Liquid crystal display device

• US 20010015782A1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Central Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Seiichi, Takato, Kohki
• Granted Patent: US 6,445,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/129
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133374 for displaying permanent signs or marks
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133753 with different alignment orientations or pretilt angles on a same surface, e.g. for grey scale or improved viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133757 with different alignment orientations
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer, an alignment layer orientating the liquid crystal layer, and a driving circuit that drives the liquid crystal layer. The alignment layer is divided into a plurality of specified regions, each having a recognizable size. The orientation direction of adjacent regions is different from one another. This makes it difficult to resolve a displayed image from directions other than that from the front of the display, and instead a fixed pattern is seen when the display is viewed from directions other than that from the front. This fixed pattern can be chosen as desired and can be, e.g., a figure or a trade name of a product.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer; and

alignment layers sandwiching said liquid crystal layer, comprising an alignment layer surface divided into a plurality of regions, each of said plurality of regions including a plurality of pixel units, with orientations of said alignment layers in adjacent said regions being different.

2. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein one of said regions comprises a letter.

3. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein one of said regions comprises a visible figure.

4. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein a long side of a minimum hypothetical rectangular containing one of said regions is equal to or larger than 0.1 millimeter.

5. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 3

, wherein said figure comprises square.

6. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein said liquid crystal layer is driven at a maximum voltage less than a saturation voltage of said liquid crystal layer.

7. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 6

, wherein said maximum voltage Vm and said saturation voltage Vs have a following relation:

0.005 Vs≦

Vm≦

0.7 Vs.

8. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein a region of said plurality of regions of said alignment layers comprises a unique orientation.

9. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 1

, wherein a region of said plurality of regions of said alignment layers having a same color element comprises a unique orientation.

10. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer; and

alignment layers sandwiching said liquid crystal layer, said alignment layers comprising surfaces divided into a plurality of regions having different orientation directions, a first ratio of areas of two regions of said plurality of regions in a first pixel being different from a second ratio of areas of said two regions of said plurality of regions in a second pixel.

11. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 10

, wherein a region of said two regions comprises a letter.

12. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 10

, wherein a region of said two regions comprises a visible figure.

13. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

alignment layers sandwiching said liquid crystal layer; and

a driving circuit configured to drive said liquid crystal layer,

wherein an image formed in said liquid crystal layer by said driving circuit is displayed at a front direction and a fixed image independent of said driving circuit is displayed at an oblique direction.

14. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 13

, wherein said alignment layers comprise a plurality of regions having different orientations.

15. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 13

, wherein said fixed image comprises a letter.

16. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 13

, wherein said fixed image comprises a visible figure.

17. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 13

, wherein said fixed image comprises a color.

18. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

alignment layers sandwiching said liquid crystal layer; and

a driving circuit configured to drive said liquid crystal layer,

wherein an image formed in said liquid crystal layer by said driving circuit is displayed at a first direction normal to said liquid crystal layer and a fixed image independent of said driving circuit is displayed at a second direction.

19. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first liquid crystal layer displaying an image determined by a driving circuit;

a second liquid crystal layer; and

alignment layers sandwiching said second liquid crystal layer, said alignment layer including regions displaying a visible figure, with orientations of adjacent of said regions being different.

20. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a pair of substrates sandwiching said liquid crystal layer; and

a driving circuit configured to drive said liquid crystal layer,

wherein an image formed in said liquid crystal layer by said driving circuit is displayed at a front direction and a fixed image independent of said driving circuit is displayed at an oblique direction.

21. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 20

, wherein said substrates comprise glass.

22. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 20

, wherein said driving circuit is formed on said substrate.

23. The liquid crystal display according to

claim 20

, wherein said driving circuit is formed separate from said substrate.

24. A terminal device comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a pair of substrates sandwiching said liquid crystal layer; and

a driving circuit configured to drive said liquid crystal layer,

wherein an image formed by said driving circuit is displayed at a front direction and a fixed image independent of said driving circuit is displayed at an oblique direction.

25. A portable terminal device comprising:

a liquid crystal layer;

a pair of substrates sandwiching said liquid crystal layer; and

a driving circuit configured to drive said liquid crystal layer,

wherein an image formed by said driving circuit is displayed at a front direction and a fixed image independent of said driving circuit is displayed at an oblique direction.

26. A method of forming a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

orienting a first portion of a first substrate in a first direction;

orienting a second portion of said first substrate in a second direction;

coating said first portion and said second portion of said first substrate with a liquid crystal layer;

sandwiching said a liquid crystal layer between said first substrate and a second substrate; and

driving said liquid crystal layer with a driving circuit to form an image.

27. The method according to

claim 26

, further comprising:

orienting a third portion of said second substrate in a third direction; and

orienting a fourth portion of said second substrate in a fourth direction.

28. The method according to

claim 27

, wherein said fourth direction is perpendicular to said second direction and said third direction is perpendicular to said first direction after said sandwiching step.

29. The method according to

claim 26

, wherein said first portion of said first substrate comprises an image.

30. The method according to

claim 26

, wherein said first portion of said first substrate comprises a logo.

31. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a liquid crystal layer; and

means for sandwiching said liquid crystal layer, comprising at least two portions each comprising a different means for aligning an orientation of said liquid crystal layer sandwiched by said respective portion.