In-flight entertainment system controlling backlighting while erasing retained images on liquid crystal displays

Abstract

An LCD display unit of an aircraft inflight entertainment system includes a backlight driver driving light sources of a backlight panel to emit light through a polarizer layer and transistor array layer toward a liquid crystal layer. An LCD controller operates, during an image display mode, to receive data defining an image, and control transistors of the transistor array layer to directionally orient liquid crystals of corresponding pixels of the liquid crystal layer relative to a polarization direction of the polarization layer to define the image. The LCD controller further operates, during a retained pattern erase mode, to control the backlight driver to turn off or dim below a threshold level the backlight panel and to selectively control transistors of the transistor array layer to repetitively cycle orientations of liquid crystals between at least two offset directions to at least partially erase a retained pattern bias among the pixels.