Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes an LCD panel providing a surface. A flexible heating system of the invention includes a substantially transparent flexible sheet substrate disposed adjacent the surface of the LCD panel and a substantially transparent resistive heating element formed on the flexible sheet substrate. One or more serpentine shaped thermal sensors are formed in the resistive heating element. Control circuitry coupled to the serpentine shaped thermal sensors and to the substantially transparent resistive heating element and other heaters controls the heating element and other heaters based resistances of the serpentine shaped thermal sensors.

Abstract: An LCD heater having independent closed loop control over heating for a plurality of zones on the display, wherein each zone has a relatively homogeneous heat dissipation or heat sinking properties and one of the zones is a central region of the display which is heated by an ITO film and has its temperature sensed, by a transparent sensor, at a central point within the viewable section of the LCD.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating a polarizer for use in an LCD, which includes cutting said polarizer so that an absorption axis of the polarizer is aligned with an edge of the polarizer by using an optical sensor, coupled to a cutting machine, where the optical sensor uses a rotating reference polarizer to determine a null point of transmission through the polarizer and thereby determine any offset of the absorption axis with respect to an edge of the polarizer.

Abstract: A technique is provided to resolve “bright on” pixels defects in a normally white liquid crystal display. A laser operating with a wavelength in the visible range permits the ablation of material coated or adhered to a glass substrate of the liquid crystal display without causing thermal or mechanical damage to the glass substrate. The laser is used to darken the defective pixel by focusing on color filter of the defective pixel. After a portion of the color filter is darkened, a minor defect exists.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating multi-layer optical compensators which includes a rigid or flexible planar guide member having reference lines thereon for aiding in alignment of successive layers and further having a vacuum producing capability which stabilizes the compensator when it is processed, along with the guide member, through a roller machine.

Abstract: A flat panel display spacer metering apparatus comprises a motor-driven rotatable disc, having a plurality of cavities distributed around a first surface of the disc. As the disc is rotated, its cavities are filled with spacers from a storage and fill device, configured as a hollow cylinder installed in a bore of a metering block. To facilitate transfer of spacer elements stored in the storage cylinder into cavities in the disc, an axially biased plunger continuously pushes the spacer elements against the first surface of the disc. As a result, whenever rotation of the disc exposes one or more of its cavities to the open end of the cylinder, spacers are forced into and fill the cavities. As the disc is further rotated and successive ones of its cavities are filled with spacers, the filled cavities are brought into alignment with a spacer element ejection head. The ejection head continuously directs a fluid, such as dry nitrogen gas against the cavity-containing surface of the disc.