Abstract: An electronic device (200) includes a display (202) and an LC shutter (204), at least a portion of which is operatively positioned over the display (202). The LC shutter (204) provides switching between a transparent state and a diffusive state with high image integrity, and high transmission in the transparent state. In one embodiment, the electronic device (200) further includes control logic (206) operatively coupled to the LC shutter (204) to provide control signals (212) to the LC shutter (204) to effect the transparent state. The LC shutter (204) includes a first dichroic polarizer (300), such as a broadband dichroic polarizer, an LC cell (304), and a diffusive reflective polarizer (307). The LC cell (304) is interposed between the first dichroic polarizer (300) and the diffusive reflective polarizer (307). Related methods are also set forth.

Abstract: A display device and a method of fabricating a color filter substrate for the display device are provided. The method includes forming a black matrix on a substrate having a pixel region, forming a color filter layer including a lyotropic liquid crystal material over the substrate, applying shear force to a surface of the color filter layer in a first direction, and forming a common electrode over the color filter layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a transparent insulating substrate, a gate line and a gate electrode on the transparent insulating substrate, a gate insulating film, an active layer, an ohmic contact layer, source and drain electrodes and a data line on the transparent insulating substrate, a passivation film formed on the transparent insulating substrate including the source and drain electrodes and the data line, a polarizing film formed on the passivation film, and a pixel electrode formed on at least the polarizing film.

Abstract: A projection type display apparatus includes: a reflective polarizing plate for each color light which transmits each of R light, G light and B light having a P polarized component subjected to color separation by a color separation optical system therethrough, allows each transmitted light to enter a corresponding reflective liquid crystal panel for each color light, and reflects image light of each color having an S polarized component which has been subjected to light modulation in accordance with an image signal of each corresponding color light by the reflective liquid crystal panel for each color light; a transmission type polarizing plate for each color light which removes an unnecessary polarized component from the image light of each color reflected by the reflective polarizing plate for each color light; a color combination optical system which subjects the image light of each color transmitted through the transmission type polarizing plate for each color light to color combination; and a projection

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel having polarizers, and a back light having a light source for illumination of the liquid crystal panel which has a characteristic of spectral transmittance required to satisfy the following equation, x>y>z, when a medium tone display voltage varies in a range between a minimum and maximum voltage for a Blue pixel, where “x” is a value of the transmittance in the panel at a wavelength corresponding to a longest wavelength in a range of wavelengths designated for blue light, “y” is a value of the transmittance in the panel at a wavelength corresponding to a maximum value of the intensity in a range of wavelengths designated for green light, and “z” is a value of the transmittance in the panel at a wavelength corresponding to a maximum value of the intensity in a range of wavelengths designated for red light.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, electrodes formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer twisted in the gap between the pair of substrates at a predetermined twisted angle. A normal polarizing plate to exhibit a polarizing function for the whole visible light is arranged on the outer surface of an observation side substrate in the pair of substrates. A color polarizing plate to exhibit a polarizing function for visible light of a wavelength band other than a specific wavelength band is arranged on the outer surface of the opposite side substrate in the pair of substrates. A reflecting plate to reflect light entering from the observation side toward the observation side is arranged on a surface of the color polarizing plate that is opposite to the surface that opposes the opposite side substrate.

Abstract: A display device includes: a main LCD; a SW LCD, disposed on an optical path of light transmitting through the main LCD, for electrically switching a visible image between a single image display mode and a multiple image display mode; a first polarizer; and a second polarizer. The major axis direction of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer of the SW LCD is always substantially parallel to the polarization direction of light after transmission through the first polarizer when projected from the normal to the substrates. At least some of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are controlled in terms of alignment direction so that the major axis direction of the liquid crystal molecules is substantially parallel to the substrates in the single image display mode and tilted from the substrates in the multiple image display mode.

Abstract: A color liquid crystal display device capable of displaying a large color gamut is provided. A color liquid crystal display device 100 includes: a transmissive color liquid crystal panel 10 having a color filter and a backlight light source 20, in which the backlight light source 20 includes a fluorescent lamp 21 of large color reproduction range, a color filter 19 is made of color filters of three primary colors that select the wavelength to transmit red light, green light and blue light, and the filter of each color has a spectroscopic characteristic suitable for the spectrum of the fluorescent lamp 21 of large color reproduction range.

Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display device having a mirror function includes a back light assembly, a liquid crystal display panel, a first polarizing plate, a selective reflection polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate. The back light assembly generates a light. The liquid crystal display panel includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate facing the upper substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposes between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. The liquid crystal display panel receives the light generated from the back light assembly to generate an image. The first polarizing plate is disposed on the upper substrate. The selective reflection polarizing plate is disposed on the first polarizing plate. The selective reflection polarizing plate selectively reflects an external light. The second polarizing plate is disposed on the lower substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polarizing plate, a method of fabricating the polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display including the polarizing plate. The polarizing plate includes a polarizing film and a supporting film arranged on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the polarizing film. At least one of the polarizing film and the supporting film includes a light absorbing material that partially absorbs the light polarized by the polarizing film. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel and the polarizing plate including the light absorbing material. The liquid crystal panel includes first and second substrates facing each other and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates. The polarizing plate is attached to the liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: Liquid crystal display backplane layouts and addressing for non-standard subpixel arrangements are disclosed. A liquid crystal display comprises a panel and a plurality of transistors. The panel substantially comprises a subpixel repeating group having an even number of subpixels in a first direction. Each thin film transistor connects one subpixel to a row and a column line at an intersection in one of a group of quadrants. The group comprises a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant and a fourth quadrant, wherein the thin film transistors are formed in a backplane structure adjacent to intersections of the row and column lines. The thin film transistors are also substantially formed in more than one quadrant in the backplane structure.

Abstract: A discrimination medium 10a includes a first double layered body 101 having a right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 and a left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 which are stacked. The right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 reflects a specific right-handed circular polarization light, and the left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 reflects a specific left-handed circular polarization light. The discrimination medium 10a is applied to the article 30, and is viewed via a simple determination tool 20 having a filter 21 allowing only right-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough and a filter 22 allowing only left-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes at least one polarization plate, a phase difference plate, a pair of oppositely disposed substrates at least one of which is a transparent substrate, a liquid crystal disposed between said pair of substrates, and means for applying a voltage to said liquid crystal so that a retardation of said liquid crystal is modulated depending on the voltage applied to said liquid crystal. The liquid crystal is placed in a first alignment state which is determined by said pair of substrates when the voltage is not applied thereto. The phase difference plate has a retardation so that light passing through said liquid crystal, said phase difference plate, and said polarization plate assumes chromatic color when the voltage is not applied to said liquid crystal.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a polarization conversion element which converts second color light of unpolarized light emitted from a light source into a first linear polarized light, and a light path separation element which separates the second color light emitted from the first and third color light; and performs image display by illuminating a first, a second and a third liquid crystal display elements with the first, second and third color light that pass through the light path separation element, wherein the light path separation element leads a first linear polarized light component of the second color light to the second liquid crystal display element, and wherein the light path separation element leads a second linear polarized light component whose direction of polarization is orthogonal to the first linear polarized light component of the second color light, in a direction different from any of the liquid crystal display elements.

Abstract: A polarizing element 20 has a first undulating structure in which a plurality of linear first recesses 22 are formed parallel to one another in one surface of a transparent substrate 21, and a dielectric layer 30 made from silicon dioxide is formed on the surface of the first undulating structure to produce a second undulating structure. The second undulating structure has formed therein second recesses 32 having a width W and a depth H, with second projections 33 having a width d intervening between adjacent second recesses 32. A thin-film-shaped conductive body 13 of width W and depth H is embedded in each of the second recesses 32.

Abstract: Poly-azo compound selected from the group consisting compounds of the formula (I) and compounds of the formula (II), (wherein, Me represents copper, nickel, zinc or iron, A represents a naphthyl group having 1 to 3 sulfonic groups and further optionally having an alkyl group or alkoxy group, R1 and R2 represent each independently a hydrogen atom, alkyl group or alkoxy group, and R3 represents an amino group or hydroxyl group.).

