Reflective type color liquid crystal device and an electronic apparatus using this

• US 7,289,174 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Maeda, Tsuyoshi, Matsushima, Toshiharu, Okumura, Osamu, Okamoto, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, MINH TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/671,354
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 349/106, 349/122, 349/113, 349/138, 430/7
• US Class Current: 349/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/22 Absorbing filters G02B5/201 - G02B5/208 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/52 RGB geometrical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/66 Normally white display, i.e. the off state being white

Abstract

The invention comprises a pair of substrates having electrodes on the opposing inner surfaces and forming a matrix-patterned dot group, liquid crystals sandwiched between said substrates, at least two colors of color filters, at least one polarizing plate, and a reflective plate. Also, of said color filters, at least one color of color filters has a transmissivity of 50% or more for the light of all the wavelengths in the range of 450 nm to 660 nm.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode;

a dot area, formed at an overlapping portion of the first electrode and the second electrode, for display;

the dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display;

a color filter arranged in the first section; and

a layer arranged in the second section, the layer being substantially transparent, and

no color filters being arranged in the second section.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1,

the dot area including a light-variable area, in which the color filter is arranged, for modulating light,

wherein the color filter occupies 15% or more and 45% or less of the light-variable area.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, the color filter being divided into a plurality of parts.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an active element connected to one of the first and second electrodes.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1.

6. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, the layer arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.

9. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

the color filter includes a plurality of color filters, each of the plurality of color filters having different colors to the other.

10. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a black mask provided between the dot area and adjacent dot areas.

11. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 10,

the black mask including a combination of the plurality of color filters.

12. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a layer with transparency arranged between the dot area and adjacent dot areas.

13. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9,

the plurality of color filters including a red filter and a cyan filter.

14. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9,

the plurality of color filters including a red filter, a blue filter, and a green filter.

15. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, a contrast ratio of display being 15:

1 or more.

7. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode;

a dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display;

a color filter arranged in the first section; and

a layer arranged in the second section, the layer being substantially transparent.

8. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, a thickness of the color filter and a thickness of the layer are different, wherein a difference of the thicknesses is 0.5 μ

m or less.

16. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, further comprising a layer with transparency arranged at a peripheral area of the dot area.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 7.

18. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, the layer arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.

19. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode;

a dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display; and

a color filter selectively arranged in the first section and a transparent area having no color filter arranged in the second section.

20. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 19,

wherein the liquid crystal display device is driven by voltages applied to the dot area,

the voltages comprising:

a first voltage applied to the first section of the dot area; and

a second voltage applied to the second section of the dot area,

the second voltage being applied to the dot area while the first voltage is applied thereto,

each of the voltages being different to the other.

21. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 20, the first voltage being lower than the second voltage.

22. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 19.

23. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 19, the transparent area arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.

24. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode;

a dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display;

a transparent area having no color filter arranged in the second section; and

a color filter arranged in the first section, wherein a size of the color filter is smaller than a size of the dot area.

25. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 24.

26. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 24, the transparent area arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.

27. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode;

a dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display;

a color filter arranged in the first section, and

a layer arranged in the second section, the layer being substantially transparent, the first section comprising about 15% or more and about 45% or less of the dot area.

28. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 27.

29. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 27, the layer arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.

30. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first electrode extending in a first plane;

a second electrode opposing the first electrode and extending in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane;

a dot area, formed at an overlapping portion of the first electrode and the second electrode, for display,

the dot area including a first section and a second section and being capable of reflective display;

a color filter arranged in the first section; and

a layer arranged in the second section, the layer being substantially transparent,

no color filters being arranged in the second section, and

the color filter and the layer are disposed adjacent to each other in a common plane that is substantially parallel to the first and second planes.

31. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 30,

the dot area including a light-variable area, in which the color filter is arranged, for modulating light,

wherein the color filter occupies 15% or more and 45% or less of the light-variable area.

32. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 30, the color filter being divided into a plurality of parts.

33. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 30, further comprising:

a color filter that includes a plurality of color filters, each of the plurality of color filters having different colors to the other.

34. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 33, further comprising:

a black mask provided between the dot area and adjacent dot areas.

35. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 34,

the black mask including a combination of the plurality of color filters.

36. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 33, further comprising:

a layer with transparency arranged between the dot area and adjacent dot areas.

37. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 33,

the plurality of color filters including a red filter and a cyan filter.

38. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 33,

the plurality of color filters including a red filter, a blue filter, and a green filter.

39. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 33, a contrast ratio of display being 15:

1 or more.

40. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display including a liquid crystal display device according to claim 30.

41. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 30, the layer arranged in the second section being located in an area capable of reflective display.