light at different angles, and the ink liquid 32 between the two adjacent reflective structures 4 will not appear in the display area of ​​the first substrate 1.

[0073] In this way, the light-emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures 4 are defined as a continuous reflective surface, enabling ambient light to be directly reflected from the light-emitting sides of the reflective structures 4, regardless of their rotation angle. Furthermore, since each reflective structure 4 is located within a different sub-pixel, the light-emitting sides of the two adjacent reflective structures 4 defined herein form a continuous reflective surface. This means that the reflective structure 4 within the sub-pixel at the screen location where the user's line of sight deflects, always remaining directly facing the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4. Consequently, when the user views different locations on the screen, there is no blank space between the reflective structures 4 between two adjacent sub-pixels. The image displayed on the screen is entirely due to the ink 32 that has moved above the reflective structures 4, and is unrelated to the ink 32 below the reflective structures 4. When the stabilizing liquid 31 is located above the reflective structures 4 and the ink 32 is located below the reflective structures 4, when viewing different screen locations at different user line-of-sight angles, the ink 32 below the reflective structures 4 is completely blocked by the reflective structures 4, and no black dot image appears in that location.

[0074] Considering the specific structure of the reflective structure 4, in the electrophoretic display panel of an embodiment of the present invention, the reflective structure 4 is constructed as a three-dimensional geometric shape enclosed by a first reflective surface 41 and a second reflective surface 42. The first reflective surface 41 is arranged toward the first substrate 1, and the second reflective surface 42 is arranged toward the second substrate 2. In addition, the second reflective surface 42 of the reflective structure 4 is used to slide relative to the surface of the second substrate 2 so that the reflective structure 4 can swing relative to a preset position area of ​​the second substrate 2.

[0075] For example, the three-dimensional geometric shape here can be any one of a pyramid, a prism, or a hemisphere. The first reflective surface 41 is the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4, and the second reflective surface 42 is the backlight side of the reflective structure 4. Ambient light can be taken into the light-emitting side, wherein part of the ambient light is directly reflected by the light-emitting side, and part of the ambient light is refracted into the interior of the reflective structure 4 through the light-emitting side, and continues to reflect inside the second reflective surface 42, and then refracted out by the first reflective surface 41. In this way, the reflective structure 4 can achieve a full internal reflection suppression effect. In addition, the reflective structure 4 slides relative to the surface of the first substrate 1 through the second reflective surface 42 to achieve the swing of the reflective structure 4 relative to the preset position area of ​​the first substrate 1. The sliding between the two can be achieved without the need for structural connectors, which can prevent the horizontal electric field from overcoming unnecessary external forces and driving the reflective structure 4.

[0076] The surface of the reflective structure 4 reflects and refracts ambient light through the first reflective surface 41. The light refracted into the reflective structure 4 is then reflected by the second reflective surface 42, refracted by the first reflective surface 41, and then emitted to the user's line of sight, which can improve the utilization rate of light.

[0077] When the reflective structure 4 is deflected to a certain angle, ambient light entering from the side will not be able to contact the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4, and can only contact the second reflective surface 42 on the backlight side of the reflective structure 4. The side of the second reflective surface 42 located inside the reflective structure 4 can reflect light, while the side of the second reflective surface 42 located outside the reflective structure 4 cannot reflect light. Therefore, ambient light cannot be reflected from the outside of the second reflective surface 42. Therefore, at this angle, the image on the electrophoretic display panel cannot be obtained, and the anti-peeping function can be achieved. This application does not limit the setting range of the anti-peeping angle, and the specific application shall prevail.

[0078] Taking into account the problem of position deviation that may occur when the reflective structure 4 swings relative to the preset position area of ​​the second substrate 2, in the electrophoretic display panel of an embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the second substrate 2 has a recessed area 21, and the second reflective surface 42 is constructed as a curved surface shape that is adapted to the shape of the recessed area 21. The reflective structure 4 slides with the recessed area 21 through the second reflective surface 42.

