For Parallel Alignment Patents (Class 349/132)
  • Patent number: 6760088
    Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display having alignment films with different surface polarities. The alignment films induce an internal electric field through the liquid crystal. Because of the induced internal electric field, initial liquid crystal alignment, and subsequent liquid crystal alignments, can be performed without an externally applied electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suk Won Choi, Su Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 6757044
    Abstract: A normally closed liquid crystal display device using an in-plane switching mode prevented from light leakage caused by spacer beads and having a high contrast ratio can be produced by making a pretilt angle between an alignment control film and liquid crystals 4° or less and controlling a light leakage centering the spacer in 4-divided shapes; or by placing a film provided with a liquid crystal alignment controlling function by irradiation with polarized light between the spacer and a liquid crystal layer, the spacer being present in a pair of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuka Utsumi, Yasushi Tomioka, Masatoshi Wakagi, Yasunari Maekawa, Sukekazu Aratani, Katsumi Kondo, Shigeru Matsuama
  • Patent number: 6747722
    Abstract: Below a transparent pixel electrode, an opaque pixel electrode is arranged while sandwiching an insulation film between the transparent pixel electrode and the opaque pixel electrode. A common electrode is arranged below the opaque pixel electrode thus forming a holding capacitance between the common electrode and an opaque metal electrode. In case when the pixel is divided into four or more portions, an interval between the pixel electrode and the common electrode is set to an unequal pitch size or an unequal electrode width within one pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kikuo Ono, Ryutaro Oke, Takahiro Ochiai, Hirotaka Imayama
  • Patent number: 6717645
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules having a positive dielectric anisotropy, and a pair of polarizers and at least one phase difference compensator that are provided outside the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention displays an image in a normally black mode. A pair of electrodes provided so as to interpose the liquid crystal layer therebetween produce a transverse electric field component parallel to the plane of the liquid crystal layer in the presence of an applied voltage, and the orientation axis direction, which is defined by the azimuth angle of the orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules near the center of the liquid crystal layer in the thickness direction thereof, is changed by the transverse electric field component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumikazu Shimoshikiryou, Keizo Watanabe, Keisuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6682783
    Abstract: An active matrix type liquid crystal display apparatus has a pair of substrates, at least one of the substrates being transparent; a liquid crystal layer arranged between the pair of substrates; an electrode structure for generating an electric field having a dominant component parallel to a surface of the substrate and passing through the liquid crystal layer, the electrode structure being formed on one of the pair of substrates; a pair of alignment layers formed on respective surfaces in contact with the liquid crystal layer of the pair of substrates; and a pair of polarizing plates arranged so as to sandwich the pair of substrates, wherein the glass transition temperature Tg of a boundary surface between said liquid crystal layer and the alignment layer is higher than the nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature T(N-I) of a liquid crystal composite forming the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Takao Miwa, Katsumi Kondo, Hisao Yokokura
  • Patent number: 6642985
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display. The disclosed comprises: a lower and an upper substrates disposed opposite to each other at a predetermined distance, having transparency; a counter electrode and a pixel electrode disposed on the inner surface of the lower substrate with a gate insulating layer interposed and made of transparent conductors, forming a fringe field when a electric field is applied; a black matrix and color filter formed on the inner surface of the upper substrate; an ITO layer disposed on the inner surface of the upper substrate which has the black matrix and the color filter therein; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the lower and the upper substrates, including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules of negative dielectric anisotropy. In the FFS mode LCD of the present invention, the counter electrode has a plate shape and the pixel electrode has a slit shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Hyundai Display Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Hyang Yul Kim, Seung Hee Lee, Seung Ho Hong
  • Patent number: 6628360
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having at least one first electrode formed thereon, and a second substrate having a plurality of second electrodes formed thereon and opposed to the first electrode, a matrix display section being formed which has a plurality of pixel electrodes constituted of the first and second electrodes and arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. The second substrate is opposed to the first substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween. First and second alignment films respectively are formed on the opposed inner surfaces of the first and second substrates. A liquid crystal is sealed between the first and second substrates. An aligning treatment is executed on the first alignment film in a first direction that intersects, at an angle of 5° to 10°, one of a row direction and a column direction of the matrix display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Yamada, Seiichi Kizaki
