Nonspacer Particles Significantly Smaller Than Liquid Crystal Thickness (e.g., Scattering Centers, Ferromagnetic Particles, Etc.) Patents (Class 349/166)
  • Patent number: 11520176
    Abstract: A display device is provided and includes a first polymer substrate, a plurality of thin-film transistors, a second polymer substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The thin-film transistors are disposed on the first polymer substrate. The second polymer substrate is disposed opposite to the first polymer substrate. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first polymer substrate and the second polymer substrate. The first polymer substrate has a first thickness, the second polymer substrate has a second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Chih Tseng, Chu-Hong Lai
  • Patent number: 11156865
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor in a pixel region over the substrate; a common electrode over the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor; and a liquid crystal layer including a plurality of liquid crystal capsules over the common electrode and the pixel electrode, wherein each of the plurality of liquid crystal capsules includes a shell and a core having a plurality of liquid crystal molecules therein, and wherein a gap distance between the liquid crystal molecules in adjacent liquid crystal capsules is equal to or greater than 20 nm and equal to or smaller than 0.3 times of a capsule diameter of the adjacent liquid crystal capsules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyeong-Jin Kim, Kyung-Su Ha, Eun-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 10222648
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal display panel and a display device. The liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer. A first grating layer is arranged on a side of a first basal substrate departing from the second substrate, a scattering layer is arranged on a side of the first grating layer departing from the second substrate, the first grating layer includes a plurality of first light shielding walls and first transparent columns arranged alternately. The liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer is doped with a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer with a predetermined volume ratio. Normal display of bright and dark states can be realized without a polarizer, and the transmittance is improved. The phase retardation can also be achieved without the cooperation of polarizer and liquid crystal, eliminating the issue of viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Guangkui Qin
  • Patent number: 8994910
    Abstract: In a display panel and a method of manufacturing the display panel, the display panel includes a display substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode insulated from the first electrode and disposed on the first electrode, an opposite substrate including a third electrode facing the second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display substrate and the opposite substrate. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules, a reactive mesogen polymer, and nano-rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd., Institute for Research & Industry Cooperation, PNU
    Inventors: Soon-Joon Rho, Hyeok-Jin Lee, Ji-Hong Bae, Jun-Ha Park, Hye-Lim Jang, Tae-Hoon Yoon, Dong-Han Song, Ki-Han Kim, Jung-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 8941807
    Abstract: An exemplary liquid crystal display panel includes a substrate and first conductive wires. The first conductive wires are arranged at a surface of the substrate. Each of the first conductive wires includes a plurality of first connecting portions, a plurality of second connecting portions and a conductive portion with a plurality of conductive particles. The conductive portion is sandwiched between the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, thus electrically connecting the first connecting portions to the second connecting portions. A method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Chien, Shang-Yu Huang, Tsau-Hua Hsieh, Chien-Ting Lai
  • Patent number: 8836904
    Abstract: An exemplary liquid crystal display panel includes a substrate and first conductive wires. The first conductive wires are arranged at a surface of the substrate. Each of the first conductive wires includes a plurality of first connecting portions, a plurality of second connecting portions and a conductive portion with a plurality of conductive particles. The conductive portion is sandwiched between the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions, thus electrically connecting the first connecting portions to the second connecting portions. A method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Chien, Shang-Yu Huang, Tsau-Hua Hsieh, Chien-Ting Lai
  • Patent number: 8810897
    Abstract: A method is provided for improving metallic nanostructure stability. The method provides a substrate, and using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process for example, deposits metallic nanostructures having a first diameter overlying the substrate. Some examples of metallic nanostructures include Ag, Au, and Al. The metallic nanostructures are annealed in an atmosphere including an inert gas and H2. The annealing temperature is less than the melting temperature the metal material in bulk form. In response to the annealing, stabilized metallic nanostructures are formed. If the stabilized metallic nanostructures are exposed to an ambient air environment the stabilized metallic nanostructure maintain the first diameter. Typically, the metallic nanostructures are initially formed having a rectangular shape with corners. After annealing, the stabilized metallic nanostructures have a dome shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Akinori Hashimura, Liang Tang, David R. Evans
  • Patent number: 8675167