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a retardation layer on an outer surface of the first substrate; a linear polarizing layer on the retardation layer; a cholesteric liquid crystal color filter (CCF) layer on an inner surface of the second substrate; a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the CCF layer; a first cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polarizing layer on an outer surface of the second substrate, the first CLC polarizing layer having a first helical pitch of a first circular polarization direction; a second cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polarizing layer on the first CLC layer, the second CLC polarizing layer having a second helical pitch of a second circular polarization direction opposite to the first circular polarization direction; and a backlight unit outside the second CLC layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to light polarizers and devices for displaying information based on said polarizers, in particular to a liquid crystal indicating (LCI) element, and can be used on flat liquid-crystal displays, including those of the projection type, luminairs, optical modulators, matrix systems of light modulation, etc. The objective of the invention is to provide a highly efficient polarizer providing an improved brightness and color saturation of an LCI element based on such polarizer. This objective is to be attained by using, in manufacture of a polarizer and an LCI element based on such polarizer, at least one birefringent anisotropically absorbing layer having at least one refraction index that grows as the polarized light wavelength increases., i.e., having the abnormal dispersion. The use of said layer allows creation of polarizers of both the dichroic and interference types.

Abstract: The invention relates to chiral compounds of formula I wherein X1,X2,X1,X2,x1,x2,y1,y2,B,C,U1,U2,V1,V2,W1 and W2 have the meaning given in claim 1, to liquid crystal mixtures comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I, to chiral linear or crosslinked liquid crystal polymers obtainable by polymerizing a polymerizade mixture comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I, to the use of chiral compound of formula I and mixtures and polymers obtained thereof in liquid crystal display, active and passive optical elements, adhesives, synthetic resins with anisotropic mechanical properties, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostics, liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications, nonlinear optics, optical information storage or as chiral dopants, and to a liquid crystal display comprising a mixture comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I.

Abstract: A color-correcting polarizer is provided comprising a polarizer layer and at least one discotic film layer. The discotic film layer is optically transparent within the range of visible wavelength. The discotic film layer works as a polarizer in the wavelength ranges at least from 380 to 500 nm and/or from 600 to 780 nm. A liquid crystal cell comprising the color correcting polarizer is also disclosed.

Abstract: The LC information display contains a layer of liquid crystal situated between the front and the rear panels with functional layers, and the liquid crystal has parameters providing interference maximum or minimum of transmission or reflection at the exit of the display and/or at the boundary of at least two functional layers and/or between the LC layer and a functional layer, for at least one linearly polarized component of light, and for at least one wavelength. The disclosed invention allows optimizing transmission of light through optically anisotropic functional layers of the display, which leads to substantial increase of its effectiveness.

Abstract: This invention relates to a polyvinyl alcohol type polarizing film or plate which comprises a water-soluble dye having the formula (1) in a free acid form or a copper complex salt thereof.

Abstract: The liquid crystal switchable color filter switches between three color bands and is preferably used for time-sequential color devices, as for example projection devices, direct view displays and video cameras. The color filter employs circularly polarizing selective reflection bands of at least four cholesteric filters (89, 91, 93, 95) together with three liquid crystal switches (81, 83, 85) and related retarder layers. Between the first and the second as well as between the third and the fourth cholesteric filter an additional half-wave plate (111, 113) is provided, which makes it possible to use cholesteric filters having all the same handedness. Furthermore, for the blocking state of a color band the optic axis of the corresponding liquid crystal switch is parallel or perpendicular to the polarization direction. This concept simplifies production and still exhibits excellent properties for the color switch.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display device having a mirror function includes a back light assembly, a liquid crystal display panel, a first polarizing plate, a selective reflection polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate. The back light assembly generates a light. The liquid crystal display panel includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate facing the upper substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposes between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. The liquid crystal display panel receives the light generated from the back light assembly to generate an image. The first polarizing plate is disposed on the upper substrate. The selective reflection polarizing plate is disposed on the first polarizing plate. The selective reflection polarizing plate selectively reflects an external light. The second polarizing plate is disposed on the lower substrate.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal device including a layer having a fixed cholesteric order, the patterned layer is manufactured by providing a layer comprising polymerizable cholesterically ordered material and a compound convertible by means of radiation from a non-converted to converted state. The pitch of the cholesterically ordered material is influenced by the compound in its converted state to a different extent than in its converted state. The polymerizable layer is then irradiated pattern-wise thus creating regions of different pitch. The irradiated layer is then polymerized and/or cross-linked to fix the cholesteric order thus obtained.

