Liquid crystal device with the retardation of the liquid crystal layer greater than .lambda./2 and a method for driving the same
First Claim
1. A liquid crystal device comprising:
- a pair of substrates;
a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates;
at least one polarizing element;
a plurality of pixels;
a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2 in a case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2 in a case where the incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, where d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δ
n is a birefringence, and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; and
driving voltage applying means for applying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels thereby utilizing a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined output light intensity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, at least one polarizing element, and a plurality of pixels. A retardation (d×Δn) of the liquid crystal layer satisfies the relation:
d×Δn>λ/2
when incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once. The retardation satisfies the relation:
2d×Δn>λ/2
when the incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice. In these relations, d a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δn is a birefringence, and λ is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer. A driving voltage supplier applies a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels. Such application of the driving voltage allows utilization of a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined light output density.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal device comprising:
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a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates; at least one polarizing element; a plurality of pixels; a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where the incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, where d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δ
n is a birefringence, and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; anddriving voltage applying means for applying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels thereby utilizing a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined output light intensity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A projection-type liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal element, wherein the liquid crystal element comprises:
-
a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates; at least one polarizing element; a plurality of pixels; a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where the incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, where d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer Δ
n is a birefringence, and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; anddriving voltage applying means for applying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels thereby utilizing a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined output light intensity.
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22. A method for improving a contrast ratio of a liquid crystal device including:
-
a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates; at least one polarizing element; and a plurality of pixels said method comprising the steps of; providing a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where the incident light is outputted after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, where d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δ
n is a birefringence, and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; andutilizing a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined output light intensity applying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A liquid crystal device comprising:
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a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates; at least one polarizing element; a plurality of pixels; a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where the incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, were d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δ
n is a birefringence, and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; anddriving voltage applying means for applying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels thereby utilizing a relaxation process of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to obtain a predetermined output light intensity, wherein the driving voltage applying means applies a first preliminary voltage having an absolute value larger than that of a signal voltage corresponding to a predetermined output light intensity before applying the signal voltage to the pixels, and a second preliminary voltage having an absolute value smaller than that of the signal voltage before applying the signal voltage and after applying the first preliminary voltage. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for improving a contrast ratio of a liquid crystal device including:
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a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates; at least one polarizing element; and a plurality of pixels, said method comprising the steps of; providing a retardation (d×
Δ
n) of the liquid crystal layer satisfying one of a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where an incident light is output after passing through the liquid crystal layer once, and a relation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2d×
Δ
n>
λ
/2in a case where an incident light is outputted after passing through the liquid crystal layer twice, where d is a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, Δ
n is a birefringence and λ
is a wavelength of the light incident on the liquid crystal layer; andapplying a driving voltage including a voltage higher than a maximum voltage providing an extremum of the output light intensity in a voltage-output light intensity characteristic of the pixels to the plurality of pixels, wherein the driving voltage applying step includes applying a first preliminary voltage having an absolute value larger than that of a single voltage corresponding to a predetermined output light intensity before applying the signal voltage to the pixels and a second preliminary voltage having an absolute value smaller than that of the signal voltage before applying the signal voltage corresponding to the predetermined output light intensity and after applying the first preliminary voltage. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification