Reflective plate, liquid crystal display (LCD) using same, and electronic apparatus using this LCD

A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrates disposed in parallel with the first substrate at a predetermined distance therefrom;
• a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and second substrate;
• and
• a reflective layer disposed on the second substrate underneath the liquid crystal layer, the reflective layer comprising a plurality of reflective sub-regions, each of the reflective sub-regions comprising at least one reflective surface for reflecting light;
• wherein the plurality of reflective sub-regions are adapted to reflect the incident light in a manner that light reflected from the reflective sub-region intersects with another light reflected from another reflective sub-region, and light perpendicularly incidenting on each of the reflective sub-regions is reflected substantially toward a common region that is located above the reflective plate at a predetermined distance therefrom, a line parallel with normal of the reflective plate and passing through a center of the common region does not intercept the reflective plate.

An electronic device comprising a liquid crystal display apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrates disposed in parallel with the first substrate at a predetermined distance therefrom;
• a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and second substrate;
• and
• a reflective layer disposed on the second substrate underneath the liquid crystal layer, the reflective layer comprising a plurality of reflective sub-regions, each of the reflective sub-regions comprising at least one reflective surface for reflecting light;
• wherein the plurality of reflective sub-regions are adapted to reflect the incident light in a manner that light reflected from the reflective sub-region intersects with another light reflected from another reflective sub-region, and light perpendicularly incidenting on each of the reflective sub-regions is reflected substantially toward a common region that is located above the reflective plate at a predetermined distance therefrom, a line parallel with normal of the reflective plate and passing through a center of the common region does not intercept the reflective plate.

A method for reflecting light by a reflective plate having plural reflective sub-regions each having at least one reflective surface for reflecting light, light reflected from the reflective sub-regions forming plural spreads of exit which intersects each other at a given upper position to thereby form a common exit region, the method comprising the steps of:

• causing the light to enter the reflective plate as incident light from a vertical direction;
• reflecting the incident light by the plural reflective subregions;
• directing light rays reflected by the reflective subregions substantially toward a center of the exit region located outside a region lying vertically above the reflective plate;
• and
• concentrating centers of intensities of the reflected light rays at the center of the exit region.