Patents Examined by Julie Ngo
  • Patent number: 5966194
    Abstract: The display area of a liquid crystal display cell is increased by placing conductive epoxy within the boundary which seals the liquid crystal to connect the top glass plate with the bottom glass plate, in contrast with the conventional method of making the electrical connection outside the display area. The conductive epoxy is dispensed in areas not occupied by the liquid crystal patterns. The conductive epoxy can be in the form of particles of spheres or rods serving as spacers for maintaining the gap dimension between the two glass plates. The conductive epoxy can also be integrated with the boundary sealing epoxy or fill a notch cut in the boundary sealing epoxy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Prime View International Co.
    Inventors: Dyi-Chung Hu, Sheng-Heisn Lin, Tai-Kang Wu, Sywe N. Lee
  • Patent number: 5959706
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes: scanning lines provided on a transparent substrate having an insulating property; a transparent insulating film formed on the scanning lines and the transparent substrate; signal lines provided on the transparent insulating film so as to cross the scanning lines; pixel electrodes provided in areas surrounded by the scanning lines and signal lines having lateral separation between the pixel electrode and the signal electrode; and switching elements connected to the scanning lines, the signal lines and the pixel electrodes, wherein a light-shielding member is provided within the lateral separation, the light-shielding member being located between the transparent substrate and the transparent insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisashi Nagata, Yoshinori Shimada, Naofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 5956110
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel comprises first and second substrates each having a transparent electrode and an orientation plane, a nematic liquid crystal material disposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizer disposed over the first substrate and the nematic liquid crystal material, and a simplex polymer film comprised of a single optically anisotropic substance disposed between the first substrate and the polarizer. The nematic liquid crystal material has a positive anisotropy of refractive index, a retardation of 0.55 .mu.m to 1.75 .mu.m, and molecules twisted at a high degree with a twist angle of 180.degree. to 270.degree.. The simplex polymer film has a retardation of 20 nm to 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Fujita, Shigeru Senbonmatsu, Kaori Taniguchi, Shuhei Yamamoto, Theo Welzen
  • Patent number: 5949507
    Abstract: A reflection type liquid crystal display apparatus includes: a first substrate having a plurality of reflecting electrodes; a second substrate having a light transmitting electrode; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes an insulating substrate, a switching device provided on the insulating substrate for supplying a display voltage signal to the reflecting electrode, a drawing-out electrode connected to the switching device and extending under the reflecting electrode, and an insulating resin layer having a contact hole on the drawing-out electrode. The reflecting electrode is provided on the insulating resin layer, corresponding to each pixel, so as to cover the contact hole, and is electrically connected to the drawing-out electrode at the bottom of the contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Shimada, Hisakazu Nakamura, Koji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 5946062
    Abstract: Herein disclosed are a liquid crystal display device and a data processing device, which can have their frame portions reduced in area to reduce the size and weight by extracting the terminals of video signals to only one side of a liquid crystal display panel and by arranging a video signal line driving circuit substrate to be connected with the terminals, only at one side of the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Hasegawa, Yoshio Toriyama, Naoto Kobayashi, Katsuhiko Yarita, Hironori Kondo, Masahiko Suzuki, Yoshihiro Imajo
  • Patent number: 5946064
    Abstract: An alignment layer, a method for forming the alignment layer, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) adopting the alignment layer are provided. The alignment layer includes a heat-curable resin layer having microgrooves and an optical alignment polymer layer, coated on the heat-curable resin layer. According to the present invention, the thermal stability of the alignment layer is improved. Accordingly, an LCD adopting the alignment layer has improved display performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eung-sang Lee
  • Patent number: 5940159
    Abstract: A color microdisplay utilizes diffraction gratings to provide an array of high efficiency color pixels. The microdisplay includes a semiconductor substrate and source of light disposed adjacent thereto. A cover plate may be disposed above the substrate and has a layer of conductive material on a surface of the cover plate opposite the substrate. An optically active material, such as liquid crystal material, may be disposed between the substrate and the cover plate. An array of pixels are formed on the substrate. The pixel array includes an array of diffraction grating elements. Each element includes one or more diffraction gratings. The pitch of each diffraction grating can be a function of the angle of the incident light and the desired diffraction output spectrum. An optical system directs the diffracted light from each grating through the optically active material into viewing optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Phillip Alvelda
