Patent ID: 8730154

Claim:
A display apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrofluidic display elements, each element including: a volume of a polar fluid, a volume of a non-polar fluid, a first substrate, a second substrate, a conductive film between the first and second substrates that is porous to both the polar fluid and the non-polar fluid, the conductive film arranged relative to the first substrate to define a first channel and a second channel, a first electrode layered with a first dielectric layer, arranged between the conductive film and the first substrate, the first electrode configured to receive a voltage and cause the polar fluid to occupy the first channel, a second electrode including a second dielectric layer, the second electrode arranged between the conductive film and the second substrate, the second electrode configured to receive a voltage and cause the polar fluid to occupy the second channel, a first capacitor comprising the first electrode, the first dielectric layer, and the conductive film, and a second capacitor comprising the second electrode, the second dielectric layer, and the conductive film; and, driving circuitry including a plurality of switching circuits in electrical communication with the plurality of electrofluidic display elements, where the plurality of switching circuits are configured to supply a switched voltage to the first capacitor and the second capacitor for each of the plurality of electrofluidic display elements, and where a difference in capacitor voltages is configured to change a coverage area of the polar fluid occupying the first channel.