With Particular Non-zero Angle Between Compensator Optical Axis And Orientation Direction Patents (Class 349/121)
  • Patent number: 7804567
    Abstract: A normally-white twisted-nematic mode LCD device includes a first optical compensation film between a light-incident-side polarization film and an LC cell, and a second optical compensation film between a light-emitting-side polarization film and the LC cell. The optical axis of the first (second) optical compensation film projected onto the substrate surface is substantially parallel to the longer axis of an equivalent refractive index ellipsoid of a residual retardation of the LC layer in the vicinity of a light-incident-side (light-emitting-side) substrate upon display of black color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Ikeno, Yoichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7777836
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display apparatus having a high contrast ratio in an oblique direction and small color change depending upon a viewing angle. A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer placed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell; a first O-plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; a second O-plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer; a first biaxial retardation layer placed between the liquid crystal cell and the first O-plate; and a second biaxial retardation layer placed between the liquid crystal cell and the second O-plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Miki Shiraogawa, Junichi Inagaki
  • Patent number: 7777846
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between first and second aligning films formed on inner sides of first and second substrates, has liquid crystal molecules twist-aligned in a direction from the first aligning film toward the second aligning film when an electric field is not applied between first and second electrodes, and generates retardation of substantially ?/2 with respect to transmitted light. First and second polarizing plates are arranged on outer sides of the first and second substrates. A Transmission axis or an absorption axis of the first polarizing plate is substantially matched with a direction along which the liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the first aligning film are aligned when a sufficiently intensive electric field is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Kunpei Kobayashi, Mamoru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7773191
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between an upper substrate and a lower substrate having a twist angle in the range of about 40 to 65 degrees and a light diffusive reflective electrode having recesses and projections provided on the lower substrate wherein a product of the height of the recesses and projections and a birefringence of the liquid crystal layer is in the range of about 10 to 53 nm at the twist angle of about 40 degrees and about 10 to 64 nm at the twist angle of about 65 degrees, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Itou, Shinichi Komura
  • Patent number: 7764343
    Abstract: A retardation compensation element (32, 32a) has a first optical anisotropic layer (42) that functions as a negative C-plate, and a second and a third optical anisotropic layers (43, 44) that function as positive O-plates. VA mode liquid crystal molecules (37) tilt at an azimuth angle of 45 degrees and a polar angle of 5 degrees when no voltage is applied thereto. The second and third optical anisotropic layers have optical axes respectively at an angle of ?105 degrees and +105 degrees from the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecule. The first optical anisotropic layer (42) compensates the retardation of light that enters a liquid crystal layer (38) at an oblique angle while the second and third optical anisotropic layers (43, 44) compensate the retardation of light that enters the liquid crystal layer at a right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7764338
    Abstract: There are provided a method of producing a polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer having excellent adhesiveness between a polarizer-protective film and a polarizer without deterioration of the optical compensation layer. The method of producing a polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer includes: laminating an optical compensation layer on one side of a polarizer-protective film via a photo-curing adhesive layer; irradiating UV light toward the other side of the polarizer-protective film by a metal halide lamp or an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp; and laminating a polarizer on the side of the polarizer-protective film on which the optical compensation layer is not formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitsugu Kitamura, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 7751000
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates and has a reflective area and a transmissive area. At least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose phase difference differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area. Alternatively, at least one of the substrates is provided with a retardation film whose slow axis differs between the reflective area and the transmissive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohyama, Masato Imai, Kazuyuki Endo
  • Patent number: 7738065
