Minolta Company, Ltd.

Kiyofumi Hashimoto

Masakazu Okada

Takuji Hatano

Kenji Nishiguchi

Naoki Masazumi

Nobuyuki Kobayashi

Eiji Yamakawa

Hideo Hotomi

Katsuhiko Asai

Tatsuo Taniguchi

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Jun Yamada

Mitsuyoshi Miyai

Koichi Kohriyama

Masaaki Nakai

Hideaki Ueda

Takashi Kondo

Masahito Niikawa

Yasuhiro Morimoto

Yoshifumi Shibata

Keizou Ochi

Shuichiro Kaneko

Shuji Yoneda

Futoshi Ishida

Takao Kobayashi

Makiko Mandai

Kazuaki Okumura

Toshihide Dohi

Yutaka Tokuyama

An electronic information device which uses a memory card to which a liquid crystal display using liquid crystal with a memory effect is attached. If a command to turn off the electric power source is issued during writing of information on the liquid crystal display, a power-off process is executed after completion of the writing. This electronic information device is adapted, for example, to be used as a digital camera.

Electronic information device having a display and method and apparatus for controlling power-off of the display

A liquid crystal display device which has a liquid crystal display which uses liquid crystal with a memory effect. When a contact action with a screen of the liquid crystal display is made, information displayed thereon is written again thereon. Also, if no changes have been made on the information displayed for a whole day, the same information is automatically written on the liquid crystal display. The display device is attachable to and detachable from a household electrical appliance. The information is about at least one of a calendar, a recipe, a massage, stock, a picture and data reception from outside, etc.

Liquid crystal display device

A display device which is provided with a liquid crystal display which uses reflective type liquid crystal with a memory effect. This display device is used, for example, as a sub display of a personal computer. The liquid crystal display keeps displaying an image after supply of electric power thereto is stopped. When a specified time has passed since completion of writing, supply of electric power at least to a driving section of the liquid crystal display is stopped.

Liquid crystal display device, portable electronic device and driving method thereof

A display device which has a liquid crystal display which has a plurality liquid crystal pixels arranged in a matrix and which writes an image thereon after resetting the liquid crystal. The method of writing on the liquid crystal display can be selected from driving methods according to interlace scanning in which a frame is divided into a plurality of fields and writing by interlace scanning is performed and driving methods according to sequential scanning in which scanning lines are subjected to writing serially. When high-speed writing is required, for example, when display of a motion picture, display of inputted letters or scroll display is desired, one of the driving methods according to interlace scanning is selected. In interlace scanning, based on the end of a blackout state of a scanning line in a field, selection of a scanning line in the next field for writing is started. Writing on a scanning line comprises a reset step of resetting the liquid crystal, a selection step of selecting the final state of the liquid crystal, an evolution step of stabling the liquid crystal into the selected state, and one of the length of the reset step and the total length of the selection step and the evolution step is n times (n: natural number) the other. For example, when the length of the reset step is n times the total length of the selection step and the evolution step and when a frame is divided into m fields (m: natural number larger than n) for interlace scanning, there is a moment when, in serial m scanning lines, n scanning lines of them are in the reset step, one of them is in the selection step or in the evolution step, and the other m&#x2212;n&#x2212;1 scanning lines are in a display step.

Liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display driven by interlace scanning and/or sequential scanning

A liquid crystal light modulation element is provided that includes a liquid crystal layer held between a pair of substrates. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal material that exhibits a cholesteric phase and has a plurality of domains. The liquid crystal layer includes regions where the helical axes of the liquid crystal molecules in a focal conic state extend in regular directions within a plane that is substantially parallel to the surface substrate.

LCD element including regions where helical axes of LC molecules of neighboring domains in focalconic state extend in same direction

An information display apparatus which has a liquid crystal display which uses chiral nematic liquid crystal with a memory effect and can be driven by a matrix driving method. The screen of the display is divided along a scanning line into a still picture display area and a motion picture display area. The information display apparatus may have a first display and a second display on one screen. The first display is a reflective type liquid crystal display with a memory effect, which has an advantage of saving energy, and is used exclusively to display a still picture. The second display is a liquid crystal display which requires only a short time for writing. Information to be written in a short time, such as inputted information, is displayed on the second display.

Information display apparatus

A liquid crystal display device which has a liquid crystal composition between a first substrate and a flexible second substrate. The liquid crystal composition is filled between the substrates by being dispensed on the first substrate and spread uniformly while the second substrate is being pressed against the first substrate by a roller, and the liquid crystal composition is sealed by sealing resin provided on the sides of the substrates. The gap between the substrates is maintained by spherical spacers and/or a resin structure.

Liquid crystal light modulating device, and a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus thereof

A liquid crystal light modulation element includes a liquid crystal layer between first and second substrates. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal material exhibiting a cholesteric phase having a peak selective reflection wavelength in a visible wavelength range. When the liquid crystal layer is in the selective reflection state, it has pixel regions near the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal domains in the pixel regions near the first substrate are in a mixed state of polydomain and monodomain states. The liquid crystal domains in the pixel regions near the first substrate have a first ratio between the liquid crystal domains taking the polydomain and monodomain states. The liquid crystal domains in the pixel regions near the second substrate have a second ratio between the liquid crystal domains taking the polydomain and monodomain states. The first ratio is different from the second ratio.

Liquid crystal display element with different ratios of polydomain and monodomain states

An image recording device for thermally recording monochrome and color images onto reversible heat-sensitive recording mediums such as a thermal liquid crystal compound that has a cholesteric phase. A heating device, which may include a plurality of heating elements including laser diodes, is scanned across the recording medium and the temperature of the heating element corresponding to a given picture element determines the recorded color for that picture element.

Image recording apparatus

A liquid crystal reflective display comprising cholesteric liquid crystal capable of selectively reflecting spectral rays of a specific wavelength in a visible range; and a carrier carrying said cholesteric liquid crystal, wherein at least one of said cholesteric liquid crystal and said carrier contains a coloring agent absorbing spectral rays in a wavelength range different from the selective reflection wavelength of said cholesteric liquid crystal.

Liquid crystal reflective display

Disclosed is a liquid crystal light modulating element comprising a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal modulating layer interposed between the substrates. The liquid crystal modulating layer mainly comprises (1) a liquid crystal material for light modulation, (2) a plurality of spacers for maintaining a gap between the substrates, and (3) a plurality of resin structural nodules for supporting and adhering said pair of substrates. The resin structural nodules are arranged within a light modulating region based on a predetermined principle or a predetermined pattern.

Liquid crystal device having spacers and manufacturing method thereof

A method of making a liquid crystal device having a plurality of cells of liquid crystal material, includes the steps of: (a) preparing a first base having a first surface; (b) providing a first phase of a material and a plurality of second phases of at least one liquid crystal material on the first surface, said second phases being spatially dispersed in a first prescribed pattern; (c providing a second base having a second surface, the second surface being substantially in contact with the first and second phases; and (d) solidifying the material of the first phase. The liquid crystal cells are formed of the dispersed liquid crystal materials. The plurality of second phases may include at least a group of liquid crystal materials which exhibits a cholesteric characteristic having a selective reflection wavelength in the visible range and a group of liquid crystal materials which exhibits a cholesteric characteristic having a different selective reflection wavelength in the visible range.

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Suita, Japan

Kiyofumi Hashimoto