Abstract: A driving method of a liquid crystal device for recording an image, the liquid crystal device including a liquid crystal layer having a cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoconductor layer accumulated on the liquid crystal layer, and electrodes, includes initializing an entire liquid crystal layer to a focal conic texture by applying a voltage exceeding a threshold value of transition from a planar texture to a focal conic texture, exposing the liquid crystal device imagewise while applying a voltage not exceeding a threshold value from the focal conic texture to a homeotropic texture upon non-exposure but exceeding the threshold value upon exposure and that provides bistability of the focal conic texture and the homeotropic texture with hysteresis upon non-exposure, and fixing a displayed image by releasing an application of voltage to change a part of the liquid crystal layer changed to the homeotropic texture to the planar texture.

Abstract: A medium writing apparatus obtains information to be written onto a recording medium, converts the information into a suitable writable format, and then writes the converted information onto the recording medium. An ID obtaining section obtains a medium ID from the recording medium, or through an input by the user. The medium ID and information indicating the place of the written information are sent to a server, and then stored as index information correlating them with each other. When the information written onto the recording medium is to be used at a later timing, the medium ID is identified, and the index information is obtained from the server. Therefore, the original information can be obtained so as to be easily reprocessed or reused.

Abstract: Sequentially performed are (1) an entire liquid crystal layer is initialized into a focal conic state, (2) an image is written onto the liquid crystal device by scanning with selecting exposure or non-exposure while applying a voltage that does not exceed a threshold value for a state change from the focal conic state to a homeotropic state during the non-exposure but exceeds the threshold value during the exposure and that causes the focal conic state and the homeotropic state to be bi-stable after the exposure, and (3) the application of the voltage is stopped to change a state of a portion, of which the state has changed to the homeotropic state, to the planer state. In (2), an electric field energy applied to an exposure portion of the liquid crystal layer is controlled to gradually increase from a start to an end of the series of scanning actions.

Abstract: A medium writing apparatus obtains information to be written onto a recording medium, converts the information into a suitable writable format, and then writes the converted information onto the recording medium. An ID obtaining section obtains a medium ID from the recording medium, or through an input by the user. The medium ID and information indicating the place of the written information are sent to a server, and then stored as index information correlating them with each other. When the information written onto the recording medium is to be used at a later timing, the medium ID is identified, and the index information is obtained from the server. Therefore, the original information can be obtained so as to be easily reprocessed or reused.

Abstract: A method drives a spatial light modulation device to record an image into the device. The device includes first and second light modulation layers. The method includes exposing the device to imagewise light while applying a first voltage between electrodes of the first light modulation layer. If the second light modulation layer has such a characteristic that a curve of an intensity of light, which has the same wavelength as the imagewise light and is applied to the second light modulation layer, versus a reflectivity of the second light modulation layer after finishing applying the light has a local maximum point, an intensity of the imagewise light in the exposing is larger than an intensity, which the curve has at the local maximum point, and in the exposing, the second light modulation layer has a reflectivity lower than a reflectivity, which the curve has at the local maximum point.

Abstract: An optical address type spatial light modulator has a plurality of optical address type light modulation layers stacked on each other, each having a liquid crystal layer for reflecting visible light in a specific wavelength band or a liquid crystal layer for absorbing visible light in a specific wavelength band and coloring and a photoconductive layer for absorbing the visible light in the specific wavelength band and changing the resistance value in response to the light intensity of the visible light absorbed, the liquid crystal layer and the photoconductive layer being stacked on each other between electrodes.

Abstract: The present invention is an display apparatus including: a display portion 100 that displays individual images IM1 and IM2 on the same screen; and a display control portion 10 that adjusts image quality of the individual images IM1 and IM2 as output conditions thereof to control visible ranges of the individual images IM1 and IM2. According to the present invention, the visible ranges can be changed by adjusting the image quality of the individual images IM1 and IM2. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the visible ranges of the individual images IM1 and IM2, and improve the visibility of the images in a multi-view display without changing the configuration of the display portion 100 composed of the multi-view display.

