Abstract: A representative device comprises a plurality of pixel units configured for use in a vertical alignment liquid crystal display, wherein a first of the pixel units comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and liquid crystal material. The first substrate comprises a pixel layer thereon, wherein the pixel layer comprises a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode in the first of the pixel units has first openings therein. The second substrate comprises a common electrode thereon, wherein the common electrode has second openings therein, and the second openings and the first openings are arranged in an overlying and cross-over relationship with respect to each other. The liquid crystal layer is between the first and second substrates.

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.

Abstract: A novel transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided with a multilayer dielectric film transflector. The dielectric transflector is composed of alternating high and low refractive index dielectric material layers deposited directly on the inner side of the LCD substrate to avoid parallax. The transmittance of the dielectric transflector can vary from approximately 5% to approximately 95% by simply adjusting the individual dielectric layer thickness and the arrangement of layers. The thickness of the 10-layer film is approximately 700 nm, which does not affect the voltage drop on the LC. Two structures of the dielectric film using different positions of the materials of construction are provided and demonstrated. Such a transflective LCD exhibits outstanding features, such as, robust dielectric film, single cell gap, no parallax, and a simple fabrication process.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, systems and devices for high aperture ratio, high transmittance, and wide viewing angle liquid crystal display having first and second substrates each with an alignment layer and polarizer on the interior and exterior surface thereof and a liquid crystal material therebetween forming plural pixels each having a common electrode group and a pixel electrode group each having at least one common and pixel electrode. A fringe field drives the molecules in the regions above and below the electrodes and a horizontal field drives the molecules between the electrode groups to achieve high transmittance. In an embodiment an insulating layer separates the substrate and alignment layer and the pixel electrodes are on the substrate and the common electrodes are on the insulating layer. In another embodiment a compensation film is layered between one of the substrates and corresponding polarizer.

Abstract: A novel transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided with a multilayer dielectric film transflector. The dielectric transflector is composed of alternating high and low refractive index dielectric material layers deposited directly on the inner side of the LCD substrate to avoid parallax. The transmittance of the dielectric transflector can vary from approximately 5% to approximately 95% by simply adjusting the individual dielectric layer thickness and the arrangement of layers. The thickness of the 10-layer film is approximately 700 nm, which does not affect the voltage drop on the LC. Two structures of the dielectric film using different positions of the materials of construction are provided and demonstrated. Such a transflective LCD exhibits outstanding features, such as, robust dielectric film, single cell gap, no parallax, and a simple fabrication process.

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: Structures, devices, systems and methods of using fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) in which the electrodes have a trapezoidal structure. The disclosed fringe field switching mode LCD includes common electrodes and pixel electrodes arranged on a back substrate to produce a fringe field. Each electrode is comprised of alternating sections of main bone and trapezoidal electrode.

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-filled variable focus lens cell is disclosed. The liquid lens cell consists of four parts: a clear distensible membrane, a transparent wall member, liquid with a fixed volume stored in lens cell chamber, and an annular periphery sealing ring. The inner surfaces of the annular sealing ring are sealed with distensible membrane. The radius of the annular sealing ring is changeable, similar to a conventional iris diaphragm. By tuning the radius of the annular sealing ring, the stored liquid in the lens cell will be redistributed, thus change the curvature of the distensible membrane. Therefore, the liquid lens cell can cause light to converge or diverge. The liquid filled lens can be operated mechanically or automatically.

Abstract: This invention discloses an optical system design, which is used in a liquid crystal display apparatus. The optical system design at least comprises a light generation module, a circular polarization module and a liquid crystal light valve, wherein the light generation module is used to generate a light, the circular polarization module is used to modulate the polarization state of the light to a circular polarization state, and the liquid crystal light valve is used to modulate the polarization state of the light, so as to modulate the intensity of the light to show the image. The optical system design is able to solve the problem of fringing-field effects.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates with anchoring energy. A cell gap is formed between the pair of substrates. Polymer dispersed liquid crystals are arranged in the cell gap.

Abstract: A multi-domain in-plane-switching liquid crystal display with small color shift, wide viewing angle and fast response. The structure of the multi-domain in-plane switching liquid crystal displays comprises plural chevron-shaped common electrodes and chevron-shaped pixel electrodes, arranged alternatingly to form a multi-domain liquid crystal distributions. In an embodiment the structure includes a polarizer and an analyzer and the liquid crystal material is homogenously aligned. In another embodiment the structure includes alignment films for vertically aligning the liquid crystal material and crossed linear polarizers, circular polarizers or a combination of linear polarizers and compensation film. In another embodiment, the multi-domain in-plane switching liquid crystal display provides at least two different uniformly aligned liquid crystal domains, for a double multi-domain-In-plane switching LC display.

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: A method for alignment of a homeotropic liquid crystal cell by doping a percentage of a positive ?? (dielectric anisotropy), neutral (?? approximately 0), or negative ?? liquid crystal material, a high contrast ratio homeotropic alignment of difluoro compounds or mixtures is achieved, independent of operating temperature. Without special requirement on alignment layers, rubbing methods or pretilt angles, the uniform aligned homeotropic liquid crystal cell results even at high temperature and the physical properties, such as the birefringence and viscosity, of the liquid crystal mixtures are improved. In an embodiment the method the homeotropic vertically aligned nematic liquid crystal cells are used in the production of high contrast microdisplays.

Abstract: A liquid-filled variable focus lens cell is disclosed. The liquid lens cell consists of four parts: a clear distensible membrane, a transparent wall member, liquid with a fixed volume stored in lens cell chamber, and an annular periphery sealing ring. The inner surfaces of the annular sealing ring are sealed with distensible membrane. The radius of the annular sealing ring is changeable, similar to a conventional iris diaphragm. By tuning the radius of the annular sealing ring, the stored liquid in the lens cell will be redistributed, thus change the curvature of the distensible membrane. Therefore, the liquid lens cell can cause light to converge or diverge. The liquid filled lens can be operated mechanically or automatically.

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: 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: 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.

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.