Abstract: Space-to-time pulse shaping techniques are provided that maintain high fidelity with a practical output coupler, maintain an output resolution that is no longer than the input pulse, and are scalable to long records while maintaining fine resolution.

Abstract: A display device, in which a first pixel and a second pixel are defined, includes: a display panel including a base substrate and a light-emitting element disposed on the base substrate; a color filter layer disposed over the display panel and including a first color filter disposed in the first pixel and a second color filter disposed in the second pixel; and a first organic layer disposed over the display panel, and including a pigment or a dye. The first pixel displays a first color, and the second pixel displays a second color different from the first color. The organic layer is integrally formed over the first pixel and the second pixel.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a retardation film which uses a liquid crystal compound, has a suppressed streak defect and shows a good front contrast, and an application thereof. The present invention provides a retardation film in which a liquid crystal compound capable of showing a smectic phase is fixed in the smectic phase, the retardation film including a non-liquid crystal compound which satisfies the conditions A and B: condition A: molecular weight is 10000 or less; and condition B: T0?T1?30° C. T0 represents the phase transition temperature between the nematic phase and the isotropic phase of a composition which does not contain the non-liquid crystal compound, and T1 represents the phase transition temperature between the nematic phase and the isotropic phase of a composition which contains the non-liquid crystal compound.

Abstract: A display may include an optical film to promote sunglass-friendly viewing of the display. Displays may include linear polarizers. For example, a liquid crystal display may have a linear polarizer above a liquid crystal layer, whereas an organic light-emitting diode display may have a linear polarizer that forms a portion of a circular polarizer to reduce reflections in the display. Displays that emit linearly polarized light may not be compatible with polarized sunglasses. To ensure an optimal user experience for users wearing sunglasses, displays may include sunglass-friendly optical films. A sunglass-friendly optical film may be a film formed from a birefringent material such as a polymer or liquid crystal. The sunglass-friendly optical film may have an optical axis that is at a 45° angle relative to the optical axis of the underlying linear polarizer. The sunglass-friendly optical film may be patterned to have reduced thickness regions.

Abstract: An optically anisotropic layer is formed by a liquid crystal compound represented by General Formula 1, in which the long axes of the molecules are oriented. wherein L1 and L2 independently represent a linking group having a carbonyl group; F1 and F2 independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom; n and m independently represent an integer from 0 to 4; a and b independently represent an integer from 1 to 4; T1 and T2 independently represent a spacer portion including a straight chain or branched alkylene or alkylene oxide group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms; and Ar represents a divalent group having at least one aromatic ring selected from a group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon rings and aromatic heterocycles, the number of ? electrons in the Ar group being 8 or greater.

Abstract: An optical film of the present invention includes a positive A-plate and a positive C-plate, in which the Re(450), Re(550), and Re(650) of the positive A-plate satisfy the relationship of Re(450)?Re(550)?Re(650), the positive A-plate is formed of a cured product of a composition including the liquid crystal compound A, and the positive C-plate is formed of a cured product of a composition including the liquid crystal compound C.

Abstract: There is provided a circularly polarizing plate that can prevent light leakage in an organic EL panel and can suppress the warping of the panel to reduce reflection unevenness in a panel surface. A circularly polarizing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in an organic EL panel, and includes a polarizer and a retardation film directly bonded to the polarizer. In-plane retardations of the retardation film satisfy a relationship of Re(450)<Re(550); and a 90° adhesive strength between the polarizer and the retardation film is 1.0 N/20 mm or more.

Abstract: A display device includes a substrate including a plurality of pixel areas and a non-pixel area disposed between the pixel areas, a tunnel-shaped cavity disposed on the substrate in each of the pixel areas, an image display layer disposed in the tunnel-shaped cavity, a roof layer disposed on the tunnel-shaped cavity and having an upper planarized surface, a black matrix disposed on the substrate in the non-pixel area, and a reflective electrode disposed under the tunnel-shaped cavity in a predetermined area of each of the pixel areas to reflect an external light.

