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International Standard Electric Corporation

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Sharp Corporation

Stc, Inc

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Itt Industries, Inc.

Central Research Laboratories Limited

Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT

The University of Hull

Merck Kgaa

David Coates

Simon Greenfield

Reinhard Hittich

Mark John Goulding

Owain Llyr Parri

Volker Reiffenrath

Herbert Plach

Eike Poetsch

Bernhard Rieger

Ian Charles Sage

Andreas Wachtler

Mark Andrew Verrall

Patrick Nolan

George W Gray

Joachim Krause

Ulrich Finkenzeller

Kenneth J Toyne

Martin David Tillin

David Lacey

Thomas Geelhaar

Hans A Kurmeier

Emma J Brown

Mark A Verrall

Emma Jane Jolliffe

Damien Gerard McDonnell

Matthias Kuntz

Alison Linda May

Shirley Ann Marden

Graham Smith

Volker Meyer

James Hanmer

Ian Victor Hassall

Jeremy Ward

William A Crossland

Michael Hird

Lawrence Kam Chan

Robert William Clemitson

Ian Bonny

Daniel J Young

Georg Weber

Louise Diane Farrand

John Patrick

Stephan Derow

John A Jenner

Matthew F Bone

David I Bishop

Peter Le Masurier

John Scott

Peter A Gemmell

Nobuaki Yamada

Gerhard Pfaff

Amir Ben-Shalom

Ekkehard Bartmann

Toshiyuki Hirai

Adam Jackson

Richard M Scrowston

Peter J Ayliffe

Sally Elizabeth Day

Stefan Wilhelm

Klaus P Stahl

Yukiomi Tanaka

Keith Wilbourn

John Philip Argent

David Joicey

Noriaki Ohnishi

Colum Dickson

Shiuchi Kozaki

David W Baxter

Andreas W&auml;chtler

Dieter Dorsch

Michael Heckmeier

Melanie Klasen-Memmer

Kazuaki Tarumi

Bruce Kevin Winker

Stephen Christopher Kitson

Zili Li

Young J Chung

Zhiming Zhuang

Rodney Riddle

Anthony Bernard Davey

Mary O'Neill

Juliane Suermann

Robert Hammond-Smith

Stephen Malcolm Kelly

Adam Edward Alexander Contoret

Keith M Blackwood

Axel Pausch

Gary James Richards

Georg Lüssem

Kim Slaney

Joseph H Morrissy

Michelle Jones

Keith Moray Blackwood

Jane H Hanamoto

Stephen J Lewis

Jun Nakanowatari

Tara Cutler

Ran Poliakine

David Richard Beattie

Hans-Dieter Brueckner

A cholesteric liquid crystal display device comprises three cells each comprising a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material and an electrode arrangement capable of providing independent driving of a plurality of pixels across the layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material by respective drive signals. A drive circuit applies a respective drive signal to each pixel to drive the pixel into states which are variable to provide a reflectance varying within a predetermined range of reflectances. The drive signals involve a combination of two drive schemes to provide reflectances in different portions of the range. In particular, (a) when providing a reflectance in a first portion of higher reflectance, the drive signals comprise a first waveform shaped to drive the pixel into a stable state, the waveform having a shape which is variable to provide a stable state having a varying reflectance; and (b) when providing a reflectance in a second portion of lower reflectance, the drive signals comprise a second waveform shaped to drive the pixel into the homeotropic state and the planar state alternately, the periods of time during which the pixel is driven into the homeotropic and planar states being variable to provide a varying average reflectance as perceived by a viewer. Such a combination of drive schemes allows a good contrast ratio and color gamut to be achieved because of the use of the homeotropic state but only increases the power consumption by a relatively small amount as the homeotropic state is only used for a portion of the pixels.

Drive scheme for a cholesteric liquid crystal display device

A distinct color LCD apparatus including at least two layers of respectively disparate encapsulated liquid crystal materials; Structural means for maintaining said layers proximate to each other and in a substantially parallel orientation; Electrically conductive means for addressing at least one substantially parallel address across the encapsulated liquid crystal material in each of the respective layers; and Coordinated with said means for addressing, an electrical pulse driving means (I) wherein a state is selected from the list Homeouopre and planar and (U) whereby said state is communicated to a predetermined address between one of said parallel layers.

Distinct color LCD apparatus

The invention relates to multireactive polymerizable mesogenic compounds of formula IR-MG-R&#x2003;&#x2003;Iwherein R, Rand MG have the meaning given in claim, to a polymerizable mesogenic composition comprising at least two components, at least one which is a compound of formula I, to a linear or crosslinked polymer obtainable by polymerization of one or more compounds of formula I or of a polymerizable composition comprising one or more compounds of formula I and to the use of a compound of formula I, or a polymerizable composition or polymer obtainable thereof, in optical elements such as polarizers, optical retardation or compensation films, alignment layers, colour filters or holographic elements, in liquid crystal displays such as PDLC, polymer gel or polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) displays, in adhesives, synthetic resins with anisotropic mechanical properties, cosmetics, diagnostics or liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications, and for nonlinear optics or optical information storage.