Abstract: A color filter and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The color filter includes a polarizer matrix (202), which is patterned in accordance with the pixel arrangement of a liquid crystal display device. The polarizer matrix (202) is made of a thin crystal film material, which may linearly polarize incident light along one direction. By incorporating with a polarizer film (206), the polarizer matrix (202) becomes an effective black matrix. A thinner black matrix may thus be produced, and the manufacturing processes of the color filter are simplified.

Abstract: A display and a watch including a display which includes a first polarizing means, a second polarizing means, a display means, rotation means for causing relative rotation between said first and said second polarizing means, said second polarizing means being disposed intermediate between said first polarizing means and said display means, at least one of said polarizing means being a color polarizer, and said display means being generally reflective towards said first and second polarizing means.

Abstract: The present invention provides polarizing devices and illumination devices that include the polarizing devices. The polarizing devices and illumination devices can be advantageously used in a wide variety of applications, such as in liquid crystal displays. Polarizing devices provided by the present invention include those having an isotropic waveguiding layer with a refractive index ni and an anisotropic separating layer having an anisotropic region with principal refractive indices nx and ny, wherein nx>ny and wherein ni is substantially smaller than nx and substantially larger than ny. An example of a further polarizing device provided by the present invention is one having a waveguiding layer and a separating layer, wherein the separating layer includes a form birefringent region.

Abstract: A watch unit having a time-displaying section, including a reflection-type polarizing film 14 disposed on an upper portion or a lower portion of the time-displaying section or a portion comprising a part of the time-displaying section, an optical modulation section which varies the ratio of a transmission axis to a reflection axis of the reflection-type polarizing film 14, and a shutter function to shield a portion of or all of the watch unit having the time-display section by varying the reflection intensity and the transmission intensity in relation to the light incident direction using the reflection-type polarinzing film 14 and the optical modulation section, to enhance the appearance and to improve the versatility of the watch unit.

Abstract: In a liquid-crystal display (10), unpolarized light from a light source (12) passes through a linear polarization separation layer (14) and strikes a liquid-crystal cell (16). The liquid-crystal cell (16), in response to an applied electrical field, changes the direction of a director, so as to change the direction of the electrical field oscillation vector of the incident linearly polarized light by substantially 0 to 90°, this light then striking a dichroic linear polarization layer (18) on the surface, whereby only a component coincident with the polarization transmission axis thereof is allowed to exit to the outside. The dichroic linear polarization layer (18) transmits 50% of this incident light, and absorbs the remaining 50%.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal display device having a polarizing element, an optical element, a polarized light supply unit, and liquid-crystal cells. The polarizing element has a function of separating natural light into reflected or transmitted light composed of polarized light, wherein a half-reflecting wavelength in each position in a surface of the polarizing element ranges within ±10 nm relative to a half-reflecting average wavelength when the half-reflecting wavelength is a wavelength which is located at a long or short wave side of a wavelength exhibiting maximum reflectivity on the basis of a spectrum of reflected light in a predetermined wave range in which the natural light is separated into the reflected light and the transmitted light, and which exhibits reflectivity of 50% with respect to the maximum reflectivity, and the half-reflecting average wavelength is an average of half-reflecting wavelengths in the surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a polyvinyl alcohol type polarizing film or plate which comprises a water-soluble dye having the formula (1) in a free acid form or a copper complex salt thereof. The said polarizing plate has excellent polarizing performance capability and durability, and is suitably used for the green channel of a liquid crystal projector when B in formula (1) is a benzoylamino group and the water-soluble dye has a wavelength for maximum absorption (&lgr;max) of 520 nm or more and less than 580 nm.

Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide an highly efficient polarizer providing an improved brightness and color saturation of a LCI element based on such polarizer. This objective is to be attained by using, in manufacture of a polarizer and a LCI element based on such polarizer, at least one birefringent anisotropically absorbing layer having at least one refraction index that grows as the polarized light wavelength increases, i.e. having the abnormal dispersion. The use of said layer allows to create polarizers of both the dichroic and interference types. Further, the use of said layer allows to create a polarizer that provides, in a relatively simple design, conversion of practically all energy of a non-polarized radiation into the polarized radiation.

