Patents Examined by Ron Trice
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Patent number: 5568293Abstract: Surface Stability Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Device having color filters assembled avoids, generation of alignment defect ocurring in the initial alignment control step by providing space of 0-5 microns between adjacent trapezoidal color filters having prescribed taper angle and thickness.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 1995Date of Patent: October 22, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideaki Takao, Tatsuo Murata, Junichiro Kanbe, Miki Tamura, Masaru Kamio, Nobuyuki Sekimura, Yoshiki Kikuchi
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Patent number: 5568286Abstract: A fast-speed optical switching unit includes a polarization rotation unit having plurality of liquid crystal cells disposed on a common substrate and optically coupled together in series so as to impart a selected linear polarization orientation to an incident light beam. The polarization rotation unit is optically coupled to beam-directing optics such that, dependent on the polarization orientation of the light beam passing from the polarization unit, the light beam is directed onto a predetermined path. The multiple liquid crystal cells driven by a selected control voltage so as to operate in the fast speed regime, thus collectively effecting a faster change in polarization orientation of a light beam passing therethrough than is obtainable with a single liquid crystal cell.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1993Date of Patent: October 22, 1996Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Nabeel A. Riza
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Patent number: 5559620Abstract: An anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal device includes a first substrate on which pixel electrodes and an alignment film are formed, and a second substrate on which an opposite electrode and another alignment film are formed. These substrates are arranged to face each other. An anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal is sealed in a space defined between the substrates. The pixel electrodes arranged on the first substrate are connected to thin-film transistors formed on the first substrate. The thin-film transistors are selected by being supplied with control signals at their gates and data signals are supplied to their drains to apply data potentials to the pixel electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1995Date of Patent: September 24, 1996Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomio Tanaka, Katsuhito Sakamoto
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Patent number: 5557434Abstract: An improved normally white super-twist nematic (OMI) liquid crystal display exhibits a dramatically improved horizontal viewing angle as compared to conventional OMI displays. The display's liquid crystal cell has a twist angle greater than about 180.degree. and less than about 270.degree., preferably between 220.degree. and 250.degree., and a phase retardation of between 500 nanometers (nm) and 850 nm. The improved display includes a novel compensator which incorporates, as one of its compensation elements, a positively birefringent oblique compensator layer (referred to as an O-plate compensator layer). Additionally, a positively birefringent A-plate compensator layer and one or more negatively birefringent C-plate compensator layers may be used in the display.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1994Date of Patent: September 17, 1996Assignee: Rockwell InternationalInventors: Bruce K. Winker, Ragini Saxena, Donald B. Taber, Leonard G. Hale
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Patent number: 5552908Abstract: A film type compensation cell for an LCD which compensates for the twist angle of the liquid crystal in the LCD. The compensation cell has two compensation films, having orientation grooves formed on the surfaces thereof. Liquid crystal is between the two compensation films and is twisted in an opposite direction of the liquid crystal in the LCD. Compensation cells can be manufactured by forming orientation grooves on the surfaces of the compensation films and applying a liquid crystal therebetween. The compensation films are then pressed together and cut to the requisite size.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 1995Date of Patent: September 3, 1996Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd.Inventors: Si-hwan Kim, Jin-oh Kwak
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Patent number: 5552912Abstract: The present invention provides optical modulators which comprise aligned chiral smectic liquid crystal cells within an optical resonance cavity. The cavity configurations include symmetric and asymmetric Fabry-Perot etalons. The liquid crystal cells can be planar- or homeotropically-aligned and can be discrete state or analog cells. The device configurations of the present invention provide discrete or continuous optical modulation of the phase, intensity, and wavelength of elliptically polarized light, without requiring polarization analyzers. The modulators are optically or electronically addressable in single pixels or arrays of multiple pixels. Certain homeotropically-aligned cells are provided as an aspect of this invention, as are certain variable retarders comprised of planar-aligned cells in combination with birefringent elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1994Date of Patent: September 3, 1996Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of ColoradoInventors: Gary D. Sharp, Kristina M. Johnson
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Patent number: 5548424Abstract: A surface stability ferroelectric liquid crystal device has color filters with adjacent resin films. The resin films are provided by a first resin film and a second resin film, wherein the second resin film is formed with a resin solution having a viscosity higher than that of the first resin film.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1994Date of Patent: August 20, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideaki Takao, Tatsuo Murata, Junichiro Kanbe, Miki Tamura, Masaru Kamio, Nobuyuki Sekimura, Yoshiki Kikuchi
