Liquid crystal prism, three-dimensional display device and display control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid crystal prism, a three-dimensional display device and a display control method.The liquid crystal prism comprises a liquid crystal layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are located on the two opposite sides of the liquid crystal layer and control the liquid crystal layer to work, the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first electrode units arranged in the first direction, and the different first electrode units are connected in parallel; the second electrode layer comprises a plurality of repetitive units arranged in the first direction, each repetitive unit comprises two first sub-electrodes arranged in the first direction and second sub-electrodes located between the adjacent first sub-electrodes, and each first sub-electrode is only overlapped with one first electrode unit; each second sub-electrode is overlapped with two adjacent first electrode units; in the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different, and in the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same, so that the phenomenon that the resolution is obviously reduced when a display picture of the 3D display device of the liquid crystal prism is watched at a short distance is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a liquid crystal prism, a three-dimensional display device, and a display control method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of display technology, 3D display devices are becoming increasingly widely used and have gradually been applied to many aspects of people's daily work and life. Currently, 3D display devices mainly use a display panel with a liquid crystal prism to switch between 3D and 2D display images. However, the display resolution of existing 3D display devices with liquid crystal prisms is significantly reduced when viewed at close distances. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a liquid crystal prism, a three-dimensional display device, and a display control method to improve the phenomenon that the resolution of the display image of the liquid crystal prism 3D display device is significantly reduced when viewed at close distance. The specific solution is as follows:

[0004] A liquid crystal prism, comprising:

[0005] a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other;

[0006] a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate;

[0007] a first electrode layer located on a side of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode units arranged along a first direction, different first electrode units being connected in parallel, and each first electrode unit comprising a plurality of first electrodes arranged along the first direction;

[0008] a second electrode layer located on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, the second electrode layer comprising a plurality of repeating units arranged along a first direction, the repeating unit comprising two first sub-electrodes arranged along the first direction and a second sub-electrode located between adjacent first sub-electrodes, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, one repeating unit covers at least two first electrode units, each first sub-electrode overlaps only one first electrode unit, and each second sub-electrode overlaps two adjacent first electrode units;

[0009] The liquid crystal prism includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same.

[0010] A three-dimensional display device comprises a display panel and a liquid crystal prism located on the display side of the display panel, wherein the liquid crystal prism is the liquid crystal prism described above.

[0011] A display control method, applied to the above-mentioned three-dimensional display device, comprises:

[0012] providing a display control signal to the display panel to control the display panel to display an image;

[0013] In a first state, different voltage signals are applied to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism, and different voltage signals are applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a first resolution;

[0014] In the second state, the same voltage is applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a second resolution, which is greater than the first resolution.

[0015] The liquid crystal prism provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different, so that a repeating unit composed of two first sub-electrodes and one second sub-electrode and two first electrode units cooperate to control the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, so that the equivalent prism width in the liquid crystal prism is the width of one repeating unit, which is also the width of two first electrode units, thereby increasing the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism, so that the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism is greater than the width of one first electrode unit, thereby improving the phenomenon that the resolution of the display screen of the 3D display device of the liquid crystal prism is significantly reduced when viewed at a close distance, so that the independently controlled prism in the first electrode layer is The number of first electrodes is small, the number of driving circuits for driving the first electrodes in the liquid crystal prism is reduced, the border width of the liquid crystal prism is reduced, and the driving complexity of each first electrode in the first electrode layer in the liquid crystal prism is reduced; in the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same, so that the light modulation curve of the area corresponding to a first sub-electrode independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism, and the light modulation area corresponding to a second sub-electrode independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism, thereby reducing the width of the equivalent column prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, improving the resolution of the display screen of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is applied to the 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, and improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic and that the originals and elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and the optical path in the liquid crystal prism when the 3D display device operates in 2D mode;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and the optical path in a liquid crystal prism when a 3D display device operates in 3D mode;

