Transflective Lcd Display Device

• US 20080002106A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van De Witte, Peter, Hikmet, Rifat
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133538 with spatial distribution of the polarisation direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors

Abstract

The invention relates to a transflective LCD incorporating a partial mirror (224) as the transflector. In the transmissive display mode, light from a backlight system (240) passes apertures (226) in the transflector (224). According to the invention, recycling of light to the backlight system (240) is improved by substantially only polarizing light that passes an aperture. This is achieved by means of a patterned polarizer (222) extending over the apertures in the partial mirror.

Claims

1. A transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) device, comprising:

a liquid crystal display cell including an active layer (210);

a backlight system (240) for backlighting of said display cell,

a partial mirror (224) for reflecting ambient light, provided with apertures (226) for passing light originating from the backlight system (240), and

polarizing means comprising a patterned polarizer (222) between the active layer (210) and the backlight system (240), said patterned polarizer (222) extending substantially over an area of said apertures (226) in said partial mirror (224).

2. The transflective LCD device of claim 1, wherein the patterned polarizer is essentially confined within the area of the apertures of the partial mirror.

3. The transflective LCD device of claim 1, wherein the patterned polarizer (522) comprises a polarizing foil (523) and a further partial mirror (527) having its apertures aligned with the apertures (526) in the partial mirror (524), the polarizing foil (523) being essentially sandwiched between the two partial mirrors (524, 527).

4. The transflective LCD device of claim 1, wherein the patterned polarizer is a linear polarizer.

5. The transflective LCD device of claim 3, wherein the polarizing means further includes a quarterwave retarder (228) between the active layer (210) and the backlight system (240).

6. The transflective LCD device of claim 1, wherein the partial mirror is arranged for recycling light to the backlight system.

7. The transflective LCD device of claim 1, wherein the polarizing means includes a reflective polarizer.