    Abstract: A polymer dispersed display apparatus includes a polymer layer, and a plurality of liquid crystal drops dispersed in the polymer layer. Quantum dots emitting a plurality of colors of light are mixed in the liquid crystal drops. Therefore, the polymer dispersed display apparatus displays colors without the need for a color filter. Thus, the polymer dispersed display apparatus need not include a polarization plate and a color filter, so that a light usage efficiency of the polymer dispersed display apparatus increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-eun Jang, Seung-nam Cha, Jae-eun Jung, Yong-wan Jin
  • Patent number: 8432527
    Abstract: Light guide devices comprising an intermediate layer of low refractive index between higher refractive index elements are described. The light guide devices are suitable for use in backlights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: ITI Scotland Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Michael Tomlinson
  • Publication number: 20130077038
    Abstract: In a display panel and a method of manufacturing the display panel, the display panel includes a display substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode insulated from the first electrode and disposed on the first electrode, an opposite substrate including a third electrode facing the second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display substrate and the opposite substrate. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules, a reactive mesogen polymer, and nano-rods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicants: INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH & INDUSTRY COOPERATION, PNU, SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Soon-Joon RHO, Hyeok-Jin LEE, Ji-Hong BAE, Jun-Ha PARK, Hye-Lim JANG, Tae-Hoon YOON, Dong-Han SONG, Ki-Han KIM, Jung-Wook KIM
  • Patent number: 8355099
    Abstract: A plasmonic display device is provided with liquid crystal dipole molecule control. The device is made from a first set of electrodes including at least one electrically conductive top electrode and at least one electrically conductive bottom electrode capable of generating a first electric field in a first direction. A second set of electrodes, including an electrically conductive right electrode and an electrically conductive left electrode, is capable of generating a second electric field in a second first direction. A dielectric layer overlies the bottom electrode, made from a liquid crystal material with molecules having dipoles responsive to an electric field. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the first and second set of electrodes and in contact with the dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is embedded in the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Labortories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Tang, Akinori Hashimura, Jiandong Huang, Apostolos T. Voutsas
  • Patent number: 8339543
    Abstract: A plasmonic display device is provided having dual modulation mechanisms. The device has an electrically conductive bottom electrode that may be either transparent or reflective. A dielectric layer overlies the bottom electrode, made from an elastic polymer material having a refractive index responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode, either transparent or reflective, overlies the dielectric layer. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes and in contact with the dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is embedded in the dielectric layer. Alternately, the plasmonic layer overlies the bottom (or top) electrode. Then, the dielectric layer overlies the plasmonic layer particles and exposed regions of the bottom electrode between the first plasmonic layer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Tang, Akinori Hashimura, Apostolos T. Voutsas
  • Patent number: 8330895
    Abstract: In a method for making an antiglare film including the casting, the releasing, the drying, the applying and the curing as defined herein, the transparent particles have an average primary particle size of greater than 2.5 ?m and not greater than 12 ?m, the transparent base has on at least one side thereof flat portions substantially parallel to a film-forming plane and rounded protrusions arising from the transparent particles, the protrusions having a maximum height Rt from the flat portions of from 1 to 15 ?m, and the cured layer has an average thickness of from 1 to 15.0 ?m and a surface profile with an arithmetic average roughness Ra, a mean spacing between peaks Sm, and an average slope ?a, all as measured in accordance with JIS B0601, satisfying the relationships (1) to (3) as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yoneyama, Takato Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8323755
    Abstract: Nematic liquid crystal cells with positive dielectric anisotropy that include colloidal suspensions having nanoclusters (e.g., CdTe nanoclusters, CdSe nanoclusters) that include a pure monolayer of ligands are provided as well as methods of inducing Freedericksz transitions in the nematic liquid crystal cells and methods of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: University of Manitoba
    Inventors: Torsten Hegmann, Brandy Melissa Kinkead
  • Patent number: 8325293
    Abstract: A method for producing a light scattering film is provided and includes: casting onto a support a dope containing at least a thermoplastic resin and light transmitting particles to provide a casted film, and peeling and drying the casted film to prepare a light transmitting base material; applying an coating solution containing at least a curable compound, a polymerization initiator, and a solvent onto the light transmitting base material and drying the solvent; and curing the curable compound to form a cured layer. At least one surface of the light transmitting base material has an asperity shape, the light transmitting particles have an average primary particle size greater than 2.5 ?m but not greater than 12 ?m, the cured layer has an average thickness of 0.1 ?m or greater but not greater than 10.0 ?m, and the cured layer satisfies the specific formulae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yoneyama, Daisaku Abiru
