Liquid crystal display apparatus

• US 6,859,194 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Komura, Shinichi, Utsumi, Yuka, Aoyama, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US09/938,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/90, 345/91, 345/92, 345/93, 345/103, 349/19, 349/41, 349/42, 349/56
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

To provide a liquid crystal display apparatus including: a substrate; another substrate arranged opposite the substrate; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the two substrates, and a plurality of pixels forming a display section, in which each of the pixels is provided with a first and a second pixel electrodes corresponding to the pixel, and a common electrode corresponding to the first and second pixel electrodes.

Claims

1. The liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged opposite the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate; and

a plurality of pixels which are sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate and form a display section,

wherein each of said pixels is provided with a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode both corresponding to said pixel, and a common electrode corresponding to said first and second pixel electrodes;

wherein said first pixel electrode, said common electrode, and said second pixel electrode are disposed on said first substrate;

wherein said first pixel electrode and said common electrode are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel; and

wherein said second pixel electrode is located between said first pixel electrode and said common electrode.

2. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second pixel electrodes can provide each of said pixels with a corresponding potential.

3. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first signal driver for supplying a potential to said first pixel electrodes;

a second signal driver for supplying a potential to said second pixel electrodes; and

a signal control circuit for controlling signals transmitted to said first and second signal drivers.

4. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein plural pieces of said first pixel electrode arranged for said corresponding pixels are connected together via a first junction, plural pieces of said second pixel electrode arranged for said corresponding pixels are connected together via a second junction, and said plural pieces of said first pixel electrode and said first junction do not overlap said plural pieces of second pixel electrodes and said second junction.

5. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said first pixel electrode, said second pixel electrode, said first signal line, and said second signal line are arranged in the same layer, and said common electrode and said scan line are arranged in the same layer.

6. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when a difference between potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said common electrode is largest or smallest, a potential provided to said second pixel electrode is substantially equal to an average of the potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said common electrode.

7. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said liquid crystal layer has a positive dielectric anisotropy.

8. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a scan driver;

a plurality of first scan lines connected to the scan driver;

a plurality of first signal lines connected to said first signal driver and disposed so as to cross said plurality of first scan lines; and

second signal lines connected to said second signal driver, and

wherein said plurality of pixels each correspond to an area enclosed by a corresponding one of said plurality of first scan lines and a corresponding one of said plurality of first signal lines, said first pixel electrodes correspond to said first signal lines, and said second pixel electrodes corresponds to said second signal lines.

9. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said first substrate is provided with:

said first scan lines;

said first signal lines; and

first switch elements each arranged in a neighborhood of an intersection between said corresponding first scan line and first signal line, and

the second substrate is provided with second scan lines connected to said scan driver and arranged so as to cross said second signal lines, said second signal lines, and second switch elements each arranged in a neighborhood of an intersection between said corresponding said second scan line and said second signal line.

10. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said first substrate is provided with:

said first scan lines;

said first signal lines;

said second signal lines;

first switch elements each arranged in a neighborhood of an intersection between said corresponding first scan line and said first signal line; and

second switch elements each arranged in a neighborhood of an intersection between said corresponding first scan line and said second signal line.

11. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein in each pixel, said first pixel electrode and said common electrode are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel, and

at least part of said second pixel electrode overlaps said first pixel electrode or said common electrode.

12. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said second pixel electrode is linear, and

said second pixel electrode is as wide as or narrower than the first pixel electrode or common electrode, which is overlapped by the part of the second pixel electrodes.

13. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said second pixel electrode is linear, and

said second pixel electrode is wider than said first pixel electrodes or common electrode, which is overlapped by the part of the second pixel electrode.

14. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein when the difference between the potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said common electrode is largest or smallest, the potential provided to said second pixel electrode is substantially equal to the potential provided to said first pixel electrode or common electrode, which is overlapped by said second pixel electrode.

15. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first pixel electrode and said common electrode are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel, and

said second pixel electrode is located below said first pixel electrode and said common electrode, said second pixel electrode overlaps said first pixel electrode and said common electrode, and insulated films are disposed between said second pixel electrode and said first pixel electrode and between said second pixel electrode and said common electrode.

16. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first pixel electrode and said second pixel electrode are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel, and

said common electrode is located between said first pixel electrode and said second pixel electrode.

17. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein when the difference between the potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said common electrode is largest or smallest, the potential provided to said second pixel electrode is substantially equal to the potential provided to said first pixel electrode.

18. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first and said second pixel electrodes are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel, and

at least part of said common electrode overlaps said first or said second pixel electrode.

19. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first and said second pixel electrodes are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel, and

said common electrode is located below said first and second pixel electrodes, said common electrode overlaps said first and said second pixel electrodes, and insulated films are disposed between said common electrode and said first pixel electrode and between said common electrode and said second pixel electrode.

20. The liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged opposite the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate; and

a plurality of pixels which are sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate and form a display section,

wherein each of said Pixels is provided with a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode both corresponding to said pixel, and a common electrode corresponding to said first and second pixel electrodes;

wherein said first and said second pixel electrodes are disposed on said first substrate, and said common electrode is disposed on said first substrate;

wherein said first and said second pixel electrodes are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel; and

wherein said common electrode overlaps said first and said second pixel electrodes.

21. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein a dielectric having a thickness of 1.5 μ

m or more is arranged on said common electrode.

22. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein when a difference between the potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said second pixel electrode is largest or smallest, the potential provided to said common electrode is substantially equal to an average of the potentials provided to said first pixel electrode and to said second pixel electrode.

23. The liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged opposite the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate; and

a plurality of pixels which are sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate and form a display section,

wherein each of said pixels is provided with a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode both corresponding to said pixel, and a common electrode corresponding to said first and second pixel electrodes;

wherein said first and said second pixel electrodes are disposed on said first substrate, and said common electrode is disposed on said second substrate; and

wherein a portion of the dielectric which overlaps said common electrode includes a recess penetrating said dielectric or having a depth amounting to 50% or more of the thickness.

24. A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged opposite said first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate; and

a plurality of pixels which are sandwiched between said first substrate and said second substrate and form a display section,

wherein each of said pixels has a first and a second pixel electrodes each corresponding to said pixel and disposed on said first substrate, and a common electrode corresponding to said first and said second pixel elements and disposed on said first substrate;

wherein said first pixel electrode, said common electrode, and said second pixel electrode are disposed on said first substrate;

wherein said first pixel electrode and said common electrode are linear and are arranged substantially in parallel; and

wherein said second pixel electrode is located between said first pixel electrode and said common electrode.