[0079] In this way, the reflective structure 4 can be prevented from separating from the recessed area 21 during the swinging process. In addition, the reflective structure 4 slides in cooperation with the curved surface of the recessed area 21 within the limited area of ​​each individual sub-pixel. The reflective structure 4 can be restored to its original position when deflected to the left or right in the preset first direction, as well as when deflected to the left or right in the preset second direction, without the problem of swinging misalignment.

[0080] Exemplarily, the recessed area 21 is a curved groove on the second substrate 2, which is adapted to the curved structure of the second reflective surface 42 of the reflective structure 4. The present invention does not limit the specific shape, size, and groove depth of the recessed area 21, which shall be determined based on the actual application scenario.

[0081] Considering that part of the ambient light can be reflected back to the user's field of view after being reflected once by the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4, in the electrophoretic display panel of an embodiment of the present invention, the first reflective surface 41 includes a plurality of continuously arranged bending planes, each bending plane is a reflective sub-plane, and the ambient light is reflected to the user's field of view after being reflected by at least two reflective sub-planes.

[0082] The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the angle of the bending plane relative to the screen. The angle setting of the angle is related to the angular range of receiving ambient light and can be based on the needs of the actual application scenario. The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the shape and size of the bending plane. The specific shape and size shall be based on the needs of the actual application scenario. For example, the bending plane can be a long strip structure, and the continuous bending plane is formed on the toothed structure surface on the light-emitting side of the reflective structure 4. In this way, the two adjacent bending planes can just reflect part of the ambient light twice and then take it into the user's line of sight. The user can use this part of the ambient light as the light source to see the image of the position area.

[0083] Specifically, the electrophoretic display panel has a first central axis, and the reflective structure 4 has a second central axis. The reflective structure 4 has a first state and a second state during rotation. In the first state, the second central axis is parallel to the first central axis, and the vertical projection of the first reflective surface 41 toward the second substrate 2 completely covers the ink 32 below. In this state, the user is looking directly at the screen. The ink 32 below the reflective structure 4 is completely blocked by the reflective structure 4, and no black spots appear on the screen. Furthermore, in the second state, the second central axis forms an angle with the first central axis, creating gaps between each second reflective surface 42 and the adjacent sub-pixel boundary. The stabilizing liquid 31 and / or the ink 32 can flow back and forth in the third direction within the gaps. Furthermore, given the aforementioned continuous reflective surface condition for the light-emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures 4, the reflective structure 4 maintains a continuous reflective surface throughout its rotation. Therefore, even if the reflective structure 4 rotates, no additional black spots appear on the screen (which can also be understood as the ink 32 below never appears on the screen).