  • Patent number: 8294838
    Abstract: Nematic liquid crystal cells with positive dielectric anisotropy that include colloidal suspensions having nanoclusters are provided as well as methods of inducing Freedericksz transitions therein and methods of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: University of Manitoba
    Inventors: Torsten Hegmann, Hao Qi
  • Patent number: 8294867
    Abstract: At least one side of a sealing member is formed on an outer edge of a first substrate, and a common transfer terminal portion is formed along at least a part of the sealing member formed on the outer edge of the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Ohashi, Mutsumi Nakajima, Kenichi Ishiguro, Shohichi Andoh
  • Patent number: 8248574
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element includes a first substrate having a first electrode on one surface thereof, a transparent second substrate having a transparent second electrode on one surface thereof, a first liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal composition, a color filter, and a second liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal composition, and at least one of the first and second liquid crystal layers includes an additive having dielectric properties, and the dielectric constant of the first liquid crystal layer is different from that of the second liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Kakinuma, Tadayoshi Ozaki, Chikara Manabe, Naoki Hiji
  • Patent number: 8045107
    Abstract: A color-tunable plasmonic device is provided with a partially modulated refractive index. A first dielectric layer overlies a bottom electrode, and has a refractive index non-responsive to an electric field. A second dielectric layer overlies the first dielectric layer, having a refractive index responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode overlies the second dielectric layer. A plasmonic layer including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first and second dielectric layers. In a second aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode. In a third aspect, a first plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode, and a second plasmonic layer of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Liang Tang, Akinori Hashimura, Apostolos T. Voutsas
  • Patent number: 7880821
    Abstract: A touch panel for use in an ultra-high resolution display includes a transparent film substrate having one surface made of PET or the like and a transparent electrode film made of ITO film or the like that is formed on the transparent film substrate. A surface of the film substrate opposite the surface on which the transparent electrode is formed has a coating layer including a filler. The filler has an average particle size of 0.1 ?m to 0.01 ?m, and the coating layer is formed to have a surface having arithmetic particle roughness (Ra) of 0.1 ?m to 0.01 ?m, whereby the Ra of the surface of the coating layer is formed to 1/2000th to 1/4000th of the pixel pitch of a display to which the touch panel is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: SMK Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Egami, Naomi Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20100302470
    Abstract: Nematic liquid crystal cells with positive dielectric anisotropy that include colloidal suspensions having nanoclusters (e.g., CdTe nanoclusters, CdSe nanoclusters) that include a pure monolayer of ligands are provided as well as methods of inducing Freedericksz transitions in the nematic liquid crystal cells and methods of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Torsten Hegmann, Brandy Melissa Kinkead
  • Patent number: 7791706
    Abstract: A bistable liquid crystal display device has a nematic liquid crystal which is switchable between two different stable molecular configurations. The liquid crystal has a mixture of finely-divided positively-charged particles and finely-divided negatively-charged particles dispersed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: David Sikharulidze
  • Patent number: 7771799
    Abstract: A LCD device element of frequency modulation mode enables high speed on and off control of an electro-optical response by switching the frequency of applied electric field. The LCD device element is capable of changing a frequency modulation range freely. The LCD device element has conductive layers between two parallel substrates; liquid crystal (LC) alignment layers with pre-tilt angle on these conductive layers; and a LC layer between the two liquid crystal alignment layers. LC soluble particles (nanoparticles composing a core and a liquid crystal molecules or like molecules on its periphery), are in the LC layer. A control circuit applies voltage while modulating frequency on the conductive layer for varying light transmittance of the LC layer. Under a constant voltage, an electro-optical response is turned on by switching the frequency from low to high frequency and is turned off by switching the frequency from high to low frequency. The electro-optical response is varied also by varying voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignees: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Kobayashi, Naoki Toshima, Jirakorn Thisayukta, Yukihide Shiraishi, Shigenobu Sano, Atsushi Baba
  • Patent number: 7764337
