Abstract: Inhomogeneous concentrated polymer network with approximately 90° twisted nematic liquid crystal (TN-LC) is used for fabricating lens and prisms. For forming a positive lens, the approximately 90° TN-LC polymer network concentration can gradually decrease from the center to the side edges. For forming a negative lens, the approximately 90° TN-LC polymer network concentration can gradually increase from the center to the side edges. The lens can be created by ultra violet (UV) light exposure to patterned photo masks. The lens can be tuned by applying voltage above the threshold voltage to the polymer network. The inhomogeneous 90° TN-LC polymer network can also be used in Fresnel lens and prisms. Applications of the invention can be used for micro lens, array, optical communication, micro-optics, adaptive optics and beam steering.

Abstract: An electrode array structure in a pixel area of a fringe field switching mode LCD (FFS-LCD). A comb-shaped common electrode includes a first bar extending in a first direction and a plurality of first teeth extending in a second direction from the first bar, wherein each first tooth comprises a first bone having a plurality of discontinuous first trapezoidal protrusions on each side thereof. A comb-shaped pixel electrode comprises a second bar extending in the first direction and a plurality of second teeth extending in the second direction from the second bar, wherein each second tooth comprises a second bone having a plurality of discontinuous second trapezoidal protrusions on each side thereof.

Abstract: A display includes pixel circuits each having a liquid crystal layer, a storage capacitor to store an electric charge corresponding to a data voltage, and a controller to enable different percentages of the data voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal layer depending on an operation state of the display.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display having a positive A-film and a negative A-film between a top polarizer and a bottom polarizer to increase the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display by reducing or eliminating light leakage at voltage-off state when viewed from an oblique angle. Method of increasing the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display by reducing or eliminating light leakage at voltage-off stage when viewed from an oblique angle. The compensation is applicable to use with liquid crystal displays having a liquid crystal layer that is homogenously aligned at off-state when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer, such as IPS and FFS mode liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display (TLCD) using separate transmissive (T) and reflective (R) cells in which two liquid crystal materials with different birefringence changes are used. The birefringence change of the R region is half of the birefringence change of the T region. In this case, a single cell gap is possible and identical transmittance and reflectance for R and T is obtained. It is applicable to various reflective LC modes, and the fabrication methods are simple.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate having a first electrode and a first alignment film, a second substrate having a second electrode and a second alignment film, and a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal layer is doped with a chiral material that tends to induce a twist in directors of the liquid crystal molecules when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer using the first and second electrodes. The first alignment film has a first alignment direction, the second alignment film has a second alignment direction, and the first and second alignment films have orientations that tend to induce a twist in the directors when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer, in which the direction of twist induced by the first and second alignment films is different from the direction of twist induced by the chiral material.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a first alignment film having a first alignment direction, a second alignment film having a second alignment direction, and a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules between the first and second alignment films. The liquid crystal layer is doped with a chiral material that tends to induce a first twist in directors of the liquid crystal molecules when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer. The first and second alignment films have orientations that tends to induce a second twist in the directors when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer, in which the direction of the first twist is different from the direction of the second twist.

Abstract: A novel nematic liquid crystal (LC) mode is based on the Fringing-Field-Switching of Vertically-Aligned liquid crystals. The VA-FFS mode is capable of generating very fast optical modulation without the use of very thin cell gap. IA major feature of this LC mode is that it has unusual fast relaxation time compared with the conventional nematic LC modes that require a thin cell gap. This fast relaxation occurs even at very low applied voltages and the operation is very stable. The fast-response mechanism of this LC mode involves the confinement of liquid crystal molecular switching within self-imposed thin LC layers. The present invention provides a novel approach to overcome the fundamental problem of the long relaxation time of the conventional nematic liquid crystal modes.

Abstract: A variable focus liquid lens is formed using two substrates with at least two through holes in at least one of the substrates. One end of each through hole is covered with a distensible membrane, one on the exterior surface of the substrate and the other on the interior surface. The substrates are sealed about the periphery to form a chamber and the chamber is filled with a liquid material. When pressure is applied to the membrane the liquid in the chamber is redistributed to form the lens. The variable focus liquid-filled lens is formed by providing a first and second substrate, forming at least two through holes in at least one of the first and second substrate, sealing one end of each of the at least two holes with a flexible transparent membrane, and sandwiching a liquid in a chamber formed between the first and second substrate.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display (TLCD) using separate transmissive (T) and reflective (R) cells in which two liquid crystal materials with different birefringence changes are used. The birefringence change of the R region is half of the birefringence change of the T region. In this case, a single cell gap is possible and identical transmittance and reflectance for R and T is obtained. It is applicable to various reflective LC modes, and the fabrication methods are simple.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display with uniform cell gap configuration throughout the transmissive and the reflective display region is invented. Mutually complementary common electrode pattern and reflector pattern or mutually complementary ITO pixel electrode pattern and reflector pattern produce an electric field in the transmissive display region that has a uniform longitudinal field and an electric field in the reflective display region that is a fringing field. An initially vertically aligned negative dielectric anisotropic nematic liquid crystal material between the electrodes forms a smaller tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the reflective display region while a larger tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the transmissive display region. Consequently, the ambient incident light experiences smaller phase retardation in the reflective display region while the light from the backlight source experiences larger phase retardation.

