Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.

Citizen Holdings Company, Ltd.

Yasushi Kaneko

Takashi Akiyama

Masafumi Ide

Makoto Arai

Masaaki Matsunaga

Kazuhiko Yoshikawa

Kyoko Tsukada

Tooru Yamaguchi

Hiroshi Tsukada

Naoyoshi Tohyama

A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention comprises a first polarizer (), a second polarizer (), a liquid crystal cell () having a liquid crystal layer () provided between a first substrate () and a second substrate (), a transflective layer () having openings, a patterning phase retardation layer () having retardation in portions other than the portions where the openings of the transflective layer are formed, and an optical element () for compensating for an optical property of the liquid crystal layer. The display device thus constructed achieves a high-contrast bright transmissive display, and can also produce a reflective display utilizing an internal reflector type structure.

Liquid crystal display device

A liquid crystal shutter comprises a liquid crystal device including a nematic liquid crystal sealed in between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate on whose inner surfaces are formed respective transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal device having a twisted angle equal to or greater than 180&#xb0;; and a pair of polarizing plates between which are sandwiched the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, the polarizing films having respective absorption axes () which are substantially orthogonal to each other, the absorption axes () of the polarizing films being angled within a range of &#xb1;40&#xb0; to &#xb1;50&#xb0;0 relative to a direction () in which intermediate liquid crystal molecules are orientated, the direction indicating a direction of orientation of the liquid crystal in the intermediate portion in the direction of thickness of the liquid crystal device. Alternatively, &#x394; nd may lie within a range of 600 to 900 nm, &#x394; nd being the product of a birefringence &#x394; n of the nematic liquid crystal and a gap d between the first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate.

Liquid crystal shutter

A liquid crystal display comprises a top polarizeran optical compensating element, an anisotropic scattering layera scattering layerand a liquid crystal deviceincorporating therein a reflective layerWhen the direction of viewing direction of the anisotropic scattering layer is designated as the Y-axis direction, and a direction oriented substantially at right angles to the Y-axis direction is designated as the X-axis direction, light entering the anisotropic scattering layer is scattered over a wider angle along the Y-axis direction than along the X-axis direction. Further, the incident angle dependence of the straight-go transmittance of the anisotropic scattering layer is symmetrical about the layer normal, and the straight-go transmittance in the layer normal direction is lower than the straight-go transmittance in any oblique direction.

Liquid crystal display including an anisotropic scattering layer

A liquid crystal display device is made by disposing an STN cell () in which nematic liquid crystal () having a twist angle in the range from 180&#xb0; to 270&#xb0; is filled and sandwiched between a first substrate () having a first electrode () and a second substrate () having a second electrode () at the center, providing a retardation film () and an absorption-type polarizing film () outside the second substrate () in order, and providing a reflection-type polarizing film () and a light absorbing film () outside the first substrate () in order. This enables a metallic silver background due to the reflected light by the reflection-type polarizing film () and display in black or in color by light passing through the reflection-type polarizing film () being absorbed in the light absorbing film () or only light of specific color being reflected.

Liquid crystal display with particular reflective switched states

The liquid crystal display apparatus according to the present invention includes a) the direction of the twist angle of molecule orientation of the twisted phase difference board () is reverse to the direction of the twisted orientation of the liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal devices (), and the twist angle of the twisted phase difference board is smaller than the twist angle of the liquid crystal devices () by 10&#xb0; to 40&#xb0;; b) an angle between the liquid crystal molecule-oriented direction of the alignment film () of the second substrate and the molecule-oriented direction of a lower polymer () of the liquid crystal polymer layer lies in the range of 80&#xb0; to 90&#xb0;; c) an angle between an absorption axis of the first polarization board () and the liquid crystal molecule-oriented direction of the alignment film () of the first substrate side lies in the range of 50&#xb0; to 60&#xb0;; d) an angle between the absorption axis of the second polarization board () and the molecule-oriented direction of an upper polymer () of the liquid crystal polymer lies in the range of 30&#xb0; to 40&#xb0;; and e) the relationship between &#x394;ndof the nematic liquid crystal layer and &#x394;ndof the liquid crystal polymer layer is defined in a particular relationship, so that it is possible to resolve colored image on the display and to realize an image quality having a high contrast.

Liquid crystal display and method for manufacturing the same

A liquid crystal shutter comprises a liquid crystal device including a nematic liquid crystal sealed in between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate on whose inner surfaces are formed respective transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal device having a twisted angle equal to or greater than 180&deg;; and a pair of polarizing plates between which are sandwiched the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, the polarizing films having respective absorption axes ( ) which are substantially orthogonal to each other, the absorption axes ( ) of the polarizing films being angled within a range of &plusmn;40&deg; to &plusmn;50&deg; relative to a direction ( ) in which intermediate liquid crystal molecules are orientated, the direction indicating a direction of orientation of the liquid crystal in the intermediate portion in the direction of thickness of the liquid crystal device. Alternatively, &Dgr; nd may lie within a range of 600 to 900 nm, &Dgr; nd being the product of a birefringence &Dgr; n of the nematic liquid crystal and a gap d between the first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate.

Liquid crystal shutter and method of driving the same

A transflective liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal element ( ) composed of nematic liquid crystal ( ) sandwiched between a first substrate ( ) and a second substrate ( ), and a transflective layer ( ) installed on the inside of the first substrate ( ), a first polarizing film ( ) disposed on the outside of the second substrate ( ) of the liquid crystal element, a second polarizing film ( ) and a backlight ( ), disposed in sequence on the outside of the first substrate ( ) wherein the transflective layer ( ) is a thin film of metal such as aluminum, having transparent portions ( ) formed by means of anodic oxidation.