  • Patent number: 6582784
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises first and second substrates, a first alignment layer on the first substrate, wherein the first alignment layer includes polyethyleneimine, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su Hyun Park, Young Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 6572939
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises first and second substrates, an alignment layer including a pyranose polymer or a furanose polymer on at least one of the first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal display device is characterized by excellent thermostability, superior anchoring energy and uniform alignment of the liquid crystal achieved in a reduced treatment time without creating any flowing effect in the liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soon Bum Kwon, Kyeong Jin Kim, Young Seok Choi, Gerus Igor Iranovich, Andrey Dyadyusha, Yuriy A. Reznikov
  • Patent number: 6549256
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a layer of nematic or long pitch cholesteric liquid crystal material contained between two cell walls. One wall (A) carries a surface treatment giving a first azimuthal alignment direction with or without a surface pretilt to liquid crystal molecules. The other wall (B) carries a surface treatment (17) capable of separately providing both a preferred, substantially homeotropic alignment of the adjacent liquid crystal, and a defined azimuthal second alignment direction to the adjacent liquid crystal dependent upon liquid crystal molecular arrangement. The first and second alignment directions are approximately orthogonal. Polarisers may be arranged on either side of the cell walls with their polarisation axes parallel or perpendicular to the two azimuthal directions. Alternatively an amount of dichroic dye may be incorporated in the liquid crystal material, and the device operated with one or two polarisers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: Guy P Bryan-Brown, Carl V Brown, Ian C Sage
  • Patent number: 6414737
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a pretilt angle direction for a liquid crystal cell comprising the steps of first setting the magnitude of pretilt angle and a plurality of pretilt angle directions in an alignment layer. This first step is achieved by irradiating the alignment layer with linearly polarized or unpolarized UV light. One of the plurality of pretilt angle directions is then selected by exposing the alignment layer to UV light a second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuriy Reznikov, Oleg Yaroshchuk, Joung Won Woo, Yoo Jin Choi, Ki Hyuk Yoon, Mi Sook Nam, Jong Hyun Kim, Soon Bum Kwon
  • Patent number: 6399165
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises first and second substrates, an alignment layer including a pyranose polymer or a furanose polymer on at least one of the first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates. The liquid crystal display device is characterized by excellent thermostability, superior anchoring energy and uniform alignment of the liquid crystal achieved in a reduced treatment time without creating any flowing effect in the liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soon Bum Kwon, Kyeong Jin Kim, Young Seok Choi, Gerus Igor Iranovich, Andrey Dyadyusha, Yuriy A. Reznikov
  • Publication number: 20020055093
    Abstract: A rubbed substrate structure for use in a liquid crystal assay device, includes: a biochemical blocking compound chemically immobilized on a surface of one side of a support forming a biochemical blocking layer; and a biomolecule recognition agent deposited on the side of the support containing the biochemical blocking layer. The biomolecule recognition agent includes a recognition site capable of selectively recognizing a target species to be detected by the liquid crystal assay device. Additionally, the surface of the side of the support containing the biochemical blocking layer is rubbed such that it possesses features that drive a uniform anchoring of liquid crystals when the liquid crystals contact the side of the support containing the biochemical blocking layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Abbott, Seung-Ryeol Kim
  • Patent number: 6383579
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises first and second substrates, a first alignment layer on the first substrate, wherein the first alignment layer includes polyethyleneimine, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su Hyun Park, Young Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 6356329
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a liquid crystal display apparatus including (1) a liquid crystal panel including an electrodes substrate provided with pixel electrodes and counter electrodes, a counter substrate which opposes the electrodes substrate, and a liquid crystal layer containing therein liquid crystal molecules which are driven by an electric field that is generated in a substantially parallel manner with respect to a surface of the electrodes substrate when voltage is applied on the pixel electrodes and counter electrodes; and (2) a driving circuit for supplying predetermined electric signals to the pixel electrodes and the counter electrodes, wherein inclining directions of liquid crystal molecules which are closest to the electrodes substrate and those of liquid crystal molecules which are closest to the counter substrate are identical, and aligning directions of liquid crystal molecules which are closest to the electrodes substrate and those of liquid crystal molecules which are closest to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Advanced Display Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Tamatani, Fumio Matsukawa, Akira Tsumura, Shin Tahata, Masaya Mizunuma, Yasuhiro Morii, Masayuki Fujii, Yasuo Fujita
