US 12,468,189 B2Granted

Polarizer and array, polarization-controllable method and apparatus, and electronic device controlling a state of connectivity

AssigneeHuawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

InventorsWangchao Ruan, Ruihua Li, Qingping Wang

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Abstract

A polarizer, a polarizer array, a polarization-controllable method and apparatus, and an electronic device are disclosed. The polarizer includes multiple types of polarization units, each polarization unit includes a first liquid crystal cell and a second liquid crystal cell that are laminated, each liquid crystal cell includes a liquid crystal layer and an alignment film, and the alignment film is connected to an electrode layer configured to apply an external voltage to the liquid crystal layer. The first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell of each polarization unit may be separately controlled as “connected” or “disconnected”, and orientations of alignment films of first liquid crystal cells between all the multiple types of polarization units are different. In a same polarization unit, when one liquid crystal cell is in an on state, emergent light of the polarization unit is polarized light in one polarization direction.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A polarization-controllable method, applied to an electronic device comprising an optical lens, a power supply, and a polarizer array comprising multiple types of polarizers arranged in a same plane, an electrode layer of a first liquid crystal cell and an electrode layer of a second liquid crystal cell of the polarizer array are respectively connected to the power supply through a switch, and the polarizer array and the optical lens are sequentially disposed along a light incidence direction;

the method comprising:
passing light incident to the optical lens through the first liquid crystal cell and a first alignment film;
passing light incident to the optical lens through the second liquid crystal cell and a second alignment film that is oriented differently from the first alignment film;
and
controlling the polarizer array to operate in a first state by controlling a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the first liquid crystal cell and the power supply and a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the second liquid crystal cell and the power supply, the polarizer array in the first state polarizing light that is incident to the optical lens in a first polarization direction based on orientation of the first alignment film, and
controlling the polarizer array to operate in a second state by controlling a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the first liquid crystal cell and the power supply and a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the second liquid crystal cell and the power supply, the polarizer array in the second state polarizing light that is incident to the optical lens in a second polarization direction based on orientation of the second alignment film,
to thereby controllably obtain polarized light in first and second different polarization directions.

4 more elements

A polarization control apparatus comprising an optical lens, a power supply, and a polarizer array comprising multiple types of polarizers that are arranged in a same plane, an electrode layer of a first liquid crystal cell and an electrode layer of a second liquid crystal cell being respectively connected to the power supply through a switch, and the polarizer array and the optical lens are sequentially disposed along a light incidence direction, the first liquid crystal cell being optically coupled to a first alignment film, the second crystal cell being optically coupled to a second alignment film that is oriented differently from the first alignment film;

the polarization control apparatus further comprising a controller configured to control a state of the polarizer array by controlling a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the first liquid crystal cell and the power supply and a state of connectivity between the electrode layer of the second liquid crystal cell and the power supply, wherein the state of the polarizer array comprises a first state, and when the polarizer array is in the first state, the polarizer array is configured to polarize light that is incident to the optical lens in a first polarization direction based on orientation of the first alignment film,
the controller being further configured to control the state of the polarizer array to a second state, and when the polarizer array is in the second state, the polarizer array is configured to polarize light that is incident to the optical lens in a second polarization direction based on orientation of the second alignment film,
to thereby obtain polarized light in first and second different polarization directions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/167,142Filed 10 Feb 2023 · continuation
Priority: CN 202010818917.814 Aug 2020
Published: US 2023/0185125 A115 Jun 2023
Granted: 11 Nov 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G02B 27/286
For polarising: for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another
G02F 1/133531
Polarisers: characterised by the arrangement of polariser or analyser axes
G02F 1/133538
Polarisers: with spatial distribution of the polarisation direction
G02F 1/133541
Polarisers: circular polarisers