Liquid crystal display unit

• US 6,525,798 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bishop Display Tech LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamakita, Hiroyuki, Kumagawa, Katsuhiko, Shiota, Akinori, Sato, Ichiro, Takimoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/691,912
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 349/141, 349/106
• US Class Current: 349/141
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

A liquid crystal display unit including a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a semiconductor switching element, a plurality of scanning signal lines, a plurality of video signal lines for outputting signals to the pixel electrodes. The display further includes an array substrate having the pixels, the scanning signal lines, and the video signal lines arranged on a surface thereof, a counter substrate arranged opposite the array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the counter substrate, wherein each of the pixels includes a plurality of electrode pairs, each electrode pair including one of the common electrodes and an adjacent one of the pixel electrodes, and at least one of the electrode pairs differs from other electrode pairs in a thickness of its common electrode or a thickness of its pixel electrode.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display unit comprising:

a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a semiconductor switching element;

a plurality of scanning signal lines;

a plurality of video signal lines for outputting signals to the pixel electrodes;

an array substrate having the pixels, the scanning signal lines, and the video signal lines arranged on a surface thereof;

a counter substrate arranged opposite the array substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the counter substrate, wherein

each of the pixels includes a plurality of electrode pairs, each electrode pair comprising one of the common electrodes and an adjacent one of the pixel electrodes, and

at least one of the electrode pairs differs from other electrode pairs in a thickness of its common electrode or a thickness of its pixel electrode.

2. The liquid crystal display unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the common electrodes or each of the pixel electrodes includes a layer of transparent insulator and a film of transparent conductor, the film covering a surface of the layer of transparent insulator.

3. The liquid crystal display unit in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a thickness-controlling member for controlling a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, wherein said thickness-controlling member and the transparent insulator layer are integral portions of the same material.

4. A liquid crystal display unit comprising:

a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a semiconductor switching element;

a plurality of scanning signal lines;

a plurality of video signal lines for outputting signals to the pixel electrodes;

an array substrate having the pixels, the scanning signal lines, and the video signal lines arranged on a surface thereof;

a counter substrate arranged opposite the array substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the counter substrate, wherein

each of the common and pixel electrodes comprises an angular-shaped portion, and

at least one of the electrodes has a first angle of bend in the angular-shaped portion and other electrodes in the same pixel have a second angle of bend in the angular-shaped portion.

5. The liquid crystal display unit in accordance with claim 4, wherein an angle of bend of an angular-shaped portion of one of the electrodes is smaller than that of other electrodes in the same pixel, the one of the electrodes being adjacent to one of the video signal lines.

6. The liquid crystal display unit in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

each of the common electrodes comprises an angular-shaped portion having a first angle of bend;

each of the pixel electrodes comprises an angular-shaped portion having a second angle of bend; and

an absolute value of a difference between the first angle of bend and the second angle of bend is 0 to 10 degrees.

7. A liquid crystal display unit comprising:

a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of common electrodes, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a semiconductor switching element;

a plurality of scanning signal lines;

a plurality of video signal lines for outputting signals to the pixel electrodes;

an array substrate having the pixels, the scanning signal lines, and the video signal lines arranged on a surface thereof;

a counter substrate arranged opposite the array substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the counter substrate, wherein

the pixels include a pixel for red color display and a pixel for displaying a color different than that displayed by the pixel for red color display;

the pixel for red color display comprises common and pixel electrodes, each comprising an angular-shaped portion and having substantially identical bend angles; and

the pixel for other color display comprises common and pixel electrodes, each comprising an angular-shaped portion having a smaller angle of bend than the electrodes of the pixel for red color display.