Abstract: Techniques are provided to reduce color shifts in an LCD. A sub-pixel in the LCD may comprise a reflective part and a transmissive part. The reflective and transmissive parts may be covered by one or more retardation films. To reduce color shifts in general and especially in oblique viewing angles, at least one retardation film in the sub-pixel may comprise a slow axis with an elevation angle from a surface of a substrate layer of the LCD.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to drive a normally white or mixed mode LCD with low voltages and low power consumption. A sub-pixel in the LCD may comprise a reflective part and a transmissive part. The cell gap for a liquid crystal layer in the sub-pixel may provide at least a half-wave phase retardation. A driving voltage range with a maximum voltage at a low value may be used to drive the reflective part and the transmissive part of the sub-pixel to various levels of brightness.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a transflective LCD comprises pixels each comprising a first polarizing layer; a second polarizing layer; a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer opposite the first substrate layer; the first and second substrate layers are between the first polarizing layer and the second polarizing layer; a liquid crystal material between the first and second substrate layers; an over-coating layer adjacent to the first substrate layer; the over-coating layer comprises at least one opening for a transmissive part; a remainder of the over-coating layer forms in part a reflective part; a patterned in-cell retarder adjacent to the first substrate layer; the patterned in-cell retarder covers at least a portion of the reflective part; a reflective layer between the over-coating layer and the second substrate layer; the reflective layer substantially covers the reflective part; the patterned in-cell retarder is between the reflective layer and the first substrate layer.

Abstract: A circular polarizer comprising a single linear polarizer producing a linear state of polarization and at least one phase retardation film layered with the single linear polarizer. In a first embodiment, the at least one phase retardation film includes at least one uniaxial A-plate phase retardation film and at least one uniaxial C-plate phase retardation film. In a second embodiment of the invention, the circular polarizer includes a linear polarizer and at least one biaxial phase retardation film layered with the linear polarizer. In another example of the circular polarize of the second embodiment, at least one uniaxial A-plate phase retardation film and/or at least one uniaxial C-plate phase retardation film is also layer with the linear polarize and the biaxial phase retardation film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising three or more sub-pixels. A first sub-pixel of the three or more sub-pixels comprises a first transmissive part that has a first transmissive area, and a first reflective part having a first reflective area. A second sub-pixel comprises a second transmissive part that has a second transmissive area, and a second reflective part that has a second reflective area. A third sub-pixel comprises a third transmissive part that has a third transmissive area, and a third reflective part that has a third reflective area. At least two among the first transmissive area, the second transmissive area, and the third transmissive area are different in size. The first reflective area, the second reflective area, and the third reflective area are equal in size.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a transflective LCD comprises pixels each comprising a first polarizing layer; a second polarizing layer; a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer opposite the first substrate layer; the first and second substrate layers are between the first polarizing layer and the second polarizing layer; a liquid crystal material between the first and second substrate layers; an over-coating layer adjacent to the first substrate layer; the over-coating layer comprises at least one opening for a transmissive part; a remainder of the over-coating layer forms in part a reflective part; a patterned in-cell retarder adjacent to the first substrate layer; the patterned in-cell retarder covers at least a portion of the reflective part; a reflective layer between the over-coating layer and the second substrate layer; the reflective layer substantially covers the reflective part; the patterned in-cell retarder is between the reflective layer and the first substrate layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display, alone or in combination with any kind of computing device, may comprise a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel comprising a transmissive part and a reflective part, wherein a cross sectional area of the reflective part is greater than half of a total cross sectional area of an entire size of that sub-pixel; one or more auxiliary components that are in a non-transmissive part of the sub-pixel and that are configured to provide one or more auxiliary functions that do not affect optical performance of that sub-pixel. In various embodiments the auxiliary components are electronic digital memory logic or drivers; electronic high refresh rate logic or drivers; touch sensor elements, and the display further comprising a touch panel sheet over the pixels; light sensors; photodiodes; photovoltaic solar power generating cells; organic light emitting diodes.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for transflective LCDs using homogeneously aligned liquid crystal materials which optical birefringence is electrically controllable. An unpaired retarder may be configured to compensate, in transmissive parts, for the effect of reflection in reflective parts. A light recycling/redirecting film may be added between a BLU and a nearby polarization layer to recycle backlight from a reflective part of an LCD unit structure into a transmissive part of the same structure to increase the optical output efficiency of the BLU. Electrodes for the transmissive part and the reflective part may be separately driven in various operating modes. Benefits include high transmittance, high reflectance, wide view angles, improved optical recycling efficiency, and low manufacturing costs.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to reduce color shifts in an LCD. A sub-pixel in the LCD may comprise a reflective part and a transmissive part. The reflective and transmissive parts may be covered by one or more retardation films. To reduce color shifts in general and especially in oblique viewing angles, at least one retardation film in the sub-pixel may comprise a slow axis with an elevation angle from a surface of a substrate layer of the LCD.