[0019] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of different viewing angles (V1, V2, V3) of a 3D display device when displaying an image;

[0020] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the width of the control electrode in the liquid crystal prism and its corresponding equivalent rod prism;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal prism provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the magnitude of voltage signals applied to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer when the liquid crystal prism provided by one embodiment of the present application is in operation;

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the magnitude of voltage signals applied to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer when the liquid crystal prism provided by another embodiment of the present application is in operation;

[0024] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the magnitude of voltage signals applied to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer when the liquid crystal prism provided in another embodiment of the present application is in operation;

[0025] Figure 9 A schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal prism provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional display device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a working state of a three-dimensional display device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of another working state of a three-dimensional display device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of another working state of a three-dimensional display device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 14 A flow chart of a display control method provided by this application;

[0031] Figure 15 A flowchart of another display control method provided by this application;

[0032] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of another display control method provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to this application without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is intended to cover modifications and variations of this application that fall within the scope of the corresponding claims (technical solutions claimed for protection) and their equivalents. It should be noted that the embodiments provided in the examples of this application may be combined with each other unless there is any inconsistency.

[0035] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0036] As described in the background technology section, the display resolution of existing 3D display devices equipped with liquid crystal prisms is significantly reduced when viewed at close distances.

[0037] At present, liquid crystal prisms mainly form a periodic electric field inside them, so that the liquid crystal prisms form the equivalent optical function of a rod prism, and are used in display devices that can electrically switch between 2D / 3D modes, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and the light path in the liquid crystal prism when the 3D display device works in 2D mode. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid crystal molecule arrangement and light path in the liquid crystal prism when the 3D display device operates in 3D mode.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3Schematic diagram showing different viewing angles (V1, V2, V3) of a 3D display device when displaying a picture. Figure 3 As can be seen, the spot size created by light emitted by each pixel in the display panel passing through the liquid crystal prism is equal to the width of the equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism. Therefore, the width of the equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism determines the display resolution of the 3D display device. However, given the fixed width of the equivalent prism, the 3D display device can only provide a good viewing experience within a certain range. As a result, when viewing from close distances, the user will perceive a significant decrease in the resolution of the displayed image, affecting the user experience.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The widths W1, W2, and W3 of the control electrodes and their corresponding equivalent rod prisms in the liquid crystal prism are shown. Figure 4 It can be seen that the maximum width of the whole formed by the independently controlled control electrodes P0 in the liquid crystal prism must cover the maximum prism width W3 that the liquid crystal prism needs to achieve, and the density of the independently controlled control electrodes P0 in the liquid crystal prism needs to take into account the minimum prism width W1 that the liquid crystal prism needs to achieve. As a result, if one wants to improve the close-up viewing experience of the 3D display device, it is necessary to reduce the minimum prism width that the liquid crystal prism needs to achieve, resulting in an increase in the number of drive circuits in the liquid crystal prism that provide drive signals to the control electrodes, an increase in the border of the liquid crystal prism, and an increase in the driving complexity.

[0040] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application provides a liquid crystal prism, such as Figure 5 As shown, the liquid crystal prism includes:

[0041] A first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20 arranged opposite to each other;

[0042] a liquid crystal layer 30 located between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20;

[0043] a first electrode layer 40 located on the side of the first substrate 10 facing the liquid crystal layer 30 , the first electrode layer 40 including a plurality of first electrode units 41 arranged along the first direction X, different first electrode units 41 being connected in parallel, and each first electrode unit 41 including a plurality of first electrodes 411 arranged along the first direction X;

[0044] The second electrode layer 50 is located on the side of the second substrate 20 facing the first substrate 10, and the second electrode layer 50 includes a plurality of repeating units arranged along the first direction X. The repeating unit includes two first sub-electrodes 51 arranged along the first direction X and a second sub-electrode 52 located between the connected first sub-electrodes 51. In the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 10, one repeating unit covers at least two first electrode units 41, each first sub-electrode 51 overlaps with only one first electrode unit 41, and each second sub-electrode 52 overlaps with two adjacent first electrode units 41.

