1. A method for preventing telephony fraud, the method comprising:
maintaining a centralized database resident within a domestic region, the database being configured to store a block call list that includes a terminating number corresponding to an international region, wherein the database is accessible by all telephony switches within a first telephony network; and
receiving a database query initiated by one of the telephony switches in response to a collect call placed to a destination number terminated via a second telephony network within the international region, wherein the collect call is blocked if the database query results in a response indicating the destination number is within the block call list.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephony network is maintained by a domestic service provider, and the second telephony network is maintained by an international service provider.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the block call list is updated based on call records of the second telephony network.
4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the second telephony network includes a cellular network, and the destination number corresponds to a cellular phone.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the terminating number in the block call list includes a wildcard character.
6. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
determining whether the block call list has any entries; and
comparing the destination number with entries within the block call list if the list has at least one entry.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the block call list includes entries that exhibit a fraud-to-revenue ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold or that correspond to accounts that have overdue balances.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a record within the database includes the block call list, a field specifying a country code of the international region, and a field specifying a category of billing product, the category including collect calls.
9. A system for preventing telephony fraud, the system comprising:
a centralized database resident within a domestic region, the database being configured to store a block call list that includes a terminating number corresponding to an international region, wherein the database is accessible by all telephony switches within a first telephony network,
wherein a database query is initiated by one of the telephony switches in response to a collect call placed to a destination number terminated via a second telephony network within the international region, wherein the collect call is blocked if the database query indicates the destination number is within the block call list.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the first telephony network is maintained by a domestic service provider, and the second telephony network is maintained by an international service provider.
11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the block call list is updated based on call records of the second telephony network.
12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the second telephony network includes a cellular network, and the destination number corresponds to a cellular phone.
13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the terminating number in the block call list includes a wildcard character.
14. A system according to claim 9, wherein a determination is made whether the block call list has any entries before comparing the destination number with entries within the block call list.
15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the block call list includes entries that exhibit a fraud-to-revenue ratio exceeding a predetermined threshold or that correspond to accounts that have overdue balances.
16. A system according to claim 9, wherein a record within the database includes the block call list, a field specifying a country code of the international region, and a field specifying a category of billing product, the category including collect calls.
17. A system for preventing telephony fraud, the system comprising:
a bridging switch configured to access a centralized database, the centralized database being resident within a domestic region and being configured to store a block call list that includes a terminating number corresponding to an international region; and
an interexchange switch in communication with the bridging switch and configured to process a collect call placed to a destination number corresponding to a device served by a first service provider, wherein the interexchange switch and the bridging switch are operated by a second service provider, the collect call initiating a database query to the database, wherein the collect call is blocked if the database query results in a response indicating the destination number is within the block call list.
18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the first service provider is an international service provider, and the second service provider is a domestic service provider.
19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the block call list is updated based on call records of the first service provider.
20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the device is a cellular phone.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A polarizing liquid crystal panel comprising:
a first substrate comprising a plastic substrate, a first electrode on the plastic substrate, and a first alignment layer on the first electrode;
a second substrate comprising a base substrate which opposes the first substrate, a second electrode on the base substrate, and a second alignment layer on the second electrode; and
a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, wherein the liquid crystal layer polarizes a light and uses an electric field between the first and second electrodes.
2. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1, wherein the first substrate further comprises a buffer layer between the plastic substrate and the first electrode, wherein the buffer layer protects the plastic substrate.
3. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second electrodes comprises a patterned electrode including a plurality of sub-electrodes.
4. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1,
wherein the first electrode comprises a patternless electrode on an entire of the plastic substrate, and
wherein the second electrode comprises a patterned electrode including a plurality of sub-electrodes.
5. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1, wherein the base substrate comprises a plastic substrate.
6. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 5, wherein the second substrate further comprises:
a moisture resistant layer on one of a first surface of the base substrate including the second electrode thereon, and a second surface which opposes the first surface, the moisture resistant layer including an organic material.
7. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 5, wherein the second substrate further comprises a buffer layer between the base substrate and the second electrode, wherein the buffer layer protects the base substrate.
8. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1, wherein the base substrate comprises a glass substrate.
9. The polarizing liquid crystal panel of claim 1, wherein the plastic substrate comprises one of polycarbonate, triacetiyl cellulose and cyclic olefin copolymer.
10. A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel which displays a stereoscopic image; and
a polarizing liquid crystal panel on the display panel and comprising;
a first substrate comprising a plastic substrate, a first electrode on the plastic substrate, and a first alignment layer on the first electrode;
a second substrate comprising a base substrate which opposes the first substrate, a second electrode on the base substrate, and a second alignment layer; and
a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, wherein the liquid crystal layer polarizes a light which passes through the display panel.
11. The display apparatus of claim 10,
wherein the first substrate is on the display panel, and
wherein the base substrate comprises a plastic substrate.
12. The display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second substrate further comprises a moisture resistant layer including an organic material.
13. The display apparatus of claim 10,
wherein the first substrate is on the display panel, and
wherein the base substrate comprises a glass substrate.
14. The display apparatus of claim 10,
wherein the second substrate is on the display panel, and
wherein the base substrate comprises a glass substrate.
15. The display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first substrate further comprises a moisture resistant layer including an organic material.
16. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein one of the first and second electrodes comprises a patterned electrode, and the other comprises a patternless electrode.
17. The display apparatus of claim 10,
wherein the first electrode comprises a patternless electrode on an entire of the plastic substrate, and
wherein the second electrode comprises a patterned electrode including a plurality of sub-electrodes.
18. The display apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a touch screen member on the polarizing liquid crystal panel.
19. The display apparatus of claim 10, further comprising polarizing glasses which receive an image which passes through the polarizing liquid crystal panel, wherein the polarizing glasses part includes a left eye part and a right eye part having different polarizing properties from each other.
20. A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel which displays a stereoscopic image;
a polarizing member on the display panel and comprising:
a first surface which faces the display panel,
a first electrode on a second surface opposite surface to the first surface, and
a first alignment layer on the first electrode;
an opposite substrate comprising a plastic substrate which faces the polarizing member, a second electrode on the plastic substrate, a second alignment layer on the second electrode, and a moisture resistant layer including an organic material; and
a liquid crystal layer between the polarizing member and the opposite substrate.