# US 8,542,327 B2 · Liquid crystal display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,327 B2 - Document ID: US8542327B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/236,169 - Filed: 2008-09-23 - Published: 2009-04-16 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-16 - Assignees: Japan Display Central Inc. - Applicants: Kazuyuki Harada - Inventors: Kazuyuki Harada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542327B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/134363: {for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]} - G02F 1/136213: {Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode} - G09G 3/3648: {using an active matrix (G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence)} - G09G 2300/0426: Layout of electrodes and connections - G09G 2300/0465: Improved aperture ratio, e.g. by size reduction of the pixel circuit, e.g. for improving the pixel density or the maximum displayable luminance or brightness - 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 - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract A liquid crystal display device, which is configured such that a liquid crystal layer is held between a pair of substrates, includes scanning lines extending in a row direction of matrix-arrayed pixels; and signal lines extending in a column direction of the pixels, wherein a pixel between a pair of ones of the signal lines, which neighbor in the row direction, includes, on an identical one of the pair of substrates, a first electrode which is connected to one of the pair of ones of the signal lines, and a second electrode which is opposed to the first electrode via an interlayer insulation film and is connected to the other of the pair of ones of the signal lines. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid crystal display device which is configured to hold a liquid crystal layer between a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein: the first substrate comprises: scanning lines; and a first signal line, a second signal line, and a third signal line, which intersect with the scanning lines, wherein a first pixel between the first signal line and the second signal line includes, on the first substrate, a first upper electrode which is connected to the first signal line, and a first lower electrode which is opposed to the first upper electrode via an interlayer insulation film and is connected to the second signal line, a second pixel between the second signal line and the third signal line includes, on the first substrate, a second upper electrode which is connected to the second signal line, and a second lower electrode which is opposed to the second upper electrode via the interlayer insulation film and is connected to the third signal line, and one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected to the second signal line via a switching element, and the other one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected directly to the second signal line without being connected via a switching element, and a pixel potential of the first pixel being set with reference to a pixel potential of the second pixel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a potential of the first signal lines is set at a pixel potential which is determined with reference to a potential of the second signal line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein a polarity of the pixel potential is selected in such a manner as not to exceed an upper-limit threshold voltage VsigH and not to fall below a lower-limit threshold voltage VsigL. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first pixel forms a capacitance by coupling with the second signal line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first pixel includes a switching element which is ON/OFF controlled on the basis of a scanning signal which is supplied to the scanning line, and the first upper electrode is connected to the first signal line via the switching element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first upper electrode is disposed between the first signal line and the second signal line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first lower electrode is spaced apart from the first signal line, overlaps the second signal line, and is electrically connected to the second signal line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first upper electrode is disposed on the interlayer insulation film and includes a slit which is opposed to the first lower electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels has a rectangular shape having a greater length in the row direction than in the column direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the other one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode overlaps and contacts the second signal line. ### Claim 11 A liquid crystal display device which is configured to hold a liquid crystal layer between a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises: scanning lines, a first signal line, a second signal line, and a third signal line which intersect with the scanning lines; a first upper electrode which is disposed between the first signal line and the second signal line and is connected to the first signal line; a first lower electrode which is opposed to the first upper electrode via an interlayer insulation film and is connected to the second signal line; a second upper electrode which is disposed between the second signal line and the third signal line and is connected to the second signal line; and a second lower electrode which is opposed to the second upper electrode via the interlayer insulation film and is connected to the third signal line, wherein one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected to the second signal line via a first switching element, and the other one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected directly to the second signal line without being connected via a switching element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first substrate further comprises a second switching element which is connected to one of the scanning lines and the first signal line and is interposed between the first signal line and the first upper electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first upper electrode includes a slit which is opposed to the first lower electrode, and the second upper electrode includes a slit which is opposed to the second lower electrode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first lower electrode includes an edge which comes in contact with the second signal line, and the second lower electrode includes an edge which comes in contact with the third signal line. ### Claim 15 A liquid crystal display device which is configured to hold a liquid crystal layer between a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises: scanning lines; a first interlayer insulation film which covers the scanning lines; a first signal line, a second signal line, and a third signal line which are disposed on the first interlayer insulation film and intersect with the scanning lines; a first lower electrode and a second lower electrode which are disposed on the first interlayer insulation film, the first lower electrode being spaced apart from the first signal line and connected to the second signal line, and the second lower electrode being spaced apart from the second signal line and connected to the third signal line; a second interlayer insulation film which covers the first to the third signal lines and the first to the second lower electrodes; and a first upper electrode and a second upper electrode which are disposed on the second interlayer insulation film, the first upper electrode being opposed to the first lower electrode and connected to the first signal line, and the second upper electrode being opposed to the second lower electrode and connected to the second signal line, wherein one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected to the second signal line via a first switching element, and the other one of the first lower electrode and the second upper electrode is connected directly to the second signal line without being connected via a switching element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 15, wherein the first substrate further comprises a second switching element which is connected to one of the scanning lines and the first signal line and is interposed between the first signal line and the first upper electrode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 15, wherein the first upper electrode includes a slit which is opposed to the first lower electrode, and the second upper electrode includes a slit which is opposed to the second lower electrode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 15, wherein the first lower electrode includes an edge which comes in contact with the second signal line, and the second lower electrode includes an edge which comes in contact with the third signal line.