Liquid crystal display device and viewing angle control module

• US 8,045,097 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morishita, Katsuhiko, Kataoka, Yoshiharu, Sakai, Takehiko, Tsukamura, Chikanori, Chiba, Dai, Okazaki, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Tina
• Application Number:
  US12/297,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/74
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1323 Arrangements for providing a switchable viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13471 in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells G02F1/13475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/08 with a particular optical axis orientation

Abstract

In a liquid crystal display device including a display liquid crystal panel and a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel and capable of switching viewing angle characteristics, a half wavelength plate for setting a viewing restricted direction is provided between the display liquid crystal panel and the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel. This makes it possible to realize a liquid crystal display device that allows a viewing restricted direction to be set as appropriate.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device that is capable of switching viewing angle characteristics, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel provided on a viewing surface side between a viewing surface and a backlight, the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel including a fourth polarizing member, a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal cell, and a third polarizing member provided in this order so as to be at least partially overlapped from the viewing surface;

a display liquid crystal panel provided on a backlight side between the viewing surface and the backlight, the display liquid crystal panel including a second polarizing member, a display liquid crystal cell, and a first polarizing member provided in this order so as to be at least partially overlapped from the viewing surface; and

a retardation member for setting a viewing restricted direction, the retardation member provided between at least the third polarizing member and the second polarizing member,

the fourth polarizing member having a transmission axis in a direction that is different from a direction of a transmission axis of the second polarizing member.

2. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the retardation member is a half wavelength plate.

3. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the retardation member is made of two parallel ¼

wavelength plates.

4. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the second and third polarizing members are provided so that an angle between a transmission axis of the third polarizing member and an axis of the half wavelength plate becomes equal to an angle between the axis of the half wavelength plate and a transmission axis of the second polarizing member.

5. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a retardation plate at least either between the fourth polarizing member and the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal cell or between the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal cell and the third polarizing member.

6. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a retardation plate at least either between the second polarizing member and the display liquid crystal cell or between the display liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing member.

7. The liquid crystal display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a backlight emitting light that has directivity.

8. A liquid crystal display device that is capable of switching viewing angle characteristics, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a display liquid crystal panel provided on a viewing surface side between a viewing surface and a backlight, the display liquid crystal panel including a second polarizing member, a display liquid crystal cell, and a first polarizing member provided in this order so as to be at least partially overlapped from the viewing surface;

a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel provided on a backlight side between the viewing surface and the backlight, the viewing-angle-control liquid crystal panel including a fourth polarizing member, a viewing-angle-control liquid crystal cell, and a third polarizing member provided in this order so as to be at least partially overlapped from the viewing surface; and

a retardation member for setting a viewing restricted direction, the retardation member provided between at least the first polarizing member and the fourth polarizing member,

the second polarizing member having a transmission axis in a direction that is different from a direction of a transmission axis of the fourth polarizing member.