[0084] Considering practical manufacturing processes, in the electrophoretic display panel of the present invention, the second reflective surface 42 and the first reflective surface 41 are connected at a boundary, and the reflective structure 4 as a whole is a solid structure. During the rotation of the reflective structure 4, the distance between the second reflective surface 42 and the boundary of the adjacent sub-pixel is minimized in the first state. This distance is set within a predetermined range. Within this predetermined range, the ink 32 located below the reflective structure 4 is substantially invisible on the screen. Considering the shape of the sub-pixels adapted to the reflective structure 4 of the embodiment of the present invention, in the electrophoretic display panel of the embodiment of the present invention, the projected area of ​​the reflective structure 4 along the third direction is circular, and the sub-pixels are circumscribed within the circular shape. For example, the sub-pixels are polygonal, or in other words, they can be constructed in regular hexagonal, octagonal, decagonal, or more polygonal shapes, which can match the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4 of the present invention, maximize the total reflective area, improve the pixel aperture ratio formed when the reflective structure 4 is deflected, and further facilitate the design of a larger pixel architecture space. Exemplarily, the reflective structure 4 can account for approximately 90% of the sub-pixel area. This value can be adjusted by increasing the surface shape of the reflective structure 4 (such as changing the projection shape of the exemplary circular reflective structure 4 to a shape close to a regular hexagon), which can maximize the light utilization rate. During use, when a user looks directly at the electronic paper (i.e., the electrophoretic display panel), the reflective structure 4 in the sub-pixel grid is symmetrically arranged relative to the sub-pixel grid. The horizontal reference plane of the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4 is parallel to the screen surface of the first substrate 1. The second substrate 2 (which can also be understood as a glass substrate) has an arc-shaped groove (i.e., a recessed area 21) that mates with the lower surface of the reflective structure 4 (i.e., the second reflective surface 42). The mate here is understood to be a sliding fit between the two. The setting of the recessed area 21 can limit the position of the reflective structure 4 within the sub-pixel, preventing it from swinging and misaligning, which could lead to abnormal reflection or display. When the human eye needs to look at the electronic paper sideways, the camera under the electronic paper will detect the movement of the human eye, and then send instructions to the control system to control the electric field voltage distribution of the ITO on the second substrate 2 (IPO here is the driving electrode) to control the deflection of the reflective structure 4 to the left or right along the first direction, or to the upward or downward deflection along the second direction, thereby achieving the effect of human eye tracking of the electrophoretic display panel. When a black screen needs to be displayed, a signal is input to the corresponding ITO (i.e., the driving electrode) to form a horizontal electric field and a vertical electric field, which attracts the black ink to move upward, exchange positions with the stabilizing liquid 31, cover the reflective structure 4, absorb external light, and form a black screen. Since the ink liquid 32 and the reflective structure 4 need to be driven separately during display, a special ITO pattern setting is required to prevent the two from conflicting during operation. Also based on the principle of non-conflict, the voltages that can be driven by the ink liquid 32 and the reflective structure 4 are also different in magnitude and positive and negative. For example, the reflective structure 4 is very small and easily attracted by the electric field (but less sensitive to the electric field than the black ink), giving it a positive charge; the black ink is uncharged and moves up and down depending on the voltage difference between the upper and lower substrates. In addition, the black ink and the stabilizing liquid 31 are insoluble in each other and have different densities (black ink density > stabilizing liquid 31 density). For example, when a bright image needs to be displayed (at this time, the ink liquid 32 is above the reflective structure 4), assuming that the ink liquid 32 is negatively charged, a 15V voltage is applied to the upper COM ITO (i.e., the common electrode 9), and a 20V voltage is applied to the lower PXL ITO (i.e., the fourth drive electrode 8) (the magnitude of this voltage can be adjusted according to the required grayscale. The lighter the grayscale, the greater the voltage. The opposite is true). At this time, the direction of the electric field is displayed as from bottom to top along the screen in the display screen application state. The negatively charged particles move against the direction of the electric field, and thus the ink liquid 32 moves through the gap between the reflective structure 4 and the boundaries of each sub-pixel to the bottom of the reflective structure 4 (i.e., from the front side to the back side of the screen), displaying a bright image. As a result, the ink liquid 32 is blocked by the reflective structure 4, solving the problem of black spots after ink shrinkage. When the reflective structure 4 is deflected to a certain angle, ambient light entering from the side will not be able to contact the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4, and can only contact the second reflective surface 42 on the backlight side of the reflective structure 4. The side of the second reflective surface 42 located inside the reflective structure 4 cannot reflect light after being reversed. In other words, at this time, the light refracted into the reflective structure by the second reflective surface 42 cannot be reflected and then reflected back to the user's line of sight, and the ambient light cannot be reflected from the outside of the second reflective surface 42. Therefore, the image on the electrophoretic display panel cannot be obtained at this angle, thereby achieving the anti-peeping function. In specific operation, when the bright state is to be displayed and the user's viewing angle is to be followed, the common electrode 9 on the first substrate 1 and the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6 and the third drive electrode 7 on the second substrate 2 are turned on. For example, when facing the screen, the ITO (as each drive electrode) with the direction-changing function on the left, right or top (depending on the user's orientation) of each sub-pixel is negatively charged to attract the reflective structure 4 to tilt left or right or downward or upward; when the black state is displayed, there is no need to care about the tilt direction of the reflective structure 4 at this time, and the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 arranged on the periphery of the second substrate 2 are directly turned off. For example, the ITO on the left or right side of the sub-pixel is turned on, and the PXL-ITO (fourth drive electrode 8) and the upper COM-ITO (common electrode 9) on the second substrate 2 are turned on. The voltage of the COM-ITO (common electrode 9) remains unchanged, and the voltage difference is changed according to the voltage passed into the PXL-ITO (fourth drive electrode 8) to control the displacement distance of the black ink. The electrophoretic display panel of the present invention adopts an electronic ink screen, which, under the application of a new control method and structure, can achieve the screen resolution effect of facing the screen within a wide viewing angle range at multiple angles, and can also avoid the appearance of unnecessary black spot images within the wide viewing angle range at multiple angles.