  • Patent number: 6346975
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has first and second substrates, a first electrode layer overlying one surface of the first substrate, and a second electrode layer overlying one surface of the second substrate. A first alignment layer having a thickness of 100 Å or less overlies the first electrode layer, and a second alignment layer overlies the second electrode layer, and a liquid crystal material is disposed between the alignment layers. In one preferred embodiment, the second alignment layer also has a thickness of 100 Å or less, and each alignment layers is a polyimide layer. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is also provided. According to the method, first and second substrates are provided, a first electrode layer is deposited over the first substrate, and a second electrode layer is deposited over the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Chaudhari, James Andrew Lacey, Shui-Chin Alan Lien
  • Patent number: 6335775
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal device in which a pair of substrates each having an electrode and a liquid crystal orientation control layer are disposed opposite to each other leaving a predetermined gap therebetween and liquid crystal is disposed in the gap, a plurality of grooves are formed on each of the inner surface contacting the liquid crystal, the section of the inner surfaces in a direction along the grooves has such a shape that repetitive asymmetrical projections are formed and the radius of curvature of the grooves in a direction intersecting the grooves is set to 0.1 &mgr;m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Iwamura, Nobuhiro Kihara, Takeshi Yamasaki, Katsuya Shirai, Keiichi Nito, Masanobu Yamamoto, Akio Yasuda
  • Patent number: 6248410
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical liquid-crystal display having a realignment layer for realigning the liquid crystals, where the field thereof has a significant component parallel to the liquid-crystal layer, comprising a liquid-crystalline medium having negative dielectric anisotropy, where the medium comprises at least one mesogenic compound which contains at least four compounds which contain a group of the formula A
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Hideo Ichinose, Shinji Nakajima, Yuka Ikedo
  • Patent number: 6218501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cinnamatic photo-polymerization type homopolymeric or copolymeric alignment material, in which polymaleimide is singly used as the main chain, or is combined with styrene, hydroxystyrene or acrylonitrile to form a copolymer so as to be used as the main chain, or polyimide is used as the main chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignees: Cheil Industries Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hwan Jae Choi, Joo-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 6181403
    Abstract: A liquid-crystal electro-optical device is offered which can operate at high speeds and easily oriented. The value of the surface tension of liquid crystal-orienting layers is 40 dynes/cm or more, and these layers are rubbed in antiparallel directions to each other. This reduces the pretilt angle of the molecules of a nematic liquid crystal sandwiched between two substrates. The anisotropy of the dielectric constant of the nematic liquid crystal is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshimitsu Konuma
  • Patent number: 6133971
    Abstract: A holographically formed reflective display includes first and second substrates, a liquid crystal material located between the first and second substrates and a plurality of anisotropic polymer sheets separating the liquid crystal material into a plurality of liquid crystal material regions. The anisotropic polymer sheets reduce haze in the display and operates in the reverse mode when viewed from various viewing angles. The holographically formed reflective display may be used to form a color liquid crystal display and a color projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Louis D. Silverstein, Thomas G. Fiske, Greg P. Crawford
  • Patent number: 6130732
    Abstract: A paper-white reflective display that has improved photopic white reflectance, a high contrast, a lack of haze or opaqueness when viewed from various viewing angles and lower drive voltages. The paper-white reflective display includes first and second substrates, a plurality of groups of liquid crystal and polymer layers located between the first and second substrates, each of the plurality of groups of liquid crystal and polymer layers being reflective of different wavelengths of light and a voltage source connected between the first and second substrates that selectively applies a voltage to all of the liquid crystal and polymer layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Greg P. Crawford, Thomas G. Fiske, Louis D. Silverstein
  • Patent number: 6081313
