Liquid crystal device and electronic equipment technical field

• US 6,473,067 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Maeda, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US09/878,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 345/55, 345/84, 345/85, 345/87, 345/88, 345/90, 345/204, 345/207, 345/100, 345/104, 345/92, 345/93, 349/42, 349/44, 349/110, 349/111, 349/112-114, 349/127, 359/59
• US Class Current: 345/90
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136204 Arrangements to prevent high voltage or static electricity failures
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/121 common or background

Abstract

A liquid crystal device has a structure in which an electric field is applied across a liquid crystal in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of a substrate. A conductive film is formed on a first substrate on which an electric field control is provided, and also on a color filter substrate located opposite the first substrate, and the conductive films are maintained at either a ground voltage, a common electrode voltage, the center voltage of an image signal, a non-selection voltage of a scanning signal, or a logic voltage of an external driver or otherwise the voltage of the conductive films is maintained in a floating state. The liquid crystal device having the above structure displays a high-quality image without encountering an influence of electrostatic charges.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device, comprising:

a pair of substrates,

a liquid crystal disposed between said pair of substrates, a first one of said substrates having, thereon, scanning signal lines and image signal lines disposed in a matrix form inside a pixel area, an active element connected to each of the scanning signal lines and image signal lines, a pixel electrode connected to the active element, and a common electrode, an electric field being applied across the liquid crystal in a direction substantially parallel to a plane in which said pair of substrates lie,

a sealing element disposed around the pixel area that seals said pair of substrates, and

a light-shielding metal film formed inside of a second one of said substrate, the light-shielding metal film extending outside the sealing area where the sealing element are formed, being electrically connected to a predetermined electrode.

2. The liquid crystal device claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined electrode is the electrode extending the common electrode.

3. The liquid crystal device claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-shielding film is connected to the predetermined electrode at a plural portions in the periphery of the sealing area.

4. The liquid crystal device claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-shielding film is formed across a color filter formed on the second one of said substrate.