Patents Examined by William L. Sikes
  • Patent number: 6466291
    Abstract: An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device (LCD) is disclosed in which a first portion of one pixel region has alignment direction clockwise inclined relative to the extension direction of the data electrode, and a second portion of the pixel region has alignment direction counterclockwise inclined relative to the extension direction of the data electrode. This in-plane switching mode LCD has an improved viewing angle characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-Sung Ham
  • Patent number: 6466287
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for forming a reflector of a reflective LCD capable of improving a viewing angle characteristic while simplifying a forming process, the method comprising the steps of: applying a photoresist film on an insulating substrate; dispersing a plurality of spacers over a surface of the photoresist film; curing the photoresist film; rubbing the spacers-dispersed and cured photoresist film, thereby removing the spacers; and performing a vapor deposition of a metal film having a high reflectivity on the photoresist film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Display Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Hwan Su Shim, Dong Hae Seo, Sang Un Choi
  • Patent number: 6466292
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device and a mobile telecommunication terminal using the same can display messages such as information on a calling party, a received message, and temporal information even when a folding cover is not open by using a double-faced liquid crystal display device. The double-faced liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a common electrode, a second substrate having n scan electrodes and m signal electrodes, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizer, and a reflector, wherein the liquid crystal display device is divided into a first region and a second region, and the polarizer and the reflector are symmetrically disposed so that the first region is displayed in a first direction and the second region is displayed in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: LG Information & Communications, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hong Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 6466294
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel with a narrow frame, fabricated by eliminating the space required for applying conductive paste. Sealing adhesive containing conductive particles is applied along a rim between the two substrates and constituting a liquid crystal panel. A common electrode on the second substrate and a electrode connecting terminal on the first substrate are electrically connected through the conductive particles in the sealing adhesive. An insulation film made of an organic material is provided at an area of the sealing adhesive for covering conductors at least at a portion where conductors on the first substrate and facing common electrode on the second substrate overlap. This configuration enables to eliminate the use of conductive paste conventionally required for connecting the facing common electrode and facing electrode connecting terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Yamagishi, Eiji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6466285
    Abstract: A small-size liquid crystal capable of exhibiting good color balance and light utilization efficiency is formed of a layer of liquid crystal, two-dimensionally arranged pixel electrodes disposed so as to apply voltages to the liquid crystal and, together with the liquid crystal, form two-dimensionally arranged pixels each corresponding to one pixel electrode and designed to emit light of one of a plurality of colors, and an array of microlenses disposed to illuminate each pixel with a condensed light spot of illumination light of one of the plurality of colors. In the device, pixels of at least one of the plurality of colors are set to have a pixel size different from those of pixels of the other color(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6466288
    Abstract: A multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal display device includes upper and lower substrates having upper and lower alignment layers, a pixel electrode on the lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the upper and lower alignment layers. The upper alignment layer is alignment-treated to define a specified alignment direction. The pixel electrode is arranged to define a desired pattern of slits or floating electrodes. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules having negative dielectric anisotropy (&Dgr;∈).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: LG LCD, Inc.