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to improve deterioration of display performance in a liquid crystal display device, especially to obtain rapid response with the alignment of a liquid crystal maintained. According to one feature of the present invention, a liquid crystal display device comprises a pair of substrates where an electrode is formed in one side of each substrate; liquid crystals; and a ferroelectric, wherein the pair of substrates is disposed so that the electrodes oppose to each other, wherein the liquid crystal is sandwiched between the pair of substrates, wherein the ferroelectric includes an organic material and wherein the ferroelectric particles are dispersed in the liquid crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takeshi Nishi
  • Patent number: 7670654
    Abstract: A bistable nematic liquid crystal display device includes two cell walls enclosing a layer of a nematic liquid crystal material, means for applying an electric field across at least some of the layer, and means for inducing local planar alignments of said liquid crystal material at an inner surface of each cell wall. The local planar alignments are oriented to each other at an angle greater than 0° and less than 90°. The device also includes means for selectively masking an alignment effect of either of the local planar alignments by applying a unidirectional electric field pulse of suitable magnitude and duration to stabilise the device in one of two different homeoplanar configurations determined by the polarity of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: David Sikharulidze
  • Publication number: 20090190085
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce defects in display due to short-circuiting in liquid crystal display devices using a liquid crystal material containing organic particles having anisotropy in a uniaxial form. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device with: a first substrate; a second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer, a pixel electrode and a common electrode placed between the above described first substrate and the above described second substrate, wherein the above described liquid crystal layer contains a number of organic particles having anisotropy in a uniaxial form, and the longitudinal axis of the particle having the longest longitudinal axis from among the above described particles is no greater than the thickness of the above described liquid crystal layer or the distance between the above described pixel electrode and the above described common electrode—whichever is shorter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventor: Shintaro Takeda
  • Patent number: 7557875
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a display comprising at least one substrate, at least one electrically conductive layer and at least one electronically modulated imaging layer, wherein the electronically modulated imaging layer comprises a self-assembled, close-packed, ordered monolayer of domains of electrically modulated material in a random coil fixed polymer matrix and filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Debasis Majumdar, Joseph S. Sedita, Krishnan Chari
  • Patent number: 7423706
    Abstract: A relief structure alignment layer comprising a relief structure surface incorporating at least one indentation, the at least one indentation having an internal surface extending from the relief structure surface, wherein the relief structure alignment layer has a surface memory alignment layer arranged to impart a preferred liquid crystal director alignment to a liquid-crystal material in contact therewith as well as methods for configuring a liquid crystal material within a cell having a relief structure alignment layer by applying at least one of an electric field and a magnetic field and phoretic displays comprising at least on relief structure alignment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: Richard Jonathan Miller, Isabelle Marianne Votte
  • Publication number: 20080198301
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device including a first electrode substrate, a second electrode substrate and a liquid crystal layer is provided. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate. The liquid crystal layer comprises liquid crystal molecules and particles. The liquid crystal molecules are vertically aligned when the applied voltage between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate is less than a threshold voltage. The arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules is changed so as to produce optical changes in the liquid crystal device when the applied voltage between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode substrate is not less than the threshold voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Shie-Chang Jeng, Hsing-Lung Wang, Chi-Chang Liao
  • Patent number: 7362406
    Abstract: An electrophoretic liquid crystal display device comprises: two opposed cell walls enclosing a layer of an electrophoretic composition comprising a liquid crystal material having finely divided pigment particles dispersed therein; a plurality of electrode structures on an inner surface of each cell wall for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, overlapping regions of opposed electrode structures on each cell wall defining pixels; wherein the liquid crystal material has a dielectric anisotropy greater than about 2 or less than about ?2; and wherein at least one of said cell walls is translucent and has an inner surface that is of low energy or induces a substantially homeotropic local alignment of adjacent molecules of said liquid crystal material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: David Sikharulidze
  • Publication number: 20070268446
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to liquid crystal devices and methods for forming the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to liquid crystal devices easy to be fabricated. Such liquid crystal devices exhibit excellent display characteristics such as a high contrast with a simple structure. The liquid crystal liquid crystal device includes a plurality of encapsulated liquid crystal composite filled in between substrates. In particular, the liquid crystal composite comprises liquid crystal molecules and fine-particles, and is optically isotropic when the voltage applied to the electrode layer is lower than a threshold value and undergoes optical transition due to change in the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules when the applied voltage is equal to or higher than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventors: Shie-Chang Jeng, Lung-Pin Hsin, Yan-Rung Lin, Chi-Chang Liao