[0045] In this embodiment, the liquid crystal prism includes a first state. In the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are different. Thus, a repeating unit consisting of two first sub-electrodes 51 and one second sub-electrode 52 and two first electrode units 41 cooperate to control the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, so that the equivalent prism width in the liquid crystal prism is the width D1 of the repeating unit, which is also the width of the two first electrode units 41. This increases the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism, making the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism greater than the width of one first electrode unit (see Figure 5 On the basis of curve 1 in FIG, the number of independently controlled first electrodes 411 in the first electrode layer 40 is reduced, the number of driving circuits for driving the first electrodes 411 in the liquid crystal prism is reduced, the border width of the liquid crystal prism is reduced, and the driving complexity of each first electrode 411 in the first electrode layer 40 in the liquid crystal prism is reduced.

[0046] In this embodiment, the liquid crystal prism also includes a second state. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are the same, so that the light modulation curve of the area corresponding to a first sub-electrode 51 independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism, and the light modulation area corresponding to a second sub-electrode 52 independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism, thereby reducing the width of the equivalent column prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, and improving the resolution of the display screen of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is applied to a 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, thereby improving the user experience.

[0047] On the basis of the above embodiment, in one embodiment of the present application, in the first state, the maximum value of the voltage difference between the first sub-electrode 51 and each first electrode 411 in the corresponding first electrode unit 41 is smaller than the maximum value of the voltage difference between the second sub-electrode 52 and each first electrode 411 in the corresponding first electrode unit 41, so that the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the first sub-electrode 51 is concave, and the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the second sub-electrode 52 is convex, see Figure 5Curve 1 in the figure makes the light modulation effect of the liquid crystal molecules in the area where a repeating unit is located equivalent to a cylindrical prism.

[0048] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 6 As shown, in the first state, the voltage on the second sub-electrode 52 is greater than the voltage on the first sub-electrode 51, and the voltage on each first electrode 411 corresponding to the first sub-electrode 51 gradually decreases along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, and the voltage on each first electrode 411 corresponding to the second sub-electrode 52 gradually increases along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where a repeating unit is located can be a light modulation curve of an equivalent cylindrical prism, with reference to FIG. Figure 5 Curve 1 in FIG, but this application does not limit this, and it depends on the specific situation.

[0049] Based on any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the first electrode 411 corresponding to each first sub-electrode 51 gradually increases in size from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second electrode 52, so that the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the first sub-electrode 51 can be a smooth transition curve, and the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the second sub-electrode 52 can be a smooth transition curve, but the present application does not limit this, and the specific situation depends on the circumstances.

[0050] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, in the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are the same, and the liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the first electrodes 4115 in the same first electrode unit 41 are symmetrically distributed, so that the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism formed by the light modulation curve of the area corresponding to a first sub-electrode 51 is a symmetrical curve, and the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism formed by the light modulation area corresponding to a second sub-electrode 52 is a symmetrical curve, thereby improving the uniformity of light emission of each equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism.

[0051] On the basis of the above embodiment, in one embodiment of the present application, the size of a single equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism in the first direction X is 1 / M of the size of the first electrode unit 41 in the first direction X, where M is 1 or an even number greater than 1. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present application, when M is 1, the size of a single equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism in the first direction X is the size of the first electrode unit 41 in the first direction X, such as Figure 7As shown, in this embodiment, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 525 are the same, the voltages on the first electrodes 411 corresponding to the first sub-electrode 51 gradually decrease along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, and the voltages on the first electrodes 411 corresponding to the second sub-electrode 52 gradually increase along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where one first electrode unit 41 is located can be a light modulation curve of an equivalent cylindrical prism, with reference to FIG. Figure 5 Curve 2 in .