Abstract: A transflective display includes pixels each including a reflective (R) sub-pixel, a transmissive (T) sub-pixel, and electrodes having features to cause multiple domains to form in a liquid crystal layer of the R sub-pixel and the T sub-pixel. The electrodes in the R sub-pixels have features that are different from features of the electrodes in the T sub-pixel to cause the liquid crystal layer in the R sub-pixel to have an optical phase retardation that is between 20% to 80% of an optical phase retardation of the liquid crystal layer in the T sub-pixel. The R sub-pixel and the T sub-pixel have substantially the same cell gap and are driven by the same pixel voltage.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to drive a normally white or mixed mode LCD with low voltages and low power consumption. A sub-pixel in the LCD may comprise a reflective part and a transmissive part. The cell gap for a liquid crystal layer in the sub-pixel may provide at least a half-wave phase retardation. A driving voltage range with a maximum voltage at a low value may be used to drive the reflective part and the transmissive part of the sub-pixel to various levels of brightness.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising three or more sub-pixels. A first sub-pixel of the three or more sub-pixels comprises a first transmissive part that has a first transmissive area, and a first reflective part having a first reflective area. A second sub-pixel comprises a second transmissive part that has a second transmissive area, and a second reflective part that has a second reflective area. A third sub-pixel comprises a third transmissive part that has a third transmissive area, and a third reflective part that has a third reflective area. At least two among the first transmissive area, the second transmissive area, and the third transmissive area are different in size. The first reflective area, the second reflective area, and the third reflective area are equal in size.

Abstract: Structures, devices, systems and methods of using multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal displays with high transmittance, high contrast ratio and wide view angle in which at least one of the electrode substrates has circular or ring-shaped openings, such as holes or slits. Circular or ring-shaped patterns for openings and electrodes have not been used in the construction of a liquid crystal display. The new multi-domain vertical alignment (MDVA) liquid crystal display is particularly suitable for liquid crystal display television and computer monitor applications.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for normally black multi-mode LCDs using homogeneously aligned liquid crystal materials which optical birefringence is electrically controllable. A light recycling/redirecting film may be added between a BLU and a nearby polarization layer to recycle backlight from a reflective part of an LCD unit structure into a transmissive part of the same structure to increase the optical output efficiency of the BLU. Electrodes for the transmissive part and the reflective part may be separately driven in various operating modes. Benefits include high transmittance, high reflectance, wide view angles, improved optical recycling efficiency, and low manufacturing costs.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to recycle light from a backlight unit that is otherwise blocked in a reflective part of a pixel in a transflective LCD. The light is redirected into a transmissive part of the pixel and hence enhances light efficiency and luminance of the pixel. The techniques can be used in a transflective LCD that transmits light in a circularly polarized state, or a linearly polarized state.

Abstract: A transflective display includes pixels each including a first electrode, a second electrode, a liquid crystal layer associated with the first and second electrodes, and a conductive reflective layer between the liquid crystal layer and the second electrode to reflect ambient light. The conductive reflective layer is insulated from the second electrode and covers less than all of the second electrode to allow backlight to be transmitted through a portion of the pixel not covered by the conductive reflective layer.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and devices for head mounted stereoscopic 3-D display devices using the tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array eye to produce eye accommodation information. A liquid crystal display panel displays stereoscopic images and uses tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array to change the diopter of the display pixels to provide eye accommodation information. The head mounted display device includes a planar display screen, planar tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array and planar black mask. The display device may optionally include a bias lens. In an embodiment, the display device also includes a backlight and a prism sheet for displaying the images on the display screen. The display screen, tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array, black mask and optional backlight and prism may be flat or curved.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for a liquid crystal display panel having a first substrate with a color filter, an over-coating and a common electrode. The second substrate includes an insulating layer surface facing the first substrate, a pixel electrode, a plurality of common and pixel domain guides formed on the common and the pixel electrodes, a plurality of electric shields on one of the common or pixel electrodes and a liquid crystal layer vertically aligned between the first and second substrates. The panel also includes a drive circuit for applying a voltage to generate an electric field to control liquid crystal molecule orientation corresponding to the plurality of domain guides and electric shields to form a multi-domain liquid crystal display panel device. The plural domain guides are either protrusions or slits formed in the common electrode and the pixel electrode to form the multi-domain vertical alignment liquid crystal device.

Abstract: Apparatus, devices, systems, and methods for wide viewing angle circular polarizers in transmissive and transflective displays. A liquid crystal display configuration can include two stacked circular polarizers, a liquid crystal layer, and a compensator between one of the circular polarizer and the liquid crystal layer to partially or fully compensate the liquid crystal layer. One of the circular polarizer is formed of a linear polarizer and a uniaxial quarter-wave plate, and the other circular polarizer is formed of a linear polarizer, a uniaxial quarter-wave plate, and a biaxial film interposed therebetween.

Abstract: Systems for displaying images are provided. An exemplary system incorporates a vertical alignment liquid crystal display having a pixel unit. The pixel unit includes: a first substrate comprising a pixel layer thereon, wherein the pixel layer comprises a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode; a second substrate comprising a common electrode thereon; and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, wherein at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode has a plurality of holes therein, the holes being configured to align the liquid crystal layer.