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US5666173A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electro-optical device

Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-04-28
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Granted: 1997-09-09
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Expires: 2014-04-28
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Abstract

Abstract An electro-optical apparatus comprising a pair of first and second devices, which are provided in an optical path extending from a light source and a screen for outputting a picture image thereon, the first and second devices each including a pair of first and second substrates each having electrodes and leads formed thereon, which sandwich therebetween an electro-optical modulating layer (comprising for example a liquid crystal composition) and a means for orienting the liquid crystal composition at least in an initial stage. The light transmission factor of the second device changes with time rotationally in the ratios of approximately 20 to 21 to 22 to . . . to 2n (n is an arbitrary natural number). Thus, it is possible to realize tonal display, reduce the overall weight of the apparatus and improve the yield.

Inventors

  • 👤 Akira Mase
  • 👤 Shunpei Yamazaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 20:23
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/34; G09G3/36; G09G3/3611; G09G3/3648; G09G3/3651; G02F1/1334; G02F1/1337; G02F1/1347; G02F1/135; G09G3/001; G09G3/002; G09G3/3406; G09G3/3622; G09G3/3629; G09G3/364; H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/12; H04N9/31; H04N9/3102; H04N9/3105; H04N9/312; H04N9/3126; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/67; G02F2203/00; G02F2203/30; G09G2300/00; G09G2300/08; G09G2300/0809; G09G2300/0823; G09G2310/00; G09G2310/02; G09G2310/0235; G09G2310/06; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/06; G09G2320/0626; G09G2320/0633; G09G3/2007; G09G3/2018; G09G3/2022; G09G3/2025; G09G3/2074; H04N5/00; H04N5/74; H04N5/7416; H04N5/7441

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim 152 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity, a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light transmitted by said panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light transmitted by said panel can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 152 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity, a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light transmitted by said panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light transmitted by said panel can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
A device of claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer comprises a liquid crystal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer comprises a liquid crystal and a resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 13 words
The device of claim 3 wherein said resin comprises a photo-setting acrylic resin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 137 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said panel by applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light reflected by said panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light reflected by said panel can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 137 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said panel by applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light reflected by said panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light reflected by said panel can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The device of claim 5 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer comprises a liquid crystal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device of claim 5 wherein said electro-optical modulating layer comprises a liquid crystal and a resin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 13 words
The device of claim 7 wherein said resin comprises a photo-setting acrylic resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 254 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity; a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said first panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said second panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said third panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light transmitted in parallel by said first, second and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light transmitted by said first, second and third panels can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n in each of said first, second and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 254 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity; a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said first panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said second panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said third panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light transmitted in parallel by said first, second and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light transmitted by said first, second and third panels can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n in each of said first, second and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The device of claim 9 wherein each of said first, second and third electro-optical modulating layers comprises a liquid crystal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
The device of claim 9 wherein each of said first, second and third electro-optical modulating layers comprises a liquid crystal and a resin.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 13 words
The device of claim 11 wherein said resin comprises a photo-setting acrylic resin.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 254 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity; a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said first panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said second panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said third panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light reflected in parallel by said first, second and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light reflected by said first, second, and third panels can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n in each of said first, second and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 254 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a light source for emitting a light having a constant intensity; a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said first panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said second panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer for modulating an intensity of the light emitted into said third panel from said light source by applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of the light reflected in parallel by said first, second and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity of the light reflected by said first, second, and third panels can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 : . . . :2 n in each of said first, second and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 20 words
The device of claim 13 wherein each of said first, second and third electro-optical modulating layers comprises a liquid crystal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 23 words
The device of claim 13 wherein each of said first, second and third electro-optical modulating layers comprises a liquid crystal and a resin.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 13 words
The device of claim 15 wherein said resin comprises a photo-setting acrylic resin.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 127 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light transmitted by said panel by controlling light transmission characteristics of the panel in a repeating cycle, where said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 127 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light transmitted by said panel by controlling light transmission characteristics of the panel in a repeating cycle, where said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 127 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light reflected by said panel by controlling light transmission characteristics of the panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 127 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a panel comprising an electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light reflected by said panel by controlling light transmission characteristics of the panel in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n where n is a natural number, and wherein said panel comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching said electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 200 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light transmitted in parallel by said first, second, and third panels in a repeating cycle by controlling light transmission characteristic of the first, second, and third panels wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n in each of said first, second, and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 200 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light transmitted in parallel by said first, second, and third panels in a repeating cycle by controlling light transmission characteristic of the first, second, and third panels wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n in each of said first, second, and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 200 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light reflected in parallel by said first, second, and third panels by controlling light transmission characteristics of the first, second, and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n in each of said first, second, and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 200 words
An electro-optical device comprising: a first panel comprising a first electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said first electro-optical modulating layer; a second panel comprising a second electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said second electro-optical modulating layer; a third panel comprising a third electro-optical modulating layer and means for applying an electric field to said third electro-optical modulating layer; and means for varying an intensity of light reflected in parallel by said first, second, and third panels by controlling light transmission characteristics of the first, second, and third panels in a repeating cycle, wherein said intensity can be varied with time rotationally at a ratio of 2 0 :2 1 :2 2 . . . 2 n in each of said first, second, and third panels where n is a natural number, and wherein each of said first, second and third panels comprises a pair of substrates sandwiching the corresponding electro-optical modulating layer therebetween, and one of said substrates has a single electrode provided thereon, and the other of said substrates has a parallel electrode part comprising at least two parallel electrodes provided on the other of said substrates.

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