Abstract: A polarization conversion element includes a phase reversal element and a polarization plane rotation element including a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer has a plurality of regions disposed along circumferential direction with the intersection point of the polarization plane rotation element and the optical axis as the center with alignment directions different from each other. When electric voltage in accordance with the wavelength of linear polarization incident on the polarization plane rotation element is applied, each region rotates the polarization plane of the polarization component transmitted by each region, and thereby converts linear polarization to radial polarization. The phase reversal element reverses, among the first and the second annular portions alternately disposed along the radial direction with the optical axis as the center, the phase of light incident on the first annular portion relative to the phase of light incident on the second annular portion.

Abstract: An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. At least one active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. The display includes a front transparent substrate behind which the electrically conductive layers are disposed. A back component is disposed at a back of the display below the active layer. At least one patterned layer is disposed at at least one of the following locations: on, in or near the front substrate and as an interlayer between the front substrate and the back component. The patterned layer is opaque or semitransparent. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer. The active layer and the patterned layer cooperate to produce an image on the display.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a base substrate, a pixel on the base substrate, and a color filter part between the base substrate and the pixel. The pixel includes a cover layer defining a TSC (Tunnel Shaped Cavity) on the base substrate, an image display part provided in the TSC, and first and second electrodes which apply an electric field to the image display part.

Abstract: The microscope apparatus includes a light source which outputs linear polarization having a first wavelength, a polarization conversion element which includes a liquid crystal layer, and by causing linear polarization to pass the liquid crystal layer, converts linear polarization to radial polarization, an objective lens which focuses the radial polarization onto an object surface, a condenser lens which collimates the light reflected from the object surface, a light receiving element which receives light collimated by the condenser lens and outputs signal in accordance with the intensity of light, and a controller which applies electric voltage in accordance with the first wavelength to the liquid crystal layer of the polarization conversion element. The polarization conversion element is disposed in the pupil plane of the objective lens on the light source side.

Abstract: A liquid crystal optical device is provided. The optical device includes a liquid crystal cell controlling optical properties of light passing therethrough and has: a liquid crystal layer, a planar electrode located to one side of said liquid crystal layer; an electric field control structure located to the opposite side of the liquid crystal layer; and a wavefront adjustment structure configured to provide optical phase front adjustment. In some embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a conductive floating electrode. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure is a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance. In other embodiments the wavefront adjustment structure a weakly conductive structure having spatially variable sheet resistance having a frequency dependent characteristic.

Abstract: A compensation film includes: a first retardation layer including a polymer; a second retardation layer including a liquid crystal having positive birefringence; and a compensation layer including a liquid crystal having a vertical alignment property, where an angle between slow axes of the first and second retardation layers is in a range of about 85 to about 95 degrees, an entire in-plane retardation (Re0) of the first retardation layer, the second retardation layer and the compensation layer for wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm and 650 nm satisfy the following inequation: Re0(450 nm)<Re0(550 nm)<Re0(650 nm), an in-plane retardation (Re3) of the compensation layer for the incident light having a wavelength of about 550 nm is in a range of about zero to about 50 nm, and a thickness direction retardation (Rth3) of the compensation layer for the incident light is less than zero.

Abstract: A compensation film includes a first retardation layer including a polymer having negative birefringence, and a second retardation layer including a liquid crystal having positive birefringence, where the first retardation layer has an in-plane retardation (Re1) of 320 nm to 1050 nm for incident light having wavelength of 550 nm, the second retardation layer has an in-plane retardation (Re2) of 180 nm to 910 nm for the incident light, an entire in-plane retardation (Re0) of the first and second retardation layers for the incident light is a difference between the in-plane retardations of the first and second retardation layers, an angle between slow axes of the first and second retardation layers is 85 to 95 degrees, and the entire in-plane retardation (Re0) of the first and second retardation layers for the wavelength of 450 nm, 550 nm and 650 nm satisfies Re0 (450 nm)<Re0 (550 nm)<Re0 (650 nm).

Abstract: To suppress a phenomenon where an optical axis of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted when the optically anisotropic layer is produced by using a liquid crystalline compound showing smectic phase as a materials showing a higher level of orderliness. An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10° or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer, a method for manufacturing the same, a laminate and a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal display device, and an organic EL display device.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes a liquid crystal cell, a first polarizing plate placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell, a second polarizing plate placed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell, a retardation film placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer placed between the liquid crystal cell and the retardation film, wherein the first and second polarizing plates have absorption axes whose directions are substantially orthogonal to each other, the retardation film is a norbornene resin-containing stretched film and has a refractive index ellipsoid satisfying the relation nx?nz>ny, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive that may be produced by crosslinking a composition including a (meth)acrylate (co)polymer and a crosslinking agent including a peroxide as a main component.

Abstract: A method and a controller for operating an array of variable optical retarders are disclosed. Neighboring pixels of the array of variable optical retarders are driven with disordered temporal bit sequences. An optical beam illuminating the pixels tends to integrate time-domain modulation caused by individual pixels driven in a non-coordinated or disordered fashion, which reduces the overall time-domain modulation amplitude of the optical beam.

Abstract: To provide an optically-compensatory film that can improve the contrast, to provide a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display including the optically-compensatory film and a method of producing the optically-compensatory film. An optically-compensatory film including a transparent support; and at least one optically anisotropic layer including a liquid crystal composition containing liquid crystal compounds, in the transparent support; wherein when the optically-compensatory film is disposed between two polarizing plates in a cross nicol state, degree of depolarization as seen from the front face is 0.000022 or less, and degree of depolarization as seen from a polar angle of 50° from an absorption axis direction of one of the polarizing plates is 0.00077 or less.

Abstract: Provide is a cellulose acylate film, of which the environmental humidity-dependent retardation change is small and which, when stuck to a polarizer and used in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, is effective for preventing the polarizing element from being deteriorated. A cellulose acylate film, which contains a hydrogen-bonding compound satisfying the following requirements (A) to (C), and at least one hydrophobizing agent selected from a polyalcohol ester-base hydrophobizing agent, a polycondensate ester-base hydrophobizing agent and a carbohydrate derivative-base hydrophobizing agent: (A) the compound has both a hydrogen-bonding donor part and a hydrogen-bonding acceptor part in one molecule, (B) the value computed by dividing the molecular weight of the compound by the total number of the hydrogen-bonding donor number and the hydrogen-bonding acceptor number in the compound is from 30 to 65, and (C) the total number of the aromatic ring structures in the compound is from 1 to 3.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized active matrix type liquid crystal display device that may achieve large-sized display, high precision, high resolution and multi-gray scales. According to the present invention, gray scale display is performed by combining time ratio gray scale and voltage gray scale in a liquid crystal display device which performs display in OCB mode. In doing so, one frame is divided into subframes corresponding to the number of bit for the time ratio gray scale. Initialize voltage is applied onto the liquid crystal upon display of a subframe.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical film which has reverse chromatic dispersibility that its retardation becomes smaller as the wavelength becomes shorter and a low photoelastic constant.

Abstract: Provided is an optical film which is resistant to repelling, bright dots, irregularity, and the use of such an optical film in a liquid crystal display leads to high front contrast, reduced grayscale inversion, and a reduced difference between a front image and an oblique image in grayscale reproducibility and color. The optical film including a first optically anisotropic layer; and a second optically anisotropic layer on the first optically anisotropic layer, wherein the first optically anisotropic layer is a layer of liquid crystal compounds aligned and fixed by polymerization, and the surface tilt angle of molecules of the liquid crystal compound is in a range of 5° to 80° at a site in contact with the second optically anisotropic layer.

Abstract: There is provided an optical film having a small size change with a temperature change of a support of a pattern retardation film. An optical film includes: a support comprising a polymer having a moisture absorptivity of 0.5% or more; a first retardation region and a second retardation region, in which birefringence thereof is mutually different; and an optically anisotropic layer in which the first retardation region and the second retardation region are alternately patterned for every one line.

Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a polarizing film having far superior water resistance to conventional polarizing films by contacting a liquid containing cationic polymers with a surface of a polarizing film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device and a method for driving the same are provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a first liquid crystal layer selectively driven by a first electric field in a first direction; and a second liquid crystal layer selectively driven a second electric field in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction.

Abstract: A 3D image display device. The device may include: a display unit displaying left-eye and right-eye images alternately; a display-side polarizing plate arranged on the side of a display surface of the display unit; and shutter glasses having left-eye and right-eye shutters, and opening and closing a shutter in accordance with display states of images on the display unit. A shutter includes a liquid crystal cell, a retardation plate arranged at the liquid crystal cell, and a first glasses-side polarizing plate arranged at the liquid crystal cell on the side opposite to the retardation plate. Polarization axes of the display-side polarizing plate and the first glasses-side polarizing plate are orthogonal. The polarization axis of the display-side polarizing plate and a retardation axis of the retardation plate are parallel or orthogonal.

