TRANSFLECTIVE LC DISPLAY WITH INTERNAL REFLECTOR AND REFLECTIVE POLARIZER

• US 20080030656A1
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Watson, Philip, Ouderkirk, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/831,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133567 on the back side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective

Abstract

A transflective display having a reflective viewing mode and a transmissive viewing mode is provided. The transflective display includes a liquid crystal (LC) panel having an array of partially reflective pixels. The reflective portions of the array of partially reflective pixels include metal positioned on a viewer side of the LC panel to reflect light back toward the viewer. The display also includes a reflective polarizer, in place of a conventional rear polarizer, positioned behind the LC panel on a side of the LC panel opposite the viewer side. The reflective polarizer is also oriented to reflect ambient light back toward the viewer.

Claims

1. A transflective display having a reflective viewing mode and a transmissive viewing mode, the display comprising:

a liquid crystal (LC) panel having an array of partially reflective pixels, wherein reflective portions of the array of partially reflective pixels in the panel comprise reflective metal positioned on a viewer side of the LC panel to reflect light back toward the viewer; and

a reflective polarizer positioned behind the LC panel on a side of the LC panel opposite the viewer side, the reflective polarizer oriented to reflect ambient light back toward the viewer.

2. The transflective display of claim 1, and further comprising a backlight, wherein the reflective polarizer is positioned between the LC panel and the backlight.

3. The transflective display of claim 1, wherein in the LC panel, reflective portions of the array of partially reflective pixels further comprise metal positioned on the side of the LC panel opposite the viewer side.

4. The transflective display of claim 1, and further comprising a front absorbing polarizer positioned on the viewer side of the LC panel, wherein the reflective polarizer serves as a rear polarizer.

5. The transflective display of claim 4, wherein the reflective polarizer is a linear reflective polarizer.

6. The transflective polarizer of claim 5, wherein the linear reflective polarizer is a reflective display film (RDF).

7. The transflective polarizer of claim 5, wherein the linear reflective polarizer is a transflective display film (TDF).

8. The transflective polarizer of claim 5, and further comprising a first one-quarter wave plate positioned between the linear reflective polarizer and the LC panel and a second one-quarter wave plate positioned on the viewer side of the LC panel.

9. The transflective polarizer of claim 4, wherein the reflective polarizer is a wire grid reflective polarizer.

10. The transflective polarizer of claim 9, and further comprising a first one-quarter wave plate positioned between the wire grid reflective polarizer and the LC panel and a second one-quarter wave plate positioned on the viewer side of the LC panel.

11. The transflective display polarizer of claim 4, wherein the reflective polarizer is a cholesteric reflective polarizer.

12. A laminate optical film comprising:

a linear reflective polarizer;

a quarter wave film; and

a non-depolarizing diffuser.

13. A transflective display including the laminate optical film of claim 12.