[0052] In another embodiment of the present application, M is greater than 1 to further reduce the width of the equivalent rod prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, thereby improving the resolution of the display screen of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is applied to the 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, thereby improving the user experience.

[0053] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present application, M is 2, such as Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are the same, the voltages on the first electrodes 411 corresponding to the first sub-electrode 51 first decrease and then increase along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, and the voltages on the first electrodes 411 corresponding to the second sub-electrode 52 first decrease and then increase along the direction from the first sub-electrode 51 to the second sub-electrode 52, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where the first sub-electrode 51 is located can be a light modulation curve equivalent to a rod prism, and the light modulation curve formed in the area where the second sub-electrode 52 is located can be equivalent to a light modulation curve equivalent to a rod prism, with reference to FIG. Figure 5 Curve 3 in .

[0054] Based on any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, continue as follows Figure 5 As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 10, the center of the second sub-electrode 52 in the first direction X is located in the gap between its corresponding two first electrode units 41, so that when the light modulation curve of the repeating unit composed of two first sub-electrodes 51 and one second sub-electrode 52 is equivalent to the light modulation curve of a cylindrical prism, the center of the second sub-electrode 52 is the center of the light modulation curve, thereby improving the symmetry of the light modulation curves of each equivalent cylindrical prism in the liquid crystal prism, thereby improving the uniformity of the output light of the liquid crystal prism, but the present application does not limit this and it depends on the specific situation.

[0055] It should be noted that the above description of the liquid crystal prism provided in the embodiment of the present application is based on an example in which a repeating unit includes three sub-electrodes, two first sub-electrodes and one second sub-electrode, but the present application does not limit this. In other embodiments of the present application, a repeating unit can also include more sub-electrodes to further increase the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism.

[0056] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 9 As shown, the second electrode layer 50 also includes a third sub-electrode 53 located between the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 in the first direction X, so as to further reduce the number of first electrodes 411 included in the first electrode unit 41, that is, reduce the number of independently controlled first electrodes 411 in the liquid crystal prism, thereby further simplifying the driving circuit of the first electrode 411, reducing the border of the liquid crystal prism, and reducing the driving complexity of the first electrode 411, but the present application does not limit this, and the specific situation depends on the circumstances.

[0057] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, continue as Figure 9 As shown, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 10, the center of the third sub-electrode 53 in the first direction X is located in the gap between its corresponding two first electrode units 41, so that when the light modulation curve corresponding to the whole composed of the two first electrode units 41 is equivalent to the light modulation curve of a cylindrical prism, the center of the third sub-electrode 53 is the center of the light modulation curve, thereby improving the symmetry of the light modulation curves of each equivalent cylindrical prism in the liquid crystal prism, thereby improving the uniformity of the output light of the liquid crystal prism, but this application is not limited to this, and it depends on the specific situation.

[0058] It should be noted that in other embodiments of the present application, a repeating unit may also include more sub-electrodes to further reduce the number of first electrodes 411 in a single first electrode unit 41, that is, reduce the number of independently controlled first electrodes 411 in the liquid crystal prism, thereby further simplifying the driving circuit of the first electrode 411, reducing the border of the liquid crystal prism, and reducing the driving complexity of the first electrode 411, but the present application does not limit this, and the specific situation depends on the circumstances.

[0059] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the first electrode unit 41 includes N first electrodes 411, and the multiple first electrode units 41 include adjacent first first electrode units 41 and second first electrode units 41. Along the first direction X, the i-th electrode in the first first electrode unit 41 is connected in parallel with the i-th electrode in the second first electrode unit 41, and i is any integer greater than 0 and not greater than N, so that the first electrode units 41 are connected in parallel, reducing the number of driving circuits of the first electrode 411 in the liquid crystal prism, reducing the width of the frame of the liquid crystal prism, and reducing the driving complexity of the first electrode 411 in the liquid crystal prism.

