Patent ID: 8310421

Claim:
An apparatus for driving a display, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of rows and columns of display elements, wherein each display element is configured to be placed in a plurality of discrete states; a first hold voltage supply line configured to supply a first hold voltage; a second hold voltage supply line configured to supply a second hold voltage; one or more drive lines configured to supply a driving voltage waveform; a waveform generator configured to generate the driving voltage waveform on the one or more drive lines, wherein the driving voltage waveform is configured to set each of the display elements in one of the discrete states; a first switch configured to selectively couple a first one of the plurality of rows or columns to the first hold voltage supply line, wherein the first hold voltage is configured to maintain the discrete state of each of the display elements resulting from the driving voltage waveform; a second switch configured to selectively couple the first one of the rows or columns to the second hold voltage supply line, wherein the second hold voltage is configured to maintain the discrete state of each of the display elements resulting from the driving voltage waveform; and a third switch configured to selectively couple the first one of the rows or columns to a first drive line of the one or more drive lines.