IP Library Granted Patent US 7,868,979
Granted Patent B2
US 7,868,979 · App. 12/270,392 · Granted Jan 11, 2011

Liquid crystal display device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,868,979
App. No.
12/270,392
Granted
Jan 11, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel to which an OCB mode is applied, and an optical compensation element which optically compensates a retardation of the liquid crystal layer in a predetermined display state in which a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer. The optical compensation element includes a polarizer, a first retardation plate which is disposed between the polarizer and the liquid crystal display panel and in which discotic liquid crystal molecules are fixed in a state in which the discotic liquid crystal molecules are hybrid-aligned along a normal direction, and a second retardation plate which is disposed between the polarizer and the first retardation plate and has wavelength dispersion characteristics which are opposite to wavelength dispersion characteristics of an in-plane retardation in the liquid crystal layer.

Claims (29)

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel which is configured to include a liquid crystal layer held between a pair of substrates, and to which an OCB mode is applied; and

an optical compensation element which is disposed on an outer surface of the liquid crystal display panel and which optically compensates a retardation of the liquid crystal layer in a predetermined display state in which a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer,

the optical compensation element including:

a polarizer;

a first retardation plate which is disposed between the polarizer and the liquid crystal display panel and in which discotic liquid crystal molecules are fixed in a state in which the discotic liquid crystal molecules are hybrid-aligned along a normal direction; and

a second retardation plate having wavelength dispersion characteristics of α 1 <1, when a ratio of an in-plane retardation Re430 at a wavelength of 430 nm to an in-plane retardation Re550 at a wavelength of 550 nm is α 1 .

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein when a ratio of an in-plane retardation Re625 at a wavelength of 625 nm to the in-plane retardation Re550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is α 2 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of α 2 >1.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein wavelength dispersion characteristics of an in-plane retardation Re of the second retardation plate are opposite to wavelength dispersion characteristics of an in-plane retardation Re in the liquid crystal layer.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein when a ratio of a thickness-directional retardation Rth430 at the wavelength of 430 nm to a thickness-directional retardation Rth550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is β 1 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of β 1 >1.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4 , wherein when a ratio of a thickness-directional retardation Rth625 at a wavelength of 625 nm to a thickness-directional retardation Rth550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is β 2 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of β 2 <1.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein wavelength dispersion characteristics of a thickness-directional retardation Rth of the second retardation plate are equal to wavelength dispersion characteristics of a thickness-directional retardation Rth in the liquid crystal layer.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second retardation plate is a biaxial retardation plate.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second retardation plate includes a first retardation layer having refractive index anisotropy corresponding to an A-plate, and a second retardation layer having refractive index anisotropy corresponding to a C-plate.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a slow axis of the first retardation plate is perpendicular to a rubbing direction and a slow axis of the second retardation plate agrees with a transmission axis of the polarizer.

10. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel which is configured to include a liquid crystal layer held between a pair of substrates, and to which an OCB mode is applied; and

an optical compensation element which is disposed on an outer surface of the liquid crystal display panel and which optically compensates a retardation of the liquid crystal layer in a predetermined display state in which a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer,

the optical compensation element including:

a polarizer;

a first retardation plate having a slow axis which is perpendicular to a rubbing direction; and

a second retardation plate having a slow axis which agrees with a transmission axis of the polarizer and having wavelength dispersion characteristics of α 1 <1, when a ratio of an in-plane retardation Re430 at a wavelength of 430 nm to an in-plane retardation Re550 at a wavelength of 550 nm is α 1 .

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein when a ratio of an in-plane retardation Re625 at a wavelength of 625 nm to the in-plane retardation Re550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is α 2 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of α 2 >1.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein wavelength dispersion characteristics of an in-plane retardation Re of the second retardation plate are opposite to wavelength dispersion characteristics of an in-plane retardation Re in the liquid crystal layer.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein when a ratio of a thickness-directional retardation Rth430 at the wavelength of 430 nm to a thickness-directional retardation Rth550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is β 1 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of β 1 >1.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein when a ratio of a thickness-directional retardation Rth625 at a wavelength of 625 nm to a thickness-directional retardation Rth550 at the wavelength of 550 nm is β 2 , the second retardation plate has wavelength dispersion characteristics of β 2 <1.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein wavelength dispersion characteristics of a thickness-directional retardation Rth of the second retardation plate are equal to wavelength dispersion characteristics of a thickness-directional retardation Rth in the liquid crystal layer.

16. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein the second retardation plate is a biaxial retardation plate.

17. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein the second retardation plate includes a first retardation layer having refractive index anisotropy corresponding to an A-plate, and a second retardation layer having refractive index anisotropy corresponding to a C-plate.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2012
From: TOSHIBA MATSUSHITA DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
To: TOSHIBA MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028339/0273 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2012
From: TOSHIBA MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
To: JAPAN DISPLAY CENTRAL INC.
Reel/Frame 028339/0316 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2009
From: OKITA, MITSUTAKA; NISHIYAMA, KAZUHIRO; ARAKI, SHIGESUMI
To: TOSHIBA MATSUSHITA DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022090/0806 →