Abstract: An optically writable display medium, which includes a display layer, a photoconductor layer and a pair of electrodes, is provided. The display layer is capable of selectively reflecting incident light in response to an applied voltage and it has memory capability. Electrical resistance of the photoconductor layer changes in response to writing light with which the photoconductor layer is irradiated. The pair of electrodes are disposed such that the display layer and the photoconductor layer are interposed therebetween, with at least one of the electrodes having plural segmented electrodes juxtaposed along a predetermined direction. Each power receiving terminal of the plural segmented electrodes is disposed such that part of a region of the power receiving terminal of each segmented electrode overlaps, in the predetermined direction, but does not contact part of a region of the power receiving terminal of the segmented electrode that is adjacent thereto.

Abstract: An optical recording apparatus and a method of optical recording are disclosed in which: a DC voltage of a first polarity is applied, as a reset voltage for initializing a display layer, to one of a plurality of divided electrodes which is selected in a predetermined sequence along a specified direction, and reset light is irradiated onto a photoconductor layer in a region corresponding to the selected divided electrode; and a DC voltage of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity is applied, as an image writing voltage for writing an image in the display layer, to the selected divided electrode, and image light corresponding to input image information is irradiated onto the photoconductor layer in the region corresponding to the selected divided electrode. Also disclosed is an image display apparatus including the optical recording apparatus.

Abstract: A method for driving a light modulation element includes: applying light to the light modulation element in accordance with an image to be displayed on the light modulation element while applying a DC voltage between a pair of electrode layers of the light modulation element; and applying a pulse voltage having an opposite polarity to the DC voltage applied so far between the pair of electrode layers with the light being applied, and terminating the applying of the light when the applying of the pulse voltage is terminated. The applying of the light, the applying of the pulse voltage and the terminating of the applying of the light are executed sequentially.

Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a voltage applying unit, a light irradiation unit and a resistance control unit. The voltage applying unit forms a voltage applying circuit together with a pair of electrode layers of a photo-addressing type display element. The voltage applying unit applies a voltage between the pair of electrode layers. The light irradiation unit irradiates the photo-addressing type display element with addressing light. The resistance control unit controls a resistance to a current which flows in a direction to reduce a potential difference between the pair of electrode layers to be larger than that during a period in which the voltage applying unit is applying the voltage.

Abstract: A laminated body comprises: a particle dispersion layer comprising a first material and particles dispersed in the first material, the first material being changed from a gel state to a sol state upon increase in temperature; and a coated layer comprising a second material, the second material is changed from a gel state to a sol state upon increase in temperature, is changed from a gel state to a sol state upon decrease in temperature, and shows a hysteresis behavior in sol-gel change upon change in temperature, wherein the particle dispersion layer in a sol state and the coated layer in a gel state are laminated in contact with each other, and in a state where each of the particle dispersion layer and the coated layer contains a solvent, a maximum temperature T1 where the first material maintains a gel state is less than a maximum temperature T2 where the second material maintains a gel state upon increase in temperature (T1<T2).

Abstract: The invention discloses a liquid crystal display element including: a pair of display substrates each having a support and an electrode provided on one surface of the support; and a display layer provided between the electrodes of the pair of display substrates, wherein the display layer contains gelatin and liquid crystal drops or microcapsules; and the liquid crystal drops or microcapsules are densely arrayed in a monolayer, and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display element, including: applying to a surface of one of the display substrates which surface has the electrode, a coating solution in which liquid crystal drops or microcapsules are dispersed in a solution containing gelatin and a solvent, thereby forming a coating layer; and evaporating the solvent in the coating layer at a temperature not less than the freezing point of the gelatin to provide a display layer between the electrodes of the display substrates.