    Abstract: There is provide a polarizing plate provided with optical compensation layers capable of performing viewing angle compensation with respect to a liquid crystal cell, providing broadband circular polarization, contributing to thickness reduction, preventing uneven display due to heat, and favorably preventing light leak in black display, and an image display apparatus using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Shutou, Tsuyoshi Chiba, Naoki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7728932
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device. An optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids is arranged below a semi-transmitting liquid crystal display cell and, thereafter, a ?/4 phase difference plate, a ?/2 phase difference plate and a polarizer are arranged. The orientation axis direction of the optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids is substantially equal to the direction which is rotated by 90° in the clockwise direction from a resultant vector of the orientation axis direction of the upper orientation film and the orientation axis direction of the lower orientation film of the liquid crystal display cell. Further, phase lagging axis of the upper and lower ?/4 phase difference plate is set substantially equal to the orientation axis direction of the optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Yoshiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7719646
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention is composed of a ?/4 plate 1, a ?/2 plate 2, and a polarizing plate 3 which are provided in this order from the side of a liquid crystal layer 10. Here, an angle formed between an absorption axis of the polarizing plate 3 and an absorption axis of the ?/2 plate 2 is about 45°, an in-plane retardation of the ?/2 plate 2 is set to a value obtained by adding ?/4 to an in-plane retardation of a retardation plate 1, desirably, the ?/4 plate 1, and an optical axis of the ?/4 plate 1 and an optical axis of the ?/2 plate 2 are orthogonal to each other. In this configuration, the optical axis of the ?/4 plate 1 is placed at 150°, the optical axis of the ?/2 plate 2 is placed at 60°, and the absorption axis of the polarizing plate 3 is placed at 15°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Tashiro, Katsufumi Ohmuro, Norio Sugiura, Hidefumi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7688411
    Abstract: Provided is a multi-domain liquid crystal display device capable of improving a viewing angle by decreasing a color shift. The multi-domain LCD device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of gate lines provided in one direction on the first substrate, a plurality of data lines provided substantially perpendicular to the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of pixel regions including a first area and a second area, a common electrode and a pixel electrode which generate a parallel electric field within the first area to improve luminance, a common electrode and a pixel electrode which generate a parallel electric field within the second area to decrease color shift, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Sung Kim, Byung-Koo Kang, Young-Mi Tak
  • Patent number: 7688403
    Abstract: A circularly polarizing plate includes a ?/4 phase difference plate and a linearly polarizing plate overlaid on a main surface of the ?/4 phase difference plate and having an absorption axis forming an angle of about 45° with respect to a lagging axis of the ?/4 phase difference plate. The ?/4 phase difference plate has reverse wavelength dispersion characteristics and an Nz coefficient of 1.6 or more. Employment of this structure can provide the circularly polarizing plate having good view angle characteristics and a vertical alignment type of liquid crystal display panel having the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naru Usukura, Manabu Abiru, Takayuki Natsume, Koji Yamabuchi, Makoto Nakahara
  • Patent number: 7659954
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of electrically controlled birefringence mode includes the combination of a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, and a hybrid retardation layer in which liquid crystal molecules are hybrid-aligned, and the hybrid retardation layer is formed by deposition at the liquid crystal layer side on one substrate of the pair of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohyama, Masaya Tamaki, Koji Ishizaki, Setsuo Suzuki, Motoharu Nishida, Kotaro Yoneda, Akira Sakaigawa, Hidemasa Yamaguchi, Koji Noguchi, Masaaki Kabe
  • Patent number: 7659955
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes an OCB mode liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween, an optical compensator provided on at least one side of the liquid crystal panel, and an optical-axis-adjusting unit that moves the optical compensator relative to the liquid crystal panel to adjust an angle formed by an optical axis of the optical compensator and an optical axis of the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation
    Inventors: Akihide Haruyama, Joji Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7652732
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A black matrix layer 12 formed of a metal and its picture frame part 12A, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 are stacked on a substrate 11, and an area including at least the picture frame part 12A is an area to be sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Kawashima, Norihisa Moriya
