Ferroelectric display panel of varying thickness and driving method therefor

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a picture element formed by a first electrode, a second electrode oppositely spaced from the first electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at the space between the first and second electrodes and having a varying layer thickness;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of applying a voltage signal between the first and second electrodes for orienting a region extending over the whole area of the picture element to either one of a first and a second state and,
• a second step of applying a pulse with a waveform corresponding to gradation information between the first and second electrodes to switch the state of a region defining a prescribed area of the picture element from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a matrix electrode structure having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes intersecting with the scanning electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at each intersection of the scanning and signal electrodes and having a varying layer thickness;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of applying at a time an electric signal between all or a part of the scanning electrodes and all or a part of the signal electrodes so that substantially the whole area at each intersection between said all or a part of the scanning and signal electrodes is oriented to either one of a first and a second state, and
• a second step of applying a scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes sequentially and row by row and, in phase with the scanning selection signal, applying a pulse signal with a waveform corresponding to gradation information to selected signal electrodes so that a prescribed area at each selected intersection is switched from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a matrix electrode structure having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes intersecting with the scanning electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at each intersection of the scanning and signal electrodes and having a varying layer thickness;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of sequentially applying a first scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes and, in phase with the first scanning selection signal, applying a clearing signal to all or a prescribed part of the signal electrodes, so that substantially the whole area at each of all or a prescribed part of the intersections on the scanning electrodes is oriented to either one of a first and a second state, and
• a second step of sequentially applying a second scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes and, in phase with the second scanning selection signal, applying a pulse signal with a waveform corresponding to gradation information to selected signal electrodes so that a prescribed area at each selected intersection is switched from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

A liquid crystal device, comprising:

• a pair of oppositely spaced electrodes and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of oppositely spaced electrodes;
• said ferroelectric liquid crystal layer having a varying thickness, said pair of oppositely spaced electrodes having a varying spacing therebetween.

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a picture element formed by a first electrode, a second electrode oppositely spaced from the first electrode so as to form a varying spacing therebetween, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at the opposite portion between the first and second electrodes and having a varying layer thickness;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of applying a voltage signal between the first and second electrodes for orienting a region extending over the whole area of the picture element to either one of a first and a second state and,
• a second step of applying a pulse with a waveform corresponding to gradation information between the first and second electrodes to switch the state of a region defining a prescribed area of the picture element from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a matrix electrode structure having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes intersecting with the scanning electrodes and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at each intersection of the scanning and signal electrodes and having a varying layer thickness, each pair of the scanning electrode and signal electrode sandwiching the ferroelectric liquid crystal at each intersection having a varying spacing therebetween;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of applying at a time an electric signal between all or a part of the scanning electrodes and all or a part of the signal electrodes so that substantially the whole area at each intersection between said all or a part of the scanning and signal electrodes is oriented to either one of a first and a second state, and
• a second step of applying a scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes sequentially and row by row and, in phase with the scanning selection signal, applying a pulse signal with a waveform corresponding to gradation information to selected signal electrodes so that a prescribed area at each selected intersection is switched from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a matrix electrode structure having a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes intersecting with the scanning electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at each intersection of the scanning and signal electrodes and having a varying layer thickness, each pair of the scanning electrode and the signal electrode sandwiching the ferroelectric liquid crystal at each intersection having a varying spacing therebetween;

• said driving method comprising:
• a first step of sequentially applying a first scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes and, in phase with the first scanning selection signal, applying a clearing signal to all or a prescribed part of the signal electrodes, so that substantially the whole area at each of all or a prescribed part of the intersections on the scanning electrodes is oriented to either one of a first and a second state, and
• a second step of sequentially applying a second scanning selection signal to the scanning electrodes and, in phase with the second scanning selection signal, applying a pulse signal with a waveform corresponding to gradation information to selected signal electrodes so that a prescribed area at each selected intersection is switched from one state resultant in the first state to the other state.

A liquid crystal device, comprising:

• a first base plate, a second base plate;
• a pair of electrodes disposed respectively on the first and second base plates, an insulating film disposed on at least one of said pair of electrodes and having a varying thickness, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second base plates and having a varying thickness.