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US4717243A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Bistable liquid crystal display utilizing priming voltages

Assignee: Nokia Bell Labs
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Filing: 1986-03-21
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Granted: 1988-01-05
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Expires: 2006-03-21
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Abstract

Abstract Threshold electric fields required to achieve high speed matrix addressing of selected cells in a bistable nematic liquid crystal storage display are reduced by employing a short duration, priming pulse signal in accordance with the principles of the invention. The short priming pulse signal applied to a selected cell modifies the binding energy for disclinations attached to sites of orientational discontinuity, thereby changing the threshold field required for electrical switching between bistable states. Threshold reduction also depends on the AC frequency and duration of a writing pulse signal applied to the selected cell subsequent to the priming pulse signal.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gary D. Boyd
  • 👤 Julian Cheng

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 20:00
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/34; G09G3/36; G09G3/3611; G09G3/3622; G09G3/3629; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/13306; G02F1/137; G02F1/139; G02F1/1391; G09G2300/00; G09G2300/04; G09G2300/0469; G09G2300/0478; G09G2300/0482; G09G2300/0486

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 221 words
A liquid crystal display, comprising: liquid crystal material disposed between first and second substrates, said liquid crystal material being switchable from a first configuration to a second, different configuration through the application, over a finite time period, of a single electric field having an amplitude equal to or greater than a threshold amplitude related to said finite time period; and switching means for electrically switching at least a portion of said liquid crystal material from said first configuration to said second configuration, Characterized In That said switching means includes means for applying at least a first electric field to said liquid crystal material in said first configuration during a first time period and at least a second electric field during a second time period which is subsequent to said first time period, said first field exhibiting a first, nonzero amplitude and said second field exhibiting a second, nonzero amplitude greater than said first amplitude, said liquid crystal material exhibiting the identical sign for the dielectric anisotropy of identical sign, when subjected to said first and second fields, and said first field and first time period being chosen to produce a distortion of said first configuration of said portion and said second field and second time period being chosen to switch said portion from said distorted first configuration to said second configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 221 words
A liquid crystal display, comprising: liquid crystal material disposed between first and second substrates, said liquid crystal material being switchable from a first configuration to a second, different configuration through the application, over a finite time period, of a single electric field having an amplitude equal to or greater than a threshold amplitude related to said finite time period; and switching means for electrically switching at least a portion of said liquid crystal material from said first configuration to said second configuration, Characterized In That said switching means includes means for applying at least a first electric field to said liquid crystal material in said first configuration during a first time period and at least a second electric field during a second time period which is subsequent to said first time period, said first field exhibiting a first, nonzero amplitude and said second field exhibiting a second, nonzero amplitude greater than said first amplitude, said liquid crystal material exhibiting the identical sign for the dielectric anisotropy of identical sign, when subjected to said first and second fields, and said first field and first time period being chosen to produce a distortion of said first configuration of said portion and said second field and second time period being chosen to switch said portion from said distorted first configuration to said second configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 55 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said first electric field is caused by a first potential difference between said substrates, said first potential difference being greater than a minimum potential difference needed to produce said distortion of said first configuration but less than a threshold switching potential difference corresponding to said threshold field.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 41 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 2 wherein said second electric field is created by a second potential difference between said substrates, said second potential difference being greater than said first potential difference but less than said threshold switching potential difference.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 3 wherein said means for generating said first and second electric fields across said portion includes at least first and second conductors arranged on the first and second substrates, respectively, and means for generating, and imposing between said first and second conductors, said first potential difference.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 4 wherein said means for generating said first and second electric fields across said portion further includes means for generating, and imposing between said first and second conductors, said second potential difference.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 50 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 5 wherein the interior surface of the first substrate and the interior surface of the second substrate have deposited thereon respective topographically textured layers to form a reverse tilt alignment geometry in at least a region of liquid crystal material adjacent to said portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 6 wherein a surface tilt angle θ 0 on each topographically textured layer of the substrates is in the range from 22.5 degrees of 67.5 degrees, inclusively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material includes a pleochroic dye.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material includes liquid crystal material in the cholesteric mesophase.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein the amplitude of said second field is less than the threshold amplitude corresponding to said second time period.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material includes liquid crystal material in the nematic mesophase.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material exhibits first and second, positive dielectric anisotropies when subjected to, respectively, said first and second fields.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 28 words
The liquid crystal display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material exhibits first and second, negative dielectric anisotropies when subjected to, respectively, said first and second fields.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3806230A Cited
US3936815A Cited
US4139273A Cited
US4158860A Cited
US4239348A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-01-04 1991-07-06 1992-01-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-01-04 1995-07-06 1996-01-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-01-04 1999-07-06 2000-01-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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