US 2015/0316778 A1 · ANALOGUE PARALLAX BARRIER

Abstract

An optical modulation device has an electro-optical cell in which first and second electrodes (3a, 3b) are disposed on a first substrate (1), in electrical contact with a resistive layer (2) disposed on the first substrate. A third electrode (3c) is disposed on a second substrate (5), and an electro-optic material (4) is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. When different voltages (V0, V1) are applied to the first and second electrodes (3a, 3b) in a first mode of operation, a voltage gradient is set up along the resistive layer (2). By applying an intermediate voltage (Vsig) to the third electrode (3c), it is possible to define at least a first region (6a) in the electro-optical cell in which the voltage applied across the electro-optical material is lower than a switching threshold voltage and a second region (6b) in the electro-optical cell in which the voltage applied across the electro-optical material is greater than the switching threshold voltage. The position and width of the first region (6a) are controllable independently from one another; furthermore, the position and width of the first region (6a) are continuously variable, since they are defined by the voltages applied to the first, second and third electrodes.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An optical modulation device comprising an electro-optical cell and a controller, the electro-optical cell having:

a first substrate;
a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the first substrate, the first electrode being spaced from the second electrode in a direction parallel to the plane of the first substrate;
a resistive layer disposed on the first substrate and electrically connected to the first electrode and to the second electrode;
a second substrate spaced from the first substrate;
a third electrode disposed on the second substrate;
and
an electro-optical material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
and the controller being adapted to apply a first voltage to the first electrode, to apply a second voltage to the second electrode and to apply a third voltage to the third electrode, the first, second and third voltages being selected to define at least a first region in the electro-optical cell in which the voltage applied across the electro-optical material is lower than a switching threshold voltage and a second region in the electro-optical cell in which the voltage applied across the electro-optical material is greater than the switching threshold voltage, the third voltage being intermediate the first voltage and the second voltage whereby the position and width of the first region are controllable independently from one another.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Analogue parallax barrier

Life of this patent

Analogue parallax barrier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21