Sharp has filed a patent for a liquid crystal display device that can switch between two viewing angle modes. The device includes an active matrix substrate, a counter substrate with third electrodes, a liquid crystal layer, and a control circuit. By adjusting the voltage applied to the third electrodes, the device can display an image in either a wider or narrower viewing angle mode. The control circuit applies a different common voltage to the first or second electrode in each mode. GlobalData’s report on Sharp gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Sharp, Adaptive video coding was a key innovation area identified from patents. Sharp's grant share as of September 2023 was 29%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
The patent filed is for a liquid crystal display device
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230317028A1) describes a liquid crystal display (LCD) device with improved viewing angle modes. The device includes an active matrix substrate with first and second electrodes, a counter substrate with third electrodes, a liquid crystal layer, and a control circuit. The control circuit allows the device to display images in two different viewing angle modes by adjusting the voltage applied to the third electrodes.
In the first viewing angle mode, the control circuit applies a first common voltage to either the first or second electrode. In the second viewing angle mode, a second common voltage, lower than the first common voltage, is applied to the same electrode. This voltage adjustment narrows the viewing angle of the display.
The control circuit generates a drive signal that creates a vertical electrical field between the third electrodes and the first or second electrode. The amplitude of the drive signal, denoted as Vc, determines the voltage adjustment. Equation (1) states that the second common voltage (Vcom2) is equal to the first common voltage (Vcom1) plus a negative coefficient (a) multiplied by the amplitude (x) of the drive signal.
Additionally, the patent describes an offset voltage (y) that shifts the first and second common voltages from a reference voltage (Vcom). Equation (2) represents this offset voltage as a negative coefficient (a) multiplied by the amplitude (x) of the drive signal plus a positive coefficient (b). The inequality (3) states that the positive coefficient (b) must be greater than or equal to zero.
The patent also specifies the values for the coefficients (a and b) in the equations. The coefficient (a) must be less than -0.025, and the coefficient (b) must be greater than zero.
The counter substrate of the LCD device includes an alignment film in contact with the liquid crystal layer and an overcoat layer between the third electrodes and the alignment film. The active matrix substrate consists of a first substrate with pixel regions, an insulating layer, a continuous first electrode covering the pixel regions, and multiple second electrodes extending in a first direction on top of the first electrode via the insulating layer. The third electrodes extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
In summary, this patent describes a liquid crystal display device with improved viewing angle modes achieved by adjusting the voltage applied to the electrodes. The control circuit allows for the display of images in two different viewing angle modes, and the coefficients in the equations determine the voltage adjustments. The device also includes specific substrate configurations to enhance its performance.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
