Patent ID: 7139053

Claim:
A double-sided liquid crystal display device comprising: first and second substrates, a liquid material disposed between the first and second substrates, first and second electrodes for driving the liquid crystal material, first and second polarizing means disposed on opposite sides of the first and second substrates, a phase difference plate disposed between the first polarizing means and the first substrate, a front light disposed on the opposite side of the first polarizing means from the liquid crystal material, and semitransmission reflecting means disposed on the same side of the liquid crystal material as the second polarizing means, for passing a part of light from the front light passing through the liquid crystal material, wherein the semitransmission reflecting means is a reflection polarizer, disposed between the liquid crystal material and the second polarizing means, reflecting light having a specified polarization and passing all other light, the first polarizing means is optically disposed to absorb or transmit light passing through the liquid crystal material, the second polarizing means is optically disposed to absorb or transmit light passing through the liquid crystal material and then passing through the semitransmission reflecting means, and part of the light passing through the second polarizing means and through the liquid crystal material is absorbed and the light not so absorbed is transmitted by the first polarizing means.