Display device reflecting visible and infrared radiation
First Claim
1. A liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall stricture and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation including a portion having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and a portion having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity such that said visible portion and said infrared portion are able to be viewed by an observer.
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Abstract
A liquid crystal display device includes cell wall structure and a chiral nematic liquid crystal material. The cell wall structure and the liquid crystal cooperate to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in the absence of a field. A device applies an electric field to the liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures. The liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation having a wavelength in both the visible and the infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity that is sufficient for viewing by an observer. One liquid crystal material may be disposed in a single region or two liquid crystal materials may be used, each in separate regions. One aspect of the invention is directed to a photolithography method for patterning a substrate of the display. The display may also have multicolor capabilities by including at least two materials that reflect visible light.
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Citations
61 Claims
- 1. A liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall stricture and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation including a portion having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and a portion having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity such that said visible portion and said infrared portion are able to be viewed by an observer.
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17. A liquid crystal display device comprising
cell wall structure and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, wherein said cell wall structure forms a first region in which first chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed and a second region in which second chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed, said cell wall structure isolating said first chiral nematic liquid crystal material from communication with said second chiral nematic liquid crystal material; - and
means for applying an electric field for transforming at least a portion of said first liquid crystal material and said second liquid crystal material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said first liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and said second liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation in an infrared range of the spectrum at intensity such that said visible radiation and said infrared radiation are able to be viewed by an observer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 25. A liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall structure and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, wherein said chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed in a single region between opposing substrates, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation including a portion having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and a portion having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity such that said visible portion and said infrared portion are able to be viewed by an observer.
- 30. In instrumentation of the type that is viewed by personnel employing a night vision detector, said instrumentation producing light having a wavelength in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, said improvement comprising a liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall structure and a chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation including a portion having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and a portion having a wavelength in an infrared range of the spectrum at intensity such that said visible portion and said infrared portion are able to be viewed by said personnel.
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41. A method of making a display, comprising the steps of:
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adjusting the pitch length of chiral nematic liquid crystal material so that the material reflects radiation including a portion having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and a portion having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum; spacing apart opposing substrates at a distance effective to provide said visible portion and said infrared portion with intensity such that said visible portion and said infrared portion are able to be viewed by an observer; filling said material between said substrates such that said cell wall structure cooperates with said liquid crystal to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field; and connecting to said substrates means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A liquid crystal display device comprising
cell wall structure and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in the absence of a field, wherein said cell wall structure forms a first region in which a first chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed, a second region in which a second chiral nematic liquid crystal material is disposed and a third region in which a third chiral nematic material is disposed, said cell wall structure isolating said first material, said second material and said third material from communication with each other; - and
means for applying an electric field for transforming at least a portion of said first liquid crystal, said second liquid crystal and said third liquid crystal to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein each of said first material and said second material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and said third material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation in an infrared range of the spectrum at intensity such that said visible radiation reflected by said first material, said visible radiation reflected by said second material and said infrared radiation are able to be viewed by an observer. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 61)
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- 54. A liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall structure and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, wherein said liquid crystal material has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum and radiation having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity such that said visible radiation and a portion of said infrared radiation of at least 780 nm are able to be viewed by an observer.
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57. A liquid crystal display device comprising cell wall structure and chiral nematic liquid crystal material, said cell wall structure and said liquid crystal cooperating to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field, and means for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal for transforming at least a portion of the material to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures, said liquid crystal material having a pitch length effective to reflect radiation having a wavelength in an visible range of an electromagnetic spectrum, said liquid crystal material having a pitch length effective to reflect radiation having a wavelength in an infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum that extends at least up to an upper wavelength of detection of an infrared detector, wherein intensity of said visible radiation and said infrared radiation enable said visible radiation and said infrared radiation to be viewed by an observer.
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59. A liquid crystal display device comprising:
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first chiral nematic liquid crystal material comprising liquid crystal having a pitch length effective to reflect visible light of a first color, second chiral nematic liquid crystal material comprising liquid crystal having a pitch length effective to reflect visible light of a second color, third chiral nematic liquid crystal material comprising liquid crystal having a pitch length effective to reflect light of a third color, and fourth chiral nematic liquid crystal material having a pitch length effective to reflect infrared radiation, the liquid crystal of said first material, said second material, said third material and said fourth material having positive dielectric anisotropy; planar substrates that form therebetween a first region in which said first material is disposed, a second region in which said second material is disposed, a third region in which said third material is disposed, and a fourth region in which said fourth material is disposed, wherein said first region, said second region, said third region and said fourth region are stacked relative to each other; wherein said substrates cooperate with said first material, said second material, said third material, and said fourth material to form in said first region, said second region, said third region and said fourth region, focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in an absence of a field; and addressing means for applying an electric field for transforming at least a portion of the liquid crystal of at least one of said first material, said second material, said third material and said fourth material, to at least one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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Specification