Bistable liquid crystal display and writing device with high brightness and contrast

• US 10,228,599 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wicue USA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wicue Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Fenghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Charles
• Application Number:
  US15/237,568
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 349 12
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13476 in which at least one liquid crystal cell or layer assumes a scattering state
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13478 based on selective reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13756 the liquid crystal selectively assuming a light-scattering state G02F1/1334, G02F1/13718 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/023 curable
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/03 scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for a liquid crystal display and writing device that has a high brightness and a high contrast ratio. The device includes a first two conductive layers and a liquid crystal film between the conductive layers. The liquid crystal film includes a first liquid crystal layer, a second liquid crystal layer and a middle polymer layer between the first and second liquid crystal layers. The first and second liquid crystal layers are configured to switch from a light scattering state to a light reflective state to display content. The first and second liquid crystal layers are further configured to switch from the light reflective state to the light scattering state to erase the content.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device, comprising:

a first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer; and

a liquid crystal film between the first and second conductive layers, the liquid crystal film including a first liquid crystal layer, a second liquid crystal layer and a middle polymer layer between the first and second liquid crystal layers;

wherein the first and second liquid crystal layers are configured to switch from a light scattering state to a light reflective state to display content, and the first and second liquid crystal layers are configured to switch from the light reflective state to the light scattering state to erase the content;

wherein during operation a portion of the first liquid crystal layer and a portion of the second liquid crystal layer are configured to switch from the light scattering state to the light reflective state to display the content in response to a mechanical pressure applied to a surface of the liquid crystal device at a place where the content is to be displayed without an electric field applied across the first and second liquid crystal layers.

2. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the first and second liquid crystal layers switch from the light scattering state to the light reflective state to display the content in response to a signal for displaying the content.

3. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein a mechanical pressure applied to a surface of the liquid crystal device causes a portion of the first or second liquid crystal layer changes from a light scattering focal conic texture to a light reflective planar texture.

4. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the first and second liquid crystal layers switch from the light reflective state to the light scattering state to erase the content in response to a driving voltage applied between the first and second conductive layers.

5. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal film is manufactured using a roll-to-roll process.

6. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the first and second liquid crystal layers are separated from polymers of the middle polymer layer such that the polymers are not dispersed with the liquid crystal molecules and do not cause scattering between the polymers and the liquid crystal molecules.

7. The liquid crystal device of claim 6, wherein the scattering between the polymers and the liquid crystal molecules reduces a level of ambient light reflection of the liquid crystal molecules at the light reflective state.

8. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the first and second liquid crystal layers are separated from polymers of the middle polymer layer such that the polymers do not affect orientations of cholesteric liquid crystal helices of the first and second liquid crystal layers.

9. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the first or second liquid crystal layer includes a small amount of polymers permeated from the middle polymer layer to the first or second liquid crystal layer.

10. The liquid crystal device of claim 9, wherein the small amount of permeated polymers strengthen a mechanical structure of the liquid crystal film, and keep the first or second liquid crystal layer bistable when the first or second liquid crystal layer is switched between the light reflective state and the light scattering state.

11. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the middle polymer layer includes a small amount of liquid crystal molecules permeated from the first or second liquid crystal layer to the middle polymer layer.

12. The liquid crystal device of claim 1, wherein the small amount of permeated liquid crystal molecules improve a transmittance level of the liquid crystal film at the light scattering state due to an index matching caused by the permeated liquid crystal molecules in the middle polymer layer.

13. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal device, comprising:

producing a liquid crystal film including a polymer layer and at least one liquid crystal layer;

curing the polymer layer such that polymers of the polymer layer and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are separated such that during operation at least a portion of the liquid crystal layer switches from a light scattering state to a light reflective state to display a content in response to a mechanical pressure applied at a place where the content is to be displayed without an electric field applied across the liquid crystal layer; and

attaching a first conductive layer on top of the liquid crystal film and a second conductive layer on bottom of the liquid crystal film.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the producing comprises:

producing a liquid crystal film including the polymer layer and the at least one liquid crystal layer using a roll-to-roll process.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the curing comprises:

curing the polymer layer such that polymers of the polymer layer and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are separated, while a small amount of polymers are permeated from the polymer layer to the liquid crystal layer so that the small amount of permeated polymers strengthen a mechanical structure of the liquid crystal film, and keep the liquid crystal layer bistable when the liquid crystal layer is switched between a light reflective state and a light scattering state.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the curing comprises:

curing the polymer layer such that polymers of the polymer layer and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are separated, while a small amount of liquid crystal molecules are permeated from the first or second liquid crystal layer to the middle polymer layer so that the small amount of permeated liquid crystal molecules improve a transmittance level of the liquid crystal film at a light scattering state due to an index matching caused by the permeated liquid crystal molecules in the polymer layer.

17. A method for displaying content on a liquid crystal writing device, comprising:

detecting a mechanical pressure applied at a place on a surface of the liquid crystal writing device;

in response to the mechanical pressure, switching at least a portion of a liquid crystal film from a light scattering state to a light reflective state to display content at the place where the mechanical pressure is applied without an electric field applied across the liquid crystal film, wherein the liquid crystal film including a first liquid crystal layer, a second liquid crystal layer and a middle polymer layer between the first and second liquid crystal layers; and

applying a voltage to conductive layers on and beneath the liquid crystal film to switch liquid crystal film from the light reflective light scattering state to the light scattering state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the content displayed on the liquid crystal writing device has a high brightness or a high contrast ratio because polymers of the middle polymer layer are not mixed with liquid crystal molecules of the first and second liquid crystal layers in a way that reduces a reflectance level of the liquid crystal film at the light reflective state.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the first and second liquid crystal layers are separated from polymers of the middle polymer layer such that the polymers are not dispersed with the liquid crystal molecules and do not cause scattering between the polymers and the liquid crystal molecules.

20. A liquid crystal device, comprising:

a first conductive layer;

a second conductive layer; and

a liquid crystal film between the first and second conductive layers, the liquid crystal film including a liquid crystal layer and a polymer layer;

wherein the liquid crystal layer is configured to switch from a light scattering state to a light reflective state to display content, and the liquid crystal layer is configured to switch from the light reflective state to the light scattering state to erase the content;

wherein a portion of the liquid crystal layer is configured to switch from the light scattering state to the light reflective state to display the content in response to a mechanical pressure applied to a surface of the liquid crystal device at a place where the content is to be displayed without an electric field applied across the liquid crystal layer.

21. The liquid crystal device of claim 20, wherein the liquid crystal film including the liquid crystal layer and the polymer layer are manufactured by a roll-to-roll process.

22. The liquid crystal device of claim 20, wherein the content displayed on the liquid crystal device has a high brightness or a high contrast ratio because polymers of the polymer layer are not mixed with liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer and do not reduce a reflectance level of the liquid crystal film at the light reflective state.