    Abstract: A liquid crystal cell is fabricated by successively coating on a substrate a first alignment layer, which includes material substantially impervious to ultraviolet irradiation and a second alignment layer which includes a photosensitive material which is insoluble if not exposed to ultraviolet light, but readily dissolved in a developing solution after exposure. Portions of the first and second alignment layers corresponding to an inner space of a cell are alternately exposed so that different alignment controlling forces are respectively obtained for both alignment layers after rubbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Wan Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6080452
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical liquid-crystal display having a realignment layer for realigning the liquid crystals whose field has a significant component parallel to the liquid-crystal layer and which contains a liquid-crystalline medium of positive dielectric anisotropy, where the medium comprises at least one mesogenic compound of the formula II ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is H, an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 1 to 15 carbon atoms which is unsubstituted or monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen and in which one or more CH.sub.2 groups may each, independently of one another, be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --COO--, --OCO-- or --OCO--O-- in such a way that O atoms are not linked directly to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tarumi, Andreas Beyer, Eike Poetsch
  • Patent number: 6027665
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical liquid-crystal display having a realignment layer for realigning the liquid crystals, where the field thereof has a significant component parallel to the liquid-crystal layer, comprising a liquid-crystalline medium having negative dielectric anisotropy, where the medium comprises at least one mesogenic compound which contains a group of the formula A ##STR1## and at least one compound which contains a group of the formula B ##STR2##
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Axel Pausch, Kazuaki Tarumi, Volker Reiffenrath
  • Patent number: 6025895
    Abstract: On the substrate (108) are made reflecting type picture element electrodes (107), of Cr, and on substrate 101 are made transference picture element electrodes (102), of ITO. On both substrates (108, 101) parallel alignment films (106, 103), consisting of polyimide alignment films, are each made, but rubbing treatment is not administered. Between the substrates (108. 101) polymer dispersion liquid crystal, in which liquid crystal (105) and polymer (104) are in a state of mutual orientation dispersion, is placed. Liquid crystal (105) is parallel oriented randomly near the substrate surfaces, and twisted approximately 90.degree. between the substrates (101, 108). Also, the orientation domains from the liquid crystal random orientation are evenly multidomained at the level of approximately 1-3 .mu.m. Because they are randomly oriented in this way, directivity of scatter is improved, and operation voltage is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Yazaki, Hidekazu Kobayashi, Shuhei Yamada, Hidehito Iisaka, Yutaka Tsuchiya, Eiji Chino
  • Patent number: 5978062
    Abstract: A closed-cavity liquid-crystal display is provided, which is a liquid-crystal display having a wide angle of view. The liquid-crystal display comprises: an insulator layer formed with a plurality of cavities extending completely through the insulating layer, in which liquid-crystal material is filled into the plurality of cavities; a first substrate, placed on one side of the insulator layer, in which a first electrode is formed on one side of the first substrate near the insulator layer; and a second substrate, placed on the other side of the insulator layer, in which a second electrode is formed on one side of the second substrate near the insulator layer, so that the first electrode and the second electrode are used to drive and vary the alignment of liquid-crystal molecules in the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Bau-Jy Liang, Shu-Hsia Chen, Chung-Kuang Wei, Chen-Lung Kuo
  • Patent number: 5973759
    Abstract: A liquid crystal projector having a high contrast ratio has an optical system including, for each color, a liquid crystal display device, a drive device for driving the liquid crystal display device and a polarization device, and a light source. The liquid crystal display device has active devices connected to reflective electrodes. Driving voltages applied to pixels have different polarities in every row. The liquid crystal layer is aligned at an angle from 75.degree. to 105.degree. to the direction of an electric field between electrodes. An optical rotator is provided between the liquid crystal display device and the polarization device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Itoh, Shoichi Hirota, Masaya Adachi
  • Patent number: 5954999
    Abstract: A treating agent for liquid crystal alignment useful for formation of a liquid crystal alignment film obtained by coating a film on a substrate equipped with transparent electrodes, baking the film, and subjecting the film surface to a rubbing treatment, wherein the treating agent for liquid crystal alignment contains a polyimide precursor containing a repeating unit of the formula (I) and a solvent-soluble polyimide resin containing a repeating unit of the formula (II), and at least 1 mol % of R.sub.4 of the solvent-soluble polyimide resin of the formula (II) being a bivalent organic group constituting a diamine which has a long-chain alkyl group or fluorine-containing alkyl group with a carbon number of at least 6, and the solvent-soluble polyimide resin of the formula (II) being from 1 to 80% by weight based on the total polymer weight: ##STR1## (wherein each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is a tetravalent organic group which constitutes tetracarboxylic acid or its derivative, each of R.sub.2 and R.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Mishina, Terumi Sato, Kiyoshi Sawahata, Atsuko Tanaka, Hiroyoshi Fukuro