Abstract: A display apparatus used for creating 3D images has a display panel and a phase-delaying layer disposed on the display panel. The phase-delaying layer has first and second light-changing patterns that are self-aligned to at least one of pixels and a black matrix of the display panel. The self-aligned structure is formed by selectively passing curing light (e.g., UV light) through the display panel to cure curable liquid crystal films while the films are respectively aligned by aligning layers having different alignments.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes first and second substrates placed opposite each other, a common electrode on one side of the first substrate to substantially cover a whole surface, a segment electrode on one side of the second substrate, a routing wire on one side of the second substrate and connected to the segment electrode, a liquid-crystalline resin film without electrical conductivity on one side of the second substrate, and a liquid crystal film between the substrates, and being subject to twisted alignment between the substrates. The liquid-crystalline resin film has refractive index anisotropy being substantially equal to that of a liquid crystal material of the liquid crystal film, is subject to twisted alignment, and is disposed to fill a space between the routing wire and the common electrode. The liquid crystal film is disposed to fill a space between the segment electrode and the common electrode.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer twist-aligned at 90° sandwiched between a pair of substrates, first and second polarizing layers arranged to sandwich the liquid crystal cell therebetween so that their absorption axes set to parallel with directions crossing aligning treatment directions of the substrates at 45°, and viewing angle compensating plates respectively arranged between the polarizing layers and the liquid crystal cell. A total value of retardations in a thickness direction, defined as a value of a product of a phase difference within a plane perpendicular to substrate surfaces of the liquid crystal cell and a layer thickness, of optical layers present between the polarizing layers is set to a value that substantially cancels out a retardation in a liquid crystal layer thickness direction when a saturation voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a panel for controlling viewing angle and a liquid crystal display having the same. More particularly, there is provided a panel for controlling viewing angle including a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; liquid crystal layer provided between the first and the second substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a second electrode disposed on a first side of the second substrate facing the first electrode; and a light blocking film disposed on a second side of the second electrode and a liquid crystal display having the same.

Abstract: A novel cellulose acylate composition is disclosed. The composition comprises at least one cellulose acylate having an aromatic group-containing acyl group (Substituent A), in which a substitution degree with Substituent A satisfies following relational expressions (I) and (II): DSA2+DSA3?DSA6>0.05,??(I) 0.11<DSA2+DSA3+DSA6<0.71,??(II) wherein DSA2, DSA3 and DSA6 each indicate a substitution degree with Substituent A at the 2-, 3- and 6-positions of the cellulose acylate.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a display that can reliably shield visible light in the entire wavelength regions when viewed from an oblique direction and a viewing angle control element used for the display. A viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) is comprised of a liquid crystal cell (21) and an emission-side polarizing plate (22). When light having a part of wavelength components (R,G) in the visible wavelength regions enters at least at a predetermined angle, the liquid crystal cell (21) provides the incident light with a phase difference so as to function as a first light-shielding layer that shields the light of the R and G components not to pass through the emission-side polarizing plate (22).

Abstract: A portable computer device includes a main body and an extendable display. The main body includes an upper portion and the lower portion. The extendable display includes a left portion rotatably connected to the upper portion and a right portion. The left portion is rotatably connected to the upper portion, and includes a first side surface. The right portion is movably connected to lower portion, and includes a second side surface. The right portion is able to slide together with the lower portion along a first direction to a predetermined position. The right portion is able to move relative to the lower portion until the second side surface engages the first side surface, causing the left portion to be flush with the right portion.

