According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, and an optical element layer provided between the substrates, a light directing unit facing the first substrate of the display panel, and including a first main surface disposed on a side facing the first substrate, and a second main surface disposed on a side reverse to the first main surface, and a light source unit disposed on the first substrate side with respect to the display panel, and emitting polarized light toward the first or second main surface. The polarized light is made incident on the first or second main surface, and directed perpendicularly to the optical element layer.

The present application relates to a liquid crystal display comprising: an upper polarizer; a lower polarizer; and a liquid crystal panel provided between the upper polarizer and the lower polarizer, in which the upper polarizer and the lower polarizer are provided such that the absorption axes thereof are parallel to each other, a wavelength plate is comprised between the upper polarizer and the liquid crystal panel which rotates linear polarized light at 85 to 90 degrees, and the liquid crystal panel is a horizontally aligned liquid crystal mode.

The present invention provides a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device comprising same, the polarizing plate comprising: a polarizer; and a first retardation layer and a second retardation layer formed on one surface of the polarizer, wherein the first retardation layer has a thickness direction retardation (Rth) of about −75 nm to about −130 nm at a wavelength of about 550 nm, the second retardation layer satisfies Relations 1 and 2, a laminated body of the first retardation layer and the second retardation layer has a thickness direction retardation (Rth) of about −70 nm to about 0 nm at a wavelength of about 550 nm, and the first retardation layer includes a coating layer formed of a composition containing a cellulose ester-based compound.

Provided are a polarizing plate and an optical display device comprising same, the polarizing plate comprising: a polarizer; and a first phase difference layer, a second phase difference layer and a third phase difference layer which are sequentially stacked on the lower surface of the polarizer. The first phase difference layer comprises a positive C phase difference layer. The second phase difference layer has positive wavelength dispersibility and an in-plane phase difference of approximately 200 nm to 280 nm in a wavelength of 550 nm. The third phase difference layer has positive wavelength dispersibility and an in-plane phase difference of approximately 80 nm to 145 nm in a wavelength of 550 nm. When the absorption axis of the polarizer is 0°, the angle formed by the slow axis of the second phase difference layer is approximately +14° to +24° or approximately −24° to −14°, and the angle formed by the slow axis of the third phase difference layer is approximately +79° to +89° or approximately −89° to −79°.

A liquid crystal display panel is described. In an embodiment, the liquid crystal display panel includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer; a first linear polarizer disposed at a side of the first substrate away from the liquid crystal layer; a first quarter-wave plate disposed between the first substrate and the first linear polarizer, where an angle between a slow axis of the first quarter-wave plate and an absorption axis of the first linear polarizer is 45° or 135°; a first retardation film disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the first quarter-wave plate; a second quarter-wave plate disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate, where slow axes of the first and second quarter-wave plates are perpendicular; and a second linear polarizer disposed at a side of the second substrate away from the liquid crystal layer, where absorption axes of the first and second linear polarizers are perpendicular.

A liquid crystal display panel is described. In an embodiment, the liquid crystal panel display includes: a first linear polarizer; a second linear polarizer; a first quarter-wave plate disposed between a first substrate and the first linear polarizer, an angle between a slow axis of the first quarter-wave plate and an absorption axis of the first linear polarizer being 45° or 135′; a second quarter-wave plate disposed between a liquid crystal layer and the first substrate, slow axes of the first quarter-wave plate and the second quarter-wave plate being perpendicular, and absorption axes of the first linear polarizer and the second linear polarizer being perpendicular; a first retardation film disposed between the first quarter-wave plate and the second quarter-wave plate; and a second retardation film disposed at a side of the first quarter-wave plate facing away from the first retardation film, or disposed between the second linear polarizer and the liquid crystal layer.

A privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator and a passive retarder arranged between first and second polarisers arranged in series with the spatial light modulator. On-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss, and off-axis light has reduced luminance. The visibility of the display to off-axis snoopers is reduced by means of luminance reduction over a wide polar field of view. Off-axis visibility of the display in an automotive vehicle can be reduced.

An improvement in image quality is achieved by compensating for a phase difference occurring in tilted light to achieve an improvement in contrast while suppressing luminance irregularity when in black display. An optical compensation device includes: a first optical compensation unit configured to generate a phase difference that has a substantially equal amount and a reverse sign in light with each incidence angle within a predetermined incidence angle range on a vertical alignment type liquid crystal panel with respect to a phase difference occurring from the liquid crystal panel; and a second optical compensation unit configured to generate a phase difference in an in-plane direction. The first optical compensation unit can appropriately compensate for a phase difference occurring in tilted light passing through a liquid crystal panel and the second optical compensation unit can suppress luminance irregularity when in black display.

A complex light modulator including a first polarization plate, a second polarization plate provided, an amplitude modulator provided between the first polarization plate and the second polarization plate, a phase modulator provided between the amplitude modulator and the second polarization plate, and color filters provided between the amplitude modulator and the phase modulator.

A switchable privacy display for an automotive vehicle comprises a spatial light modulator, a first switchable liquid crystal retarder and first passive retarder arranged between a first pair of polarisers and a second switchable liquid crystal retarder and second passive retarder arranged between a second pair of polarisers. A first switchable liquid crystal retarder comprises a two homeotropic alignment layers and a second switchable liquid crystal retarder comprises two homogeneous alignment layers. In a privacy mode of operation, on-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss to the passenger, whereas off-axis light has reduced luminance to reduce the visibility of the display to off-axis driver leaning towards the display. In a shared mode of operation, the liquid crystal layers are controlled so that off-axis luminance and reflectivity are unmodified.