  • Patent number: 5919396
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-optical liquid-crystal display having a realignment layer for realigning the liquid crystals whose field has a significant component parallel to the liquid-crystal layer and which contains a liquid-crystalline medium of positive dielectric anisotropy, where the medium comprises at least one mesogenic compound of the formula II ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is H, an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 1 to 15 carbon atoms which is unsubstituted or monosubstituted or polysubstituted by halogen and in which one or more CH.sub.2 groups may each, independently of one another, be replaced by --O--, --S--, --CO--, --COO--, --OCO-- or --OCO--O-- in such a way that O atoms are not linked directly to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tarumi, Andreas Beyer, Eike Poetsch
  • Patent number: 5914761
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device having electrodes which form picture elements matrix and generate an electric field substantially parallel to a substrate is composed of so as to have a brightness recovering time of no greater than five minutes, wherein the brightness recovering time is the time until the brightness of displayed portion that has been displayed for 30 minutes and is turned off returns to the background brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Ohe, Katsumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 5910271
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus, having a designated drive composed of a group of electrodes forming pixels in a n.times.m matrix and active devices, in which the electrodes have a structure such that an electric field parallel to the interface can be applied to the liquid crystal composite layer, and the cell-gap between substrates facing each other is 6 .mu.m or less and the response time is less than or equal to 100 ms, and greater than or equal to 1 ms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Ohe, Katsumi Kondo, Masuyuki Ota, Shuichi Ohara
  • Patent number: 5903330
    Abstract: An optical component includes a substrate or cell having two spaced-apart substrates, one or more orientation layers on the substrates and one or more anisotropic layers of cross-linked liquid crystalline monomers or oligomers with locally different orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. The surfaces of the orientation layers adjacent the liquid crystalline layers have orientation patterns with a defined parallel or fan-like line structure in locally limited regions. The average spacing between the lines of the fan-like line structure is not greater than the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and the angle between neighboring lines is not greater than 3.degree..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Rolic AG
    Inventors: Jurg Funfschilling, Martin Ruetschi, Martin Schadt, Hubert Seiberle
  • Patent number: 5864376
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device comprising a plurality of layer domains of a liquid crystal material between a first and a second substrate member with two adjacent ones of which domains made to serve as a first layer domain of a first twist angle of liquid crystal orientations and as a second layer domain of a second twist angle of liquid crystal orientations, an angle between the first and the second twist angles is selected between 80.degree. and 100.degree. with the liquid crystal material made to have a chiral pitch between 20 micrometers and 200 micrometers in each of the first and the second layer domains. Preferably, the liquid crystal orientations have a pretilt angle between 0.degree. and 1.50.degree. at an interface between the liquid crystal material layer domains and at least one of the first and the second substrate members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Ken-Ichi Takatori
  • Patent number: 5858274
    Abstract: A treating agent for liquid crystal alignment useful for formation of a liquid crystal alignment film obtained by coating a film on a substrate equipped with transparent electrodes, baking the film, and subjecting the film surface to a rubbing treatment, wherein the treating agent for liquid crystal alignment contains a polyimide precursor containing a repeating unit of the formula (I) and a solvent-soluble polyimide resin containing a repeating unit of the formula (II), and at least 1 mol % of R.sub.4 of the solvent-soluble polyimide resin of the formula (II) being a bivalent organic group constituting a diamine which has a long-chain alkyl group or fluorine-containing alkyl group with a carbon number of at least 6, and the solvent-soluble polyimide resin of the formula (II) being from 1 to 80% by weight based on the total polymer weight: ##STR1## (wherein each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is a tetravalent organic group which constitutes tetracarboxylic acid or its derivative, each of R.sub.2 and R.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Mishina, Terumi Sato, Kiyoshi Sawahata, Atsuko Tanaka, Hiroyoshi Fukuro
  • Patent number: 5855968
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates; and an electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer is disclosed. The liquid crystal layers includes liquid crystal molecules, and is divided into a plurality of regions having different twist angles from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Hirata, Akihiro Nammatsu, Noriko Watanabe, Shigeaki Mizushima, Seiji Makino, Hiroko Iwagoe, Kei Oyobe
