Liquid crystal device and electronic device having liquid crystal molecules aligned at reflective electrodes

• US 20070247575A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eiji Okamoto, Osamu Okumura, Takumi Seki, Tsuyoshi Maeda
• Inventors: Maeda, Tsuyoshi, Okumura, Osamu, Seki, Takumi, Okamoto, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,535,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133531 characterised by the arrangement of polariser or analyser axes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133626 providing two modes of illumination, e.g. day-night
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13363 Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133707 Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133784 by rubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134318 having a patterned common electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective

Abstract

When a backlight 15 is turned on in a dark environment, white light emerging from the surface of a light guide plate 15b passes through a polarizer 12 and a retardation film 14, enters the interior of the liquid crystal cell, passes through openings of reflective electrodes 7, and is introduced into a liquid crystal layer 3. The light introduced into the liquid crystal layer 3 passes through a color filter 5, emerges from the liquid crystal cell, and passes through the retardation film 13 and the polarizer 11 towards the exterior. In a lighted environment, the light incident on the polarizer 11 passes through the liquid crystal layer 3, is reflected by the reflective electrode 7, and passes through the polarizer 11 again and is emitted towards the exterior.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first transparent substrate;

second transparent substrate;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;

a transparent electrode interposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal; and

a reflective electrode interposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal, the reflective electrodes overlapping the transparent electrode at a substantially rectangular-shaped overlapping region that extends in a longitudinal direction, the reflective electrode including a rectangular-shaped opening with a long side and a short side, the long side of the slit extending in the longitudinal direction of the overlapping region.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, the reflective electrode including two or more rectangular-shaped openings that extend in a lengthwise direction of the reflective electrode.