[0060] In another embodiment of the present application, the first electrode unit 41 includes N first electrodes 411, and the multiple first electrode units 41 include an adjacent first first electrode unit 41 and a second first electrode unit 41. Along the first direction X, the i-th electrode in the first first electrode unit 41 is connected in parallel with the Ni-th electrode in the second first electrode unit 41, and i is any integer greater than 0 and not greater than N, so that the first electrode units 41 are connected in parallel, reducing the number of driving circuits of the first electrode 411 in the liquid crystal prism, reducing the width of the border of the liquid crystal prism, and reducing the driving complexity of the first electrode 411 in the liquid crystal prism.

[0061] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the liquid crystal prism further includes: a first signal line electrically connected to the first end of the first electrode and a second signal line electrically connected to the second end of the first electrode, the second end of the first electrode is opposite to the first end of the first electrode, and the second signal line corresponding to the same first electrode transmits the same signal as the first signal line, so as to provide a voltage signal to the first electrode from the opposite ends of the first electrode, thereby reducing the influence of the signal transmission voltage drop in the first electrode on the light modulation curve of each equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism, and improving the light modulation uniformity of the liquid crystal prism.

[0062] On the basis of any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the second electrode layer includes a plurality of second electrodes arranged along the first direction, and the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different second electrodes; in this embodiment, the liquid crystal prism also includes: a third signal line electrically connected to the first end of the second electrode and a fourth signal line electrically connected to the second end of the second electrode, the second end of the second electrode is opposite to the first end of the second electrode, and the signals transmitted in the third signal line and the fourth signal line corresponding to the same second electrode are the same, so as to provide a voltage signal to the second electrode from the opposite ends of the second electrode, thereby reducing the influence of the signal transmission voltage drop in the second electrode on the light modulation curve of each equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism, and improving the light modulation uniformity of the liquid crystal prism.

[0063] Accordingly, the embodiment of the present application also provides a three-dimensional display device, such as Figure 10 As shown, the three-dimensional display device includes a display panel 100 and a liquid crystal prism 200 located on the display side of the display panel 100. The liquid crystal prism 200 can be the liquid crystal prism provided in any of the above embodiments. Since the relevant content of the liquid crystal prism has been described in detail in the above embodiments, this application will not repeat it here.

[0064] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the display panel may be an OLED display panel, a micro LED display panel, or other types of display panels. The present application does not limit this, and the specific situation depends on the circumstances.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 11 As shown, when a user of the three-dimensional display device views a display image of the three-dimensional display device at a first distance (e.g., a long distance), the driving signals in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the liquid crystal prism are controlled so that the equivalent prism width of the liquid crystal prism is the maximum equivalent prism width that the liquid crystal prism can achieve, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 Curve 1 in the figure is used to maximize the viewing angle of the three-dimensional display device, with a higher PPD and a lower resolution of the displayed image. It should be noted that PPD refers to pixels per degree, which is the angular resolution and refers to the number of pixels filled in an average angle of 1° in the field of view. Figure 12 As shown, when a user of the three-dimensional display device views a display image of the three-dimensional display device at a second distance (e.g., a medium distance), the driving signals in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the liquid crystal prism are controlled so that the equivalent prism width of the liquid crystal prism is a medium-sized equivalent prism width that the liquid crystal prism can achieve, that is, the equivalent prism width formed by the liquid crystal prism is halved, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 Curve 2 in FIG. 1 is used to halve the viewing angle of the three-dimensional display device, maintain the PPD, and double the resolution of the display image compared to the first distance viewing; Figure 13 As shown, when the user of the three-dimensional display device views the display image of the three-dimensional display device at a third distance (e.g., a close distance), the driving signals in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the liquid crystal prism are controlled so that the equivalent prism width of the liquid crystal prism is the minimum equivalent prism width that the liquid crystal prism can achieve, that is, the equivalent prism width formed by the liquid crystal prism is halved. Figure 5 Curve 3 in FIG1 is used to further halve the viewing angle of the 3D display device, maintain the PPD, and double the resolution of the display image compared to the second viewing distance.

