| US 7,532,291 B2 | ||
| Liquid crystal display device | ||
| Masumi Kubo, Mie (Japan); Akihiro Yamamoto, Nara (Japan); Kiyoshi Ogishima, Mie (Japan); Takashi Ochi, Nara (Japan); and Kazuhiro Maekawa, Chiba (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 13, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/705,515. | ||
| Application 11/705515 is a continuation of application No. 09/983665, filed on Oct. 25, 2001, granted, now 7,230,664. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2000-333802 (JP), filed on Oct. 31, 2000; and application No. 2001-284706 (JP), filed on Sep. 19, 2001. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0139594 A1, Jun. 21, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02F 1/1337 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 349—129 [349/130] | 7 Claims |
| 1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
a first substrate, a second substrate, and a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate
and the second substrate; and
a picture element region defined by a first electrode supported by the first substrate and a second electrode supported by
the second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer, wherein:
the first substrate includes a first orientation-regulating structure in the picture element region, the first orientation-regulating
structure exerting an orientation-regulating force so as to form a plurality of liquid crystal domains in the liquid crystal
layer, each of the liquid crystal domains taking a radially-inclined orientation in the presence of an applied voltage;
the second substrate includes a second orientation-regulating structure in a region corresponding to at least one of the plurality
of liquid crystal domains, the second orientation-regulating structure exerting an orientation-regulating force for orienting
liquid crystal molecules in the at least one liquid crystal domain into a radially-inclined orientation at least in the presence
of an applied voltage;
the first electrode includes a plurality of openings and a solid portion;
the first orientation-regulating structure includes the plurality of openings and the solid portion of the first electrode,
so that when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, an inclined electric field is produced
at an edge portion of the plurality of openings of the first electrode, thereby forming the plurality of liquid crystal domains
in regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of openings and the solid portion;
at least some of the plurality of openings form a plurality of unit lattices;
the picture element region is divided into a plurality of regions each contributing to a display by an opaque element; and
at least one of the plurality of unit lattices is arranged for each of the plurality of regions.
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