Patent ID: 8405649

Claim:
A method of driving an array of electromechanical devices, the array including a plurality of segment lines and a plurality of common lines, the method comprising: performing an actuation operation on an electromechanical device within the array, the electromechanical device being in electrical communication with a first common line and a first segment line, wherein each actuation operation performed on the electromechanical device comprises: applying a release voltage across the electromechanical device, wherein applying a release voltage comprises applying a first voltage on the first common line and a segment voltage on the first segment line, wherein the segment voltage may vary between a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage, and wherein a difference between the maximum voltage and the minimum voltage is less than a width of a hysteresis window of the electromechanical device, and wherein the release voltage remains between a positive release voltage of said electromechanical device and a negative release voltage of said electromechanical device; applying a hold voltage across the electromechanical device after applying the release voltage, wherein applying a hold voltage comprises applying a second voltage on the first common line and the segment voltage on the first segment line and, wherein the hold voltage remains within a hysteresis window of the electromechanical device; and applying an address voltage across the electromechanical device after applying the hold voltage, wherein applying an address voltage comprises applying a third voltage on the first common line and the segment voltage on the first segment line, wherein the address voltage is either greater than a positive actuation voltage of said electromechanical device or less than a negative actuation voltage of said electromechanical device.