  • Patent number: 5933203
    Abstract: Driver apparatus and methods of driving at least a portion of a cholesteric liquid crystal ("CLC") panel to a state having a given reflectivity. One of the methods includes the steps of: (1) initially driving the portion to a nematic phase, (2) subsequently driving the portion to a cholesteric phase focal-conic state, the cholesteric phase focal-conic state providing a known reference state for subsequent driving of the portion and (3) thereafter driving the portion to the state having the given reflectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Display Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bao-Gang Wu, Jianmi Gao, Meng Zhao
  • Patent number: 5933206
    Abstract: A display apparatus is constituted by a display panel having an electrode terminal, a flexible carrier carrying a drive element for driving the display panel together with an input terminal and an output terminal connected thereto, a circuit board for supplying signals to the drive element, and a support plate for supporting the display panel and the circuit board. The output terminal and the input terminal of the flexible carrier are connected to the electrode terminal of the display panel and the circuit board, respectively. The support plate is provided with a supporting member, for supporting the circuit board at a position which is farther from the display panel than a line dividing the circuit board into equal halves closer to and farther from the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Niibori, Masanori Takahashi, Yasushi Shioya
  • Patent number: 5929955
    Abstract: Color distortion in Liquid Crystal Displays arises because, in addition to rotating the plane of polarization, liquid crystals are birefringent. This causes the emergent light to become elliptically polarized, the extent varying with wavelength, thereby upsetting the color balance. Prior art solutions to this involve use of a single birefringent layer to compensate for this. This approach is only partly successful. The present invention improves the color balance still further by providing a separate set of microcompensators for each primary color that comprises the display. By this means, an exact match between the color distortion introduced by the liquid crystal layer and the phase compensation needed to correct this can be made for each primary color separately. Several different arrangements of the micro color filters of the display and their corresponding microcompensators are shown and a cost effective method for manufacturing these structures is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ting-Chiang Hsieh, Chen-Lung Kuo
  • Patent number: 5926240
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display apparatus has a pair of substrates. One of the paired substrates includes active matrix elements and reflective pixel electrodes. The other substrate includes a transparent electrode. A liquid crystal layer is provided between the paired substrates, with a single-layer dielectric film disposed between the reflective pixel electrodes and the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Hirota, Hideo Sato, Iwao Takemoto, Toshio Saito
  • Patent number: 5923394
    Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display device is described. The device has a pair of substrates having at least an electrode film and an alignment film, and a complex made of a ferroelectric liquid crystal material and a polymer material disposed between the substrates. The complex has a network structure such that the network structure stabilizes the orientation of molecules of the ferroelectric liquid crystal material. Directions of pretilt angles of the molecules of the ferroelectric liquid crystal material located at interfaces between the substrates and the ferroelectric liquid crystal material are substantially identical. The ferroelectric liquid crystal material has a chevron layer structure, and a bending direction of the chevron layer structure is substantially identical to the directions of the pretilt angles of the molecules at the interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Aya Miyazaki, Mitsuhiro Koden, Paul Antony Gass
  • Patent number: 5917566
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a color filter which includes arranging an electroconductor and a transparent substrate carrying an electroconductive transparent thin layer in an electrodeposition bath so that the electroconductor and the substrate are disposed in spaced and parallel relationship and that a baffle is disposed between the thus arranged electroconductor and the substrate, and carrying out electrodeposition in the electrodeposition bath by using the electroconductive transparent thin layer as one electrode and the electroconductor as a counter electrode permits the production of a desired color filter having superior layer flatness, even when the substrate enlarged in the size is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tsutomu Watanabe, Jun-ichi Yasukawa, Toshiaki Ota, Nobuhiko Nishihara, Tsuyoshi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 5917572
