Kent Displays, Inc.

Manning Ventures, Inc.

Nick Martin Miller, Iv

Xiao-Yang Huang

Asad Aziz Khan

J William Doane

Donald J Davis

A stacked color liquid crystal display uses shared electrode addressing including a plurality of liquid crystal layers each sandwiched between electrically conductive layers. Adjacent liquid crystal layers share one or two electrode layers located between the adjacent liquid crystal layers. A driving scheme is provided that allows the display to be driven by updating the liquid crystal layers sequentially, concurrently, or some combination of the two. Further, a method of manufacturing the display using a deposition process is also disclosed.

Stacked display with shared electrode addressing

A graphics controller for a color display system having a bistable liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix includes a memory device for storing color data and status bits corresponding to each of the pixels, and a generating device for generating voltage data corresponding to the pixels based on the color data and the status bits for each of the pixels. In an exemplary case, the bistable LCD is a Cholesteric LCD. Preferably, the generating device has a first mode of operation in which the data corresponding to the pixels is generated for each corresponding pixel and a second mode of operation in which no data is generated; the generating device switches from the first operating mode to the second operating mode when all of the status bits for all of the pixels are zeros.

Graphic controller for active matrix addressed bistable reflective Cholesteric displays

A modular and configurable display driver for driving a bistable liquid crystal display. The driver has configurable outputs set by a plurality of configuration bits for driving rows or columns of various displays configurations. Thus, the driver can be economically mass produced for use in many products.

Multi-configuration display driver

Reflective chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed between a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes arranged on opposed sides of the material to define a collection of pixels. Fast updating dynamic drive scheme is implemented by selectively applying an electric field via the electrodes through the pixels in four phases of energization: preparation, selection, evolution, and non-select. Each phase is made up of a series of voltages having varying amplitudes. The voltage waveform is for each phase controlled based on the selection phase to achieve image uniformity. For example, the evolution voltages that are established across adjacent pixels having the same final state have initial amplitudes that are equal for both pixels to increase image uniformity.

Waveform sequencing method and apparatus for a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal display

An operating method for a color display system including an active matrix bistable liquid crystal display (LCD) having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix based on color data and status bits corresponding to each of the pixels stored in a memory includes steps for generating voltage data corresponding to the pixels based on the color data and the status bits stored for each of the pixels, converting the voltage data to drive signals suitable for driving the active matrix bistable LCD, and applying the drive signals to the active matrix bistable LCD. In an exemplary embodiment, the active matrix bistable LCD is a Cholesteric LCD. Advantageously, the generating, converting, and applying steps are repeated for a corresponding pixel N times, where N is an integer established by the status bits.

Operating method for active matrix addressed bistable reflective cholesteric displays

A low power color display system includes a memory which, stores color data and status bits corresponding to a plurality of pixels, status logic, which generates the status bits responsive to receipt of color data for a respective one of the pixels, a data generator, which generates voltage data corresponding to the pixels based on the color data and the status bits for each of the pixels, driver circuitry, which generates voltage signals responsive to receipt of the voltage data for each of the pixels, and a bistable liquid crystal display (LCD) having multiple cells arranged in a matrix, each cell corresponding to a pixel, the LCD being responsive to the voltage signals. Preferably, the system also includes a power supply which provides power to the driver circuitry, and a power manager, the latter turning the power supply ON when the data generator is in the first operating mode and turning the power supply OFF when the data generator is in the second operating mode. The data generator generates the voltage data for a corresponding pixel N times to thereby permit application of the voltage signal corresponding to the pixel data to the LCD N time, where N is an integer established by the status bits.

Active matrix addressed bistable reflective cholesteric displays

Graphic controller for active matrix addressed bistable reflective cholesteric displays

The present invention is directed to an integrated, reflective bistable, cholesteric liquid crystal display and solar cell assembly providing electrical energy to power display electronics. The liquid crystal display includes the layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material sandwiched between first and second transparent substrates. An inner surface of the first substrate and an inner surface of the second substrate bound the layer of liquid crystal material and the first substrate is closest to a viewer of the display. A first set of conductive electrodes is disposed on the inner surface of the first substrate and a second set of conductive electrodes is disposed on the inner surface of the second substrate. Display driver circuitry is electrically coupled to the first and the second sets of conductive electrodes for generating desired voltage differentials between electrodes of the first set of conductive electrodes and electrodes of the second set of conductive electrodes. A solar cell assembly that is provided includes a solar cell or solar panel positioned behind the second substrate and electrically coupled to a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery. The solar cell receives illumination passing through the first substrate, liquid crystal material and the second substrate and converts the illumination incident on the solar cell to electrical energy to supply power to the rechargeable energy storage device. The cholesteric liquid crystal material permits transmission of incident light regardless of the configuration of the liquid crystal material.

Growing community of inventors

Rootstown, OH, United States of America

Nick Martin Miller, Iv