Method for reducing disclinations in a 2d/3d switchable autostereoscopic display

An autostereoscopic display device, comprising:

• a display panel;
• a switchable lenticular lens configured to direct an image from the display panel to a viewing area, the switchable lenticular lens comprising:
• a lens body having a curved lens surface that defines a plurality of cylindrical lenses;
• a planar substrate spaced apart from the lens body and having a planar substrate surface facing the curved lens surface, the planar substrate surface having liquid crystal alignment properties that define an alignment direction, the alignment direction differing from a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical lenses by an angular value between 4 degrees and 86 degrees, inclusive;
• a liquid crystal material disposed between the curved lens surface and the planar substrate surface, the liquid crystal material having molecules that vary in orientation in response to an electric field;
• and
• a pair of electrodes configured to apply the electric field and arranged such that the lens body, the liquid crystal material, and the planar substrate are disposed between the pair of electrodes;
• a linear polarizer disposed between the display panel and the switchable lenticular lens;
• and
• a polarization rotator disposed between the linear polarizer and the switchable lenticular lens, the polarization rotator being configured to compensate for an angular difference between a polarization axis of the linear polarizer and the alignment direction of the planar substrate surface.

An autostereoscopic display device, comprising:

• a display panel;
• a switchable lenticular lens configured to direct an image from the display panel to a viewing area, the switchable lenticular lens comprising:
• a lens body having a curved lens surface that defines a plurality of cylindrical lenses;
• a planar substrate spaced apart from the lens body and having a planar substrate surface facing the curved lens surface, the planar substrate surface having liquid crystal alignment properties that define an alignment direction, the alignment direction differing from a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical lenses by an angular value between 4 degrees and 86 degrees, inclusive;
• a liquid crystal material disposed between and in contact with the curved lens surface and the planar substrate surface, the liquid crystal material having molecules that vary in orientation in response to an electric field;
• and
• a pair of electrodes configured to apply the electric field and arranged such that the lens body, the liquid crystal material, and the planar substrate are disposed between the pair of electrodes;
• a voltage source configured to apply a time-varying voltage to the pair of electrodes,
• wherein when the time-varying voltage exceeds a specified threshold voltage:
• the molecules arrange to have an orientation orthogonal to a plane of the planar substrate surface,
• wherein in the absence of a voltage across the pair of electrodes:
• the molecules arrange in a helix that extends from the curved lens surface to the planar substrate surface;
• at the curved lens surface, the molecules have a first orientation in a plane of the planar substrate surface and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical lenses;
• at the planar substrate surface, the molecules have a second orientation in the plane of the planar substrate surface and parallel to the alignment direction,
• the first orientation and the second orientation differ by a helix twist angle, and
• the helix twist angle is between 4 degrees and 86 degrees, inclusive;
• and
• wherein when the time-varying voltage crosses the specified threshold voltage, the autostereoscopic display device switches between a two-dimensional mode and a three-dimensional mode.