    Abstract: A spacer is constructed of a stacked colored layers constituting color filters and is disposed in such a position as to exhibit a high dielectric breakdown strength on an active matrix substrate. A display performance is enhanced because of using no plastic beads, and insulation can be maintained. When the spacer assumes an inversely tapered shape, a contact position of the spacer can be freely selected because of forming no conductive layer on side surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shoichi Kurauchi, Daisuke Miyazaki, Hitoshi Hatoh, Muneharu Akiyoshi, Teruyuki Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 5907382
    Abstract: A transparent conductive substrate, that has excellent heat resistant characteristic, shock resisting characteristic, chemical resisting characteristic, oxygen barrier characteristic, steam barrier characteristic, and scratch resisting characteristic while the substrate is easy to handle and has a thin, and light-weight structure, is provided. A display apparatus having such a transparent conductive substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Sadao Kajiura, Toshiro Hiraoka, Akira Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 5905558
    Abstract: A circuit plate, suitable for constituting an optical modulation device, such as a liquid crystal device, includes a light-transmissive substrate, and a plurality of principal electrodes and sub-electrodes supported on the light-transmissive substrate. Each sub-electrode is disposed between an associated principal electrode and the light-transmissive substrate so as to be electrically connected with the associated principal electrode. The plurality of sub-electrodes are disposed in a region in the light-transmissive substrate with gaps therebetween which are filled with an insulating layer, the sub-electrodes and the insulating layer in combination forming a surface on which the principal electrodes are formed. Further, a plurality of projection pieces are disposed in a region on the light-transmissive substrate outside the region of the sub-electrodes so as to be free from connection with the principal electrodes and the sub-electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tokunaga, Masaru Kamio, Haruo Tomono, Yuji Matsuo
  • Patent number: 5903330
    Abstract: An optical component includes a substrate or cell having two spaced-apart substrates, one or more orientation layers on the substrates and one or more anisotropic layers of cross-linked liquid crystalline monomers or oligomers with locally different orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. The surfaces of the orientation layers adjacent the liquid crystalline layers have orientation patterns with a defined parallel or fan-like line structure in locally limited regions. The average spacing between the lines of the fan-like line structure is not greater than the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and the angle between neighboring lines is not greater than 3.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Rolic AG
    Inventors: Jurg Funfschilling, Martin Ruetschi, Martin Schadt, Hubert Seiberle
  • Patent number: 5903327
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit having a dot matrix display section, a pict display section arranged at a different portion from the dot matrix display section and a connection terminal for connecting signal conductors from the dot matrix display section with an external device, wherein the pict display section is divided into a plurality of cells and the signal conductors are connected with the connection terminal via each of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Hijii
  • Patent number: 5899549
    Abstract: A liquid-crystal display for use in small-sized transceivers is provided. This display includes a signal processing circuit processing a radio signal received by an antenna, a liquid-crystal driver converting an output signal from the signal processing circuit into a display control signal, a liquid-crystal plate responsive to the display control signal from liquid-crystal driver to display information thereon carried by the radio signal, an electroluminescence plate disposed between the liquid-crystal plate and the liquid-crystal driver, illuminating a bottom area of the liquid-crystal plate opposite to the display area, and a conductive shield member attached to the bottom area of the electroluminescence plate, blocking conductive coupling of the liquid-crystal plate and the liquid-crystal driver for screening the antenna from noise interfering with radio reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Tsumura
  • Patent number: 5897182
    Abstract: In a TFT substrate for a liquid crystal display and the liquid crystal display having such a TFT substrate, a defect in the wiring due to improper patterning of a gate electrode is prevented and an orientation property is improved by connecting wiring areas to a scan line and connecting a gate electrode to the scan line at two points, and the connecting wiring areas are formed in a ring shape so that a source electrode is located in an area surrounded by the connecting wiring areas, or arranging the wiring area to relieve a step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mamoru Miyawaki