A display of dot matrix type is used in a portable telephone. The display is divided into a primary display area to show alphanumeric signs and the like, and into an icon area to show predetermined icons. Both display areas show signs by selectively marking a plurality of dots. The primary display area (the dot matrix area) is a so-called graphic display, in which the dots are regular and may be combined to form arbitrary signs. In the icon display area, the dots are shaped according to the icons. The dots are hereby icon-specific, and their irregular shape occurs in practice by slitting the icon concerned in the transverse direction. The icon area will hereby electrically serve as one or more edge rows in the dot matrix area.
A method of displaying alternating transmitting and receiving phases of voice communication in a mobile phone with a display when it is operated in the speakerphone mode includes the steps of comparing the intensity of a received voice signal from a caller with that of a transmitted voice signal, outputting the received voice signal through the speaker of the mobile phone while displaying a visual indication representing the receiving phase on the display if the intensity of the received voice signal is stronger than that of the transmitted voice signal, and sending the transmitted voice signal to the caller while displaying a visual indication representing the transmitting phase on the display if the intensity of the received voice signal is weaker than that of the transmitted voice signal.
A liquid crystal display has a first substrate formed with a picture character pixel electrode for displaying a picture character represented by a fixed pattern, a second substrate formed with a common electrode opposite to the picture character pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. The picture character pixel electrode is formed on an interlayer insulating film, and is connected to a picture character signal electrode formed below the interlayer insulating film through a plurality of contact holes formed through the interlayer insulating film.
An apparatus for driving a display panel is provided. The display panel driving apparatus includes a main display controller, an icon display controller, a dot-matrix display controller, an icon driver, a dot-matrix driver, a first DC-DC converter, and a second DC-DC converter. The first DC-DC converter boosts an input DC voltage using a coil and supplies the boosted voltage as a first boost voltage to the dot-matrix driver. The second DC-DC converter boosts an input DC voltage using a capacitor and supplies the boosted voltage as a second boost voltage to the icon driver.
Provided is an apparatus for driving a display panel. The apparatus includes a main display control unit, an icon display control unit, a dot-matrix display control unit, first and second oscillators, an icon driver, and a dot-matrix driver. While the first oscillator generates a first clock signal composed of pulses having a first frequency and supplies the same to the dot-matrix display control unit, the second oscillator generates a second clock signal composed of pulses having a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency and supplies the second clock signal to the icon display control unit.
A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer, an alignment layer orientating the liquid crystal layer, and a driving circuit that drives the liquid crystal layer. The alignment layer is divided into a plurality of specified regions, each having a recognizable size. The orientation direction of adjacent regions is different from one another. This makes it difficult to resolve a displayed image from directions other than that from the front of the display, and instead a fixed pattern is seen when the display is viewed from directions other than that from the front. This fixed pattern can be chosen as desired and can be, e.g., a figure or a trade name of a product.