Liquid crystal display with a fluorescent backlight emitting polarised light

• US 8,879,024 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masayoshi, Fujiwara, Naoya, Manabe, Atsutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US13/063,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 349/115, 349164-165, 349 61- 32, 349 64- 65
• US Class Current: 349/61
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133543 Cholesteric polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133557 Half-mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133614 using photoluminescence, e.g. phosphors illuminated by UV or blue light
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/086 UV absorbing

Abstract

The instant invention relates to electro-optical switching elements and displays comprising them. In particular, it relates to electro-optical switching elements comprising one or more light conversion means capable to convert light (e.g. ambient light and/or light from a backlight system), wherein each of said light conversion means o is capable to convert the state of polarization of the light from non-polarized light either to linear polarized light or to circular polarized light and, at the same time, o optionally is capable to shift the wavelength of the light to longer values and—at least one of said conversion means o is capable to shift the wavelength of the light to longer values and—a liquid crystal material, which is capable of switching,—one or more means to polarize light, and—optionally a means for illumination such as e.g. a backlight.

Claims

1. An electro-optical switching element comprising

at least one light converter comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal, which comprises one or more light emitting moieties and wherein said at least one light converter is capable of converting light,

wherein each light converter is capable of converting a state of polarization of the light from non-polarized light to circular polarized light and,

wherein at least one light converter is capable of shifting the wavelength of the light to longer values,

a liquid crystal material, which is capable of switching,

one or more light polarizing devices, and

optionally an illuminator, and

wherein one of said one or more light polarizing devices are positioned between said optional illuminator and said light converter and wherein said light converter is positioned between said one of said one or more light polarizing devices and said liquid crystal material.

2. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, which includes an illuminator,

wherein the illuminator is backlight system capable of emitting blue light,

wherein the electro-optical switching element comprises at least two light converters, and

wherein at least one of the light converters is capable of converting the state of polarization of the light from said backlight system to circular polarized light and at the same time, shifting the wavelength of the light to longer values.

3. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, wherein the at least one light converter is formed of at least one layer.

4. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal material is aligned.

5. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal material is aligned linearly.

6. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal material is cholesteric.

7. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, wherein the light converter additionally comprises one or more dichroic dyes.

8. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal material includes a dichroic dye.

9. The electro-optical switching element, of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal material has a negative dielectric anisotropy.

10. An array of multiple electro-optical switching elements, of claim 1, comprising a set of three electro-optical switching elements or a multitude of said sets of three electro-optical switching elements, wherein the switching elements in each of said sets are different colors.

11. The array of electro-optical switching elements of claim 10, wherein the at least one light converter has the form of a layer of laminated layers.

12. The array of electro-optical switching elements of claim 10, wherein the at least one light converter has the form of a spatially structured/patterned layer having separate areas for red, green and blue.

13. A liquid crystal display comprising an array of electro-optical switching elements according to claim 10.

14. A method for the display of information comprising displaying information using the electro-optical switching element of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the information is displayed in an electro-optical display.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the electro-optical switching element is an array of electro-optical switching elements, comprising a set of three electro-optical switching elements or a multitude of said sets of three electro-optical switching elements, and wherein the switching elements in each of said sets have a different color from each other.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is displayed in an electro-optical display.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the light polarizing devices are an analyzer or a polarizer.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the light is ambient light and/or light from a backlight system.