# US 2021/0240035 A1 · Flexible, adjustable lens power liquid crystal cells and lenses

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- Number: US 2021/0240035 A1
- Document ID: US20210240035A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/235,722
- Filed: 2021-04-20
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-21
- Assignees: CooperVision International Limited
- Applicants: Coopervision International Limited
- Inventors: Hung-Chun Lin; Yu-Jen Wang; Hao-Ren Lo; Yi-Hsin Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240035A1

## CPC

- G02C 7/083: {Electrooptic lenses}
- G02F 1/133526: {Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses}
- G02C 7/04: Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00)
- G02F 1/133305: {Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film}
- G02F 1/133723: {Polyimide, polyamide-imide}
- G02F 1/13394: {spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/134309: {characterised by their geometrical arrangement}
- G02F 1/133726: {made of a mesogenic material}
- G02F 1/13775: {Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal layers}
- G02F 1/294: {Variable focal length devices}
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)
- 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

## Abstract

A flexible optical element adopting liquid crystals (LCs) as the materials for realizing electrically tunable optics is foldable. A method for manufacturing the flexible element includes patterned photo-polymerization. The LC optics can include a pair of LC layers with orthogonally aligned LC directors for polarizer-free properties, flexible polymeric alignment layers, flexible substrates, and a module for controlling the electric field. The lens power of the LC optics can be changed by controlling the distribution of electric field across the optical zone. Lens power control can be provided using combinations of electrode configurations, drive signals and anchoring strengths in the alignment layers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrically tunable lens, comprising:
a first alignment layer and a second alignment layer;
an active layer comprising liquid crystal confined between the first and second alignment layers in an optical path of the lens;
a first electrode disposed above the first alignment layer, and a second electrode disposed below the second alignment layer; and
a driver electrically connected to the first and second electrodes, configured to apply a drive signal across the first and second electrodes including an initial higher field power interval and a subsequent lower field power interval, the lower field power being configured to establish a target lens power during the lower field power interval.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second alignment layers has an anchoring strength greater than 10−4 J/m2.

### Claim 3

An electrically tunable lens, comprising:
a first alignment layer and a second alignment layer;
an active layer comprising liquid crystal confined between the first and second alignment layers in an optical path of the lens;
a first electrode disposed above the first alignment layer, the first electrode having a first patterned opening disposed over an aperture region of the active layer;
a second electrode disposed below the second alignment layer, the second electrode having a second patterned opening arranged to induce in combination with the first electrode an electric field in the active layer; and
a driver electrically connected to the first and second electrodes, configured to apply a drive signal across the first and second electrodes including an initial higher field power interval and a subsequent lower field power interval, the lower field power being configured to establish a target lens power during the lower field power interval.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein the first and second patterned openings have circular shapes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein the first and second patterned openings have circular shapes with a common radius.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, including a first resistive layer disposed above the first alignment layer and a second resistive layer disposed below the second alignment layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, including an array of elastic polymer posts in the active layer between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer, posts in the array extending from the first alignment layer to the second alignment layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer comprises a polymeric layer including liquid crystal moieties.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, including a third alignment layer between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer; and
a second active layer comprising liquid crystal confined between the third alignment layer and the second alignment layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 9, including a pad electrode disposed between the first and second active layers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein the active layer has an average thickness X prior to bending over a fold radius less than 10 mm, and an average thickness Y after recovering from the bending, wherein Y=X±10% X.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second alignment layers has an anchoring strength greater than 10−4 J/m2.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second alignment layers comprises a polymeric layer including liquid crystal moieties, and having an anchoring strength greater than 10−4 Jim′.

### Claim 14

An electrically tunable lens, comprising:
a first alignment layer, a second alignment layer, a third alignment layer and a fourth alignment layer;
a first active layer comprising liquid crystal confined between the first and second alignment layers in an optical path of the lens;
a second active layer comprising liquid crystal confined between the third and fourth alignment layers in the optical path of the lens;
a first electrode disposed above the first alignment layer, the first electrode having a first patterned opening disposed in alignment with an aperture region of the first active layer; and
a second electrode disposed below the fourth alignment layer, the second electrode having a second patterned opening disposed in alignment with an aperture region of the second active layer; and
a pad electrode disposed between the first and second active layers; and
a driver electrically connected to the first and second electrodes, configured to apply a first drive signal to the first electrode and a second drive signal to the second electrode arranged to induce, in combination with the pad electrode, electric fields in the first and second active layers, wherein at least one of the first drive signal and the second drive signal includes an initial higher field power interval and a subsequent lower field power interval, the lower field power being configured to establish a target lens power during the lower field power interval.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein the first and second patterned openings have circular shapes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein the first and second patterned openings have circular shapes with a common radius.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, including a first resistive layer disposed above the first alignment layer and a second resistive layer disposed below the fourth alignment layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, including:
a first array of elastic polymer posts in the first active layer between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer, posts in the array extending from the first alignment layer to the second alignment layer; and
a second array of elastic polymer posts in the second active layer between the third alignment layer and the fourth alignment layer, posts in the array extending from the third alignment layer to the fourth alignment layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first alignment layer and the fourth alignment layer comprises a polymeric layer including liquid crystal moieties.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein the first active layer has an average thickness X prior to bending over a fold radius less than 10 mm, and an average thickness Y after recovering from the bending, wherein Y=X±10% X.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first, second, third and fourth alignment layers has an anchoring strength greater than 10−4 J/m2.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The electrically tunable lens of claim 14, wherein at least one of first, second, third and fourth alignment layers comprises a polymeric layer including liquid crystal moieties, and having an anchoring strength greater than 10−4 J/m2.