Abstract: A method for driving a reflective liquid crystal display having a selective reflection layer to record an image on the reflective liquid crystal display is provided. The method includes: selectively applying two or more kinds of voltages, which includes a voltage V1H exceeding an operation threshold value of the selective reflection layer and a voltage V1L not exceeding the operation threshold value of the selective reflection layer, to the selective reflection layer for a period of time TV1, so as to select, in the selective reflection layer, an area where the operation threshold value is exceeded and other area where the operation threshold value is not exceeded; and applying a voltage V2 to the selective reflection layer, the voltage V2 having a frequency differing from that of the voltages V1H and V1L.

Abstract: A method for driving a liquid crystal device to record an image on the liquid crystal device is provided. The liquid crystal device has: a pair of electrodes; and a liquid crystal layer of cholestric liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of electrodes. The method includes: applying a voltage V1 higher than a threshold value of a phase change to the homeotropic phase to make the liquid crystal layer to be in a homeotoropic phase; applying selectively two voltages V2H and V2L higher than the voltage V1 to each portion of the liquid crystal layer; and applying a voltage V3 under a condition of such a magnification and application time that a portion to which the voltage V2H has been applied changes to a planar phase and a portion to which the voltage V2L has been applied changes to a focal conic phase.

Abstract: A writing device constituting an electronic book includes a connector to which electronic papers are detachably connected. The number of connected sheets of electronic paper is recognized, and is output to a host computer. In the host computer, display data is output on the basis of the number of electronic papers, and the display data is written in the electronic papers by a write control unit. When a change of connections of the electronic papers is detected by the detection unit, a part of images displayed on the electronic papers is rewritten depending on the detected connection states of the electronic papers by which optimum images on the electronic papers are displayed even if an arbitrary electronic paper is attached or detached.

Abstract: An optical address type spatial light modulator has a plurality of optical address type light modulation layers stacked on each other, each having a liquid crystal layer for reflecting visible light in a specific wavelength band or a liquid crystal layer for absorbing visible light in a specific wavelength band and coloring and a photoconductive layer for absorbing the visible light in the specific wavelength band and changing the resistance value in response to the light intensity of the visible light absorbed, the liquid crystal layer and the photoconductive layer being stacked on each other between electrodes.

Abstract: A method drives a spatial light modulation device to record an image into the device. The device includes first and second light modulation layers. The method includes exposing the device to imagewise light while applying a first voltage between electrodes of the first light modulation layer. If the second light modulation layer has such a characteristic that a curve of an intensity of light, which has the same wavelength as the imagewise light and is applied to the second light modulation layer, versus a reflectivity of the second light modulation layer after finishing applying the light has a local maximum point, an intensity of the imagewise light in the exposing is larger than an intensity, which the curve has at the local maximum point, and in the exposing, the second light modulation layer has a reflectivity lower than a reflectivity, which the curve has at the local maximum point.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light modulation element in which a visible image is written by simultaneously conducting irradiation of the light modulation element with exposure light according to image information which corresponds to the visible image and application of a voltage, having: a pair of electrodes to which the voltage is applied; a photoconductive layer which, when the light modulation element has been irradiated with the exposure light, shows an electric characteristic distribution corresponding to the intensity distribution of the exposure light; a liquid crystal layer to which a partial voltage derived from the voltage applied to the pair of electrodes and having a distribution corresponding to the electric characteristic distribution of the photoconductive layer is applied to record a visible image having an optical characteristic distribution corresponding to the distribution of the partial voltage; and a light shielding layer disposed between the photoconductive layer and the liquid cry

Abstract: An optical address type spatial light modulator has a plurality of optical address type light modulation layers stacked on each other, each having a liquid crystal layer for reflecting visible light in a specific wavelength band or a liquid crystal layer for absorbing visible light in a specific wavelength band and coloring and a photoconductive layer for absorbing the visible light in the specific wavelength band and changing the resistance value in response to the light intensity of the visible light absorbed, the liquid crystal layer and the photoconductive layer being stacked on each other between electrodes.