A liquid crystal display device is constructed such that a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between an upper substrate, which is provided with upper transparent electrodes for forming pixels, and a lower substrate, which is provided with lower transparent electrodes disposed so as to intersect with the upper transparent electrodes. The liquid crystal panel includes a half reflection layer having a reflection function and a transmission function which is formed on the inner surface of the lower substrate as a lower layer of the lower transparent electrodes; an upper retardation film, an upper polarizing plate, and a light diffusing plate which are laminated on the upper substrate; and a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate, which are laminated on the surface of the lower substrate. Due to such a construction, the half reflection type liquid crystal display device is capable of providing an image display of high brightness and high contrast.
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0. 34. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein
said upper substrate has an upper retardation film and an upper polarizing plate;
said lower substrate has a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate;
a first light which comes from said upper substrate is changed into a second light by being reflected by a surface at a predetermined height H as measured from said lower substrate, where said predetermined height H exists within a space defined between said upper substrate and said lower substrate;
a third light comes from said lower substrate, passes through said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and passes through said upper substrate;
a phase difference of a polarization condition of said second light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and a phase difference of a polarization condition of said third light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate substantially agree with each other.
0. 13. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein
said upper substrate has an upper retardation film and an upper polarizing plate;
said lower substrate has a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate;
a first light which comes from said upper substrate is changed into a second light by being reflected by a surface at a predetermined height H as measured from said lower substrate, where said predetermined height H exists within a space defined between said upper substrate and said lower substrate;
a third light comes from said lower substrate, passes through said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and passes through said upper substrate;
a phase difference of a polarization condition of said third light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and a phase difference of a polarization condition of said second light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate substantially agree with each other when a white display is performed.
0. 27. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein
said upper substrate has an upper retardation film and an upper polarizing plate;
said lower substrate has a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate;
a first light which comes from said upper substrate is changed into a second light by being reflected by a surface at a predetermined height H as measured from said lower substrate, where said predetermined height H exists within a space defined between said upper substrate and said lower substrate;
a third light comes from said lower substrate, passes through said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and passes through said upper substrate;
a difference between a phase difference of a polarization condition of said second light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and a phase difference of a polarization condition of said third light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate is set within ±π/4 when a white display is performed.
0. 41. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein
said upper substrate has an upper retardation film and an upper polarizing plate;
said lower substrate has a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate;
a first light which comes from said upper substrate is changed into a second light by being reflected by a surface at a predetermined height H as measured from said lower substrate, where said predetermined height H exists within a space defined between said upper substrate and said lower substrate;
a third light comes from said lower substrate, passes through said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and passes through said upper substrate;
a retardation Δnd of said lower retardation film is determined so that a phase difference of a polarization condition of said third light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate becomes substantially equivalent to a phase difference of a polarization condition of said second light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate.
0. 20. A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween, wherein
said upper substrate has an upper retardation film and an upper polarizing plate;
said lower substrate has a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate;
a first light which comes from said upper substrate is changed into a second light by being reflected by a surface at a predetermined height H as measured from said lower substrate, where said predetermined height H exists within a space defined between said upper substrate and said lower substrate;
a third light comes from said lower substrate, passes through said predetermined height H from said lower substrate and passes through said upper substrate;
a retardation Δnd of said lower retardation film is determined so that a phase difference of a polarization condition of said third light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate becomes substantially equivalent to a phase difference of a polarization condition of said second light at said predetermined height H from said lower substrate when a white display is performed.
0. 1. A liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between an upper substrate which is provided with upper transparent electrodes for forming pixels, and a lower substrate, which is provided with lower transparent electrodes disposed so as to intersect with said upper transparent electrodes, said liquid crystal panel comprising: a half reflection layer having a reflection function and a transmission function which is formed on the inner surface of said lower substrate as a lower layer of said lower transparent electrodes; an upper retardation film, an upper polarizing plate and a light diffusing plate, which are laminated on said upper substrate; and a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate, which are laminated on the surface of said lower substrate; and wherein the phase of said reflected light at said half reflecting layer and the phase of a transmitted light which passes through said half reflection layer from said lower substrate substantially agree with each other.
0. 2. A liquid crystal display device according to
0. 3. A liquid crystal display device according to
0. 4. A liquid crystal display device according to
0. 5. A liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between an upper substrate, which is provided with upper transparent electrodes for forming pixels and a lower substrate, which is provided with lower transparent electrodes disposed so as to intersect with said upper transparent electrodes, said liquid crystal panel comprising: a half reflection layer having a reflection function and a transmission function which is formed on the inner surface of said lower substrate as a lower layer of said lower transparent electrodes; an upper retardation film, an upper polarizing plate and a light diffusing plate, which are laminated on said upper substrate; and a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate, which are laminated on the surface of said lower substrate; said liquid crystal panel further including a color filter layer of a plurality of colors which is formed on the inner surface of said upper substrate as a lower layer of said upper transparent electrodes, and a passivation film formed between said color filter layer and said upper transparent electrodes, and the retardation Δnd of said lower retardation film being determined such that the phase of transmitted light which passes through said lower polarizing plate, said lower retardation film and said half reflection layer becomes equivalent to the phase of reflected light by said half reflection layer.
