# US 12,111,558 B2 · Liquid crystal optical device, array, electronic product, and driving method thereof

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- Number: US 12,111,558 B2
- Document ID: US12111558B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/188,485
- Filed: 2023-03-23
- Published: 2023-09-28
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-03-28
- Assignees: Chengdu Yeta Technology Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Chengdu Yeta Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wenbin Feng; Bin Wang; Mao Ye
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111558B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/294: {Variable focal length devices}
- G09G 3/36: using liquid crystals
- G02F 2201/12: electrode
- G02F 2202/16: conductive
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

A liquid crystal optical device includes a liquid crystal layer, a first orientation layer, a second orientation layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, a first transparent substrate, and a second transparent substrate. The second electrode layer includes a conductive line and a plurality of leading-out lines. The conductive line includes a first position and a second position; one end of each leading-out line is connected with the conductive line, the other end thereof is suspended. The conductive line has at least one leading-out position; at least a part of the leading-out position is located between the first and second positions, and at least two of the leading-out positions are different from each other; a resistance between each leading-out position and the first position and a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in a first direction and the first position satisfies a first condition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid crystal optical device, wherein the liquid crystal optical device comprises a liquid crystal layer, a first orientation layer, a second orientation layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, a first transparent substrate, and a second transparent substrate; the first orientation layer and the second orientation layer are respectively located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer, the first electrode layer is located on one side of the first orientation layer facing away from the liquid crystal layer; and the second electrode layer is located on one side of the second orientation layer facing away from the liquid crystal layer; the first transparent substrate is located on one side of the first electrode layer facing away from the liquid crystal layer, and the second transparent substrate is located on one side of the second electrode layer facing away from the liquid crystal layer;
the first electrode layer is a planar electrode, or the first electrode layer comprises an electrode unit, or the first electrode layer comprises an electrode unit group;
the second electrode layer comprises a conductive line and a plurality of leading-out lines, the conductive line comprises a first position and a second position different from the first position for receiving driving voltages; one end of each of the leading-out lines is connected with the conductive line, the other end thereof is relatively suspended; a position of the conductive line at which the conductive line is connected to each leading-out line is a leading-out position; at least a part of the leading-out position is located between the first position and the second position of the conductive line, and at least two of the leading-out positions are different from each other; a resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line and the first position and a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in a first direction and the first position satisfies a first condition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is a planar electrode, the first position and the second position of the conductive line in the second electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises an electrode unit, the electrode unit comprises the conductive line and the plurality of leading-out lines in the second electrode layer, the resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line and the first position and the distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in a preset direction of the electrode unit and the first position satisfy a preset condition;
the first electrode layer comprises an electrode unit, the electrode unit comprises a conductive line and a plurality of leading-out lines, the conductive line comprises a first position and a second position different from the first position, one end of the leading-out line is connected with the conductive line, and the other end thereof is relatively suspended; a position of the conductive line at which the conductive line is connected with each leading-out line is a leading-out position, at least a part of the leading-out position is located between the first position and the second position of the conductive line, and at least two leading-out positions are different from each other; a resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line and the first position and a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in a preset direction of the electrode unit and the first position satisfy the preset condition; and the preset direction of the electrode unit in the first electrode layer is different from the preset direction of the electrode unit in the second electrode layer;
the first position and the second position of the conductive line in the first electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage;
the first position and the second position of the conductive line in the second electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a third driving voltage and a fourth driving voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer comprises an electrode unit group having a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit, the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit of the second electrode layer respectively comprise the conductive line and the plurality of leading-out lines;
the first electrode layer comprises an electrode unit group having a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit, the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit of the first electrode layer respectively comprise a conductive line and a plurality of leading-out lines; the conductive line comprises a first position and a second position different from the first position; one end of each leading-out line is connected with the conductive line, and the other end thereof is relatively suspended; a position of the conductive line at which the conductive line is connected with each leading-out line is a leading-out position; at least a part of the leading-out position is located between the first position and the second position of the conductive line, and at least two leading-out positions are different from each other;
each leading-out line in at least one preset area of the electrode unit group of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is straight and perpendicular to a preset direction; and in the preset area, a resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line of the first electrode unit and the first position of the first electrode unit is in parabolic correlation or in linear correlation with a distance between each leading-out line of the first electrode unit in the preset direction of the electrode unit group and the first position of the first electrode unit; a resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line of the second electrode unit and the first position of the second electrode unit is in linear correlation with a distance between each leading-out line of the second electrode unit in the preset direction of the electrode unit group and the first position of the second electrode unit;