Multireactive polymerizable mesogenic compounds

A structurally supported LCD media comprising: an initial structural layer; a plurality of addressable layers, each of which having predetermined optical properties, and the layers have LC there-between and have narrow conductive pathways on opposing faces which respectively address a predetermined LC volume between the pathways, and the pathways are respectively accessible for interconnection with a LC electric pulse driving means; a final structural layer being of predetermined optically transparency to frequencies of light scattered by at least one of the other layers; and means for sealing the initial layer to the final layer with the addressable layers there-between.

Structurally supported LCD media

Novel phenylcyclohexanes of the formula I in which n is 0 to 7, Qand Qare H, or one of these radicals is alternatively CH, r is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, A is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene or a single bond, X is F, Cl, &#x2014;CF, &#x2014;CN, &#x2014;OCFor &#x2014;OCHF, and Y and Z are each, independently of one another, H or F, with the proviso that, in the case where A is a single bond, Q=Q=H and simultaneously X=CN, Y and/or Z are F.

Phenylcyclohexanes and a liquid-crystalline medium

The invention relates to a combination of optical elements comprising at least one optical retardation film and at least one broadband reflective polarizer, characterized in that the optical retardation film is comprising at least one layer of an anisotropic polymer material having an optical symmetry axis substantially parallel to the plane of the layer, said optical retardation film being obtainable by polymerization of a mixture of a polymerizable mesogenic material comprising: a) at least one reactive mesogen having at least one polymerizable functional group; b) an initiator, c) optionally a non-mesogenic compound having two or more polymerizable functional groups; and d) optionally a stabilizer; and relates to an optical retardation film used in said combination of optical elements and to a liquid crystal display comprising said combination of optical elements.

Combination of optical elements

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a film that includes at least one layer of anisotropic polymer material. The method can include polymerizing a mixture of a filtered polymerizable mesogenic material.

Homeotropically oriented layers and films of liquid crystals especially on polymeric substrates. The layers and films, which also can be multi-layered films comprising a homeotropically aligned anisotropic film, are preparable by application of an orientation layer to the substrate. The orientation layer can be either an organic surfactant which is fixed in a matrix of a polymeric material or an inorganic thin layer such as aluminum or AlO.

Homeotropically aligned liquid crystal layer and process for the homeotropic alignment of liquid crystals on plastic substrates

The invention relates to an optical compensator for liquid crystal displays comprising

Optical compensator and liquid crystal display l

The invention relates to multireactive polymerizable mesogenic compounds of formula IR&#x2014;MG&#x2014;RIwherein R, Rand MG have the meaning given in claimto a polymerizable mesogenic composition comprising at least two components, at least one which is a compound of formula I, to a linear or crosslinked polymer obtainable by polymerization of one or more compounds of formula I or of a polymerizable composition comprising one or more compounds of formula I and to the use of a compound of formula I, or a polymerizable composition or polymer obtainable thereof, in optical elements such as polarizers, optical retardation or compensation films, alignment layers, colour filters or holographic elements, in liquid crystal displays such as PDLC, polymer gel or polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) displays, in adhesives, synthetic resins with anisotropic mechanical properties, cosmetics, diagnostics or liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications, and for nonlinear optics or optical information storage.

There is provided a liquid crystal alignment layer comprising an alignment layer; and chemically bound to said alignment layer, a transport material. Also provided are methods for forming the liquid crystal alignment layer and the use thereof in displays for electronic apparatus.

Liquid crystal alignment layer

The invention relates to an alignment layer comprising a polymerized liquid crystal material with homeotrophic orientation, to methods of its preparation, to polymerizable liquid crystal compositions and liquid crystal polymers used for the preparation of the alignment layer, to liquid crystal devices comprising the alignment layer, and to a method of controlling the electrooptical steepness of a liquid crystal display comprising at least one alignment layer by varying the surface anchoring energy of the alignment layer.

Homeotropic alignment layer

The invention relates to multireactive polymerizable mesogenic compounds of formula IR&#x2014;MG&#x2014;RIwherein R, Rand MG have the meaning given in claim, to a polymerizable mesogenic composition comprising at least two components, at least one which is a compound of formula I, to a linear or crosslinked polymer obtainable by polymerization of one or more compounds of formula I or of a polymerizable composition comprising one or more compounds of formula I and to the use of a compound of formula I, or a polymerizable composition or polymer obtainable thereof, in optical elements such as polarizers, optical retardation or compensation films, alignment layers, colour filters or holographic elements, in liquid crystal displays such as PDLC, polymer gel or polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) displays, in adhesives, synthetic resins with anisotropic mechanical properties, cosmetics, diagnostics or liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications, and for nonlinear optics or optical information storage.

Novel phenylcyclohexanes of the formula Iin which n is 0 to 7, Qand Qare H, or one of these radicals is alternatively CH, r is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, A is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene or a single bond, X is F, Cl, &#x2014;CF, &#x2014;CN, &#x2014;OCFor &#x2014;OCHF, and Y and Z are each, independently of one another, H or F, with the proviso that, in the case where A is a single bond, Q=Q=H and simultaneously X=CN, Y and/or Z are F.

The invention relates to an optical compensator for liquid crystal displays comprising: at least one O plate retarder ('), and at least one twisted A plate retarder (&#x2032;) with a twist angle &#x3c6; of more than 90&#xb0;, and further relates to a liquid crystal display comprising such a compensator, a liquid crystal cell () and polarizers (&#x2032;).

Optical compensator and liquid crystal display I

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Dorset, United Kingdom

David Coates