Patent ID: 8144099

Claim:
A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising: an array substrate having a plurality of pixel electrodes in a matrix; a common electrode opposing the pixel electrode; a display panel having an OCB liquid crystal sandwiched between the pixel electrode and the common electrode; and a drive circuit configured to apply a pixel voltage in a positive pixel voltage range, which ranges from a first reference voltage through a maximum applicable pixel voltage, and a negative pixel voltage range, which ranges from the first reference voltage through a minimum applicable pixel voltage, to the pixel electrode, and to alternately apply a positive common voltage and a negative common voltage, which are respectively larger and smaller than a second reference voltage by a predetermined amount, to the common electrode, wherein the drive circuit applies the positive common voltage to the common electrode and applies, throughout each period of applying the positive common voltage at a level larger than the second reference voltage by a predetermined amount, an alternating pixel voltage to the pixel electrode, which alternates between the first reference voltage and a pixel voltage smaller than the first reference voltage, and the drive circuit applies the negative common voltage to the common electrode and applies, throughout each period of applying the negative common voltage at a level smaller than the second reference voltage by the predetermined amount, an alternating pixel voltage to the pixel electrode, which alternates between the first reference voltage and a pixel voltage larger than the first reference voltage, wherein the pixel voltage is maintained during a transition of the common voltage from a negative common voltage to a positive common voltage; thereby achieving initial transition of the OCB liquid crystal from a splay alignment to a bend alignment.