Abstract: Disclosed are a composite retardation plate, a composite polarizing plate including the same and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, a composite retardation plate is prepared by corona or plasma treatment of a face of a liquid crystal coating layer formed on a polymeric base film to improve adhesion therebetween and then directly providing a surface treatment coating layer above the coated film, thus being produced by a simple process without using a glass material while requiring neither an additional base material nor adhesive layer. Therefore, the retardation plate prepared as described above is desirably used as a retarder for a thin-film type display. The present invention also provides a composite polarizing plate including the above retardation plate and a method for manufacturing the foregoing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an illuminating apparatus locally reducing light intensity without depending on the configuration of a light source itself. An illuminating apparatus used as a backlight of a display apparatus having a liquid crystal display panel with a pair of first polarizers, including a light source and a liquid crystal light control panel. The liquid crystal light control panel has a pair of second polarizers and suppresses amount of transmission of light from the light source, thereby allows the light from the light source to have such a light intensity distribution along a plane that light intensity is locally reduced. The polarization degree in the second polarizers is optimized so that transmission light amount ratio of the second polarizers is lower than that of the first polarizers.

Abstract: An optically anisotropic film comprising at least one species of liquid crystal compound which exhibits a nematic phase or a smectic phase, the liquid crystal phase showing birefringence ?n(?) at wavelength ? which satisfies the numerical expression (1) below is disclosed.

Abstract: A 3D grid controllable liquid crystal lens is provided. In the 3D grid controllable liquid crystal lens, at least two layers of a plurality of active device arrays are stacked on a first substrate, and a plurality of liquid crystal layer are respectively disposed on the active device arrays. Then, a driving voltage applied on each active device array is suitably controlled to control the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, so as to generate a refractive index distribution similar to gradient-index lens in the 3D grid controllable liquid crystal lens. Therefore, the 3D grid controllable liquid crystal lens has a focusing function for focusing/diverging the light, similar to a convex lens or a concave lens. A method for manufacturing the 3D grid controllable liquid crystal lens is also provided.

Abstract: An integrated touch screen and display device includes a polarizer with a layer of transparent conductive material deposited thereon. A touch screen controller is coupled to electrodes of the transparent conductive layer to detect the location of touches by, for example, a finger or stylus. A method for producing an integrated touch screen and display device includes applying a transparent conductive coating to an outer surface of a polarizer of a display device, creating electrodes in the conductive coating, and coupling the electrodes to a touch screen controller. A double super twisted nematic display that includes a capacitive touch panel integrated into a compensation cell of the display is also provided herein.

Abstract: A novel optical compensation sheet is disclosed. The sheet comprising a polymer layer formed by coating and, drying a solution comprising a polymer compound and a solvent composition comprising 20% by weight or more of water; and an optically anisotropic layer formed on the surface of the polymer layer by hardening a liquid crystal layer comprising at least one liquid-crystalline compound under irradiation of ionizing radiation at a film surface temperature from 70 to 160° C.; wherein a frontal retardation (Re) value of the optically anisotropic layer is not zero, and the optically anisotropic layer gives substantially equal retardation values for light of a wavelength ? nm coming respectively in a direction rotated by +40° and in a direction rotated by ?40° with respect to a normal direction of a layer plane using an in-plane slow axis as a tilt axis (a rotation axis).

Abstract: A display device, capable of changing view angle range and suitable for reducing thickness and weight, is provided. One compensating panel has such a structure that two polymer films, having birefringence, adhere to each other. The birefringence directions of the polymer films are parallel or orthogonal to the liquid crystal orientation direction. Similarly, another compensating panel has such a structure that two polymer films, having birefringence, adhere to each other. The birefringence directions of the polymer films are parallel or orthogonal to the liquid crystal orientation direction. Since the compensating panel does not include glass substrates but includes polymer films, the display device can be thin and light.

Abstract: A cellulose acylate film comprising a cellulose acylate resin satisfying the formulae (i)-(iii) and a compound capable of forming a hydrogen bond satisfying conditions (A)-(C): (A) the compound has both a hydrogen bond donor moiety and a hydrogen bond acceptor moiety in the molecule, (B) the value obtained by dividing the molecular weight of the compound by the total of the number of the hydrogen bond donor moiety and the number of the hydrogen bond acceptor moiety is from 30 to 65, (C) the number of aromatic ring structures is from 1 to 3, 0.5?A+B?2.7, ??(i) 0.0?A?2.5, and ??(ii) 0.1?B?2.0, ??(iii) wherein A means the degree of substitution with an acetyl group, and B means a total of the degree of substitution with a propionyl group and the degree of substitution with a butyryl group.

Abstract: An optical compensatory film comprising an optically anisotropic layer composed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound, wherein the liquid crystal composition contains a copolymer including a repeating unit derived from a monomer of formula [1] and a repeating unit derived from a monomer of formula [2]: wherein R0 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group, L represents a divalent linking group, and n represents an integer of 1-18; wherein R11 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group, L11 represents a divalent linking group, and R13, R14 and R15 represents a hydrocarbon group or an aromatic heterocyclic group.

Abstract: A transflective type LCD device including a unit pixel region divided into reflective and transmitting parts includes first and second substrates facing each other, a pixel electrode in the pixel region of first substrate, a reflective sheet in the reflective part of first substrate, a common electrode on the second substrate, at least one first open pattern for forming multi-domains, and the first open pattern in at least one of the pixel and common electrodes, and a plurality of second open patterns for inducing a fringe field, and the second open patterns in the reflective part of at least one of the pixel and common electrodes.

Abstract: A small-sized active matrix type liquid crystal display device that may achieve large-sized display, high precision, high resolution and multi-gray scales is provided. Gray scale display is performed by combining time ratio gray scale and voltage gray scale in a liquid crystal display device which performs display in OCB mode. In doing so, one frame is divided into subframes corresponding to the number of bit for the time ratio gray scale. Initialize voltage is applied onto the liquid crystal upon display of a subframe.

Abstract: An optical element is arranged in such a manner that a screen thereof can be hardly observed from a predetermined direction, and a deterioration of an image quality caused by moire does not occur. The optical element is constituted by a first polarizing layer, a second polarizing layer, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between these two polarizing layers. In the optical element, absorption axes of the first polarizing layer and the second polarizing layer are located parallel to each other; the liquid crystal layer is made of hybrid-aligned discotic liquid crystal; and an alignment axis of the liquid crystal layer is located parallel to, or perpendicular to both absorption axes of the first polarizing layer and of the second polarizing layer.

Abstract: There are provided a display that can block light so that a display on an image display device is invisible from a wide range of view angles in an oblique direction, and a view angle control element employed therein. In a narrow view angle state, a view angle control liquid crystal panel (2) prevents light in a predetermined wavelength region that has been incident at a polar angle of ?H or more from being transmitted through a polarizing plate (22) by using a phase difference imparted by a liquid crystal cell (21). In the narrow view angle state, a view angle control liquid crystal panel (3) prevents light that has been incident at a polar angle of ?L or more, among light that has been transmitted through the polarizing plate (22), from being transmitted through a polarizing plate (32) by using a phase difference imparted by a liquid crystal cell (31). Consequently, light forming a polar angle of ?L or more is blocked as a whole, which allows the narrow view angle state to cover a wide range.

Abstract: A novel liquid crystal display apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a liquid crystal cell comprising a pair of substrates which are provided in mutually opposed manner and which has an electrode in at least either thereof, and a liquid crystal material supported between the pair of substrates; a first polarizing film disposed outside the liquid crystal cell; and at least an in-cell optical compensation film disposed between the pair of substrates, with plural domains per a pixel having a different mean alignment direction each other.

Abstract: This invention relates to a birefringent layer, wherein the direction of the optical axis varies along the thickness direction of the layer, comprising I) (i) a liquid crystal monomer or pre-polymer having polymerisable groups; and (ii) a monomer or oligomer or polymer having photo-orientable groups, and/or (iii) a liquid crystal monomer or pre-polymer, oligomer or polymer having photo-orientable and polymerisable groups, and (iv) and optionally further components, or II) (v) a liquid crystal monomer or pre-polymer, oligomer or polymer having photo-orientable and polymerisable groups, and (vi) and optionally further components, in addition, this invention relates to a method for the preparation of the birefringent layer, its uses and optical components thereof.

Abstract: A LCD device includes first and second LCD panels stacked one on another. Each of the first and second LCD panels includes a pair of transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, and a pair of polarizing films sandwiching therebetween the pair of transparent substrates. A light diffusion layer having light diffusion function is interposed between the first LCD panel and the second LCD panel. The light diffusion layer reduces the intensity of the light passed by the first LCD panel, thereby alleviating the periodicity of the arrangement of dark areas and bright areas to alleviate the moire caused by light interference.