    Inventor: Bong Kyu Rho
  • Patent number: 6466284
    Abstract: The invention relates to reflective mixed-mode twisted nematic liquid crystal displays. A direct-view display consists of a front substrate, a polarizer, liquid crystal and a rear substrate having a reflective coating. The twist angle, polarizer angle and retardation are optimized and fall within the following ranges: twist angle of between 67° and 83°; polarizer angle of between 5° and 21° or between 95° and 111°; and retardation of between 0.18 and 0.28. An alternative configuration for the display is a projection display having a front substrate, a rear substrate with a reflective coating, liquid crystal between the substrates, a polarizing beam splitter and a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignees: Varintelligent (BVI) Limited
    Inventor: Steve Wai-Leung Yeung
  • Patent number: 6461007
    Abstract: In a spread illuminating apparatus including a transparent substrate which has a light reflection pattern with grooves formed to be inclined with respect to an optical axis of a light source, an optical path conversion means comprising grooves and flat portions is formed on a side surface of a light conductive member, where the depth of the grooves increases in proportion to the increase in distance from either of spot-like light sources toward a deepest groove formed at a predetermined position. The deepest groove is formed at a position off the center of the light conductive member by a predetermined distance toward either of the spot-like light sources, whereby the distribution of the amount of light emitted from the light conductive member toward the transparent substrate can be appropriately modified so as to level off the unevenness in brightness on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Mineba Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Akaoka
  • Patent number: 6462792
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, auxiliary lines are formed under pixel electrodes so as to be parallel to signal or scanning lines. The auxiliary lines are connected to the signal or scanning lines at one point for each pixel. This permits a voltage to be applied to a signal or scanning line if a disconnection defect occurs in the signal or scanning line. The auxiliary line is connected to the signal or scanning line at opposite sides of the defect to form a circuit around the defect. Moreover, if a leakage defect occurs at a crossing point between the scanning line and the signal line, the signal or scanning line may be cut off at both sides of the scanning or signal line, and the auxiliary line forms a circuit that avoids the line leak. Thus, a voltage may be applied to the signal or scanning line by the auxiliary line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ban, Takayuki Shimada, Mikio Katayama
  • Patent number: 6462799
    Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display device having first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, plural image signal lines, counter-voltage signal lines and scan signal lines being formed on the first substrate, and each pixel region being formed by adjacent image signal lines and adjacent scan signal lines having at least an active device. At least a pixel electrode connected to the active device and at least a counter electrode in each pixel, and the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are on the first substrate. Adjacent counter-voltage signal lines are connected by a counter electrode via more than one thorough-hole formed in a protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masuyuki Ohta, Kazuhiro Ogawa, Keiichiro Ashizawa, Kazuhiko Yanagawa, Masahiro Yanai, Nobutake Konishi, Nobuyuki Suzuki, Masahiro Ishii, Makoto Yoneya, Sukekazu Aratani
  • Patent number: 6462801
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display, comprising: a plurality of gate lines being spaced in a selected distance; a plurality of data lines being spaced in a selected distance, the data lines where a data line driving signal is provided being crossed with the gate lines to define a plurality of R, G and B pixel regions, each of data lines being split into a pair of data lines; a plurality of R, G and B dots disposed in the R, G, and B pixel regions, respectively; and a plurality of switching devices disposed in the R, G, B pixel regions, each being connected to corresponding gate line and data line of a plurality of gate lines and data lines; wherein by the split data lines, each of the R, G and B pixel regions is divided into a plurality of R, G and B sub pixel regions; and each of the R, G and B dots includes a plurality of R, G and B subdots, each of R, G and B subdots being disposed in each of R, G and B sub pixel regions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Display Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Hak Shin, Gyo Un Choi
  • Patent number: 6462800
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, and a manufacturing method thereof, having an existing box-like counter electrode connected to the source/drain electrode through a first contact hole in the gate insulating film and so is used as the pixel electrode, and the existing slit-shaped counter electrode is connected to the non-transparent metallic common bus line through a second contact hole in the gate insulating film and so becomes the counter electrode while maintaining the existing process layer structure as it is, so that even if a short circuit occurs between the gate bus line and the pixel electrode in the same layer due to the particle, degradation is limited to only one pixel, which results in enhancing of the process yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Display Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Hyang Yul Kim, In Cheol Park, Seung Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 6462806
    Abstract: A display device using a novel semiconductor device, which includes a pixel matrix, an image sensor, and a peripheral circuit for driving those, that is, which has both a camera function and a display function, and is made intelligent, is provided and a method of manufacturing the same is also provided. One pixel includes a semiconductor device for display and a semiconductor for light reception, that is, one pixel includes semiconductor devices (insulated gate-type field effect semiconductor device) for controlling both display and light reception, so that the display device having a picture reading function is made miniaturized and compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongyong Zhang, Masayuki Sakakura, Hideaki Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 6462796