[0085] Considering the shape of the sub-pixels adapted to the reflective structure 4 of the embodiment of the present invention, in the electrophoretic display panel of the embodiment of the present invention, the projected area of ​​the reflective structure 4 along the third direction is circular, and the sub-pixels are circumscribed within the circular shape. For example, the sub-pixels are polygonal, or in other words, they can be constructed in regular hexagonal, octagonal, decagonal, or more polygonal shapes, which can match the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4 of the present invention, maximize the total reflective area, improve the pixel aperture ratio formed when the reflective structure 4 is deflected, and further facilitate the design of a larger pixel architecture space.

[0086] Exemplarily, the reflective structure 4 can account for approximately 90% of the sub-pixel area. This value can be adjusted by increasing the surface shape of the reflective structure 4 (such as changing the projection shape of the exemplary circular reflective structure 4 to a shape close to a regular hexagon), which can maximize the light utilization rate.

[0087] During use, when a user looks directly at the electronic paper (i.e., the electrophoretic display panel), the reflective structure 4 in the sub-pixel grid is symmetrically arranged relative to the sub-pixel grid. The horizontal reference plane of the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4 is parallel to the screen surface of the first substrate 1. The second substrate 2 (which can also be understood as a glass substrate) has an arc-shaped groove (i.e., a recessed area 21) that mates with the lower surface of the reflective structure 4 (i.e., the second reflective surface 42). The mate here is understood to be a sliding fit between the two. The setting of the recessed area 21 can limit the position of the reflective structure 4 within the sub-pixel, preventing it from swinging and misaligning, which could lead to abnormal reflection or display.

[0088] When the human eye needs to look at the electronic paper sideways, the camera under the electronic paper will detect the movement of the human eye, and then send instructions to the control system to control the electric field voltage distribution of the ITO on the second substrate 2 (IPO here is the driving electrode) to control the deflection of the reflective structure 4 to the left or right along the first direction, or to the upward or downward deflection along the second direction, thereby achieving the effect of human eye tracking of the electrophoretic display panel.

[0089] When a black screen needs to be displayed, a signal is input to the corresponding ITO (i.e., the driving electrode) to form a horizontal electric field and a vertical electric field, which attracts the black ink to move upward, exchange positions with the stabilizing liquid 31, cover the reflective structure 4, absorb external light, and form a black screen.

[0090] Since the ink liquid 32 and the reflective structure 4 need to be driven separately during display, a special ITO pattern setting is required to prevent the two from conflicting during operation. Also based on the principle of non-conflict, the voltages that can be driven by the ink liquid 32 and the reflective structure 4 are also different in magnitude and positive and negative. For example, the reflective structure 4 is very small and easily attracted by the electric field (but less sensitive to the electric field than the black ink), giving it a positive charge; the black ink is uncharged and moves up and down depending on the voltage difference between the upper and lower substrates. In addition, the black ink and the stabilizing liquid 31 are insoluble in each other and have different densities (black ink density > stabilizing liquid 31 density).

