Patent ID: 6091388
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: G03C,G09G,Y10S

Abstract:
A driving method for an optical modulation device comprising a group of scanning electrodes, a group of signal electrodes arranged to intersect with the scanning electrodes, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal interposed therebetween orientable to first and second stable states upon application across the liquid crystal of respective voltages exceeding respective first and second thresholds, each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes forming a picture element, wherein:a scanning signal is sequentially applied to said group of scanning electrodes and an information signal is applied to said group of signal electrodes selectively and in phase with the scanning signal to effect optical modulation based on selection of either said first or said second stable state at each picture element; andthe scanning signal is defined with respect to a first base potential which is commonly assigned to the group of scanning electrodes, and the information signal is defined with respect to a second base potential which is commonly assigned to the group of signal electrodes, an absolute value of a difference between the first and second base potentials being less than an absolute value of each of the first and second thresholds.