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0. 9. A liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between an upper substrate, which is provided with upper transparent electrodes for forming pixels, and a lower substrate, which is provided with lower transparent electrodes disposed so as to intersect with said upper transparent electrodes, said liquid crystal panel comprising; a half reflection layer having a reflection function and a transmission function which is formed on the inner surface of said lower substrate as a lower layer of said lower transparent electrodes; an upper retardation film, an upper polarizing plate and a light diffusing plate which are laminated on said upper substrate; and a lower retardation film and a lower polarizing plate, which are laminated on the surface, of said lower substrate, said liquid crystal panel further including a color filter layer of a plurality of colors which is formed on the inner surface of said upper substrate as a lower layer of said upper transparent electrodes, and a passivation layer formed between said color filter layer and said upper transparent electrodes, and wherein the phase difference between the phase of a transmitted light which passes through said lower polarizing plate, said lower retardation film and said half reflection layer and the phase of a reflected light at said half reflection layer is set within ±π/4.
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a back lighting device disposed at a back side of said lower substrate.
0. 47. A liquid crystal display device according to
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Upon reaching the half reflecting layer 2, the outdoor daytime light L1 is reflected on the half reflecting layer 2 and turns out to be the reflected light L2. At the point of time of reflection on the half reflecting layer 2, the reflected light L2 is still the light of circular polarization. At the point of time of reflection on the half reflecting layer 2, the phases of respective wavelengths of the reflected light L2 are leveled, while the phase of the reflected light L2 is shifted 180° relative to the phase of the outdoor daytime light L1 right before being reflected by the half reflecting layer 2. Thereafter, the reflected light L2 is converted to the light of the elliptic polarization during its course of passing through the liquid crystal layer 7 and is emitted from the upper substrate 5. At this point of time, the phases of respective wavelengths are different from each other again. Subsequently, when the reflected light L2 of elliptic polarization passes through the upper retardation film 10, it is converted to the light of the linear polarization. At this point of time, the phases of respective wavelengths are leveled by the upper retardation film 10 so that they substantially agree with each other. The reflected light L2 having now the linear polarization passes through the upper polarizing plate 11 and is diffused by the light diffusing plate 15 not shown in the drawing and reaches eyes of an observer. Accordingly, at the point of time of reaching the eyes of the observer, the phases of the respective wavelengths of the reflected light L2 are leveled, the display is not tinted in colors of specific wavelengths and hence, the display is observed as a display of natural colors by the observer.
Furthermore, in an optical system of the reflection display mode, the retardations Δn·d and the optical axes of the upper polarizing plate 11, the upper retardation film 10 and the liquid crystal layer 7 are determined such that the outdoor daytime light L1 at the point of time of being reflected by the half reflecting layer 2 has the circular polarization condition. By making the outdoor daytime light L1 at the point of time of being reflected by the half reflecting layer 2 have the circular polarization condition, the reflected light L2 also becomes the circular polarization so that the reflectance is enhanced and the wavelength dependency of the reflectance is minimized and there is no fear of tinting in specific colors.
Subsequently, the transmission display mode is explained.
The illumination light L1′ irradiated from the lighting device has the phases of respective wavelengths thereof which are not leveled and hence, it is the light having irregular phases. The illumination light L1′ irradiated from the lighting device is the light having the circular polarization and it is directly converted to the light having the linear polarization when it passes through the lower polarizing plate 14. The illumination light L1′ converted to the light having the linear polarization is converted to the light having the circular polarization upon passing through the lower retardation film 9. That is, according to the present invention, the illumination light L1′ at the point of time of reaching the half reflecting layer 2 becomes the light having the circular polarization as in the case of the reflecting light L1. The stretching axis and the retardation Δn·d of the lower polarizing plate 14 are determined such that the illumination light L1′ at this point of time becomes the light which has the phases of respective wavelength leveled. Accordingly, the transmitted light L2′ which has passed through the half reflecting layer 2 follows the same path as the reflected light L2 so that by making the transmitted light L2′ which has passed through the half reflecting layer 2 have the same polarization condition and the phase condition as the reflected light L2, no difference of display takes place between the transmission display mode and the reflection display mode. In case the phase difference between the transmitted light L2′ and the reflected light L2 (that is, the difference between the phase difference of the polarization condition of the transmitted light L2′ and the phase difference of the polarization condition of the reflected light L2) is within ±π/4, no substantial difference is observed in displayed colors between the transmission display mode and the reflection display mode.
