Liquid crystal display device

• US 4,432,610 A
• Filed: 02/19/1981
• Issued: 02/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroshi, Yamada, Hisashi, Uchida, Yukimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, David
• Application Number:
  US06/235,995
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 350/330, 350/331 R, 350/332, 350/333, 350/334, 350/339 R, 350/338, 350/342, 350/346, 340/765, 340/784
• US Class Current: 349/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2011 by amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/207 by domain size control G09G3/3637 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device is proposed which has a substrate having electrodes corresponding to the display picture elements, liquid crystal arranged on the substrate through a dielectric mirror, and a transparent electrode arranged on liquid crystal and applying electric fields to the liquid crystal for each picture element through the respective electrodes on the substrate. The substrate has memory cells which are capable of storing data and of becoming electrically conductive, this conductive condition being determined and sustained based on the contents of the stored data. The electric fields are applied to the liquid crystal through these memory cells.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a memory array including a plurality of cells having means for storing data without any external memory for refreshing and for becoming electrically conductive, such that this conductive condition is determined and sustained based on the contents of the stored data;

a data terminal connected to said cells of said memory array and supplied with data to be stored;

an address terminal connected to said cells of said memory array for selecting a cell;

a power source terminal connected to each cell of said memory array;

liquid crystal arranged on the surface of said memory array; and

a transparent electrode arranged on the liquid crystal, holding said liquid crystal with said memory array and applying an electric field to said liquid crystal with said power source terminal through said cells.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a dielectric mirror interposed between said memory array and said liquid crystal.

3. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said cell comprises a flip-flop circuit.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said cell comprises a nonvolatile memory transistor having an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a transistor controlled by the electrons in said insulation layer.

5. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said cell comprises an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a capacitor whose capacitance changes by the electrons in said insulation layer.

6. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said cell comprises an amorphous semiconductor whose resistance changes by phase transition.

7. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said cell comprises a photosensor for sensing the light transmitted through said liquid crystal and a flip-flop circuit controlled by an output signal of said photosensor.

8. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a memory array including a plurality of cells having means for storing data without external memory for refreshing and for becoming electrically conductive, such that this conductive condition is determined and sustained based on the contents of the stored data;

a data terminal connected to said cells of said memory array and supplied with data to be stored;

an address terminal connected to said cells of said memory array for selecting a cell;

power source terminals connected to each cell of said memory array;

liquid crystal arranged on the surface of said memory array; and

a plurality of transparent electrodes arranged at the surface of said liquid crystal on each said cell of said memory array, which hold said liquid crystal with said cell and applies a plurality of electric fields to said liquid crystal with said power source terminals through said cells.

9. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, further comprising a dielectric mirror interposed between said memory array and said liquid crystal.

10. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 or 9, in which said cell comprises a nonvolatile memory transistor having an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a transistor controlled by the electrons in said insulation layer.

11. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 or 9, in which said cell comprises an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a capacitor whose capacitance changes by the electrons in said insulation layer.

12. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 8 or 9, in which said memory array is formed on an amorphous silicon or monocrystalline silicon substrate.

13. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a selection line panel in which a plurality of linear transparent electrodes are arranged parallel to each other on a transparent substrate;

liquid crystal arranged at the surface of said selection line panel at the side of said transparent electrodes;

a data line panel including a plurality of memory cells having means for storing data without any external memory for refreshing and for becoming electrically conductive, such that this conductive condition is determined and sustained based on the contents of the stored data, and a plurality of data lines connected to said cells and supplied with data to be stored, said data lines being arranged in a direction perpendicular to said transparent electrodes; and

a power source terminal connected to said data line panel and applying an electric field to said liquid crystal through said cells in cooperation with said transparent electrodes.

14. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13, further comprising a dielectric mirror interposed between said data line panel and said liquid crystal.

15. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 or 14, in which said selection line panel is formed on a glass substrate, and said transparent electrodes are connected to switching elements made of amorphous silicon or monocrystalline silicon.

16. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 or 14, in which said selection line is formed on a sapphire substrate, and said transparent electrodes are connected to switching elements made of amorphous silicon or monocrystalline silicon.

17. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 or 14, in which said cell comprises a nonvolatile memory transistor having an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a transistor controlled by the electrons in said insulation layer.

18. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 or 14, in which said cell comprises an insulation layer for trapping electrons and a capacitor whose capacitance is controlled by the electrons in said insulation layer.

19. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 or 14, in which a plurality of said transparent electrodes are arranged for one cell for applying a plurality of electric fields on said liquid crystal on said one cell.