Intelligent self-healing of electrowetting devices
US10175470B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Grant date | Jan 8, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 8, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/33507
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosed examples relate to methods and systems facilitate self-healing of regions of electrowetting devices. Electrowetting devices may be coupled to a switchable AC/DC electrical power supply that provides AC power to the electrowetting device to control electrowetting device operation and DC power to promote self-healing of the electrowetting device. A monitoring circuit outputs a signal in response to electrical power supply operating characteristic changes due to a failure of the electrowetting device's dielectric. The controller, responding to the signal, switches the power supply output from AC power to DC power to the electrowetting device. In response to the DC power, the electrowetting device responds by healing the degraded dielectric. When the failure is determined to be corrected, the power supply output is switched from DC power to AC power to the electrowetting device. The number of times self-healing is applied may be tracked for future analysis.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.