  • Patent number: 5856432
    Abstract: A polyimide alignment film based on pyromellitic dianhydride and a bis(4-aminophenoxy) aromatic compound, such as 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene or 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene, providing low tilt angles of from 1 to 2 degrees when used in liquid crystal displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignees: E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company, Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Brian Carl Auman, Edgar Bohm
  • Patent number: 5850274
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes first and second LCD panels in an opposed relationship defining a space therebetween. A respective one of the first and second LCD panels includes a substrate and two alignment layers on the substrate. A plurality of alignment regions are formed on the alignment layers which define a plurality of pixel areas, a respective one of the pixel areas having a first alignment surface on a first alignment region, the first alignment surface being operative to align molecules of a liquid crystal material in contact therewith toward a first direction, and a second alignment surface on an exposed portion of the second alignment layer disposed laterally adjacent the first alignment region, the second alignment region being operative to align molecules of the liquid crystal material in contact therewith toward a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Tae Shin, Jae-Jin Lyu
  • Patent number: 5838410
    Abstract: An optical modulation element, in which a pixel surrounding a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer and an column shaped orientation layer is formed between a pair of electrodes. The orientation layer is formed by a high-molecular polymer in which an ultrafine granular conductive substance may be dispersed. External voltage applied across the electrodes in response to gradation signals performs gradation drivings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoji Fujiwara, Shuzo Kaneko, Akio Maruyama, Tomoko Maruyama, Tomoko Murakami
  • Patent number: 5818558
    Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the invention includes: a first substrate and a second substrate, each substrate having an electrode formed thereon; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a convex pattern formed on a surface of the second substrate so as to face the liquid crystal layer, the convex pattern having an alignment function for controlling an orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer so as to conduct a display in an electrically controlled birefringence mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Ogishima
  • Patent number: 5796459
    Abstract: A nematic liquid crystal device with two bistable switched states, having two cell walls treated which provide a bigrating on one or both cell walls. The bigrating enables the liquid crystal molecules at a surface to lie in two different angular directions, 45 or 90 degrees apart. The bigrating may be symmetric or asymmetric, with the surface energy of each of the gratings of the bigratings being nearly equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: Guy P. Bryan-Brown, Damien G. McDonnell, Michael J. Towler, Martin S. Bancroft
  • Patent number: 5790223
    Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing a ferroelectric liquid crystal between a pair of substrates having thereon electrodes for voltage application and provided with uniaxial alignment axes, as by rubbing, so as to provide a high pretilt angle of at least 10 degrees. A problematic liquid crystal movement in such a high-pretilt angle ferroelectric liquid crystal device is suppressed by improving a smectic layer structure therein, inclusive of a symmetry of pretilt angles at the pair of substrate boundary surfaces. Such an improved smectic layer structure is accomplished by a realigning treatment after cooling to the chiral smectic phase or in the final stage of the cooling to the chiral smectic phase as by application of an AC electric field and/or by repetitive heating-cooling in the chiral smectic phase. The improved smectic layer structure is represented by, e.g., an X-ray diffraction peak having an increased peak area and/or a decreased half-value width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Hanyu, Akira Tsuboyama, Osamu Taniguchi, Tadashi Mihara, Katsutoshi Nakamura, Sunao Mori
  • Patent number: 5730899
    Abstract: An optically anisotropic film comprising a liquid crystal composition having twisted nematic alignment, characterized in that the helical axis of twisted nematic alignment is substantially parallel to the direction normal to the film plane, and the liquid crystal composition shows a cholesteric phase, contains at least one liquid crystal oligomer selected from the linear or cyclic liquid crystal oligomers (A) such as obtained from reaction of a vinyl monomer having a specific cholesterol group and pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane, and is defined by the fact that when the thickness of the film is represented by d (.mu.m) and the helical pitch of the twisted nematic phase is represented by P (.mu.m), d.gtoreq.3.times.P and P.ltoreq.0.3 .mu.m or P.gtoreq.0.8 .mu.m, wherein when the numbers of the recurring units (I) and (II) in one molecule of the liquid crystal oligomer (A) are supposed to be n and n', respectively, n and n' are each an integer of 1 to 20 and satisfy the relations of 4.ltoreq.n+n'.ltoreq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ohnishi, Kayoko Ueda, Masato Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 5724116
