US5691791A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Reflective liquid crystal display device and reflector
Assignee: Sharp Corp
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Filing: 1996-05-13
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Granted: 1997-11-25
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Expires: 2016-05-13
Abstract
Abstract A reflective liquid crystal display device including a first substrate and a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizing plate, and a reflection layer; wherein the polarizing plate and the reflection layer are located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer. A surface of the reflection layer reflecting light has projections, and an occupation of an area of portions where a tilt angle of a tangent line drawn against a profile of the surface with the projections is less than 2° in a total area of the surface is in a range of 20% to 60%.
Inventors
- 👤 Kozo Nakamura
- 👤 Hisakazu Nakamura
- 👤 Seiichi Mitsui
- 👤 Naofumi Kimura
- 👤 Kazuhiko Tsuda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 03:29
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; G02F1/133553; G02F1/13356; G02F1/133565
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device including a first substrate and a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizing plate, and a reflection layer; wherein the polarizing plate and the reflection layer are located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer, and further wherein a surface of the reflection layer reflecting light has projections, and flat portions, the flat portions being areas where a tilt angle of a tangent line drawn against a profile of the surface with the projections is less than 2°, in the flat portions occupying in a 20% to 60% of the total surface area of the surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
111 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device including a first substrate and a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizing plate, and a reflection layer; wherein the polarizing plate and the reflection layer are located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer, and further wherein a surface of the reflection layer reflecting light has projections, and flat portions, the flat portions being areas where a tilt angle of a tangent line drawn against a profile of the surface with the projections is less than 2°, in the flat portions occupying in a 20% to 60% of the total surface area of the surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer is driven in an ECB mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a retardation variation of the liquid crystal layer due to the projections is 40 nm or less.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the difference in the thickness of the liquid crystal layer due to the projections is 1 μm or less.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the light reflection layer is selected so that a degree of polarization V of light reflected from the light reflection layer, represented by: ##EQU9## where S 0 , S 1 , S 2 , and S 3 are Stokes parameters referring respectively to a total light intensity, an excess in intensity of horizontal linearly polarized light, an excess in intensity of 45° linearly polarized light, and an excess in intensity of right-handed circularly polarized light, is at least 50% or more.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
121 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further including electrodes attached to the first and second substrates for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer to control a retardation of the liquid crystal layer, wherein the first substrate positioned between the polarizer and the liquid crystal layer comprises an optical phase compensation means which includes a first region having a first retardation and a second region having a second retardation different from the first retardation, whereby a color of emitted light from each of the first and the second regions is selected to be a specific one, in accordance with the retardations of the optical phase compensation means and the retardation of the liquid crystal layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein each of a plurality of pixels, which is a smallest area of the device for conducting a color display, includes a portion of one of the first and the second regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein each of a plurality of pixels, which is a smallest area of the device for conducting a color display, includes each portion of the first and the second regions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, wherein the optical phase compensation means further comprises a third region having a third retardation, and each of the plurality of pixels includes a portion of at least one of the first, the second and the third regions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein the optical phase compensation means includes at least two optical phase compensation members, at least one of the optical phase compensation members overlapping another of the optical compensation members so as to form the first and the second regions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein the retardation of the liquid crystal layer is equal to or less than 1.0 μm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A reflective liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein the reflecting means functions as one of the electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
63 words
A reflector for reflecting light, wherein a surface of the reflector reflecting light has projections and flat portions, the flat portions being areas of the surface where a tilt angle of a tangent line drawn against a profile of the surface with the projections is less than 2°, the flat portions occupying 20% to 60% of the total surface area of the surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
A reflector for reflecting light, wherein a surface of the reflector reflecting light has projections and flat portions, the flat portions being areas of the surface where a tilt angle of a tangent line drawn against a profile of the surface with the projections is less than 2°, the flat portions occupying 20% to 60% of the total surface area of the surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A reflector according to claim 13, wherein the difference in the height of the projections is 1 μm or less.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
88 words
A reflector according to claim 13, wherein the light reflection layer is selected so that a degree of polarization V of light reflected from the light reflection layer, represented by: ##EQU10## where S 0 , S 1 , S 2 , and S 3 are Stokes parameters referring respectively to a total light intensity, an excess in intensity of horizontal linearly polarized light, an excess in intensity of 45° linearly polarized light, and an excess in intensity of right-handed circularly polarized light, is at least 50% or more.
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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) | 2000-11-24 | 2001-05-26 | 2001-11-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-24 | 2005-05-26 | 2005-11-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-24 | 2009-05-26 | 2009-11-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |