Method and apparatus for driving ferroelectric liquid crystal, optical modulation device to achieve gradation

Abstract

An optical modulation device comprises first electrodes and second electrodes disposed opposite to and intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material providing a first and a second orientation state depending on an electric field applied thereto disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the first electrodes and the second electrodes so as to form a matrix of pixels as a whole. The optical modulation device is driven by applying an alternating address voltage signal comprising a fore pulse and a rear pulse to an addressed electrode among the first electrodes; and applying, to the second electrodes, a first voltage signal for orienting the pixels on the addressed electrode to the first orientation state in phase with the fore pulse, and a second voltage signal for providing a pixel among the pixels on the addressed electrode with a prescribed areal ratio between the first and second orientation states in the pixel depending on given gradation data; the first and second voltage signals being set to have substantially the same absolute value.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.