The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

National Research Development Corporation

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State for Defense in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Brittanic Majesty's Government

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Majesty's Government of the

The Secretary of State in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Majesty'3 S Government of the

Edward P Raynes

Kenneth J Harrison

George W Gray

Kenneth J Toyne

David J Thompson

Madeline J Bradshaw

Frances C Saunders

John William Goodby

Michael Hird

Jennifer Constant

Sally Elizabeth Day

Alexander J Seed

Damien Gerad McDonnel

Jonathan Harrold

Ian Charles Sage

Michael John Towler

Damien Gerard McDonnell

Cyril Hilsum

Jonathan Rennie Hughes

David Lacey

Harry Garth Walton

Paul Bonnett

Adam Jackson

John A Jenner

Lawrence Kam Chan

Richard M Scrowston

Amarjit Kaur Samra

David I Bishop

Victoria Brimmell

Ibrahim G Shenouda

Graham John Woodgate

Akira Tagawa

David Ezra

Mitsuhiro Shigeta

Ian A Shanks

Martin David Tillin

Shuichi Kohzaki

Craig Tombling

Paul May

David F Newton

Basil Arthur Omar

Michael G Robinson

Neil Carr

David Charles Scattergood

Robert A Smith

Robert Daley

Alastair Graham

David Sanderson Hulme

Frederick Alistair Johnson

Deborah A Irving

Colin M Waters

John S Lewis

Liquid crystal compounds of formula (I) are described, where formula (I) is given as R,&mdash;A&mdash;(X),&mdash;(B),&mdash;R,where A is selected from naphthyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, B is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. R,and R,are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, akynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, X is selected from C&equiv;C, COO and C&equiv;C, m is 0 or 1, n is 0 or 1 where m is 1 and n is 0 where m is 0; provided that where A is naphthyl, n is 1 and m is 0 then B is selected from methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine; and further provided that where A is naphthyl, X is C&equiv;C, m is 1 and n is 1, then B is selected from thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. Also described are liquid crystal compounds suitable for inclusion in devices utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase and described by formula (II): R,&mdash;J&mdash;(Y),&mdash;(Z),&mdash;R,, where J is selected from nathhyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, Z is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R,and R,are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, Y is selected from C&boxH;C, COO and C&boxH;C, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 where p is 1 and q is 0 where p is 0.

Naphthyl organic compounds

A surface mode liquid crystal device is made by forming a cell containing a mixture of a liquid crystal and a pre-polymer. An electric field is applied across the cell to arrange the liquid crystal in a predetermined surface mode state, such as the V state in the case of a pi-cell configuration. The liquid crystal is held in this state by the field while the pre-polymer is polymerized or cross-linked, for instance by ultraviolet irradiation. The electric field is then removed. The polymer stabilizes the predetermined surface mode state, for instance preventing relaxation of the V state to twist or splay state in the pi-cell configuration.

Surface mode liquid crystal device and method of making a liquid crystal device

A ferroelectric liquid crystal device includes a layer of ferroelectric liquid crystal material contained between a pair of substrates, a first plurality of electrodes and a second plurality of electrodes defining a plurality of addressable liquid crystal pixels. A driving arrangement is provided for applying a first signal (Strobe) in succession to the first plurality of electrodes and for applying a plurality of second signals (Data) simultaneously to the second plurality of electrodes. The plurality of second signals are arranged to include non-rectangular wave signals which have a lower harmonic content than a rectangular wave. Non-uniform heating of the device as a result of the application of the second signals (Data) is reduced with consequent improvement in device performance.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal driving using square wave and non-square wave signals

An optical element includes a liquid crystal layer; and at least one alignment layer in contact with the liquid crystal layer, the at least one alignment layer being formed from a mixture including a first reactive mesogen and a second reactive mesogen. Each of the first and second reactive mesogens have at least one polymerizable functional group, and a number of polymerizable functional groups of the second reactive mesogen is smaller than that of the first reactive mesogen. A ratio of the second reactive mesogen to the first reactive mesogen in the mixture is determined so as to provide a predetermined pretilt angle with liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer.

Liquid crystal optical element and liquid crystal device incorporating same

A ferro-electric liquid crystal cell is addressed by row and column electrodes forming an x,y matrix of display elements. A strobe waveform is applied to each row in sequence while appropriate data waveforms are applied to all the column electrodes. At each display element the material receives an addressing waveform to switch it to one of its two switched states depending upon the polarity of the addressing waveform. The switching characteristics of ferro-electric materials depend upon the shape of the addressing waveform. Two different shapes of addressing waveforms are used to produce two different and separated switching characteristics (FIG. 3). Al least one switching characteristic curve may exhibit a minimum response time at one voltage value, and the display is operated at voltages above this. The data waveforms are alternating positive and negative pulses of period 2ts. The strobe waveform has a zero for one time period ts followed by a unipolar voltage pulse of duration greater than ts, e.g. 1.5ts or more. This results in an overlapping of addressing in adjacent rows, i.e. the end of a strobe pulse on one row overlaps with the beginning of a strobe pulse on the next row. The display elements may be switched into one of their two states by one of two strobe pulses of opposite polarity. Alternatively a blanking pulse may switch all elements to one state and a strobe used to switch selected elements to the other state.