Transflective liquid crystal display device

A nematic liquid crystal ( ) with twisted alignment is held between a first substrate ( ) having a first electrode ( ) and a second substrate ( ) having a second electrode ( ) to constitute a liquid crystal cell ( ), an upper polarizer ( ) is provided outside the second substrate ( ) at a visible side thereof, a lower polarizer ( ) and a scattering layer ( ) are provided outside the fist substrate ( ) at a side opposite to the visible side of the liquid crystal cell ( ), and outside them, a light guide film ( ) of side light type and a reflector ( ) are placed in order. The light guide film ( ) is a light guide film with a light scattering property in which particles with a scattering property are mixed, and each of the scattering layer ( ) and the light guide film ( ) has a property of scattering incident light while substantially maintaining a polarizing state thereof.

The invention provides a liquid crystal display device having variety in design, comprising a first liquid crystal cell ( ) and a second liquid crystal cell ( ), made up of a liquid crystal layer sealed in a gap between a pair of transparent substrates having an electrode formed on each of the inner surfaces thereof, facing each other and disposed in that order from the visible side; an absorption-type polarizing film ( ) disposed on the visible side of the first liquid crystal cell ( ), for absorbing the light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof; and a reflection-type polarizing film ( ) disposed on a side of the second liquid crystal cell ( ), opposite from the visible side thereof, for reflecting the light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof.

Liquid crystal display

A reflective liquid crystal display device, employing a single polarizing film comprises a liquid crystal element ( ) comprised of a twist aligned nematic liquid crystal layer ( ) sandwiched between a first substrate ( ) thereof, provided with a reflector ( ) and first electrodes ( ) and a second substrate ( ) thereof, provided with second electrodes ( ), a twisted retardation film ( ) deposited on the outer side (the visible side) of the second substrate ( ) of the liquid crystal element ( ), further a retardation film ( ), and a polarizing film ( ) which are sequentially deposited in that order on the outer side of the retardation film ( ). As a result, reflective display bright and in high contrast can be effected.

A liquid crystal shutter of this invention comprises a liquid crystal element holding a nematic liquid crystal, of 180&deg; to 260&deg; in twist angle, between a pair of substrates, a pair of polarizing plates sandwiching the liquid crystal element, and a retardation film inserted between the liquid crystal element and one polarizing plate. The angle formed by the absorption axes of the polarizing plates is set in the range of 80&deg; to 100&deg;, the angle formed between the absorption axis of one of the polarizing plates and the direction of the central liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal element is set in the range of 40&deg; to 60&deg;, and the delay axis of the retardation film is arranged substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the central liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal element. Further, the retardation film is arranged on a discotic film at an inclination angle varying along thickness in such a manner that the alignment direction of the retardation film is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the central liquid crystal molecule. Furthermore, the liquid crystal shutter comprises a first retardation film and a second retardation which are, for example, aligned on the retardation film with an inclination angle varying along the thickness thereof (FIG. ).

With a liquid crystal display device comprising an STN liquid crystal element ( ) comprised of 200&deg; to 260&deg; twist aligned nematic liquid crystal ( ) sandwiched between a first substrate ( ) thereof, provided with a reflector ( ) and first electrodes ( ), and a second substrate ( ) thereof, provided with second electrodes ( ), a retardation film ( ), and a polarizing film that are disposed on the outer side of the second substrate ( ) of the STN liquid crystal element, black display of low reflectance can be obtained_in all wavelength regions, thereby enabling bright display in high contrast to be effected by setting a &Dgr;nd value of the STN liquid crystal element indicating a birefringent tendency thereof in a range of 0.7 to 0.8 &mgr;m, a retardation value indicating a birefringent tendency of the retardation film ( ) in a range of 0.35 to 0.40 &mgr;m, and an intersection angle formed by a phase delay axis of the retardation film ( ) and an absorption axis or a transmission axis of the polarizing film ( ) in a range of 30&deg; to 45&deg;.

A reflection-type liquid crystal display device of single polarizing film type, comprises a liquid crystal element ( ) comprised of twisted nematic liquid crystal ( ) sandwiched between a first substrate ( ) provided with a reflector ( ) and first electrodes ( ), and a second substrate ( ) provided with second electrodes ( ), and a twisted retardation film ( ), a first retardation film ( ), a second retardation film ( ), a polarizing film ( ) that are disposed in sequence on the outer side of the second substrate ( ), so that black display having a low reflectance is obtained over the all-wavelength region, thereby effecting bright display in high contrast.

Liquid-crystal display

A liquid crystal display device capable of displaying in multiple colors, and a method for driving the liquid crystal display device using a typical monochrome liquid crystal driving IC. A display portion of a birefringence color liquid crystal display device has a usual letter display portion ( ) for displaying letters in a single color and a mark display portion ( ) for displaying a variety of colors. A liquid crystal cell is driven by supplying scanning signals to scanning electrodes for the letter display portion ( ) and data signals to scanning electrodes for the mark display portion ( ).

Liquid crystal display device and its driving method

A reflection-type color liquid crystal display device comprises: an STN liquid crystal cell ( ) having nematic liquid crystal ( ), which is aligned at a twist angle of 180&deg; to 270&deg;, sandwiched between a transparent first substrate ( ) having first electrodes ( ) and a transparent second substrate ( ) having second electrodes ( ), in which the first substrate or the second substrate is provided with a color filter ( ) of a plurality of colors; an absorption-type polarizing film ( ) placed on the visible side of the second substrate ( ) over a retardation film ( ); and a diffusing layer ( ), a reflection-type polarizing film ( ), and a light absorbing layer ( ) arranged in order on the other side of the visible side of the first substrate ( ). Accordingly, a bright color display with high contrast and excellent colors can be realized.

Growing community of inventors

Sayama, Japan

Yasushi Kaneko