[0091] For example, when a bright image needs to be displayed (at this time, the ink liquid 32 is above the reflective structure 4), assuming that the ink liquid 32 is negatively charged, a 15V voltage is applied to the upper COM ITO (i.e., the common electrode 9), and a 20V voltage is applied to the lower PXL ITO (i.e., the fourth drive electrode 8) (the magnitude of this voltage can be adjusted according to the required grayscale. The lighter the grayscale, the greater the voltage. The opposite is true). At this time, the direction of the electric field is displayed as from bottom to top along the screen in the display screen application state. The negatively charged particles move against the direction of the electric field, and thus the ink liquid 32 moves through the gap between the reflective structure 4 and the boundaries of each sub-pixel to the bottom of the reflective structure 4 (i.e., from the front side to the back side of the screen), displaying a bright image. As a result, the ink liquid 32 is blocked by the reflective structure 4, solving the problem of black spots after ink shrinkage.

[0092] When the reflective structure 4 is deflected to a certain angle, ambient light entering from the side will not be able to contact the first reflective surface 41 of the reflective structure 4, and can only contact the second reflective surface 42 on the backlight side of the reflective structure 4. The side of the second reflective surface 42 located inside the reflective structure 4 cannot reflect light after being reversed. In other words, at this time, the light refracted into the reflective structure by the second reflective surface 42 cannot be reflected and then reflected back to the user's line of sight, and the ambient light cannot be reflected from the outside of the second reflective surface 42. Therefore, the image on the electrophoretic display panel cannot be obtained at this angle, thereby achieving the anti-peeping function.

[0093] In specific operation, when the bright state is to be displayed and the user's viewing angle is to be followed, the common electrode 9 on the first substrate 1 and the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6 and the third drive electrode 7 on the second substrate 2 are turned on. For example, when facing the screen, the ITO (as each drive electrode) with the direction-changing function on the left, right or top (depending on the user's orientation) of each sub-pixel is negatively charged to attract the reflective structure 4 to tilt left or right or downward or upward; when the black state is displayed, there is no need to care about the tilt direction of the reflective structure 4 at this time, and the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 arranged on the periphery of the second substrate 2 are directly turned off. For example, the ITO on the left or right side of the sub-pixel is turned on, and the PXL-ITO (fourth drive electrode 8) and the upper COM-ITO (common electrode 9) on the second substrate 2 are turned on. The voltage of the COM-ITO (common electrode 9) remains unchanged, and the voltage difference is changed according to the voltage passed into the PXL-ITO (fourth drive electrode 8) to control the displacement distance of the black ink.

[0094] The electrophoretic display panel of the present invention adopts an electronic ink screen, which, under the application of a new control method and structure, can achieve the screen resolution effect of facing the screen within a wide viewing angle range at multiple angles, and can also avoid the appearance of unnecessary black spot images within the wide viewing angle range at multiple angles.

[0095] An embodiment of the present invention provides a control method that can be applied to the aforementioned electrophoretic display panel and achieve the same effect as the electrophoretic display panel.

[0096] An embodiment of the present invention provides a control method, including:

[0097] Get user's sight information;

[0098] Obtaining user sight line data according to user sight line information;

[0099] According to the user's sight data, the direction and size of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate 2 are controlled respectively. The horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure 4 to deflect relative to the preset position area of ​​the first substrate 1. The deflection angle is consistent with the user's sight data.

