Single cell gap transflective liquid crystal display with slanted reflector above transmissive pixels

• US 6,801,281 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toppoly Optoelectronics Corporation (InnoLux Corporation), University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Wu, Shin-Tson, Shieh, Han-Ping, Huang, Yi-Pai, Zhu, Xin-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Tai
• Application Number:
  US10/430,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 349/68, 349/113, 349/106, 349/114, 349/122, 349/160, 359/245, 359/247, 359/833, 359/844
• US Class Current: 349/113
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/17 Multi-pass arrangements, i.e. arrangements to pass light a plurality of times through the same element, e.g. by using an enhancement cavity

Abstract

Single cell gap transflective liquid crystal display which provides that the backlight traverses the reflective pixel portion twice and thereby follows a path similar to that of the ambient light. A slant reflector is built on the path of the back light to reflect the transmitted light to the reflective portion so that the back light and ambient light follow similar paths.

Claims

1. An improved transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising:

(a) a transmission portion and a reflective portion in the transflective LCD; and

,

(b) means on the path of back light in the transmission portion to reflect transmitted light to the reflective portion so that the backlight and ambient light follow similar paths whereby brightness of the reflected and transmissive images are improved.

2. The transflective LCD of claim 1, wherein the transflective LCD includes:

a single gap in both the transmission portion and in the reflective portion.

3. The transflective LCD of claim 1, wherein the path means includes:

a reflector.

4. The transflective LCD of claim 3, wherein the reflector includes:

a slanted reflector.

5. The transflective LCD of claim 3, wherein the reflector includes:

a triangular shape.

6. The transflective LCD of claim 3, wherein the reflector includes:

a biprism shape.

7. The transflective LCD of claim 3, wherein the reflector includes:

a curvature shape.

8. The transflective LCD of claim 3, further comprising:

a top glass with the reflector built on a front surface of the top glass.

9. The transflective LCD of claim 3, further comprising:

a top glass with reflector built on a backside of the top glass.

10. The transflective LCD of claim 3, further comprising:

a transparent covering layer material in a gap portion of the reflector.

11. The transflective LCD of claim 3, further comprising:

a color filter covering material in a gap portion of the reflector.

12. A method of improving a transflective liquid crystal display comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a transmission portion and a reflection portion in the transflective LCD; and

,

(b) means to reflect the path of back light in said transmission portion to said reflective portion whereby the reflected backlight and ambient light follow similar paths and thereby improve the brightness of the reflected and transmissive images of the transflective LCD are improved.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing step further includes:

providing a single gap in both the transmission portion and in the reflection portion.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of reflecting further includes:

positioning a reflector in the transmission portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a slanted reflector in the transmission portion.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a triangular shape reflector in the transmission portion.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a biprism shape reflector in the transmission portion.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a curvature shape reflector in the transmission portion.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a top glass with the reflector built on a front surface of the top glass.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the positioning step further includes:

positioning a top glass with reflector built on a backside of the top glass.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

applying a transparent covering layer material in a gap portion of the reflector.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

applying a color filter covering material in a gap portion of the reflector.