  • Patent number: 7643109
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A color filter substrate includes a substrate 11, and at least a black matrix layer 12, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 stacked on the substrate 11. The black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked on the substrate it while providing a margin around the periphery of the substrate 11. The retardation layer 14 is stacked on the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 in a larger area than the area where the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked. The substrate 11 in its margin, where neither the black matrix layer 12 nor the color filter layer 13 is stacked, is a predetermined seal area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Kawashima, Norihisa Moriya
  • Patent number: 7643110
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A black matrix layer 12 formed of a resin composition containing a black colorant and its picture frame part 12A, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 are stacked on a substrate 11, and an area including at least the picture frame part 12A is an area to be sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Kawashima, Norihisa Moriya
  • Patent number: 7619706
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel including a liquid crystal cell having an improved contrast ratio in an oblique direction and an improved color shift in an oblique direction is provided. A liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer arranged on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer arranged on another side of the liquid crystal cell; a negative C plate and a negative A plate arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer; and an isotropic optical element arranged between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizer. The negative C plate is arranged between the first polarizer and the negative A plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Shuuji Yano, Kenji Yoda, Kentarou Kobayashi, Kanako Itou
  • Patent number: 7593615
    Abstract: Optical devices for guiding illumination are provided each having a body of optical material with staircase or acutely angled ramp structures on its top surface for distributing light inputted from one end of the device from the front exit faces of such structures along certain angular orientations, while at least a substantial portion of the light is totally internally reflected within the body until distributed from such front exit faces. Optical devices are also provided each have a body of optical material having a bottom surface with acutely angled ramp structures and falling structures which alternate with each other, such that light is totally internally reflected within the device until reflected by such ramp structures along the bottom surface to exit the top surface of the device or transmitted through the ramp structures to an adjacent falling structure back into the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: RPC Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen H. Chakmakjian, Donald J. Schertler, Tasso Sales, G. Michael Morris
  • Patent number: 7576820
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus, provided with liquid crystal compensation plates and ?/4 plates on both sides of a liquid crystal cell, in a sequence that the liquid crystal compensation plates, then the ?/4 plates. Further provided is Rth compensation film between the ?/4 plate and linear polarization film. Set substantially at zero is a retardation Rth1 in a perpendicular direction in a range from the linear polarization films to the ?/4 plates, excluding the ?/4 plates. This gives a retardation (in a perpendicular direction) for optically compensating the liquid crystal cell a closer position to the liquid crystal cell. As a result, a broad angle of visibility can be maintained, without losing a balance between viewing angle characteristics from the above position (or the bottom position) and those from the right position (or the left position), while it is possible to prevent contrast ratio in a front direction from being lowered. Therefore, an LCD having good display quality can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Miyachi, Motohiro Yamahara
  • Patent number: 7576819
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device capable of reducing and/or preventing occurrence(s) of retardation remaining in an ECB mode liquid crystal panel may include first and second substrates, first and second orientation films respectively arranged to oppose each other on facing sides of the first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer between first and second substrates. The liquid crystal display device may include a first polarizing member formed on a side of the first substrate other than the side on which the first orientation film is formed, a second polarizing member formed on a side of the second substrate other than the side on which the second orientation film is formed, a compensation film formed between the electrically controlled birefringence mode liquid crystal panel and the first polarizing member, or between the electrically controlled birefringence mode liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung Hoon Moon
  • Patent number: 7557881
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., Toppoly Optoelectronics, Corp.