[0100] In this way, the control system can obtain the user's line of sight in real time, and the real-time user's line of sight information can be processed to obtain user's line of sight data. For example, the user's line of sight data can be vector information such as angle, position, and direction. The control system calculates the direction and size of the horizontal electric field required for the reflective structure 4 to deflect to a preset angle based on the user's line of sight data, and then controls the direction and size of the horizontal electric field. In this way, the effect of human eye tracking can be achieved, so that the reflective structure 4 swings with the change of the user's line of sight, and thus the reflective structure 4 in any user's line of sight area can be deflected to a state that is directly opposite the user's line of sight. At this time, the reflective structure 4 can also have sufficient reflected ambient light, so that the image can be clearly seen, which is consistent with the effect of the user looking directly at the screen.

[0101] Considering the scheme in which the control system forms a horizontal electric field in the first direction through the control circuit, the control system of the present invention applies different first voltage signals to the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 of each sub-pixel of the second substrate 2, respectively, and a horizontal electric field along the first direction is formed between the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 of each sub-pixel. In this way, the horizontal electric field can act on the reflective structure 4, causing it to swing left and right in the first direction.

[0102] Considering a scheme in which the control system forms a horizontal electric field in the second direction through the control circuit, the control system of the present invention applies the same second voltage signal to the first drive electrode 5 and the second drive electrode 6 of each sub-pixel on the second substrate 2, and simultaneously applies a third voltage signal to the third drive electrode 7. The second voltage signal and the third voltage signal are different, so that a horizontal electric field along the second direction is formed between the first drive electrode 5, the second drive electrode 6, and the third drive electrode 7 of each sub-pixel, with the first direction and the second direction forming an angle. In this way, this horizontal electric field can act on the reflective structure 4, causing it to swing left and right in the second direction.

[0103] Considering the scheme of forming a vertical electric field through the control circuit, the control system of the present invention applies a common voltage signal to the common electrode 9 of each sub-pixel on the first substrate 1 and applies a fourth voltage signal to the third drive electrode 7 of each sub-pixel on the second substrate 2, so as to form a vertical electric field between each third drive electrode 7 of each sub-pixel and the common electrode 9. In this way, the vertical electric field can act on the ink liquid 32, causing it to reciprocate in the third direction along the gap area between the reflective structure 4 and the sub-pixel boundary in the front-to-rear direction.

[0104] Assuming the user is viewing from the upper side of the screen, under the control of the eye tracking function, the reflective structure 4 needs to move in the positive direction of the plane Y axis (i.e., the second direction), and the reflective structure 4 is also set to be negatively charged (this design helps prevent ink of the same charge from remaining on the surface of the reflective structure 4 and causing ink residue problems). At this time, all three direction-changing signal lines (i.e., the corresponding three drive electrodes) are turned on. The two X-direction (i.e., the first direction) electric field direction-changing signal lines are connected to the same voltage, such as 1V; the Y-direction (i.e., the second direction) electric field direction-changing signal line is connected to 3V. At this time, there is no voltage difference in the X direction, no electric field is formed, and the reflective structure 4 will not be affected by it; at the same time, because the direction-changing ITO connected to one of the X-direction electric field direction-changing signal lines has an extended portion in the X direction (that is, the portion opposite to the third drive electrode 7), this extended portion and the direction-changing ITO connected to the Y-direction electric field direction-changing signal line form a horizontal electric field in the Y direction, and the direction is the negative direction of the Y axis. Therefore, the reflective structure 4 is tilted toward the positive direction of the Y axis due to the electric field force. At this time, the user can view a clear electronic paper image from the upper side of the screen, and people from other viewing angles cannot see the content displayed on the screen.

[0105] If the reflective structure 4 needs to be deflected toward the lower left, 3V needs to be applied to the X-direction (i.e., the first direction) electric field direction changing signal line with extended ITO, and 1V needs to be applied to the other two signal lines (the other X-direction electric field direction changing signal line and the Y-direction electric field direction changing signal line). At this time, the final vector sum direction of the electric field in each direction is in the upper right direction. Since the negative charge moves in the opposite direction of the electric field, the reflective structure 4 tilts toward the lower left.

