The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 1999
Filed:
May. 08, 1998
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A first substrate has at least scanning signal electrodes, video signal electrodes and pixel electrodes, all of which constitute display pixels, and active elements. A first alignment layer is formed, directly or via an insulating layer, as a top layer on the electrodes constituting the display pixels and the active elements. A second substrate which is bonded to the first substrate with a very small interval provided in between is provided with a second alignment layer that is formed so as to confront the first alignment layer. A liquid crystal layer is provided in a space between the first and second alignment layers. The electrodes constituting the display pixels are formed so as to apply, to the liquid crystal layer, an electric field that is substantially parallel with the surfaces of the first and second substrates and are connected to an external control device for controlling the electric field in accordance with a desired display pattern. Polarizing plates change an optical characteristic of light to be output from the second substrate in accordance with the alignment state of the liquid crystal layer that is produced by the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer. At least one of the first and second alignment layers has been given alignment ability by illumination with polarized light.