    Inventors: Xinyu Zhu, Shin-Tson Wu
  • Patent number: 7551250
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device capable of obtaining a high contrast ratio within a range of entry angles of source light to an optical modulation device of a projection display apparatus has a liquid crystal panel operating in a twisted nematic mode, a first optical compensating plate disposed at the light-entry side of the liquid crystal panel, and a second optical compensating plate disposed at the light-exit side thereof. The respective optical compensating plates hybrid-aligns liquid crystal molecules having a negative birefringence, a phase retardation in the normal direction thereof of 10 nm or more and 30 nm or less, and fast axis directions, as seen in the respective normal directions, intersect each other at an angle other than a right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Okumura
  • Patent number: 7532275
    Abstract: The invention relates to a nematic liquid crystal display having two stable states, without an electric field, obtained by anchoring break, characterized in that it comprises two polarizers (10, 40), one (10) of which is placed on the observer side, the other (40) being placed on the opposite side of the liquid crystal cell whereby the latter is at least partially reflecting in order to define a reflective mode or transflective mode. The orientation of the two polarizers (10, 40) is offset by a value which is equal to the rotatory power of the cell at approximately +/?30°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Nemoptic
    Inventors: Cécile Joubert, Daniel Stoenescu, Alexandre Carton, Patrice Davi
  • Patent number: 7522239
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprises: first and second panels facing each other; a compensation film and a first polarizer disposed on the first panel, the compensation film having phase retardation characteristics; and a second polarizer having a supporting film disposed on the second panel, the supporting film having phase retardation characteristics. In alternative embodiments, a supporting film is used in place of the compensation film. The supporting film has retardation characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co.
    Inventors: Kyeong-Hyeon Kim, Jang-Kun Song
  • Patent number: 7515232
    Abstract: This invention relates to a transflective liquid crystal display device (11, 21), comprising a plurality of pixels, each comprising a liquid crystal layer (12, 22), being sandwiched between front and back electrode means (13, 23; 14, 24) as well as front and back polarizer means (17a, 27a; 17b, 27b). Said display device is characterized in that an optical ?/4 layer (16a, 26a) at least partly is arranged between said front polarizer (17a, 27a) and said liquid crystal layer (12, 22), and said liquid crystal layer (12, 22) is a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle essentially within a range ±80-100°, such as 90°. The invention further relates to methods for generating a quarterwave foil for use in a liquid crystal display as defined above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sander Jurgen Roosendaal, Johannes Albertus Matthijs Maria Van Haaren
  • Patent number: 7511787
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high brightness color selective light modulator (CSLM) formed by a polarization modulator positioned between two retarder stacks. The modulator changes the apparent orientation of one retarder stack relative to the other so that, in a first switching state of the modulator the two retarder stacks cooperate in filtering the spectrum of input light, and in a second switching state the two retarder stacks complement each other, yielding a neutral transmission spectrum. Two or more CSLM stages can be used in series, each stage providing independent control of a primary color. One preferred embodiment eliminates internal polarizers between CSLM stages, thereby providing an additive common-path full-color display with only two neutral polarizers. Hybrid filters can be made using the CSLMs of this invention, in combination with other active or passive filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Real D
    Inventor: Gary D. Sharp
  • Patent number: 7508473
    Abstract: A device of liquid crystal display of liquid crystal display for increasing aperture ratio and viewing angle thereof is disclosed. The device comprises a thin film transistor array substrate having a first polarizer on a bottom side, a phase retardation dielectric film having a low dielectric constant on the thin film transistor array substrate and a transparent electrode film on the phase retardation dielectric film, the phase retardation dielectric film compensates phase retardation of light resulting from light with a tilt incident angle passing through liquid crystal between the thin film transistor array substrate and a liquid crystal substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Wen Chen, Wan-Hua Lu, Hon-Long Hou, Ming-Chou Wu
  • Publication number: 20090066860
    Abstract: An optical device includes a vertically aligned liquid crystal cell that holds a liquid crystal material, a compensating element made of a negative uniaxial refractive material having an optical axis tilted with respect to a system optical axis, and having a fixed positional relation with the liquid crystal cell, an adjustment element having a planar shape and a phase difference in a plane perpendicular to the system optical axis, and a rotary adjustment mechanism that rotates the adjustment element in the plane perpendicular to the system optical axis to adjust the phase difference influencing light transmitted through the adjustment element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi ENDO