a projection of the preset area of the first electrode layer on a second reference plane and a projection of the preset area of the second electrode layer on the second reference plane are partially overlapped, and the second reference plane is parallel to the leading-out line of the first electrode unit and the leading-out line of the second electrode unit; the preset direction of the electrode unit group in the first electrode layer is perpendicular to the preset direction of the electrode unit group in the second electrode layer;
the first position and the second position of the conductive line of the first electrode unit in the first electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage, the first position and the second position of the conductive line of the second electrode unit in the first electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a fifth driving voltage and a sixth driving voltage;
the first position and the second position of the conductive line of the first electrode unit in the second electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a third driving voltage and a fourth driving voltage; the first position and the second position of the conductive line of the second electrode unit in the second electrode layer are respectively configured to receive a seventh driving voltage and an eighth driving voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the conductive line also comprises a third position, the first position is located between the third position and the second position, the third position of the conductive line is configured to receive a second driving voltage, and at least a part of the leading-out position is located between the second position and the third position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 5, wherein a width of a part of the conductive line between the second position and the third position remains unchanged, and a length between each leading-out position and the first position and a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in the first direction and the first position satisfy a second condition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 6, wherein the second condition is that the length between each leading-out position and the first position is in parabolic correlation with the distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in the first direction and the first position, or the length between each leading-out position and the first position is proportional to the distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in the first direction and the first position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 5 further comprising a first electrical connector, and the first electrical connector is connected with the conductive line in the first position;
the conductive line comprises a first subpart located between the first position and the second position and a second subpart located between the first position and the third position, the first subpart and the second subpart are respectively located on opposite sides of the first electrical connector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein each of the leading-out lines comprise a first part and a second part respectively located on opposite sides of a reference plane, and the conductive line is located on the same side as the first part or the second part of the reference plane, and the reference plane passes through the first position and is perpendicular to the first direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the leading-out line comprises the first group of leading-out lines and a second group of leading-out lines, the first group of leading-out lines extends outwards from the conductive line to a first area, and the second group of leading-out lines extends outward from the conductive line to a second area, and the first area and the second area are distributed on opposite sides of a reference plane respectively; the reference plane passes through the first position and is perpendicular to the first direction, and the conductive line is located in the first area or the second area.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the first condition is that the resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line and the first position is in parabolic correlation with a distance between at least a part of the leading-out line in the first direction and the first position; or the resistance between each leading-out position on the conductive line and the first position is proportional to a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in the first direction and the first position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein a width of a part of the conductive line between the first position and the second position remains unchanged, and a length between each leading-out position and the first position and a distance between at least a part of each leading-out line in the first direction and the first position satisfy a second condition.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the leading-out lines are parallel to each other in at least one area, and the part of each leading-out line satisfying the first conduction is at least partially located in the area.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein a projection of the conductive line on a plane parallel to the second electrode layer and a projection of the planar electrode on the plane parallel to the second electrode layer are not overlapped.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein the conductive line is located outside a functional area of the liquid crystal optical device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, wherein a high resistance film or a high dielectric constant layer is arranged between the second electrode layer and the second orientation layer or between the second electrode layer and the second transparent substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A liquid crystal optical device array, wherein the liquid crystal optical device array comprises a plurality of the liquid crystal optical devices of claim 1 arranged in an array.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A liquid crystal optical device array, wherein the liquid crystal optical device array comprises a plurality of the liquid crystal optical devices of claim 1, the leading-out lines of the liquid crystal optical device are extended to form a plurality of extension segments arranged in an array; a resistance between each leading-out position and the first position on the conductive line and the distance between at least a part of each extension segment in the first direction and the first position satisfy the condition corresponding to the extension segment.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

An electronic product, wherein the electronic product comprises a control circuit and the liquid crystal optical device of claim 1, and the control circuit is electrically connected to the liquid crystal optical device or a liquid crystal optical device array having a plurality of the liquid crystal optical devices.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A driving method of a liquid crystal optical device or a liquid crystal lens array applied to drive the liquid crystal optical device of claim 1; the liquid crystal optical device is a liquid crystal lens; a first driving voltage is set as V1 and a second driving voltage as V2; the driving method comprises the following steps:
step S1, obtaining a liquid crystal linear response voltage range of the liquid crystal lens or the liquid crystal lens array;
step S2, obtaining a minimum voltage Vmin and a maximum voltage Vmax within a liquid crystal linear response voltage range according to the liquid crystal linear response voltage range;
step S3, adjusting a voltage difference between V1 and V2 according to the minimum voltage Vmin and the maximum voltage Vmax to adjust an optical power of the liquid crystal lens or the liquid crystal lens array and/or switch the liquid crystal lens or the liquid crystal lens array between a positive lens state and a negative lens states, wherein Vmin≤V1≤Vmax and Vmin≤V2≤Vmax.