Achromatic polarization inverters for displaying inverse frames in DC balanced liquid crystal displays

• US 6,380,997 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ColorLink, Incorporated (RealD Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, Jianmin, Robinson, Michael G., Sharp, Gary D., Johnson, Kristina M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, TARIFUR RASHID
• Application Number:
  US09/466,053
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 349/117-121, 349/100, 349/171, 349/113, 252/299.01
• US Class Current: 349/119
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/0225 Ferroelectric
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13471 in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells G02F1/13475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/141 using ferroelectric liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/04 wavelength independent
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/62 Switchable arrangements whereby the element being usually not switchable
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/01 Number of plates being 1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/02 Number of plates being 2
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/03 Number of plates being 3
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/07 All plates on one side of the LC cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/08 with a particular optical axis orientation

Abstract

This invention provides achromatic compound retarders, achromatic polarization switches, and achromatic shutters using the liquid crystal compound retarders. It further provides achromatic variable retardance smectic and nematic liquid crystal retarders. The achromatic compound retarders according to the invention are used to create achromatic inverters for display applications. The display comprises one or more retarders having in-plane retardance and in-plane orientation, at least one of the retarders being an actively controlled liquid crystal retarder, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal display, wherein the one or more retarders work in combination with the ferroelectric liquid crystal display to provide four states of brightness.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

a polarizer;

a reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel with a single pass retardance of a quarter-wave, wherein an optic axis orientation of each pixel of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is switchable between a first orientation +α

₂ and a second orientation −

α

₂; and

a ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder, positioned between the polarizer and the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, with an optic axis switchable between a first orientation +α

₁ and a second orientation −

α

₁, and with a single-pass retardance of a half-wave.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder are positioned so that a rubbing direction of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is orthogonal to a rubbing direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the polarizer and the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder are positioned so that a rubbing direction of the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder is parallel or perpendicular to a polarization direction of input light.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder have respective tilt angles, and wherein the tilt angle of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is approximately twice the tilt angle of the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder.

5. The display of claim 4, wherein the tilt angle of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is approximately 22.5 degrees and the tilt angle of the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder is approximately 11.25 degrees.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizer.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein the polarizer comprises a polarizing beamsplitter.

8. The display of claim 1, wherein the optic axis orientations of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder are symmetrically switchable to provide four display states.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein the four display states are two achromatic white states and two high contrast black states.

10. A reflective display, comprising:

a polarizer;

a reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel with a single pass retardance of a quartet-wave, wherein an optic axis orientation of each pixel of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is switchable between first and second orientations; and

a first nematic liquid crystal retarder, positioned between the polarizer and the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, with a single-pass retardance switchable between approximately zero and approximately a half-wave.

11. The reflective display of claim 10, wherein the first nematic liquid crystal retarder has an optic axis orientation of approximately −

67.5 degrees with respect to an orientation of the polarizer.

12. The reflective display of claim 10, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizer.

13. The reflective display of claim 10, wherein the polarizer comprises a polarizing beamsplitter.

14. The reflective display of claim 10, further comprising an in-line compensator positioned between the polarizer and the first nematic liquid crystal retarder.

15. The reflective display of claim 10, wherein the optic axis orientation of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the single-pass retardance of the first nematic liquid crystal retarder are symmetrically switchable to provide four display states.

16. The reflective display of claim 15, wherein the four display states comprise two on states and two off states.

17. The reflective display of claim 16, wherein the two on states comprise a normal on state and an inverted on state, and the two off states comprise a normal off state and an inverted off state.

18. The reflective display of claim 10, further comprising a second nematic liquid crystal retarder, positioned between the polarizer and the first nematic liquid crystal retarder, with a single-pass retardance switchable between approximately zero and approximately a half-wave, and with an optic axis orientation that is substantially orthogonal to an optic axis orientation of the first nematic liquid crystal retarder.

19. The reflective display of claim 10, further comprising a passive retarder positioned between the first nematic liquid crystal retarder and the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel.

20. The reflective display of claim 19, wherein the passive retarder has a single-pass retardance of approximately a half-wave.

21. The reflective display of claim 19, wherein an optic axis of the passive retarder is oriented such that two achromatic high reflectivity states and two achromatic low reflectivity states are obtainable by symmetrically switching the optic axis orientation of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the single-pass retardance of the first nematic liquid crystal retarder.

22. The reflective display of claim 10, wherein the first nematic liquid crystal retarder comprises a pi-cell, and further comprising:

a first passive retarder, positioned between the polarizer and the first nematic liquid crystal retarder, with a single-pass retardance of approximately a quarter-wave; and

a second passive retarder, positioned between the first nematic liquid crystal retarder and the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, with a single-pass retardance of approximately a quarter-wave.

23. The reflective display of claim 22, wherein an optic axis orientation of the first passive retarder is orthogonal to an optic axis orientation of the second passive retarder.

24. A transmissive display, comprising:

an input polarizer;

an output polarizer;

a transmissive pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, positioned between the input and output polarizers, with a single-pass retardance of approximately a half-wave, wherein an optic axis orientation of each pixel of the transmissive ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is switchable between a first orientation +α

₂ and −

α

₂;

a first ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder, positioned between the input polarizer and the transmissive pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, with an optic axis switchable between a first orientation +α

₁ and a second orientation −

α

₁, and with a single-pass retardance of approximately a half-wave; and

a second ferroelectric liquid crystal retarder, positioned between the transmissive pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the output polarizer, with an optic axis switchable between a first orientation +α

₁ and a second orientation −

α

₁, and with a single-pass retardance of approximately a half-wave.

25. The transmissive display of claim 24, wherein the optic axis orientations of the transmissive pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel and the first and second ferroelectric liquid crystal retarders are symmetrically switchable to provide four display states.

26. The transmissive display of claim 25, wherein the four display states comprise two on states and two off states.

27. The transmissive display of claim 26, wherein the two on states comprise a normal on state and an inverted on state, and the two off states comprise a normal off state and an inverted off state.

28. A display, comprising:

a pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel with a single pass retardance of either a quarter-wave or a half-wave, wherein an optic axis orientation of each pixel of the pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is switchable between first and second orientations; and

at least one ferroelectric or nematic liquid crystal retarder optically coupled to the pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, wherein an optic axis orientation or a single pass retardance of the at least one ferroelectric or nematic liquid crystal retarder is switchable between first and second orientations or first and second values, respectively.

29. A reflective display, comprising:

a reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel with a single pass retardance of a quarter-wave, wherein an optic axis orientation of each pixel of the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel is switchable between first and second orientations; and

a first ferroelectric or nematic liquid crystal retarder optically coupled to the reflective pixelated ferroelectric liquid crystal panel, wherein an optic axis orientation or a single pass retardance of the at least one ferroelectric or nematic liquid crystal retarder is switchable between first and second orientations or first and second values, respectively.