Abstract: The invention relates to a protocol for driving a liquid crystal display, in which a row (common) matrix is made up of orthogonal block-circulant matrices which can be generated by nonlinear programming or alternatively by paraunitary matricing.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ITO heater for a liquid crystal display, typically a DSTN display which comprises an active liquid crystal cell for optical modulation, characterized by a dummy cell adapted for optical compensation comprising two substrates with liquid crystal therebetween, by a heater, the heater comprising a transparent conductive layer applied to one of the substrates, and by the dummy cell further comprising electrically conductive spacing means for simultaneously maintaining a desired cell gap and equalizing the electrical potential between the two substrates.

Abstract: A driving scheme for a liquid crystal display of any order and dimension, comprising matrix building blocks possessing Orthogonal and Shift Orthogonality properties. The driving scheme uses paraunitary matrices of the order M×(N+1)M as the orthogonal building blocks.

Abstract: A bistable twisted nematic LCD cell is presented. The cell includes front and rear polarizes, substrates and a liquid crystal layer between the substrates. Rubbing directions are arranged to give an initial twist angle of the liquid crystal, arranged such that the cell does not make a configuration with an initial twist angle of 180° and wherein an initial twist angle is not a multiple of 90°, and a twist angle is in the range of 30-80°, with a retardation in the range of 0.33-0.44 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention deals with liquid crystal displays where the incident light and reflected light going through the display are not specularly related. The incident light can be at a range of angles to the display while the reflected light, i.e. the viewing direction is at or nearly normal to the display. For such nonspecular liquid crystal displays, the polarizer angles, the input/output directors of the liquid crystal cell, and the liquid crystal cell retardation have to be specially optimized to obtain the best viewing effects. Conventional liquid crystal display modes do not work optimally in this nonspecular situation. We also disclose the new image-mode and shadow-mode nonspecular liquid crystal displays. Such displays have very bright background and are free from viewing glare common in most liquid crystal displays. The present invention applies to all twist angles, e.g. the 90° TN, the 120° and 150° HTN, the 180°, 240° and 270° STN displays.

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.

Abstract: A generalized mixed twisted nematic/birefringent effect mode is presented for reflective liquid crystal displays with only one polarizer. This new MTB mode encompasses all previously published reflective nematic liquid crystal display modes and is clearly shown on the parameter space diagrams. The invention of how to obtain operating conditions of this generalized mixed mode display is discussed. For any given angle between the polarizer and the input director of the liquid crystal cell, a unique range of values of the twist angle and the retardation d&Dgr;n for efficient reflection and low dispersion is defined.

Abstract: The invention relates to an active matrix liquid crystal display device based on voltage control (non-zero driving voltage) of the birefringence (negative or positive) of the liquid crystal cell. In the device a ground (earth) plate comprises a piece of glass with a transparent conductive coating, such as indium tin oxide. A silicon wafer with integrated circuits on it has a coating of polymer for aligning liquid crystal molecules. The coated glass also has a coating for aligning the liquid crystal molecules.

Abstract: A method of making a combined printed circuit board having a hollow portion or a through hole and an integrated circuit driver, wherein an external surface of the board and the driver is substantially planar. The method comprises steps of mounting the driver in the hollow portion, providing means temporarily for holding the driver in the hollow portion, encapsulating resin the driver with resin, and then removing the temporarily holding means.

Abstract: A contact sensitive substrate for electronic equipment comprising a plurality of touch pads and respective associated leads defining an array of touch positions on a front (in use) face of the substrate.