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element is formed by providing a liquid crystal layer made of ferroelectric liquid crystal material between electrode substrates. One of the electrode substrate is composed of a substrate, electrodes, an insulating film, and an alignment film, while the other substrate is composed of a substrate, electrodes, an insulating film, and an alignment plate. The alignment film is formed by mixing a substance with ionic bond in an alignment film material and thereafter applying the mixture on the paired substrates on each of which the electrodes and the insulating film are provided. With this arrangement, ions are eluted from the alignment films thus formed into the liquid crystal layer, thereby becoming dispersed therethrough homogeneously. This remarkably reduces influences of display history, and half-tone display with excellent response characteristics can be realized, being not affected by display history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, The Secretary for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: Masaaki Kabe, Akira Sakaigawa, Diana Cynthia Ulrich, Michael John Towler, Paul Bonnett
  • Patent number: 6459466
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid-crystal display device having a first insulation base, a second insulation base facing the first insulation base such that a space is defined between the first insulation base and the second insulation base, in the following conditions: The space between the first insulation base and the second insulation base is filled with a liquid-crystal layer and is sealed with the first insulation base, the second insulation base and supporting members. Accordingly, a display area is provided on the sealed surface area of the first insulation base so as to face the second insulation base and includes thin-film transistors. Also, a terminal area is provided on the not-sealed surface area of the first insulation base and has terminal electrodes that connect electrically to corresponding thin-film transistors formed in the display area, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Tetsuya Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 6459464
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates so disposed in the spaced-apart relation as to oppose each other with a predetermined distance between them; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the substrates; a plurality of scanning signal lines and a plurality of video signal lines so formed on one of the substrates as to cross one another; thin film transistors each being disposed at the point of intersection between the scanning signal line and the video signal line; a comb-like pixel electrode comprising a plurality of electrodes each connected to the thin film transistor and disposed in parallel with the video signal line; and a comb-like counter electrode comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with a plurality of electrodes of the pixel electrode; the liquid crystal display device applying a voltage between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode to thereby apply an electric field substantially in parallel with the substrate surface to the li
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Advanced Display
    Inventors: Ken Nakasima, Kazuhiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6459463
    Abstract: A reflective-type liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, thin film transistors on each cross of gate and data bus lines, a photoresist layer on the gate and data bus lines, and thin film transistors, reflection electrodes on the photoresist layer and electrically coupled to the thin film transistors, and light shield layers on the gate and data bus lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: L.G. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Boem Kim, Jeong Min Moon, Sung Joon Bae, Jae Hong Jun
  • Patent number: 6456354
    Abstract: The present invention features designs of pixels and designs of control features for seals on AMLCD tiles optimized for tiling AMLCD flat panel displays (FPDs) which have visually imperceptible seams. The FPD structure has an image view plane which is continuous and remote from the pixel apertures or image source plane on the inside of the tiles. The image is formed on the view plane by a distributed ultra low magnification flies-eye optical system (a screen) that is integrated with the tiles, effectively excluding and obscuring an image of the seams. The innovations described herein minimize the defects on the perimeter pixels by effectively damming the waviness of the front of the seal near the perimeter pixels on the tiles. Dark space required for the seal between the interior tile edges and active regions of the pixels is decreased, as is the space allocated for wiring thereby increasing the feasible aperture ratios near the mosaic edges and all apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Rainbow Displays, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond G. Greene, Donald P. Seraphim, Dean W. Skinner, Boris Yost, Kohichi Miwa, Michikazu Noguchi, Shunji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6456346
    Abstract: A liquid crystal layer (6) composed of a super twisted nematic liquid crystal is sealed between a first substrate (1) having first electrodes (3) and a second substrate (2) having second electrodes (4), and a color filter is provided on any one of the first substrate (1) and the second substrate (2) to form an STN liquid crystal cell (20), and a polarizing film (11) is disposed outside the second substrate (2), which is the visible side of the STN liquid crystal cell (20), with a twisted retardation film (12) interposed therebetween, and a diffusing layer (13), a reflection-type polarizing film (14) and a light absorbing layer (15) are disposed in order outside the first substrate (1), and the liquid crystal layer (6) is aligned such that major axis directions of molecules located at the middle between the first and second substrates (1, 2) are parallel to the horizontal axis of a display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Arai
  • Patent number: 6456356
    Abstract: There is provided an alignment method of an opposing layout substrate and a device for surely preventing that the internal surface of the substrates (alignment film) is damaged even when the spacer provided between the substrates has a kind of grain size. In the alignment method of opposing layout substrate which performs alignment of two substrates under the condition that the particle material is provided between two substrates provided opposed with each other, the alignment is performed under the condition that a recessed area is formed to at least one opposing surface of two substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kouichi Taniguchi