  • Patent number: 7495730
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprising a pair of polarizing films, a liquid crystal cell placed between the polarizing films, and an optical compensatory sheet placed between the liquid crystal cell and at least one of the polarizing films, wherein the optical compensatory sheet comprises an optically anisotropic layer (1) and an optically anisotropic layer (2), and satisfies the following condition: 2.0?(?n×d)/Rth(2)?5.0 wherein ?n is a birefringence of a liquid crystal molecule in the liquid crystal cell, d is a thickness (nm) of the liquid crystal cell, and Rth(2) is an Rth value of the optically anisotropic layer (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hisakado, Ryouta Matsubara
  • Patent number: 7480021
    Abstract: This invention relates to an optical film comprising a first component having a birefringence dispersion of D1>1 and a second component having a birefringence dispersion of D2<1, wherein the birefringence ratio of the first and second component is delta n1/delta n2>0, wherein the optical film has a reverse birefringence dispersion of D<1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: YuanQiao Rao, Douglas R. Robello, Anne M. Miller
  • Patent number: 7474369
    Abstract: A pixel device of a transflective-type LCD comprises an upper panel, a lower panel, a liquid crystal layer, and a liquid crystal film. The lower panel is assembled beneath the upper panel, and an upper surface of the lower panel is divided into a reflective region and a naked transmission region. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the upper panel and the lower panel. The liquid crystal film is positioned above the liquid crystal layer to compensate possible retardation resulted from the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hsiu-Chi Tung, Chih-Ming Chang, Ching-Huan Lin
  • Patent number: 7471361
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device. An optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids is arranged below a semi-transmitting liquid crystal display cell and, thereafter, a ?/4 phase difference plate, a ?/2 phase difference plate and a polarizer are arranged. The orientation axis direction of the optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids is substantially equal to the direction which is rotated by 90° in the clockwise direction from a resultant vector of the orientation axis direction of the upper orientation film and the orientation axis direction of the lower orientation film of the liquid crystal display cell. Further, phase lagging axis of the upper and lower ?/4 phase difference plate is set substantially equal to the orientation axis direction of the optical film having negative uniaxial double refractive index ellipsoids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Yoshiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7450204
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., Toppoly Optoelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Xinyu Zhu, Shin-Tson Wu
  • Patent number: 7440047
    Abstract: The invention provides a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal display device in which bright display, high contrast, and less viewing-angle dependency are possible in a transmission mode. In the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a polarizing plate can be disposed on the upper side of a liquid crystal cell in which a semi-transparent reflective layer is formed on a lower substrate and the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a transmissive display region can be made to be different from the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region by a layer-thickness adjusting layer. A uniaxially stretched phase difference film can be interposed between the polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell, and a liquid crystal film fixed in nematic hybrid alignment can be interposed between the phase difference film and the liquid crystal cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7436476
    Abstract: Described is an optical compensator device that can maintain a high degree of performance in the demanding environment of projection display. A mounting process involves using a sealant between optically clear glass or ceramic substrate and low elastic polymer retarder film. The sealant may mitigate or prevent the degradation of the retarder film by acting as an oxygen barrier that seals the substrate and increases the lifetime of the device in high luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Real D
    Inventors: Gary D. Sharp, Michael G. Robinson, Jianmin Chen
  • Patent number: 7423715
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel having a structure in which a liquid crystal layer LQ is held between a pair of electrode substrates AR, CT, a pair of polarizers PL which hold the liquid crystal panel therebetween, and a pair of optical retardation plates RT arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the pair of polarizers PL. Each optical retardation plate RT has a refractive anisotropy in which average refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction being perpendicular to each other satisfy nx>ny>nz in a state when the z-axis direction conforms to the normal direction. The x-axis direction of each optical retardation plate RT is almost parallel to the transmission axis of the polarizer PL adjacent to a corresponding optical retardation plates RT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuzo Hisatake