Abstract: A fast time-sequential color separator that can fast-switch to output various wavelength ranges of lights having high color purity and a high contrast ratio, which includes: a prism module to separate an incident light into various wavelength ranges of light beams which are emitted from various prisms of the prism module; a plurality of ferroelectric liquid crystal panels, respectively placed on emerging surfaces of the various wavelength ranges of light beams, to reflect the various wavelength ranges of light beams to the prism module; and a power supply, respectively connected to the plurality of ferroelectric liquid crystal panels, to fast-switch the liquid crystal panels, respectively, to sequentially emit the various wavelength ranges of light beams from the prism module. Furthermore, a full color LCD projector can be constructed by the color separator, a transmissive or reflective fast response display element such as a liquid crystal light valve, and other elements such as micro-mirrors, etc.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can improve light efficiency by adopting cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) as a black matrix and as a polarizer. The cholesteric liquid crystal selectively reflects or transmits the light emitted from the backlight device. Accordingly, the light from the backlight device is converted into a given direction of circularly polarized light by the cholesteric liquid crystal polarizer and enters CLC color filters. Some portion of the circularly polarized light impinges on, and is reflected by, the CLC back matrix and reflected again and again by a reflective plate of the backlight device and by the CLC polarizer. This reflected circularly polarized light finally passes through the CLC polarizer and through the CLC color filters. Therefore, a high brightness, a good contrast and a superior light efficiency are attained.

Abstract: Electrooptic devices (100, 600, 700) include a left handed (102, 708) and right handed (104, 710) cholesteric phase liquid crystal layers. Electrodes (120, 122, 124, 126, 602, 604) or magnetic coils (704, 706) are used to apply electric or magnetic fields perpendicular to helical axes of the cholesteric phase liquid crystal layers. The fields lengthen the helical pitch of the liquid crystal layers thereby shifting the reflectance of the liquid crystal layers to longer wavelengths. Spectral reflectance of both left and right hand polarized light is controlled by the electrooptic devices.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display screen comprising a liquid crystal layer and a first and a second transparent substrate flanking said liquid crystal layer, and comprising means for influencing the transmission state of the liquid crystal layer, and a phosphor layer, containing at least one phosphor in the form of phosphor dots, on the second substrate, and comprising a third substrate, which is arranged opposite the second substrate and connected with said second substrate so as to form a gastight gas discharge vessel filled with a filling gas, and comprising means for igniting and maintaining a dielectrically impeded discharge in the gas discharge vessel.

Abstract: The assembly includes a first display device (22) in front of which is arranged a second active liquid crystal display device including, starting from the exterior, a front polarizer (11) selective of a first color “V”, a liquid crystal display cell (26) which is switchable ON/OFF, an intermediate polarizer (13) selective of a second color “R”, an ON/OFF switchable optical liquid crystal valve (28) and a rear polarizer (15), which is reflective when the first display device (22) has a dark background and absorbent when it has a light background. A control unit (23) allows two switching states to be selected allowing the color of the information displayed, or that of the background on which said information is displayed to be reversed. Application to the display of information in a timepiece.

Abstract: A polarizer has low color shift and is particularly well suited to use in an LCD display. The polarizer has a double pass color shift of |&Dgr;x|≦0.005 and |&Dgr;y|≦0.005 for illumination by a C-illuminant, and a double pass contrast modulation of at least 90%. The display includes two or more layers stacked together, at least one of the layers being an absorbing polarizer having a double pass color shift of |&Dgr;x|≦0.005 and |&Dgr;y|≦0.005 for illumination by a C-illuminant. A polarizer with a selected color shift is also used with a rear projection screen having a dispersing layer stacked together with first absorbing polarizer. The polarizer has a single pass color shift with at least one of &Dgr;x and &Dgr;y being negative under illumination by a C-illuminant, and a polarization co-efficiency greater than 90%.

Abstract: The assembly includes on the one hand a first device I determining a first color, said device being formed of a liquid crystal display module (CL; CL1, CL2), including at the front and at the back a linear polarizer (PAb1, PAb2) selective of said first color, and on the other hand a second device II including a colored filter (Fy) corresponding to the second color. The assembly is characterised in that the axes of polarization of the selective polarizers (PAb1, PAb2) are parallel to each other, in that the colored filter (Fy) includes at the front a reflective polarizer (PR1) whose axis of polarization is parallel to the axes of polarization of the two polarizers (PAb1, PAb2), and at the back a reflective element (R, PR2), and in that a control unit (7) enables a switching configuration to be defined displaying an item of information in the first color on a background corresponding to the second color or vice versa.