Multiplex addressing of ferro-electric liquid crystal displays

A ferroelectric liquid crystal cell is controlled by applying a strobe pulse and a data pulse to the cell, the magnitude of the data pulse being modulated in order to control the resultant pulse applied to the cell. The resultant pulse includes a pre-pulse on one polarity and a main pulse of the opposite polarity. When applied to a liquid crystal cell of stepped thickness, the application of data pulses of different magnitudes switches regions of different thicknesses of the cell so as to provide grey level capability.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal cell, method of controlling such a cell,

An autostereoscopic display of the invention includes: an illumination source for producing light of a first polarization and light of a second polarization different from the first polarization; a spatial light modulator for modulating the light of the first polarization and the light of the second polarization from the illumination source; and an optical system for directing the light of the first polarization to a first viewing region and the light of the second polarization to a second viewing region, wherein the spatial light modulator includes: a first polarization adjusting member for transmitting the light of the first polarization and substantially preventing transmission of the light of the second polarization; a second polarization adjusting member for transmitting the light of the second polarization and substantially preventing transmission of the light of the first polarization; and first and second groups of picture elements optically aligned with the first and second polarization adjusting member, respectively.

Autostereoscopic display and spatial light modulator

Ferroelectric liquid crystal displays with digital greyscale

##STR1## The invention describes liquid crystalline compounds or formula (I), where A, D and G are independently selected from phenyl, thiophene, hydrogenated phenyl, chlorinated phenyl and fluorinated phenyl, B and E are independently selected from a single bond C.dbd..notident.C. C.tbd.C.C00, azoxy and diazo, k and m are independently selected from 1 and 0, such that m+n is 1 or 2, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from R, R0, alkynyl, thioalkyl, hydrogen, CN, NCS and SCN; provided that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is selected from CN, NCS and SCN and that at least one of A, D and G is phenyl; and excluding where at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is independently selected as CN and one of A, D or G is not thiophene, and where m is 0, A, and D are phenyl, B is a single bond and only one of R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 is NCS. Also described are compounds suitable for inclusion in a device utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase, of general formula (II) where J and Y are independently selected from phenyl, thiophene, hydrogenated phenyl, chlorinated phenyl and fluorinated phenyl, X is selected from C.dbd..notident.C. C.tbd.C.COO azoxy and diazo, k is 1 or 0 and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently selected from R, RO, alkynyl, thioalkyl, hydrogen, CN, NCS and SCN; provided that at least one of R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is selected from CN, NCS and SCN and that at least one of J and Y is phenyl.

Anisotropic organic compounds

An integrated electro-optical device according to the invention comprises a pixellated liquid crystal modulation layer superimposed over an electronic detection layer. Modulator pads for the liquid crystal layer may be formed as electrically conductive combs to achieve optical polarization. Where the liquid crystal layer provides selective absorption of unpolarized light, and separate polarizers between the liquid crystal and detection layers are therefore unnecessary, the device comprises such a liquid crystal layer superimposed over the electronic detector layer. Further, an integrated electro-optical device, optionally of the above type, has a plurality of pixels of the liquid crystal layer for each pixel of the detector array. This allows optical shuttering of the detector pixels by electrically modulating the pixellated liquid crystal layer.

Integrated electro-optical liquid crystal device and method of using

A liquid crystal display comprises a nematic liquid crystal layer disposed between alignment layers. The alignment layers are formed on substrates which also carry display control electrodes connected to a drive circuit. Polarisers are provided on opposite sides of the substrates. The alignment layers are arranged such that the liquid crystal molecule pretilt angles at the surfaces of the alignment layers are parallel. The liquid crystal layer has a retardance equal to (M+1).lambda./2 at a first operating voltage and M.lambda./2 at a second operating voltage, where M is an integer greater than zero or less than minus one and .lambda. is a wavelength of visible light.

Liquid crystal display and device having a total retardance of (M+1)

Liquid crystal compounds of formula (I) are described, where formula (I) is given as R.sub.1 --A--(X.sub.m --(B).sub.n --R.sub.2 where A is selected from nathyl, flourinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, B is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, X is selected from C.tbd.C, COO and C.tbd.C, m is 0 or 1, n is 0 or 1 where m is 1 and n is 0 where m is 0; provided that where A is naphthyl, n is 1 and m is 0 then B is selected from methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine; and further provided that where A is naphthyl, X is C.tbd.C, m is 1 and n is 1, then B is selected from thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine. Also described are liquid crystal compounds suitable for inclusion in devices utilizing pretransitional characteristics of liquid crystalline materials in the isotropic phase and described by formula (II): R.sub.3 --J--(Y).sub.p --(Z).sub.q --R.sub. 4, where J is selected from nathyl, fluorinated naphthyl, brominated naphthyl, Z is selected from phenyl, methylated phenyl, brominated phenyl, fluorinated phenyl, thiophene, pyrimidine and pyridine, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, alkynyl, thioalkyl, Br, CN, SCN, NCS, perfluoroalkyl, perfluoroalkoxy and hydrogen, Y is selected from C.dbd.C, COO and C.dbd.C, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1 where p is 1 and q is 0 where p is 0.

Optically active compounds of formula (I), where X has a structure (II) and B is C.sub.1-12 alkyl, a chiral group or a group having a general structure (III), where R and R' are H, C.sub.1-12 alkyl, alkoxy, alkylcarbonyloxy, or alkoxycarbonyl, each ring (IV) and (V) is the same or different, A and D are single bonds or bridging groups, each a and d is 0 or 1; Z, Z' are CN, Cl, F, Br or CF.sub.3 ; provided when Z is CN or Cl, then when B is alkyl X-Y is not (VI) or (VII). Ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal mixtures containing these compounds are also described. ##STR1##

Chiral liquid crystal compounds

This invention relates to novel chiral cyano-containing compounds suitable for use in ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal mixtures.

Growing community of inventors

Malvern, United Kingdom

Edward P Raynes