  • Patent number: 7417700
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle of ±10 degree. An upper polarizer is disposed over an upper substrate of the liquid crystal display panel, and includes an absorption axis forming at an angle of 47±10 degree in a clockwise direction with respect to a major axis. An upper ?/2 retardation film is disposed between the upper substrate and the upper polarizer, and includes ?nd1 of 260±10 nm and a slow axis forming at an angle of 166±10 degree in the clockwise direction with respect to the absorption axis. An upper ?/4 retardation film is disposed between the upper substrate and the upper ?/2 retardation film, and includes ?nd2 of 140±10 nm and a slow axis forming at an angle of 111±10 degree in the clockwise direction with respect to the absorption axis. Therefore, the optical condition of the optical film assembly is optimized to improve an image display quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Kyu Jang, Won-Sang Park, Jae-Hyun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Sung-Eun Cha, Jae-Young Lee
  • Publication number: 20080192191
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display, which allows proper optical compensation for bend-aligned mode liquid crystal cell and exhibits high contrast, excellent viewing angle properties and a high black display fidelity, is provided. A bend-aligned mode liquid crystal cell is properly optically compensated for by properly controlling the optical properties, including wavelength dispersion, of a first optical anisotropic layer and a second optical anisotropic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Nakamura, Yoshiaki Hisakado, Michio Nagai, Tokuju Oikawa, Shigeki Uehira
  • Patent number: 7400372
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device which performs display in a plurality of dot regions includes a first substrate and a second substrate which face each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; and a first electrode and a second electrode that are provided on a surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and applies an in-plane electric field to the liquid crystal layer in the dot regions. The first electrode and/or a second electrode has a dielectric film that partially covers a surface of the first electrode and/or the second electrode; and an electrode exposure part that exposes the surface of the first electrode and/or the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices Corp.
    Inventor: Katsunori Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7354632
    Abstract: Provided are: a long optical laminate prepared by laminating two obliquely stretched long phase-difference films so that the respective delayed-phase axes cross each other at a specified angle, while at least one of the two phase-difference films is a film containing residual volatile component by 1000 ppm or less; a long optical element prepared by laminating the optical laminate on one surface of polarization film; a long broad-band ¼ wavelength plate; an optical member prepared by laminating a circularly polarized light separating layer of cholesteric liquid crystal on one surface of the broad-band ¼ wavelength plate; a broad-band circular element using the broad-band ¼ wavelength plate; and an optical product having the broad-band circular polarization element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihide Murakami, Kohei Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7349046
    Abstract: A pixel device of a transflective-type LCD comprises an upper panel, a lower panel, a liquid crystal layer, and a liquid crystal film. The lower panel is assembled beneath the upper panel, and an upper surface of the lower panel is divided into a reflective region and a naked transmission region. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the upper panel and the lower panel. The liquid crystal film is positioned above the liquid crystal layer to compensate possible retardation resulted from the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hsiu-Chi Tung, Chih-Ming Chang, Ching-Huan Lin
  • Patent number: 7339643
    Abstract: This invention relates to a transflective liquid crystal display device (11, 21), comprising a plurality of pixels, each comprising a liquid crystal layer (12, 22), being sandwiched between front and back electrode means (13, 23; 14, 24) as well as front and back polariser means (17a, 27a; 17b, 27b). Said display device is characterised in that an optical ?/4 layer (16a, 26a) at least partly is arranged between said front polariser (17a, 27a) and said liquid crystal layer (12, 22), and said liquid crystal layer (12, 22) is a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle essentially within a range ±80-100°, such as 90°. The invention further relates to methods for generating a quarterwave foil for use in a liquid crystal display as defined above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Sander Jurgen Roosendaal, Johannes Albertus Matthijs Maria Van Haaren
  • Patent number: 7327422
