Liquid crystal apparatus

• US 5,058,994 A
• Filed: 11/14/1988
• Issued: 10/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuboyama, Akira, Inoue, Hiroshi, Mizutome, Atsushi, Taniguchi, Osamu, Onitsuka, Yoshihiro, Mihara, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Stanley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Tai V.
• Application Number:
  US07/271,240
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 350/331 R, 350/332, 350/333, 350/350 S, 340/765, 340/784, 340/805, 358/236, 358/241
• US Class Current: 345/97
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0227 related to multiple interlacing, i.e. involving more fields than just one odd field and one even field
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/06 Details of flat display driving waveforms
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/061 for resetting or blanking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/065 Waveforms comprising zero voltage phase or pause
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0247 Flicker reduction other than flicker reduction circuits used for single beam cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3629 using liquid crystals having memory effects, e.g. ferroelectric liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/364 with use of subpixels

Abstract

A liquid crystal apparatus comprises a) a liquid crystal device comprising an electrode matrix composed of scanning electrodes and data electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal; and b) a driving means. The driving means includes a first drive means for applying a scanning selection signal two or more scanning electrodes apart in one vertical scanning so at to effect in one picture scanning in plural times of vertical scanning, and a second drive means for applying data signals in synchronism with the scanning selection signal.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

a) a liquid crystal device comprising an electrode matrix comprising a plurality of substantially parallel scanning electrodes and data electrodes intersecting said scanning electrodes, and a liquid crystal; and

b) drive means including first drive means for sequentially applying a scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes two or more scanning electrodes apart between successively selected scanning electrodes in one vertical scanning and for effecting one picture scanning by scanning said scanning electrodes in at least two vertical scannings, wherein during a latter one of two consecutive vertical scannings of the at least two vertical scannings in one picture scanning, the scanning selection signal is applied to scanning electrodes which are not adjacent to scanning electrodes to which the scanning signal is applied in a former one of the two consecutive vertical scannings, and second drive means for applying data signals in synchronism with the scanning selection signal.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes 4 or more scanning electrodes apart in one vertical scanning.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes 5-20 scanning electrodes apart in one vertical scanning.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes N scanning electrodes apart (N is an integer of 2, 3, 4, . . .) in one vertical scanning, and one picture scanning is effected in (N+1) times of vertical scanning.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning selection signal is a signal having a voltage of one polarity and a voltage of the other polarity with respect to the voltage level of a scanning electrode to which the scanning selection signal is not being applied.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

7. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

a) a liquid crystal device comprising an electrode matrix comprising a plurality of substantially parallel scanning electrodes and data electrodes intersecting said scanning electrodes, and a liquid crystal; and

b) driving means including first drive means for sequentially applying a scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes two or more scanning electrodes apart between successively selected scanning electrodes in one vertical scanning and for effecting one picture scanning by scanning said scanning electrodes in at least two vertical scannings, wherein during a latter one of two consecutive vertical scannings of the at least two vertical scannings in one picture scanning, the scanning selection signal is applied to scanning electrodes which are not adjacent to scanning electrodes to which the scanning signal is applied in a former one of the two consecutive vertical scannings, the scanning selection signal comprising a former voltage of one polarity and a latter voltage of the other polarity with respect to the voltage level of a non-selected scanning electrode; and

second drive means for applying to all or a prescribed part of the data electrodes a voltage signal providing a voltage for causing one orientation state of the liquid crystal in combination with the former voltage of one polarity of the scanning selection signal, and applying to a selected data electrode among said all or a prescribed part of the data electrodes a voltage signal providing a voltage for causing the other orientation state of the liquid crystal and to the other data electrodes a voltage signal providing a voltage not changing the previous state of the liquid crystal, respectively, in combination with the latter voltage of the other polarity.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes 4 or more scanning electrodes apart in one vertical scanning.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes 5-20 scanning electrodes apart in one vertical scanning.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first drive means comprises means for applying the scanning selection signal to said scanning electrodes N scanning electrodes apart (N is an integer of 2, 3, 4, . . . ) in one vertical scanning, and one picture scanning is effected in (N+1) times of vertical scanning.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said liquid crystal comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

12. A liquid crystal apparatus, comprising:

a liquid crystal device comprising an electrode matrix comprising a plurality of substantially

a liquid crystal device comprising an electrode matrix comprising a plurality of substantially parallel scanning electrodes and data electrodes intersecting said scanning electrodes, and a liquid crystal;

driving means including a first drive means for sequentially applying a scanning selection signal to said scanning electrode two or more scanning electrodes apart between successively selected scanning electrodes in one vertical scanning and for effecting one picture scanning by scanning said scanning electrodes in at least two vertical scannings, and second drive means for applying data signals in synchronism with the scanning selection signal, and wherein during a latter one of two consecutive vertical scannings of the at least two vertical scannings in one picture scanning, the scanning selection signal is applied to scanning electrodes which are not adjacent to scanning electrodes to which the scanning signal is applied in a former one of the two consecutive vertical scannings, the scanning selection signal comprising a former voltage of one polarity and a latter voltage of the other polarity with respect to the voltage level of a non-selected scanning electrode;

second drive means for applying to all or a prescribed part of the data electrodes a voltage signal providing a voltage for causing one orientation state of the liquid crystal in combination with the former voltage of one for causing the other orientation state of the liquid crystal and to other data electrodes a voltage signal providing a voltage not changing the previous state of the liquid crystal, respectively, in combination with the latter voltage of the other polarity; and

polarizing means having polarization axes crossing each other which are so disposed that a dark optical state is formed when the liquid crystal is oriented to said one orientation state thereof.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said liquid crystal comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal.