Two-dimensional and three-dimensional switchable liquid crystal display device and displaying method thereof

A method of displaying an image, comprising:

• (a) providing a liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:
• an active retardation panel having a first liquid crystal (LC) layer defining a plurality of retardation pixels arranged in a retardation pixel matrix having M pixel columns and N pixel rows, wherein each retardation pixel has a first retardation A(i, j), wherein M and N are positive integers, i is a positive integer between 1 and M, and j is a positive integer between 1 and N;
• and
• a liquid crystal display panel positioned behind the active retardation panel, having a second LC layer defining a plurality of display pixels arranged in a display pixel matrix having M pixel columns and N pixel rows, wherein each display pixel has a second retardation B(i, j),
• wherein the active retardation panel and the liquid crystal display panel are arranged such that the retardation pixel matrix is positioned corresponding to the display pixel matrix;
• (b) generating left-eye and right-eye viewed gray levels L(i, j) and R(i, j), respectively, for the image to be displayed;
• (c) calculating, for each retardation pixel of the active retardation panel and for each display pixel of the liquid crystal display panel, the first retardation A(i, j) and the second retardation B(i, j) by:
• L(i,j)=f[A(i+1,j)+B(i,j)], and
• R(i,j)=f[A(i,j)+B(i,j)];
• and
• (d) displaying the image with the first retardation A(i, j) for each retardation pixel of the active retardation panel and the second retardation B(i, j) for each display pixel of the liquid crystal display panel such that the image displayed in each retardation pixel of the active retardation panel, or in each display pixel of the liquid crystal display panel, is simultaneously viewable by left and right eyes of a viewer in front of the active retardation panel.

A method of displaying an image, comprising:

• (a) providing a liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:
• an active retardation panel having a first liquid crystal (LC) layer defining a plurality of retardation pixels arranged in a retardation pixel matrix having M pixel columns and N pixel rows, wherein each retardation pixel has a first retardation A(i, j), wherein M and N are positive integers, i is a positive integer between 1 and M, and j is a positive integer between 1 and N;
• and
• a liquid crystal display panel positioned behind the active retardation panel, having a second LC layer defining a plurality of display pixels arranged in a display pixel matrix having M pixel columns and N pixel rows, wherein each display pixel has a second retardation B(i, j),
• wherein the active retardation panel and the liquid crystal display panel are arranged such that the retardation pixel matrix is positioned corresponding to the display pixel matrix;
• and
• (b) driving the active retardation panel and the liquid crystal display panel, respectively, to display the image on one of the active retardation panel and the liquid crystal display panel, such that the image displayed in each retardation pixel of the active retardation panel, or in each display pixel of the liquid crystal display panel is simultaneously viewable by left and right eyes of a viewer in front of the active retardation panel and satisfies the relationship of:
• L(i,j)=f[A(i+1,j)+B(i,j)], and
• R(i,j)=f[A(i,j)+B(i,j)],
• wherein L(i, j) and R(i, j) are respectively left-eye and right-eye viewed gray levels of the image displayed in each retardation pixel of the active retardation panel, or in each display pixel of the liquid crystal display panel.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device operably switchable between a two-dimensional (2D) display mode and a three-dimensional (3D) display mode for a viewer having a left eye and a right eye, comprising:

• a first polarizer and a second polarizer spaced apart to each other;
• a first panel disposed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer, the first panel having a plurality of first pixels arranged in a first pixel matrix having at least M pixel columns and at least N pixel rows, each of the first pixel having a first retardation A(i, j), wherein M and N are positive integers, i is a positive integer between 1 and M, and j is a positive integer between 1 and N;
• and
• a second panel disposed between the first panel and the second polarizer, the second panel having a plurality of second pixels arranged in a second pixel matrix having at least M pixel columns and at least N pixel rows, each of the second pixel having a second retardation B(i, j), the first pixel matrix being positioned corresponding to the second pixel matrix,
• wherein an image displayed from each of the second pixels of the second panel and passed through the first panel is simultaneously viewed by the left eye and the right eye of the viewer and satisfies the relationship of:
• L(i,j)=f[A(i+1,j)+B(i,j)], and
• R(i,j)=f[A(i,j)+B(i,j)],
• wherein L(i, j) and R(i, j) are respectively left-eye and right-eye viewed gray levels of the image.