[0106] In summary, the application of the electrophoretic display panel and control method of the present invention can achieve the effect of the reflective structure 4 deflecting and changing with the change of the user's line of sight angle, and the reflective structure 4 in each sub-pixel can achieve this effect. The reflective structure 4 with a first reflective surface 41 having a continuously curved plane on the surface, that is, the film with a prism structure on the surface is used as the reflective surface. The reflective structure 4 will swing according to the change of the horizontal electric field in each sub-pixel to achieve the effect of reflecting ambient light at different angles at the original angle. The human eye tracking system formed between the image acquisition device and the control system can achieve the effect of the reflective structure 4 following the movement of the human eye, so that the user can obtain a wider viewing angle, which can be close to 180°. There is a reflective structure 4 in each sub-pixel, and each reflective structure 4 is circumscribed to the inner wall of the corresponding sub-pixel. In this way, more reflective microstructures can be set. Compared with the reflective electronic paper with traditional structure, more light will be reflected in the original light path direction, which increases the brightness of the screen. At the same time, light refracted into the reflective structure 4 also reflects outward through a fully suppressed internal reflection at the bottom of the reflective structure 4 (i.e., the second reflective surface 42), thereby improving light utilization. Furthermore, the sub-pixels utilize a polygonal structure (exemplarily, a hexagonal structure), giving the entire pixel a honeycomb shape. This maximizes the use of the total reflective area and increases the pixel aperture ratio. Furthermore, since this is a reflective display panel, backlight transmittance need not be considered, thus providing greater design flexibility for pixel architecture design.

[0107] It should be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the order of execution is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0108] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0109] The foregoing description is intended only to provide specific embodiments of the present invention, which will enable those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. An electrophoretic display panel, comprising: A first substrate (1), a second substrate (2) and an electrophoretic layer (3) therebetween, characterized in that the first substrate (1) comprises sub-pixels that are distributed in an array and spaced apart from each other, the electrophoretic layer (3) comprises a stabilizing liquid (31) located in each of the sub-pixels and an ink liquid (32) layered below the stabilizing liquid (31); each of the sub-pixels comprises at least one reflective structure (4), the reflective structure (4) being immersed in the stabilizing liquid (31) and the ink liquid (32); the second substrate (2) forms a horizontal electric field corresponding to each of the sub-pixels; the horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure (4) to deflect relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate (1), and the deflection direction and angle are consistent with the user's line of sight.

2. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrophoretic display panel also includes a control system and an image acquisition device. The image acquisition device is used to obtain user line of sight information in real time and send the user line of sight information to the control system. The control system processes the user line of sight information to obtain user line of sight data. The control system adjusts the direction and size of the horizontal electric field according to the user line of sight data.

3. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second substrate (2) is formed with a first driving electrode (5) and a second driving electrode (6) corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, and the first driving electrode (5) and the second driving electrode (6) are located on both sides of each of the sub-pixels along a first direction; the control system is used to control the voltages of the first driving electrode (5) and the second driving electrode (6) respectively to form the horizontal electric field along the first direction.

4. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second substrate (2) is also formed with a third driving electrode (7) corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, the third driving electrode (7) is located on one side of each of the sub-pixels along the second direction, the third driving electrode (7) is spaced between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode (6), and the control system is used to respectively control the voltages of the first driving electrode (5), the second driving electrode (6) and the third driving electrode (7) to form the horizontal electric field along the second direction.

5. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second substrate (2) is also formed with a fourth driving electrode (8) corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, and the first substrate (1) is formed with a common electrode (9) corresponding to each of the sub-pixels. The control system controls the voltages of the common electrode (9) and the fourth driving electrode (8) respectively, so that a vertical electric field is formed between the two. The vertical electric field is used to drive the ink liquid (32) to move along a third direction, and the vertical electric field and the horizontal electric field do not affect each other.

6. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the rotation of the reflective structure (4), along the irradiation direction of ambient light at different angles, the light emitting sides of two adjacent reflective structures (4) form a continuous reflective surface, and the ink liquid (32) between the two adjacent reflective structures (4) will not appear in the display area of ​​the first substrate (1).

7. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The reflective structure (4) is constructed as a three-dimensional geometric shape enclosed by a first reflective surface (41) and a second reflective surface (42), wherein the first reflective surface (41) is arranged toward the first substrate (1), and the second reflective surface (42) is arranged toward the second substrate (2), and the second reflective surface (42) of the reflective structure (4) is used to slide relative to the surface of the second substrate (2), so that the reflective structure (4) can swing relative to a preset position area of ​​the second substrate (2).

8. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The surface of the second substrate (2) has a recessed area (21); the second reflecting surface (42) is constructed as a curved surface shape that matches the shape of the recessed area (21); and the reflective structure (4) is slidably matched with the recessed area (21) via the second reflecting surface (42).

9. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first reflection surface (41) comprises a plurality of continuously arranged bending planes, each of the bending planes being a reflection sub-plane, and the ambient light is reflected to the user's field of view after being reflected by at least two of the reflection sub-planes.

10. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The electrophoretic display panel has a first central axis, the reflective structure (4) has a second central axis, and the reflective structure (4) has a first state and a second state during the rotation process; In the first state, the second central axis is parallel to the first central axis, and the vertical projection area of ​​the first reflective surface (41) toward the second substrate (2) completely covers the ink liquid (32) below; In the second state, an angle is formed between the second central axis and the first central axis, a gap is formed between each second reflecting surface (42) and an adjacent boundary of each sub-pixel, and the stabilizing liquid (31) and / or the ink liquid (32) reciprocates in the third direction in the area of ​​the gap.

11. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 10, characterized in that: There is a boundary connection position between the second reflection surface (42) and the first reflection surface (41), the reflective structure (4) as a whole constitutes a solid structure, and during the rotation of the reflective structure (4), the distance between the second reflection surface (42) and the boundary of the adjacent sub-pixel in the first state is the smallest.

12. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The overall shape of the reflective structure (4) is any one of a prism, a pyramid or a hemisphere.

13. The electrophoretic display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shape of the projection area of ​​the reflective structure (4) along the third direction is a circle, and the shape of the sub-pixel is circumscribed to the circle.

14. A control method, applied to the electrophoretic display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The control method comprises: Get user's sight information; Obtaining user sight line data according to the user sight line information; The direction and size of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate (2) are controlled according to the user's line of sight data, and the horizontal electric field is used to drive the reflective structure (4) to deflect relative to a preset position area of ​​the first substrate (1), and the direction and angle of the deflection are consistent with the user's line of sight data.

15. The control method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate (2) respectively according to the user's line of sight data comprises: Different first voltage signals are applied to the first drive electrode (5) and the second drive electrode (6) of each sub-pixel of the second substrate (2), respectively, so that a horizontal electric field along a first direction is formed between each of the first drive electrodes (5) and the second drive electrodes (6) of each sub-pixel.

16. The control method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate (2) according to the user's line of sight data also includes: The same second voltage signal is applied to the first drive electrode (5) and the second drive electrode (6) of each sub-pixel of the second substrate (2), and a third voltage signal is applied to the third drive electrode (7), wherein the second voltage signal is different from the third voltage signal, so that a horizontal electric field along a second direction is formed between the first drive electrode (5), the second drive electrode (6) and the third drive electrode (7) of each sub-pixel, wherein the first direction and the second direction have an included angle.

17. The control method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The step of controlling the direction and magnitude of the horizontal electric field of the second substrate (2) according to the user's line of sight data also includes: A common voltage signal is applied to the common electrode (9) of each sub-pixel of the first substrate (1), and a fourth voltage signal is applied to the third drive electrode (7) of each sub-pixel of the second substrate (2), so that a vertical electric field is formed between each of the third drive electrodes (7) of each sub-pixel and the common electrode (9).

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