Liquid crystal display device

• US 7,663,717 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shimada, Takayuki, Kubo, Masumi, Ishii, Yutaka, Ban, Atsushi, Yoshimura, Youji, Narutaki, Yozo, Maruyama, Yuko, Yamakawa, Shinya, Katayama, Mikio, Fujioka, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pak; Sung H
• Application Number:
  US11/507,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 349/114, 349/68, 349/113, 349/112, 349/62
• US Class Current: 349/119
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• 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 1/133557 Half-mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13712 the liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first polarizer provided on a surface of the first substrate which is on the opposite side to the liquid crystal layer; a second polarizer provided on a surface of the second substrate which is on the opposite side to the liquid crystal layer; a first phase compensation element provided between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal layer; and a second phase compensation element provided between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal layer. A plurality of pixel areas are provided for display. The first substrate includes at least one transmissive electrode, and the second substrate includes a reflective electrode region and a transmissive electrode region in correspondence with each of the plurality of pixel areas.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device for displaying an image and including a plurality of pixels, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between at least the first substrate and the second substrate;

a pixel region corresponding to one of the plurality of pixels;

wherein the pixel region includes a reflection region having light reflectivity and a transmission region having light transmissivity;

wherein light from the reflection region and transmitted light from the transmission region are utilized in displaying the image;

wherein the reflection region of the pixel region includes a reflection layer provided at least in the reflection region, the reflection layer including a surface comprising a wavelike surface;

wherein the transmission region of the pixel region includes a transparent pixel electrode provided in at least the transmission region;

wherein the liquid crystal layer is substantially thicker in the transmission region than in the reflection region;

wherein the transparent pixel electrode is located over the reflection layer;

wherein the reflection layer is electrically isolated from the transparent pixel electrode; and

wherein the reflection region substantially surrounds the transmission region in the pixel region.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, further comprising an active element corresponding to the pixel region and in electrical communication with the transparent pixel electrode.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the active element is a thin-film transistor (TFT).

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the reflection layer overlaps at least one bus line which is in communication with the active element.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer is at least twice as thick in the transmission region as in the reflection region.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the reflection layer has a rectangular outer periphery and has a hole defined therein.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the pixel region is rectangular shaped having two short sides and two long sides, and wherein the reflection layer extends along substantially an entire length of at least one of the long sides of the pixel region and also extends at least along substantially an entire length of at least one of the short sides of the pixel region, as viewed from above.

8. A liquid crystal display device for displaying an image and including a plurality of pixels, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between at least the first substrate and the second substrate;

a pixel region corresponding to one of the plurality of pixels;

wherein the pixel region includes a reflection region having light reflectivity and a transmission region having light transmissivity;

wherein light from the reflection region and transmitted light from the transmission region are utilized in displaying the image;

wherein the reflection region of the pixel region includes a reflection layer provided at least in the reflection region, the reflection layer including a surface comprising a wavelike surface;

wherein the transmission region of the pixel region includes a transparent pixel electrode provided in at least the transmission region;

wherein the liquid crystal layer is substantially thicker in the transmission region than in the reflection region;

wherein the transparent pixel electrode is located over the reflection layer; and

wherein the reflection layer is electrically isolated from the transparent pixel electrode.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, further comprising an active element corresponding to the pixel region and in electrical communication with the transparent pixel electrode.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the active element is a thin-film transistor (TFT).

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the reflection layer overlaps at least one bus line which is in communication with the active element.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the liquid crystal layer is at least twice as thick in the transmission region as in the reflection region.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the reflection layer has a rectangular outer periphery and has a hole defined therein.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the pixel region is rectangular shaped having two short sides and two long sides, and wherein the reflection layer extends along substantially an entire length of at least one of the long sides of the pixel region and also extends at least along substantially an entire length of at least one of the short sides of the pixel region, as viewed from above.

15. The liquid crystal display device of claim 8, wherein the transmission portion is located at least partially in a central portion of the pixel region.

16. A liquid crystal display device for displaying an image and including a plurality of pixels, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between at least the first substrate and the second substrate;

a pixel region corresponding to one of the plurality of pixels;

wherein the pixel region includes a reflection region having light reflectivity and a transmission region having light transmissivity;

wherein light from the reflection region and transmitted light from the transmission region are utilized in displaying the image;

wherein the reflection region includes a reflection layer including a surface comprising a wavelike surface;

wherein the reflection region substantially surrounds the transmission region, and wherein in the pixel region a shortest distance between the transmission region and a first bus line adjacent the pixel region is less than a shortest distance between the transmission region and a second bus line corresponding to the pixel region; and

wherein the reflection layer is electrically isolated from a transparent pixel electrode which is provided at least in the transmission region.

17. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, further comprising an active element corresponding to the pixel region and in electrical communication with the transparent pixel electrode.

18. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, wherein the active element is a thin-film transistor (TFT).

19. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, wherein the reflection layer overlaps at least one bus line which is in communication with the active element.

20. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, wherein the liquid crystal layer is at least twice as thick in the transmission region as in the reflection region.

21. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, wherein the reflection layer has a rectangular outer periphery and has a hole defined therein.

22. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, wherein the pixel region is rectangular shaped having two short sides and two long sides, and wherein the reflection layer extends along substantially an entire length of at least one of the long sides of the pixel region and also extends at least along substantially an entire length of at least one of the short sides of the pixel region, as viewed from above.

23. A liquid crystal display device for displaying an image and including a plurality of pixels, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between at least the first substrate and the second substrate;

a pixel region corresponding to one of the plurality of pixels;

wherein the pixel region includes a reflection region having light reflectivity and a transmission region having light transmissivity;

wherein light from the reflection region and transmitted light from the transmission region are utilized in displaying the image;

wherein the reflection region of the pixel region includes a reflection layer provided at least in the reflection region, the reflection layer including a surface comprising wavelike surface;

wherein the transmission region of the pixel region includes a transparent pixel electrode provided in at least the transmission region;

wherein the liquid crytal layer is substantially thicker in the transmission region than in the reflection region; and

wherein the pixel region is rectangular shaped having two short sides and two long sides, and wherein the reflection layer extends along substantially an entire length of at least one of the long sides of the pixel region and also extends at least along substantially an entire length of at least one of the short sides of the pixel region, as viewed from above.

24. The liquid crystal display device of claim 23, wherein the transparent pixel electrode is located over the reflection layer.

25. The liquid crystal display device of claim 23, further comprising an active element corresponding to the pixel region and in electrical communication with the transparent pixel electrode.

26. The liquid crystal display device of claim 25, wherein the active element is a thin-film transistor (TFT).

27. The liquid crystal display device of claim 25, wherein the reflection layer overlaps at least one bus line which is in communication with the active element.

28. The liquid crystal display device of claim 23, wherein the liquid crystal layer is at least twice as thick in the transmission region as in the reflection region.

29. The liquid crystal display device of claim 23, wherein the reflection layer has a rectangular outer periphery and has a hole defined therein.