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel has a memory function that is reliable for a long time. The panel employs a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal material involving at least two kinds of layer structures of minimum energy. The layer structures are defined at least by (1) a c-director parameter that is in parallel with substrates of the panel and has at least one minimal value, or (2) an a-director parameter that is orthogonal to the substrates and has at least one maximal value. Due to these layer structures, the panel is stable, resistant to mechanical and electrical stress, reliable in operation, and excellent in memory function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5714209
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing a liquid crystal between a pair of substrates; at least one of which has thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide formed by reaction between at least two acid components including an acid component of formula (1) below and at least one component of formula (2) or (3) below and a diamine component of formula (4) below: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote an alkyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu Asaoka, Hideaki Takao, Makoto Kojima
  • Patent number: 5686019
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal lacking cholesteric phase disposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate has a surface contacting the liquid crystal showing a surface energy .gamma..sub.1 (dyne/cm) and the second substrate has a surface contacting the liquid crystal showing a surface energy .gamma..sub.2 (dyne/cm) satisfying .gamma..sub.1 >.gamma..sub.2. The surface of the first substrate is provided with a film of a polyimide or an aromatic polyamide, and the surface of the first substrate having been selectively subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. As a result, the liquid crystal can assume a stable alignment state of a bookshelf structure or one close thereto having a small layer inclination angle. The resultant device can show a high contrast and a good responsiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5680189
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display using a hydrophobic material as the material of resinous columns to orient the molecules of the liquid crystal parallel to the substrates. A hydrophilic material can also be used as the material of resinous columns to orient the molecules of the liquid crystal vertical to the substrates. The liquid crystal molecules are oriented horizontally by making the surface tension of the orientation film greater than the surface tension of the resinous columns. The liquid crystal molecules are oriented vertically by making the surface tension of the orientation film smaller than the surface tension of the resinous columns. A mixture of a liquid crystal material and an uncured resin is placed in a liquid crystal cell. The uncured resin is precipitated (deposited) out of the mixture. The molecules of the liquid crystal material are oriented. Then, the uncured resin is cured. Thereafter, an aging step for reorienting the molecules of the liquid crystal material is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Shimizu, Takeshi Nishi, Toshimitsu Konuma
  • Patent number: 5657105
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a multi-domain liquid crystal display wherein adjacent areas of the display are oriented in different direction by coating the substrate with a polymer and exposing a first set of areas to ultraviolet/light from a source polarized in a first direction and then exposing a second set of areas to ultraviolet light from a source polarized in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Richard I. McCartney
  • Patent number: 5648828
    Abstract: A TFT substrate and an opposed electrode substrate are disposed in an opposing relationship to each other with a spacer interposed therebetween for keeping the gap between the substrates fixed, and liquid crystal filling between the substrates. Orientation films on the substrates are oriented in different directions so that they divide the picture elements. A light intercepting film is provided on an orientation dividing line. The surface of the spacer is processed by orientation processing by which the liquid crystal is oriented perpendicularly to the surface of the spacer or in parallel to the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Michiaki Sakamoto, Tatsuo Onozawa
  • Patent number: RE36161
    Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a first substrate provided with a thin film transistor array as a driving switching element and a second substrate provided with another electrode, and produces a display by electro-optical change generated between these substrates. Visibility of the display is improved in such a way that rays of light incident on the display apparatus are converted into diffusion light. Photoconductive material, in particular amorphous silicon, can be used by covering semiconductive portions of the thin film transistor array of the display apparatus with an intercepting member. In a display apparatus using a thin film transistor array as a driving switching element, a conductive surface electrically insulated from gate lines on a substrate on where the gate lines for the thin film transistor array are formed, such conductive surface acts as a counter electrode of capacitors for storing charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Okubo, Yoshiyuki Osada, Masao Sugata, Katsunori Hatanaka, Takashi Nakagiri