# US 12,181,783 B2 · Optical phase modulation element and display apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,783 B2 - Document ID: US12181783B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/042,049 - Filed: 2021-08-13 - Published: 2023-12-14 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-02 - Assignees: Sony Group Corporation - Applicants: Sony Group Corporation - Inventors: Akiko Toriyama; Takahiro Mochizuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181783B2 ## CPC - G03B 21/006: {using LCD's} - G02F 1/133377: {Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel} - G02F 1/1337: Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers - G03B 21/00: Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor (devices for changing pictures G03B23/00) - G03B 21/14: Details - G09F 9/302: characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements - G02F 2203/50: Phase-only modulation - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - 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 - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS ## Abstract An optical phase modulation element of the present disclosure includes a plurality of divided regions provided in different regions in an in-plane direction and encapsulating a liquid crystal material having a different refractive index anisotropy, in which the plurality of divided regions each displays a phase distribution pattern for a color having a different wavelength. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical phase modulation element, comprising: a plurality of divided regions in different regions in an in-plane direction, wherein each of the plurality of divided regions encapsulates a different liquid crystal material having a respective refractive index anisotropy, each of the plurality of divided regions is configured to display a phase distribution pattern for a color having a different wavelength, a divided region of the plurality of divided regions includes a blue region, the blue region is configured to display a blue phase distribution pattern, and an area of the blue region is more than ⅓ of an entire in-plane effective display region; and a plurality of alignment films, wherein a material of each of the plurality of alignment films corresponding to each of the plurality of divided regions is different. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of divided regions includes a first divided region and a second divided region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 2, wherein the first divided region includes: a red region configured to display a red phase distribution pattern, and a green region configured to display a green phase distribution pattern, and the second divided region includes the blue region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 3, wherein ΔnR,G>ΔnB is satisfied, in a same wavelength, where ΔnR, G denotes a refractive index anisotropy of a liquid crystal material encapsulated in the first divided region, and ΔnB denotes a refractive index anisotropy of a liquid crystal material encapsulated in the second divided region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of divided regions includes a first divided region, a second divided region, and a third divided region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 5, wherein the first divided region includes a red region configured to display that displays a red phase distribution pattern, the second divided region includes a green region configured to display a green phase distribution pattern, and the third divided region includes the blue region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 6, wherein ΔnR≥ΔnG>ΔnB is satisfied, in a same wavelength, where ΔnR denotes a refractive index anisotropy of a liquid crystal material encapsulated in the first divided region, ΔnG denotes a refractive index anisotropy of a liquid crystal material encapsulated in the second divided region, and ΔnB denotes a refractive index anisotropy of a liquid crystal material encapsulated in the third divided region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 1, wherein an alignment film, of the plurality of alignment films, corresponding to the divided region including the blue region includes an inorganic material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical phase modulation element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of divided regions has a curved shape at least partially in the in-plane direction. ### Claim 10 A display apparatus, comprising: a light source unit configured to emit a plurality of color light beams having different wavelengths; and an optical phase modulation element configured to perform phase modulation on each of the plurality of color light beams from the light source unit, wherein the optical phase modulation element includes: a plurality of divided regions in different regions in an in-plane direction, wherein each of the plurality of divided regions encapsulates a different liquid crystal material having a respective refractive index anisotropy, each of the plurality of divided regions is configured to display a phase distribution pattern for a color having a different wavelength, a divided region of the plurality of divided regions includes a blue region, the blue region is configured to display a blue phase distribution pattern, and an area of the blue region is more than ⅓ of an entire in-plane effective display region; and a plurality of alignment films, wherein a material of each of the plurality of alignment films corresponding to each of the plurality of divided regions is different. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The display apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a light intensity modulation element configured to: utilize a reproduced image generated by the optical phase modulation element as illumination light; and perform intensity modulation on the illumination light to generate an image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The display apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a projection optical system configured to project the image generated by the light intensity modulation element.