  • Patent number: 7264851
    Abstract: A bistable nematic liquid crystal display device comprises two cell walls enclosing a layer of nematic liquid crystal material having finely divided solid particles dispersed therein. At least one electrode on each cell wall applies an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material. Surface alignments on the inner surface of both cell walls induce adjacent molecules of the liquid crystal material to adopt desired orientations. The liquid crystal material adopts two different stable molecular configurations according to the polarity of applied electric field pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: David Sikharulidze
  • Patent number: 7145626
    Abstract: A phoretic display device comprising a plurality of electrophoretic or magnetophoretic cells, each having a phoretic particle dispersed within a suspension medium comprising a liquid crystal material. The phoretic cell is adapted to induce defects, sometimes known as disclinations, in the alignment of the liquid crystal material within the cell which act to exert a retentive force on the phoretic particle when within the region of influence of the defects. The configuration of the display introduces a threshold level in the electric or magnetic field required to move the phoretic particle between defects within the cell. Accordingly, the non-linear electro-optic or magneto-optic behaviour of the display facilitates matrix addressing of the cells therein. The display may comprise a plurality of prolate spheroid phoretic cells arranged in an encapsulant, the major (long) axis of each cell arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Qinetiq Limited
    Inventors: Richard Jonathan Miller, Victor Chaklam Hui
  • Patent number: 7133111
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of electronics and may be used for making displays and, in particular, liquid crystal information displays, panels, cells, etc. The object of the invention is to simplify the method for making liquid crystal devices by reducing the number of technological operations and consequently to reduce the cost of liquid crystal display without sacrificing the quality (wide viewing angle). To achieve this the electric field applied to the liquid crystal in such display has the non-uniform component parallel to the plane of the substrates (1), which leads to the non-uniform reorientation of the aforementioned liquid crystal (5) in the space between the aforementioned electrodes (2, 3) within the pixel area and hence improves optical properties of this display in various directions of observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: LG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sergey E Yakovenko, Anatoly A Minko, Victor A Konovalov, Anatoly A Muravsky
  • Patent number: 7092065
    Abstract: A multi-valued display is produced by an image display device using electronic balls. The image display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate and spherical bodies, which are sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate and which are rotatable. Each rotatable spherical body has at least two regions formed by dividing the spherical body in color, and at least first electrodes and second electrodes which apply an electric field to the rotatable spherical bodies. At least an electric field which is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode is applied to the rotatable spherical body, and the image display device further defines a plurality of regions which differ in the intensity of the electric field in the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 7064735
    Abstract: An electro-optical device is provided which includes a TFT array substrate having pixel electrodes, and an opposing substrate having an opposing electrode. The surface of a substrate beneath the pixel electrodes in the TFT array substrate or the surface of a substrate beneath the opposing electrode in the opposing substrate is raised in a plurality of projections in an area facing the spacing between adjacent pixel electrodes which are driven by mutually opposite polarity voltages in an alternating drive manner. Arranged on top of the projections are edge portions of the adjacent pixel electrodes. The substrate surface is planarized to be flat in an area thereof facing the spacing between adjacent pixel electrodes which are driven by the same polarity voltages in an alternating drive method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 6943855
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a reflection sheet which can improve reflection property and concealing property, and a backlight unit capable of attempting the improvement of brightness and the prevention of lack in uniformity of the brightness through decreasing loss of rays of light using said reflection sheet. Specifically, disclosed is a reflection sheet which is provided to the back face side of the backlight unit to reduce the loss of rays of light to the back face side, and which may include a substrate sheet layer made of a white synthetic resin and a highly concealing layer overlaid to the back face side of the substrate sheet layer, wherein the highly concealing layer has luminosity (L*) of equal to or greater than 95. In addition, further disclosed is a backlight unit for use in a liquid crystal display device including this reflection sheet to the back face side of an optical waveguide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Keiwa Inc.