    Abstract: A multilayer optical compensation film comprises one or more optically anisotropic layers X and one or more optically anisotropic layers Z wherein, said each layer X has its optic axis tilted with respect to the plane of said multilayer compensation film, and said each layer Z comprises amorphous polymer with glass transition temperature Tg above 180C°, and satisfies particular relations. The film is readily manufactured and provides the required optical property for proper compensation of LCDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ishikawa, Dennis J. Massa, Paul D. Yacobucci, Kelvin Nguyen, James F. Elman
  • Patent number: 7326364
    Abstract: Disclosed is a complex light compensation C plate including at least two C plates representing different dispersion ratio values, respectively. The complex light compensation C plate improves a contrast characteristic of a liquid crystal display device at various viewing angles and has a broadband wavelength dispersion characteristic capable of minimizing color variation depending on various viewing angles in a black state of an LCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung Kun Jeon, Sergey Belyaev, Jeong Su Yu, Nikolay Malimonenko
  • Patent number: 7318951
    Abstract: A novel retardation film is disclosed. The film comprises a transparent substrate and an optically anisotropic layer formed thereon by fixing a liquid crystalline compound in an aligned state, wherein the retardation film, when positioned between two polarizers in a crossed Nicol arrangement, has a frontal luminance within a range of 0.700 to 0.000 cd/m2. A novel liquid crystal display is also disclosed. The display comprises a first polarizing film, the retardation film positioned in contact with a surface of the first polarizing film, a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed of a liquid crystal material, and a second substrate positioned in this order, in which liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material are aligned in a black state parallel to surfaces of a pair of the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeaki Nimura, Mitsuyoshi Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7315341
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device wherein an optically anisotropic layer is formed on an optical film satisfying that Rth is 0 to 150 nm at 23° C./60% RH and the difference between Rth at 23° C./10% RH and Rth at 23° C./80% RH is 40% or less of Rth at 23° C./60% RH. In the liquid crystal display, liquid crystal cells are optically compensated accurately and less affected in the display properties even when the storage environment changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeaki Nimura, Shinichi Morishima, Masaki Noro
  • Patent number: 7292299
    Abstract: In an in-plane switching (ISP) mode controlling transmission and shielding of light by application of lateral electric field to liquid crystal molecules aligned in the direction in parallel to a substrate, increase in luminance or color shift at a black-representation area or upon black-representation condition at an inclined viewing angle is reduced. First and second polarizing plates sandwiching a liquid crystal layer each have a supporting member (plate) on at least either surface thereof. The supporting member on the inside surface of the first polarizing plate on the side of an illumination unit has a retardation in the thickness direction R1·h1 and the supporting member on the inside surface of the second polarizing plate has a retardation in the thickness direction R2·h2. In the O-mode, R1·h1>R2·h2 and in the E-mode, R1·h1<R2·h2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays
    Inventors: Ikuo Hiyama, Shinichi Komura, Tsunenori Yamamoto, Yuka Utsumi, Mutsumi Maehara, Daisuke Kajita
  • Patent number: 7292297
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes a liquid crystal layer having a twist angle of ±10 degree. An upper polarizer is disposed over an upper substrate of the liquid crystal display panel, and includes an absorption axis forming at an angle of 47±10 degree in a clockwise direction with respect to a major axis. An upper ?/2 retardation film is disposed between the upper substrate and the upper polarizer, and includes ?nd1 of 260±10 nm and a slow axis forming at an angle of 166±10 degree in the clockwise direction with respect to the absorption axis. An upper ?/4 retardation film is disposed between the upper substrate and the upper ?/2 retardation film, and includes ?nd2 of 140±10 nm and a slow axis forming at an angle of 111±10 degree in the clockwise direction with respect to the absorption axis. Therefore, the optical condition of the optical film assembly is optimized to improve an image display quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Kyu Jang, Won-Sang Park, Jae-Hyun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Sung-Eun Cha, Jae-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 7283188
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compensator comprising a positive and a negative birefringent retardation film, its use in displays and optical elements, and to displays comprising such a compensator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignees: Merck Patent GmbH, LG Chemical Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong Su Yu, Sergey Vasilyevich Belyaev, Byoung Kun Jeon, Karl Skjonnemand, Tara Perrett, Owain Parri