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Patent number: 5548430Abstract: A flickerproof retaining structure for a liquid crystal display is disclosed. The retaining structure comprises an elastic pad disposed under a lower face of the display and a peripheral supporting frame located under the elastic pad to support the same. The peripheral supporting frame is formed on a housing and profiled corresponding to a peripheral sealed portion of the display. The peripheral supporting frame has an upper edge portion supporting and abutting against a bottom face of the sealed portion of the display, whereby a housing deforming force such as key depressing force exerted on said housing will be only transmitted through the peripheral supporting frame and the elastic pad to the sealed portion of the display without compressing a liquid crystal zone of the display so that no flickering of characters displayed on the display will take place due to the housing deforming force.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1994Date of Patent: August 20, 1996Assignee: Kinpo Electroncis, Inc.Inventor: Chunge-De Kuo
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Patent number: 5546207Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating a liquid crystal display device with a repair structure, comprising a substrate; a plurality of thin film transistors arranged in matrix, each of the thin film transistors including a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, an ohmic layer and a source/drain electrode which are formed on the substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged alternatively with respect to the thin film transistors; a plurality of gate bus lines extended between the pixel electrodes arranged in two adjacent rows and commonly connected with gates of the thin film transistors arranged in the same row; a plurality of data bus lines extended between the pixel electrodes arranged in two adjacent columns and commonly connected with the source electrodes of the thin film transistors arranged in the same column; and a passivation layer thereon.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1994Date of Patent: August 13, 1996Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.Inventor: Man S. Kim
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Patent number: 5546203Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is provided with a heat releasing means. The heat releasing means is constructed such that a frame for fixing a liquid crystal display board to an illuminating device has a cutout formed in a position corresponding to a light source in order to expose a holding member of the light source for releasing heat. Alternatively, the heat releasing means is constructed by providing a metallic plate in a portion corresponding to the light source. With these means, it is possible to prevent local rise of temperature in the edge portion of the liquid crystal board.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1993Date of Patent: August 13, 1996Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunori Takao
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Patent number: 5543943Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing a ferroelectric liquid crystal between a pair of substrates having thereon electrodes for voltage application and provided with uniaxial alignment axes, as by rubbing, so as to provide a high pretilt angle of at least 10 degrees. A problematic liquid crystal movement in such a high-pretilt angle ferroelectric liquid crystal device is suppressed by improving a smectic layer structure therein, inclusive of a symmetry of pretilt angles at the pair of substrate boundary surfaces. Such an improved smectic layer structure is accomplished by a realigning treatment after cooling to the chiral smectic phase or in the final stage of the cooling to the chiral smectic phase as by application of an AC electric field and/or by repetitive heating-cooling in the chiral smectic phase. The improved smectic layer structure is represented by, e.g., an X-ray diffraction peak having an increased peak area and/or a decreased half-value width.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1995Date of Patent: August 6, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukio Hanyu, Akira Tsuboyama, Osamu Taniguchi, Tadashi Mihara, Katsutoshi Nakamura, Sunao Mori
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Patent number: 5535026Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates provided with electrodes, at least one of the substrates being transparent, a liquid crystal region and a polymeric wall surrounding the liquid crystal region, the liquid crystal region and the polymeric wall being interposed between the pair of substrates.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1995Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koichi Fujimori, Shinji Yamagishi, Tokihiko Shinomiya
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Patent number: 5535025Abstract: An optical arrangement that provides a telecentric helmet mounted display optical system. The optical arrangement comprises an image source including a faceplate wedge attached to a liquid crystal display, such as an active matrix liquid crystal display, for example, that is illuminated with collimated fight. The output image is used as a light source for an off-axis or on-axis reflector used to produce an output image. The faceplate wedge corrects the anamorphic distortion exhibited in the off-axis reflector and directs the light energy into the off-axis entrance pupil of the reflector to maintain high uniformity over the exit pupil without sacrificing brightness. More particularly, the present invention comprises the input light source, and the liquid crystal display that is illuminated with collimated light from the light source. The faceplate wedge is optically coupled to the liquid crystal display, and the reflector is optically coupled to the faceplate wedge for producing an output image.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 1994Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Assignee: Hughes Training, Inc.Inventor: Ronald G. Hegg
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Patent number: 5530566Abstract: Disclosed is a class of light modulating materials comprising microdomains of ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal dispersed in a light-transmissive polymer medium. The microdomains are formed by phase separation of the liquid crystal from solution with the polymer as the polymer is solidified. The switching of the liquid crystal may be either monostable or multistable (e.g., bistable), depending on the liquid crystal and polymer. The material modulates light in either a scattering-transmissive mode or a birefringence mode. Materials operating in the scattering-transmissive mode do not require polarizers, Advantages of the materials include switching times down to the order of microseconds or less, multistable optical states, wide viewing angles and high contrast.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1994Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignee: Kent State UniversityInventor: Satyendra Kumar
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Patent number: 5528397Abstract: A display panel is formed using essentially single crystal thin-film material that is transferred to substrates for display fabrication. Pixel arrays form light valves or switches that can be fabricated with control electronics in the thin-film material prior to transfer. The resulting circuit panel is then incorporated into a display panel with a light emitting or liquid crystal material to provide the desired display.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1994Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Kopin CorporationInventors: Paul M. Zavracky, John C. C. Fan, Robert McClelland, Jeffrey Jacobsen, Brenda Dingle
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Patent number: 5528393Abstract: This invention provides split-element liquid crystal polarization interference filters in wide-field, bandpass, cut-on, cut-off and notch filter embodiments. The split-element filters of this invention comprise a polarization interference stage defined by a pair of polarizers. Disposed within the stage are a center retarder, and first and a second split-element retarder, the split-element retarders having equal retardances and positioned in series with and on either side of the center retarder. The retarders can be liquid crystal variable retarders or can be fixed retarders used in combination with liquid crystal retarders. Double split-element filters in passive and tunable embodiments are provided comprising, within a polarization interference stage, a center retarder, an inside pair of split-element retarders and an outside pair of split-element retarders.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 1994Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Regents of the University of ColoradoInventors: Gary D. Sharp, Kristina M. Johnson
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Patent number: 5526151Abstract: A plasma addressed liquid crystal display device having a plasma cell and a liquid crystal cell stacked one above the other is manufactured by a method of forming stripe-shaped barrier ribs by printing to a substrate on which a plurality of plasma electrodes are previously formed, filling a temporary reinforcing material between each of the stripe-shaped barrier ribs to bury the periphery of the individual barrier ribs, polishing to planarize a top portion of each of the barrier ribs buried in the reinforcing material, removing the temporary reinforcing material to expose the plasma electrodes and finally joining a dielectric sheet in contact with the planarized top portions of the barrier ribs, to assemble a plasma cell. Barrier ribs formed in the plasma cell of the plasma addressed liquid crystal display device can be polished stably with no worry of destruction.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1995Date of Patent: June 11, 1996Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Shigeki Miyazaki, Takahiro Togawa
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Patent number: 5515186Abstract: A welding helmet and lens therefor includes a shield and a lens including a two identical optical components, each including a polarizer, a further polarizer (analyzer) optically between said optical components and effectively shared as an output device from one optical component and an input device for the other optical component, the transmissive axes of respective polarizers of said optical components being operatively oriented relative to one another to improve extinction of light incident on said lens at prescribed angles. The lens may be used in other optical systems.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1993Date of Patent: May 7, 1996Assignee: OSD Envizion CompanyInventors: Jeffrey K. Fergason, Arthur L. Berman, James L. Fergason, John D. Fergason
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Patent number: 5513025Abstract: An image display apparatus includes an image display device such as, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, having a plurality of dot-shaped picture elements arranged in a two-dimensional pattern, and a diffraction grating disposed on an optical path through which imagewise rays of light emerging from the device travel. To minimize a reduction in quality and contrast of an image displayed by the device, the member has a spatial cut-off frequency chosen to be of a value lying between the sampling frequency, determined by the pitch between picture elements of the image display device, and the Nyquist frequency. For the same purpose, the intensity of .+-.1st order light relative to the intensity of 0-th order light in the diffraction grating is within the range of 60 to 80% at a center wavelength of the image display device, and the sum of the intensity of the 0-th order light and that of the .+-.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1993Date of Patent: April 30, 1996Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.Inventors: Rikuji Watanabe, Katsuya Fujisawa, Ikuo Onishi
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Patent number: RE35275Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a first substrate provided with a thin film transistor array as a driving switching element and a second substrate provided with another electrode, and produces a display by electro-optical change generated between these substrates. Visibility of the display is improved in such a way that rays of light incident on the display apparatus are converted into diffusion light. Photoconductive material, in particular amorphous silicon, can be used by covering a semiconductive portions of the thin film transistor array of the display apparatus with an intercepting member. In a display apparatus using a thin film transistor array as a driving switching element, a conductive surface electrically insulated from gate lines on a substrate on which the gate lines for the thin film transistor array are formed, such conductive surface acts as a counter electrode of capacitors for storing charge.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1995Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yukitoshi Okubo, Yoshiyuki Osada, Masao Sugata, Katsunori Hatanaka, Takashi Nakagiri