    Inventor: Shoji Nakano
  • Patent number: 6683592
    Abstract: An electro-optical device is provided which includes a TFT array substrate having pixel electrodes, and an opposing substrate having an opposing electrode. The surface of a substrate beneath the pixel electrodes in the TFT array substrate or the surface of a substrate beneath the opposing electrode in the opposing substrate is raised in a plurality of projections in an area facing the spacing between adjacent pixel electrodes which are driven by mutually opposite polarity voltages in an alternating drive manner. Arranged on top of the projections are edge portions of the adjacent pixel electrodes. The substrate surface is planarized to be flat in an area thereof facing the spacing between adjacent pixel electrodes which are driven by the same polarity voltages in an alternating drive method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Murade
  • Patent number: 6665042
    Abstract: Flakes or platelets of polymer liquid crystals (PLC) or other birefringent polymers (BP) suspended in a fluid host medium constitute a system that can function as the active element in an electrically switchable optical device when the suspension is either contained between a pair of rigid substrates bearing transparent conductive coatings or dispersed as microcapsules within the body of a flexible host polymer. Optical properties of these flake materials include large effective optical path length, different polarization states and high angular sensitivity in their selective reflection or birefringence. The flakes or platelets of these devices need only a 3-20° rotation about the normal to the cell surface to achieve switching characteristics obtainable with prior devices using particle rotation or translation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: The University of Rochester
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Marshall, Tanya Z. Kosc, Stephen D. Jacobs, Sadeg M. Faris, Le Li
  • Patent number: 6650384
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display, including a substrate and pixels arrayed on the substrate, each of the pixels including an electric field sensitive layer which includes, an N-type liquid crystal material containing a liquid crystal substance, a dichroic dye and an isotropic dye, and particles dispersed in the N-type liquid crystal material and configured to migrate in the N-type liquid crystal material by electrophoresis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masayuki Oguchi, Hiroki Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 6441881
    Abstract: A reflective display having a first substrate having a first electrode, a second substrate having a second electrode and arranged opposite to the first electrode, and partition walls existing between the first and second substrates and arranged in a direction not perpendicular to the first and second substrates. A non-conductive liquid in which colored particles are dispersed resides in a cell including the partition walls. The colored particles can moved by an electric field, and the display color is thereby changed. Alternatively, the display color can be changed by shape deformation of a liquid-crystal-filled microcapsule enclosed in the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shintaro Enomoto, Hideyuki Nakao, Hajime Yamaguchi, Yutaka Nakai
  • Patent number: 6259498
    Abstract: A display device capable of causing a reversible transition between two states by only electrical stimulation is provided. The display device includes a pair of oppositely disposed substrates each having an opposing electrode thereon so as to form a hollow cell including a gap between the electrodes, a mixture disposed to fill the hollow cell and comprising a low-molecular weight liquid crystal and minute solid particles having sizes smaller than the gap, and voltage application means for applying voltages between the opposing electrodes so as to selectively provide a state of localization and a state of dispersion of the minute solid particles between the oppositely disposed substrates thereby developing a transparent state and an opaque state, respectively, of the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Takeda
  • Patent number: 6118512
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display element is provided with the steps of: arranging a pair of insulating substrates face to face with each other and bonding them to each other, each of the insulating substrates having electrodes formed thereon with an alignment film formed in a manner so as to cover the electrodes; and filling the gap between the two substrates with a mixture that is made by mixing a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) composition with isotropic micro structural elements that locally give different threshold-value characteristics to liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal composition. With this arrangement, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal layer in which the isotropic micro structural elements are formed into a striped organization with the isotropic micro structural elements being sandwiched between smectic layers of the FLC composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sakaigawa, Kazuyuki Kishimoto, Mitsuhiro Koden, Teiyu Sako
  • Patent number: 5812230
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display element is manufactured as follows: First, a mixture containing a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) composition and a monofunctional monomer is injected into the space between opposing two electrode substrates, each of which is constituted by a substrate, an electrode, an alignment film and a polarization plate; next, the mixture is heated by irradiating it with ultraviolet light to a temperature at which the FLC composition exhibits a nematic phase or an isotropic phase so that the monomer is polymerized, and then it is cooled off. With this arrangement, isotropic micro structural elements, which locally give different threshold-value characteristics in the above-mentioned mixture, are formed into a striped structure so that a liquid crystal layer is formed. This striped structure is formed when the polymer that has been formed as a result of the polymerization is allowed to be sandwiched between smectic layers in the FLC composition during the cooling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sakaigawa, Kazuyuki Kishimoto, Mitsuhiro Koden
  • Patent number: 5729320
    Abstract: Closely packed small particles dispersed in a liquid crystalline phase, whereby the particles can be moved toward one another by external influence, constitute a liquid crystalline medium permitting the generation of bistable images without the requirement of matching the indices of refraction of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Rudolf Eidenschink
    Inventors: Rudolf Eidenschink, Britta Nagel
  • Patent number: 5594569
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprising:a pair of substrates having an electrode arrangement thereon; an orientation control means provided on at least one of said substrates; and a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal layer interposed between said substrates, said liquid crystal layer being uniaxially oriented by virtue of said orientation control means, wherein means for suppressing an orientation control effect of said orientation control means with respect to said liquid crystal layer is provided between said liquid crystal layer and said orientation control means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Konuma, Takeshi Nishi, Michio Shimizu, Harumi Mori, Kouji Moriya, Satoshi Murakami