Liquid Crystal Display Pixel Electrode Asymmetry for Viewing Angle

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Liquid crystal displays face challenges in achieving high contrast ratio, wide viewing angle, and fast response speed while maintaining improved lateral visibility.

Innovation Solution

The design of liquid crystal displays with pixel electrodes featuring branches that vary in angle relative to the transverse center line, forming high and low gray regions, allows for improved lateral visibility and contrast ratio while enabling a wide viewing angle and fast response speed by varying the electric field intensity across the pixel area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the pixel electrode uses a conventional symmetric branch design, then the manufacturing is simple, but the lateral visibility is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepixel electrode design simplicityVSAvoidlateral visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by designing pixel electrodes with branches that have different angles relative to the transverse center line. Specifically, branches in different regions (first region vs. second region) are configured with different angles (first angle vs. second angle), creating an asymmetric pattern that improves lateral visibility by controlling light leakage and viewing angle characteristics from different directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the pixel electrode branches are configured with varying angles to improve lateral visibility, then the display quality improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelateral visibilityVSAvoidpixel electrode structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the pixel electrode into multiple branches that are spatially separated and assigned different angles. The branches are grouped into different regions (first region and second region) with distinct angular configurations, allowing independent optimization of each segment's contribution to lateral visibility while maintaining overall pixel functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different angular characteristics to branches in different spatial regions of the pixel electrode. The first region has branches with a first angle while the second region has branches with a second angle, creating locally optimized structures that collectively improve overall lateral visibility without requiring the entire electrode to have uniform complex geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the angle between branches and transverse center line is varied, then the contrast ratio and viewing angle improve, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrast ratioVSAvoidbranch angle control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the angular parameter of pixel electrode branches across different regions. Instead of using a single uniform angle, the design employs different angular values (first angle and second angle) in different regions, creating a gradient or stepped parameter distribution that optimizes contrast ratio and viewing angle while providing clear design specifications for manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration enhances the display's ability to maintain high contrast and wide viewing angles while achieving rapid response times, improving both front and side visibility through controlled luminance variation.

Implementation Method 1

applying voltages to the field-generating electrodes to generate an electric field in the LC layer that determines the orientation of LC molecules therein to adjust polarization of incident light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectric field: Electric Field

Implementation Method 2

adjust polarization of incident light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPolarization: Polarisation

Data Source

PatentEP2485087B1Liquid crystal display
Publication Date: 2016.07.27 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP2485087B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2485087B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2485087B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A liquid crystal display includes first and second pixel electrodes (PEa,PEb) connected to first and second thin film transistors, respectively, on a first substrate (100). The first and second pixel electrodes include a plurality of interdigitated branches. The interval between adjacent branches (191a4,191b2;191a2,191b4) of first and second pixel electrodes (PEa,PEb) in a first high gray region is larger then in a second low gray region to display different luminance. The branches (191a4,191b2) include first and second portions forming different angles (Θ2,Θ3) with a gate line (121) to improve the viewing angle.