Abstract: A watch unit having a time-displaying section, including a reflection-type polarizing film 14 disposed on an upper portion or a lower portion of the time-displaying section or a portion comprising a part of the time-displaying section, an optical modulation section which varies the ratio of a transmission axis to a reflection axis of the reflection-type polarizing film 14, and a shutter function to shield a portion of or all of the watch unit having the time-display section by varying the reflection intensity and the transmission intensity in relation to the light incident direction using the reflection-type polarinzing film 14 and the optical modulation section, to enhance the appearance and to improve the versatility of the watch unit.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal cell with liquid crystals sealed thereinbetween, sandwiched between two transparent substrates having an electrode on each of the inner surfaces thereof facing each other, an absorption-type polarizing film disposed on the visible side of the liquid crystal cell, a reflection-type polarizing film disposed on the side of the liquid crystal cell, opposite from the visible side. The absorption-type polarizing film is a polarizing sheet absorbing a light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof while the reflection-type polarizing film is a polarizing sheet reflecting a light linearly polarized in the direction orthogonal to the transmission axis thereof. A light reflection film or a color filter may preferably be disposed under the reflection-type polarizing film. Further, a light diffusing layer or a light diffusing film may preferably be disposed on the visible side of the absorption-type polarizing film.

Abstract: A display includes a light source and a filter positioned to receive light from the light source. An electronically controlled mirror can direct light through the filter in a first mode of operation and not through the filter in a second mode of operation. The display can be utilized in an avionics display system with night vision equipment. The electronically controlled mirror can be a reversible electrochemical mirror (REM).

Abstract: There is provided a polarizing member having a sheet-like member formed so that linearly polarized light can be obtained as transmitted light through the sheet-like member after natural light is incident on a rear surface of the sheet-like member, wherein the sheet-like member exhibits a transmittance difference of not larger than 6% between transmitted light components within a 20 nm-wide wavelength region in a transmission spectrum of light in a wavelength range of from 520 to 640 nm when natural light is incident on the sheet-like member at any angle ranging from an angle viewing from a line normal to a surface of the sheet-like member to an elevation angle of 80 degrees. There is provided an illuminator having a planar light source including a reflection layer on a rear surface side of the planar light source, and a polarizing member defined above and disposed on a front surface side of the planar light source.

Abstract: A polarizing plate for a liquid crystal display and a liquid crystal display comprising the polarizing plate are provided.

Abstract: A polarized element formed by arranging a dichroic molecule in a micropattern form on a thin film layer of a liquid crystalline resin having a photoactive group irradiated by a linearly polarized light. The micropattern polarized element can be produced without need of a very high position-matching precision as sticking.

Abstract: In realizing a new display technique for a display device for reliably producing icon displays of various designs and allowing displayed information to be easily grasped, and providing a display device which provides high visibility in an electronic device and the like, in order to obtain icon displays, display pattern portions 171, 172, and 173 are formed in an optical modulation layer 17, and control regions 114, 115, and 116 are formed in a liquid crystal panel 11 so as to overlap with the display pattern portions in a plane. In particular, the control regions 114, 115, and 116 are formed to be somewhat larger than icons so as to completely cover the icons and to include the icons with some extra space. This makes it possible to display icons without any trouble even when some pattern displacement in a planar portion is caused between the display pattern portions 171, 172, and 173 formed on a transmissive film 14 and the control regions 114, 115, and 116 of the liquid crystal panel 11.

Abstract: An improved irradiation device for polarized light for optical alignment of a liquid crystal cell element includes a lamp, a focusing mirror for focusing of the light of the lamp, an integrator lens, and a polarization element in which the polarization element is made such that several glass plates, which are located parallel to one another at a distance, are tilted by the Brewster angle with reference to the optical axis. The rotary motion of the above described polarization element around the center of the light beam incident in the polarization element (light beam being the axis of rotation), changes the polarization direction of the polarized light with which the alignment layer of the liquid crystal cell element is irradiated. The polarization element may be located in the vicinity of the integrator lens.

Abstract: An array substrate includes a wiring section, switching elements, an insulating film formed so as to cover the wiring section and switching elements, and pixel electrodes formed in a matrix on the insulating film and connected to the switching elements through contact holes made in the insulating film.