# US 10,371,978 B2 · Liquid crystal display device and electronic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,978 B2 - Document ID: US10371978B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/861,918 - Filed: 2018-01-04 - Published: 2018-05-10 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-12 - Assignees: Japan Display Inc. - Applicants: Japan Display Inc. - Inventors: Toshiharu Matsushima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371978B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/133377: {Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel} - G02F 1/1334: based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals - G02F 1/134336: {Matrix} - G02F 1/137: characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering - G02F 1/133512: {Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence)} - G02F 1/134372: {for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned} - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract According to an aspect, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate; a second substrate arranged to be opposed to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first electrode arranged for each of a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a matrix; a second electrode arranged at a position opposed to the first electrode; a plurality of first areas in which light transmission is suppressed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first areas extending in at least one direction to traverse the pixels; and a second area in which liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are rotated according to an electric field acting between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second area being sandwiched between the first areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid crystal display device comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules and arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of signal lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of scanning lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel on the first substrate, each of the first pixel and the second pixel comprising: a first electrode; a switching element connected to one of the signal lines and one of the scanning lines; a plurality of first areas extending in the first direction, arranged between two adjacent signal lines of the signal lines, and in which rotation of the liquid crystal molecules is restricted; and at least one second area in which the liquid crystal molecules are rotated according to an electric field acting between the first electrode and a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein an interval between two adjacent first areas of the first areas is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the second direction, and the first areas corresponding to the first pixel are arranged at same positions in the second direction as those of the first areas corresponding to the second pixel arranged adjacent to the first pixel in the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first areas extends in the second direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first areas include a plurality of first portion and at least one second portion, the first portions extend in the first direction, and the at least one second portion extends in the second direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first areas extend in the second direction, and an interval between two adjacent first areas of the first areas is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the first direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first areas include a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions, the first portions extend in the first direction, the second portions extend in the second direction, and an interval between two adjacent second portions of the second portions is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the first direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein an orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules is the first direction when no voltage is applied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first areas include the liquid crystal molecules and a polymeric material that surrounds the liquid crystal molecules, and the polymeric material constitutes a polymer wall that extends from one of the first substrate and the second substrate toward the other thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a light-blocking part arranged in an area of the first substrate or the second substrate, the area overlapping with at least one of the first areas in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first light-blocking part overlapping with the signal lines and the scanning lines; and a second light-blocking part arranged in an area of the first substrate or the second substrate, the area overlapping with at least one of the first areas in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first light-blocking part overlapping with the signal lines and the scanning lines; and a second light-blocking part arranged in an area of the first substrate or the second substrate, the area overlapping with at least one of the first areas in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate. ### Claim 11 A liquid crystal display device comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules and arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of signal lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of scanning lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel on the first substrate, each of the first pixel and the second pixel comprising: a first electrode; a switching element connected to one of the signal lines and one of the scanning lines; a plurality of first areas extending in the second direction, arranged between two adjacent scanning lines of the scanning lines, and in which rotation of the liquid crystal molecules is restricted; and at least one second area in which the liquid crystal molecules are rotated according to an electric field acting between the first electrode and a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein an interval between two adjacent first areas of the first areas is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the first direction, and the first areas corresponding to the first pixel are arranged at same positions in the first direction as those of the first areas corresponding to the second pixel arranged adjacent to the first pixel in the second direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first areas extends in the first direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first areas include a plurality of first portions and at least one second portion, the first portions extend in the second direction, and the at least one second portion extends in the first direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first areas extend in the first direction, and an interval between two adjacent first areas of the first areas is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the second direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first areas include a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions, the first portions extend in the second direction, the second portions extend in the first direction, and an interval between two adjacent second portions of the second portions is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in the second direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein an orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules is the second direction when no voltage is applied. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first areas include the liquid crystal molecules and a polymeric material that surrounds the liquid crystal molecules, and the polymeric material constitutes a polymer wall that extends from one of the first substrate and the second substrate toward the other thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, further comprising: a light-blocking part arranged in an area of the first substrate or the second substrate, the area overlapping with at least one of the first areas in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate. ### Claim 19 A liquid crystal display device comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules and arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of signal lines; a plurality of scanning lines; and a plurality of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel on the first substrate, each of the pixels comprising: a first electrode; a switching element connected to one of the signal lines and one of the scanning lines; a plurality of first areas extending in a first direction, arranged between two adjacent signal lines of the signal lines or between two adjacent scanning lines of the scanning lines, and in which rotation of the liquid crystal molecules is restricted; and at least one second area in which the liquid crystal molecules are rotated according to an electric field acting between the first electrode and a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein an interval between two adjacent first areas of the first areas is equal to or smaller than 10 μm in a second direction crossing the first direction, and the first areas corresponding to the first pixel are arranged at same positions in the second direction as those of the first areas corresponding to the second pixel arranged adjacent to the first pixel in the first direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 19, wherein an orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules is the first direction when no voltage is applied.