Display device

• US 8,144,297 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayoshi, Yoshiaki, Yanagawa, Kazuhiko, Ochiai, Takahiro, Imayama, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIEN, LUCY P
• Application Number:
  US13/104,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 349/141
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134318 having a patterned common electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134345 Subdivided pixels, e.g. for grey scale or redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

A display device includes a pair of substrates with liquid crystal therebetween, and a plurality of pixel regions provided on one substrate. Each pixel region is constituted of one and another region including a switching element, a pixel electrode, and a counter electrode. In the one region, the counter electrode extends substantially planar at a center except at a periphery of the one region, and the pixel electrode is constituted of a first group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel at a first distance. In the another region the counter electrode is constituted of a group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel in a direction which intersects the one direction in the another region, and the pixel electrode is constituted of a second group of electrodes which extend in the one direction and arranged in parallel at a second distance.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a pair of substrates which are arranged to face each other with liquid crystal therebetween; and

a plurality of pixel regions provided on a liquid-crystal-side surface of one substrate of the pair of substrates;

wherein each pixel region includes a switching element, a pixel electrode to which a video signal is supplied through the switching element, and a counter electrode which generates an electric field between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode;

wherein each pixel region is constituted of divided respective regions;

wherein in one region of the pixel region, the counter electrode extends over the one region so as to be substantially planar at a center of the one region except at a periphery of the one region and to be below an insulation film, and the pixel electrode is constituted of a first group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel to each other in a direction which intersects the one direction in the one region so as to be above the insulation film in a state that the first group of electrodes is overlapped to the substantially planar counter electrode in the one region in plan view;

wherein in another region of the pixel region, the counter electrode is constituted of a group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel to each other in a direction which intersects the one direction in the another region so as to be below the insulation film, and the pixel electrode is constituted of a second group of electrodes which extend in the one direction and arranged in parallel in the direction which intersects the one direction in the another region so as to above the insulation film and arranged alternately with the group of electrodes of the counter electrode in the another region in plan view; and

wherein a first distance between the first group of electrodes of the pixel electrode in the one region is different from a second distance between the second group of electrodes of the pixel electrode in the another region.

2. A display device according to claim 1, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance.

3. A display device according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is formed on the insulation film, wherein the first group of electrodes is formed on the protective film, and wherein the second group of electrodes is formed on the insulation film.

4. A display device according to claim 3, wherein the video signal is supplied from a drain signal line to the pixel electrode, and the drain signal line is formed at a same layer where the second group of electrodes is formed.

5. A display device according to claim 3, wherein the protective film comprises a first layer made of an inorganic material and a second layer made of an organic material,

wherein the protective film in the one region includes the first layer and the second layer which is sequentially stacked on the first layer, and

wherein the protective film in the another region consists of the first layer.

6. A display device according to claim 1, wherein a protective film is formed on the insulation film, and the first group of electrodes and the second group of electrodes are formed on the protective film.

7. A display device according to claim 1, wherein the substantially planar counter electrode in the one region is made of a light-transmitting material.

8. A display device according to claim 1, wherein the substantially planar counter electrode in the one region is made of light-reflecting material.

9. A display device comprising:

a pair of substrates which are arranged to face each other with liquid crystal therebetween; and

a plurality of pixel regions provided on a liquid-crystal-side surface of one substrate of the pair of substrates;

wherein each pixel region includes a switching element, a pixel electrode to which a video signal is supplied through the switching element, and a counter electrode which generates an electric field between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode;

wherein each pixel region is constituted of divided respective regions;

wherein in one region of the pixel region, one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode extends over the one region so as to be substantially planar at a center of the one region except at a periphery of the one region and to be below an insulation film, and an other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is constituted of a first group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel to each other in a direction which intersects the one direction in the one region so as to be above the insulation film in a state that the first group of electrodes is overlapped to the other of the substantially planar pixel electrode and the substantially planar counter electrode in the one region in plan view;

wherein in another region of the pixel region, the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is constituted of a first group of electrodes which extend in one direction and arranged in parallel to each other in a direction which intersects the one direction in the another region so as to be below the insulation film, and the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is constituted of a second group of electrodes which extend in the one direction and arranged in parallel in the direction which intersects the one direction in the another region so as to above the insulation film and is arranged alternately with the group of electrodes of the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode in the another region in plan view; and

wherein a first distance between the first group of electrodes of the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode in the one region is different from a second distance between the second group of electrodes of the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode in the another region.

10. A display device according to claim 9, wherein the second distance is larger than the first distance.

11. A display device according to claim 9, wherein the video signal is supplied from a drain signal line to the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the other of each pixel electrode and counter electrode in each region is formed in a state that the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode covers the drain signal line.

12. A display device according to claim 9, wherein a protective film is formed on the insulation film, wherein the first group of electrodes is formed on the protective film, and wherein the second group of electrodes is formed on the insulation film.

13. A display device according to claim 12, wherein the video signal is supplied from a drain signal line to the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, and wherein the drain signal line is formed at a same layer where the second group of electrodes is formed.

14. A display device according to claim 12, wherein the protective film comprises a first layer made of an inorganic material and a second layer made of an organic material, wherein the protective film in the one region includes the first layer and the second layer which is sequentially stacked on the first layer, and wherein the protective film in the another region consists of the first layer.

15. A display device according to claim 9, wherein a protective film is formed on the insulation film, and wherein the first group of electrodes and the second group of electrodes are formed on the protective film.

16. A display device according to claim 9, wherein the substantially planar pixel electrode in the one region is made of a light-transmitting material.

17. A display device according to claim 9, wherein the substantially planar pixel electrode in the one region is made of light-reflecting material.

18. A display device according to claim 9, wherein the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the pixel electrode and the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the counter electrode.

19. A display device according to claim 11, wherein the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the pixel electrode and the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the counter electrode.

20. A display device according to claim 13, wherein the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the pixel electrode and the other of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is the counter electrode.