Electrochromic Display Electrode Segmentation for Fast Rewriting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electrochromic display devices are not suitable for applications requiring fast screen rewriting and rapid screen switching due to their slow rewriting speed and high power consumption, especially for large or high-definition screens.

Innovation Solution

A passive-matrix driven electrochromic display device with a configuration of parallel first and second electrodes, where the second electrodes are divided into regions intersecting with the first electrodes, and metal electrical wires are used to connect each region, allowing for simultaneous scanning and reduced energization time, thereby accelerating the display switching process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a scanning signal is supplied to gate wires to sequentially scan pixels on a line-by-line basis, then the electrochromic display device can rewrite pixels, but rewriting the screen takes a long time for large screen and high definition screen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen rewriting speedVSAvoidtime required for screen rewriting
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The second electrodes are divided into multiple regions (first region, second region, third region, fourth region) along the extending direction. Each region can be scanned independently and simultaneously, allowing parallel processing of different screen portions. This segmentation enables the screen to be rewritten in multiple overlapping scanning operations rather than sequential line-by-line scanning, significantly reducing total rewriting time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If conventional electrochromic display devices are used for large or high-definition screens, then display quality is improved, but rewriting speed becomes too slow for applications requiring fast screen switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay resolutionVSAvoidscreen switching speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the second electrodes into multiple regions that can be scanned in parallel, the patent achieves both high resolution and fast switching. Each region maintains the fine electrode structure needed for high definition, while the parallel scanning of multiple regions provides the speed necessary for rapid screen switching applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic scanning control where scanning signals are applied to multiple gate wires simultaneously to different regions. This dynamic parallel scanning approach allows the system to adapt to different display requirements and achieve faster overall screen rewriting compared to static sequential scanning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration reduces the time required to scan all electrodes by a quarter, enabling faster screen switching and display updates, making it suitable for applications needing rapid screen changes.

Implementation Method 1

an electrochromic composition layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the electrochromic display device is a passive-matrix driven electrochromic display device which performs a display by energization between the first electrodes and the second electrodes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrochromism: Electrochromism

Data Source

PatentEP2413183B1Electrochromic display device
Publication Date: 2013.01.16 FUNAI ELECTRIC ADVANCED APPLIED TECH RES INST
  • EP2413183B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2413183B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2413183B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electrochromic display device (100,101) including: a first substrate (10); first electrodes (20) parallely extending on the first substrate (10); a second substrate (30) opposite to the first substrate (10); second electrodes (40) parallely extending in a direction orthogonal to the first electrodes (20) on the second substrate (30); and an electrochromic composition layer (50) between the substrates (10,30), wherein the device (100,101) is passive-matrix driven to perform a display by energization between the electrodes (20,40), and to perform erasing of the display by energization in a reverse direction, a pixel (60) is formed in each portion where the first electrodes (20) sterically intersect with the second electrodes (40), and metal electrical wires (41,42,43,44) extending over separate regions (R1,R2,R3,R4) of the second electrodes (40) and in a direction along the second electrodes (40), each of the metal electrical wires (41,42,43,44) being conductively connected to a respective one of the regions (R1,R2,R3,R4), and insulated from the other regions of a respective second electrode.