In order to improve viewing angle dependency of γ characteristics of a liquid crystal display device (e.g. prevent excess brightness etc. of a screen), there have been proposed liquid crystal display devices (based on a pixel-division system, see Patent Literature 1 for example) for controlling a plurality of sub-pixels in one pixel so that the plurality of sub-pixels have different luminances and displaying a halftone by area coverage modulation of these sub-pixels.
FIG. 49 is a schematic view showing an example of a pixel structure of a liquid crystal display device 1000 of Patent Literature 1. The liquid crystal display device 1000 includes a scanning signal line 1002 and a data signal line 1003 that are provided on a glass substrate 1001 and a pixel 1004 provided in the vicinity of an intersection of the two signal lines. The pixel 1004 consists of two sub-pixels 1005a and 1005b. The two sub-pixels 1005a and 1005b include transistors 1006a and 1006b and pixel electrodes 1007a and 1007b connected with the transistors 1006a and 1006b, respectively, and the pixel electrodes 1007a and 1007b form capacitors (retention capacitors 1009a and 1009b) with retention capacitor lines 1008a and 1008b, respectively. Although not shown, the pixel electrodes 1007a and 1007b are designed such that a liquid crystal material (liquid crystal layer) is sandwiched between the glass substrate 1001 and a common electrode (counter electrode) on a surface of a substrate (color filter substrate).
FIG. 50 is a drawing showing an electrically equivalent circuit corresponding to the pixel structure shown in FIG. 49 of the liquid crystal display device 1000. The pixel electrodes 1007a and 1007b shown in FIG. 49 correspond to points 1010a and 1010b shown in FIG. 50, respectively, and form liquid crystal capacitors 1012a and 1012b, respectively, with a common electrode 1011.
In the above configuration, different signals are supplied to the retention capacitor lines 1008a and 1008b, respectively. This allows differentiating potentials (pixel potentials) of the pixel electrodes 1007a and 1007b from each other.