LCD having display capability on both sides

Details LCD having display capability on both sides LCD having display capability on both sides

2002-03-18

2004-06-01

Choudhury, Tarifur R. (Department: 2871)

Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems

Particular structure

Having significant detail of cell structure only

C455S566000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06744481

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel; in particular, to a liquid crystal display panel having display capability on both sides.
2. Description of the Related Art
Notebook computer manufacturers use a variety of liquid crystal display (LCD) panel types in the manufacture of notebook computers to reduce cost and to increase production levels. Recently, there is also a growing need for mobile is communication devices using the LCD panels. For example, the LCD panels can be applied in mobile phones and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices.
A conventional LCD panel
10
is shown in
FIG. 1
a
,
FIG. 1
b
and
FIG. 1
c
. Numeral
11
represents a liquid crystal module. The liquid crystal module
11
comprises a substrate, liquid crystal molecules and other material. However, since the detail structure of the liquid crystal module
11
is irrelative to the characteristic of this invention and is well known by persons skilled in the art, their detail description is omitted.
The liquid crystal display module
11
is provided with a front polarizer
12
at one side and a rear polarizer
13
at the other side. Generally, the polarized axis of the front polarizer
12
and the polarized axis of the front polarizer
13
are perpendicular, and the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal module
11
is well controlled. Specifically, light passes through the polarizer
12
,
13
by the arrangement of the polarizer
12
,
13
and the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal module
11
. As a result, depending on whether the light passes through or not, different images are shown on the LCD panel
10
.
The rear polarizer
13
is provided with a reflector
14
. By means of the reflector
14
, characters and graphs can be shown on the front polarizer
12
. That is, viewing from a direction by an arrow A of
FIG. 1
b
, characters shown in
FIG. 1
c
can be seen on the LCD panel
10
.
Furthermore, there is a need for mobile communication devices with an LCD panel having display capability on both sides.
For example, a PDA mobile phone
30
is shown in
FIG. 2
a
and
FIG. 2
b
. The PDA mobile phone is a communication device with PDA function and mobile phone function. When a keyboard portion
31
and a display portion
32
combine, a first screen
33
of the display portion
32
is used as a screen for the mobile phone function. When a keyboard portion
31
and a display portion
32
separate, a second screen
34
of the display portion
32
is used as a screen for the PDA function.
However, in the conventional PDA mobile phone, two LCD panels are used as the first screen and the second screen respectively. Thus, the cost is increased, and the whole thickness is also increased. As a result, it is difficult to miniaturize the PDA mobile phone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address the disadvantages of the aforementioned LCD panel, the invention provides an LCD panel having display capability on both sides.
Another purpose of this invention is to minimize the thickness of a PDA mobile phone.
Accordingly, the invention provides a liquid crystal display panel. The LCD panel comprises a liquid crystal module, a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a first reflector, and a second reflector. The liquid crystal module is provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first polarizer is disposed on the first surface of the liquid crystal module, and the second polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module. The first reflector is disposed on part of the first polarizer, and the second reflector is disposed on part of the second polarizer. The other part of the second polarizer and the first reflector overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module.
Furthermore, the liquid crystal module comprises a substrate, and liquid crystal molecules.
In another preferred embodiment, this invention provides another liquid crystal display panel. The LCD panel comprises a liquid crystal module, a first front polarizer, a first rear polarizer, a first reflector, a second rear polarizer, a second front polarizer, and a second reflector. The liquid crystal module is provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first front polarizer is disposed on one portion of the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The first rear polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module. The first front polarizer and the first rear polarizer overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The first reflector is disposed on the first rear polarizer, and the second rear polarizer is disposed on the other portion of the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The second front polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module. The second front polarizer and the second rear polarizer overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The second reflector is disposed on the second rear polarizer.
In another preferred embodiment, this invention provides another adapted for a PDA mobile phone having a first screen and a second screen. The LCD panel comprises a liquid crystal module, a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a first reflector, and a second reflector. The liquid crystal module is provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first polarizer is disposed on the first surface of the liquid crystal module, and the second polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module. The first reflector is disposed on one portion of the first polarizer, and the second reflector is disposed on one portion of the second polarizer. The other portion of the second polarizer and the first reflector overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The other portion of the first polarizer is used as the first screen, and the other portion of the second polarizer is used as the second screen.
In another preferred embodiment, this invention provides another adapted for a PDA mobile phone having a first screen and a second screen. The LCD panel comprises a liquid crystal module, a first front polarizer, a first rear polarizer, a first reflector, a second rear polarizer, a second front polarizer, and a second reflector. The liquid crystal module is provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first front polarizer is disposed on one portion of the first surface of the liquid crystal module and used as the first screen. The first rear polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module. The first front polarizer and the first rear polarizer overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The first reflector is disposed on the first rear polarizer, and the second rear polarizer is disposed on the other portion of the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The second front polarizer is disposed on the second surface of the liquid crystal module and used as the second screen. The second front polarizer and the second rear polarizer overlap completely in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the liquid crystal module. The second reflector is disposed on the second rear polarizer.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5805252 (1998-09-01), Shimada et al.
patent: 5889570 (1999-03-01), Mitsui et al.
patent: 6466292 (2002-10-01), Kim
patent: 6574487 (2003-06-01), Smith et al.

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