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: A transflective liquid crystal display with uniform cell gap configuration throughout the transmissive and the reflective display region is invented. Mutually complementary common electrode pattern and reflector pattern or mutually complementary ITO pixel electrode pattern and reflector pattern produce an electric field in the transmissive display region that has a uniform longitudinal field and an electric field in the reflective display region that is a fringing field. An initially vertically aligned negative dielectric anisotropic nematic liquid crystal material between the electrodes forms a smaller tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the reflective display region while a larger tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the transmissive display region. Consequently, the ambient incident light experiences smaller phase retardation in the reflective display region while the light from the backlight source experiences larger phase retardation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, devices and apparatus of using a reflective liquid crystal device for projection display operating at a reduced driving voltage and having an increased contrast ratio are disclosed. The reflective liquid crystal device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate with reflector means, and a twisted nematic liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. A polarizing beam splitter is placed outside of the reflective liquid crystal device and adjacent to the first substrate. By setting the entrance polarization direction of the polarizing beam splitter along the azimuthal angle of the linearly polarized eigenmode of the reflective liquid crystal device at the designed driving voltage, a perfect dark state is obtained, which leads to a high contrast ratio at the designed low driving voltage.

Abstract: Using inhomogeneous sized liquid crystal (LC) droplets for lens and prisms. For forming a positive lens, the LC droplet size can gradually increase from the center to the side edges. For forming a negative lens, the LC droplet size can gradually decrease from the center to the side edges. The lens can be created by Ultra Violet light exposure to patterns. The lens can be tuned by applying voltage to the droplets. The inhomogeneous droplets can also be used in Fresnel lens and prisms. Applications of the invention can be used for eyeglasses, arrays, camera type zoom lenses and beam steering applications.

Abstract: A novel nematic liquid crystal (LC) mode is based on the Fringing-Field-Switching of Vertically-Aligned liquid crystals. The VA-FFS mode is capable of generating very fast optical modulation without the use of very thin cell gap. IA major feature of this LC mode is that it has unusual fast relaxation time compared with the conventional nematic LC modes that require a thin cell gap. This fast relaxation occurs even at very low applied voltages and the operation is very stable. The fast-response mechanism of this LC mode involves the confinement of liquid crystal molecular switching within self-imposed thin LC layers. The present invention provides a novel approach to overcome the fundamental problem of the long relaxation time of the conventional nematic liquid crystal modes.

Abstract: A novel vertical alignment liquid crystal display with a structure having a flower-shaped vertical alignment (FVA) has the properties of fast response, high contrast ratio and a wide view angle. The method for making the device and structure of the FVA comprises the arrangement of: a first substrate with a protrusion shaped electrode as the pixel electrode; and a second substrate as the common electrode; aligning layers formed on said first and second substrates providing liquid crystal vertical alignment; liquid crystal materials filling a space between said first and second substrates as a liquid crystal cell; a linear polarizer and wide band quarter-wave film forming a circular polarizer; and, said circular polarizer disposed on exterior surfaces of said liquid crystal cell. When voltage is applied to the device, the liquid crystal (LC) director distribution looks like a flower blossom.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display with a single LC cell gap. Each of a plurality of pixel regions comprises a reflective region and a transmissive region. A liquid crystal cell wall structure between the upper and lower substrates creates a first channel at reflective region and a second channel at transmissive region. A first liquid crystal layer is filled into the first channel of the reflective region. A second liquid crystal layer is filled into the second channel of the transmissive region.

Abstract: The apparatus, methods, system and devices of the present invention provides transflective LCD system structure wherein each pixel is composed of at least three reflective sub-pixels and at least one transmissive sub-pixel. The reflective sub-pixels have a color filter layer for displaying color reflective images and the transmissive sub-pixel it is driven by color sequential imaging method for displaying a color transmissive image. The configuration of the sub-pixels and the location of the sub-pixel electronics increases the aperture ratio of both transmissive sub-pixel and reflective sub-pixel to improve the image brightness and lower the overall power consumption of the device.

Abstract: A general film compensated reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display, device, system and method with phase compensation film set to compensate the residual phase retardation of the liquid crystal in the voltage-on state to increase the contrast ratio at a lower operating voltage and decrease the color dispersion when used in reflective and transflective liquid crystal displays. The phase compensation film set is selected based on the twist angle and the residual retardation of the liquid crystal layer, wherein the compensation film set has an effective film phase retardation value and effective polarizer angle to cancel the total residual phase to obtain an excellent dark state for achieving the high contrast ratio.