The illumination light L1′ at the point of time of reaching the half reflecting layer 2 is the light of the circular polarization which has the leveled polarization plane and is different from the light of the circular polarization just after being irradiated from the lighting device which has irregular polarization plane. The reflected light L1 at the point of time of reaching the half reflecting layer 2 also turns out to be the light of the circular polarization which has the leveled polarization plane. Accordingly, when the light of the lighting device is directly irradiated to the half reflecting layer 2, the display different from the reflection display mode can be obtained.
Although the lower retardation film 9 is made of a single sheet of film in the previously mentioned embodiment, the lower retardation film 9 may be made of two overlapped retardation films.
In case the lower retardation film 9 is made of two retardation films, as shown in FIG. 7(b) in a dotted line, in place of the stretching axis 47 of the lower retardation film 9, a stretching axis of the first lower retardation film 9 which comes into contact with the lower substrate is denoted as 51, and a stretching axis of the second lower retardation film 9 which comes into contact with the lower polarization plate 14 is denoted as 49, and an angle 52 made by the stretching axis 51 of the first lower retardation film 9 and the line e—e is preferably set to 100±10° and an angle 50 made by the stretching axis 49 of the second lower retardation film 9 and the line e—e is preferably set to 162.5±10°. The other conditions are as same as those of the previously mentioned embodiment.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, both the reflection display mode and the transmission display mode can enhance the brightness and can obtain the image display having the high contrast.
Between respective colors R, G, B which constitute the color filter 12, a grid-like light blocking film (black matrix) may be formed if necessary, and a passivation film 13 preferably made of a transparent organic material is formed on the color filter 12. This passivation film 13 prevents the liquid crystal layer 7 from being contaminated by the color filter 12 and also makes the surface of the electrode flattened and smooth. Other remaining constructions and functions of this embodiment are as same as those of the first embodiment.
According to this embodiment, both the reflection display mode and the transmission display mode can enhance the brightness and can obtain the color image display of high contrast, no color mixing and high chroma.
The backlight 16 is comprised of a light guide plate 17 which is made of a transparent acrylic plate provided with a surface treatment for giving the light directivity to the plate, a linear lamp 18 such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube arranged along one side of the light guide plate 17, and a reflection sheet 19.
According to this liquid crystal display device, in an environment which has a sufficient outdoor daytime light, the backlight 16 is turned off and the display of the image is performed in the reflection mode which uses the outdoor daytime light which enters from the upper glass substrate 5 side as the illumination light. On the other hand, in a condition where there is a little or no outdoor daytime light, the backlight 16 is turned on so as to perform the image display in the transmission mode.
Here, in case the outdoor daytime light is insufficient, when the backlight 16 is turned on, the degree of polarization and the polarization angle of respective retardation films and respective polarizing plates and Δn·d of respective constitutional members are determined such that the phase of the light which has passed through the half reflection layer 2 from the backlight 6 and the phase of the outdoor daytime light which is reflected by the half reflecting layer 2 substantially agree with each other thus providing high brightness and high contrast.
According to the liquid crystal display device of the present embodiment, a half reflection type liquid crystal display device which enables the image display of high brightness and high contrast can be obtained.
This touch panel 21 has a function to directly input information by tracing the surface of the screen with a nib or the like and inputted data is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 20 or is stored in memory means not shown in the drawing and is utilized.
According to the liquid crystal display device of the present embodiment, the half reflection type liquid crystal display device which enables the direct screen inputting and the image display of high brightness and high contrast can be obtained.
This liquid crystal panel 20 of the liquid crystal display device is of the above-mentioned half reflection type and can provide a favorable image recognition in both the reflection mode and the transmission mode and can obtain the image display of high brightness, high contrast and no color mixing irrespective of the presence of the environmental outdoor daytime light. Furthermore, in case the touch panel 21 is mounted on the upper surface of the liquid crystal panel 20, letters and symbols can be inputted by tracing the input portion on the display screen with a pen 32 accommodated in an accommodating portion 33 formed on a portion of the cover 31.
The shape and the structure of this kind of portable type information terminal are not limited to those shown in the drawing and the terminal can have other various shapes, constructions and functions.
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the liquid crystal display device equipped with the above-mentioned touch panel and is applicable to the liquid crystal display device having no backlight or other general reflection-type liquid crystal display device in the same manner, as has been described heretofore, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide the half reflection type liquid crystal panel capable of performing the image display of high brightness and high contrast and the liquid crystal display device equipped with this liquid crystal panel.
Suzuki, Masaru, Saitou, Terunori, Kubo, Kiichirou, Nagashima, Yoshikuni
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| Nov 23 2005 | Hitachi, Ltd. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
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| Jun 30 2010 | Hitachi Displays, Ltd | IPS ALPHA SUPPORT CO , LTD | COMPANY SPLIT PLAN TRANSFERRING FIFTY 50 PERCENT SHARE OF PATENTS AND PATENT APPLICATIONS | 027362 | /0466 | |
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