[0066] In summary, in the liquid crystal prism and three-dimensional display device provided in the embodiments of the present application, the liquid crystal prism includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are different, so that a repeating unit consisting of two first sub-electrodes 51 and one second sub-electrode 52 and two first electrode units 41 cooperate to control the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, so that the equivalent prism width in the liquid crystal prism is the width D1 of one repeating unit, which is also the width of the two first electrode units 41, thereby increasing the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism, so that the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism is greater than the width of one first electrode unit (see Figure 5 Based on curve 1) in FIG, the number of independently controlled first electrodes 411 in the first electrode layer 40 is reduced, thereby reducing the number of drive circuits used to drive the first electrodes 411 in the liquid crystal prism, reducing the border width of the liquid crystal prism, and reducing the driving complexity of each first electrode 411 in the first electrode layer 40 of the liquid crystal prism. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode 51 and the second sub-electrode 52 are the same, so that the light modulation curve corresponding to the area of a first sub-electrode 51 independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism, and the light modulation area corresponding to the area of a second sub-electrode 52 independently forms a light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism. This reduces the width of the equivalent rod prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, improves the resolution of the display image of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is used, and improves the user experience.

[0067] In addition, the present application also provides a display control method, which is applied to the three-dimensional display device provided in the above embodiments. The three-dimensional display device includes a display panel and a liquid crystal prism located on the display side of the display panel. Figure 14 As shown, the display control method includes:

[0068] S1: Provide a display control signal to the display panel to control the display panel to display an image;

[0069] S2: in the first state, applying different voltage signals to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism, and applying different voltage signals to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at the first resolution;

[0070] S3: In the second state, the same voltage is applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a second resolution, and the second resolution is greater than the first resolution, so as to improve the resolution of the display screen of the three-dimensional display device when viewed at a close distance.

[0071] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, in the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different, so that a repeating unit consisting of two first sub-electrodes and one second sub-electrode and two first electrode units cooperate to control the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, so that the equivalent prism width in the liquid crystal prism is the width of one repeating unit, which is also the width of two first electrode units, thereby increasing the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism, so that the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism is greater than the width of one first electrode unit (see Figure 5 Based on curve 1) in FIG, the number of independently controlled first electrodes in the first electrode layer is reduced, the number of drive circuits for driving the first electrodes in the liquid crystal prism is reduced, the border width of the liquid crystal prism is reduced, and the driving complexity of each first electrode in the first electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism is reduced. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same, so that the light modulation curve corresponding to the area of a first sub-electrode independently forms the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism, and the light modulation area corresponding to the area of a second sub-electrode independently forms the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism. This reduces the width of the equivalent rod prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, improves the resolution of the display image of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is used in a 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, and improves the user experience.

[0072] On the basis of the above embodiment, in one embodiment of the present application, in the first state, the maximum value of the voltage difference between the first sub-electrode and each first electrode in the corresponding first electrode unit is smaller than the maximum value of the voltage difference between the second sub-electrode and each first electrode in the corresponding first electrode unit, so that the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the first sub-electrode is concave, and the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the second sub-electrode is convex, see Figure 5 Curve 1 in the figure makes the light modulation effect of the liquid crystal molecules in the area where a repeating unit is located equivalent to a cylindrical prism.

[0073] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, in the first state, different voltage signals are applied to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer, and different voltage signals are applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, including: in the first state, controlling the voltage signal applied to the second sub-electrode to be greater than the voltage signal applied to the first sub-electrode, and controlling the voltage signals on each first electrode corresponding to the first sub-electrode to gradually decrease from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, and controlling the voltage signals on each first electrode corresponding to the second sub-electrode to gradually increase from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where a repeating unit is located can be the light modulation curve of an equivalent cylindrical prism, reference Figure 5 Curve 1 in FIG, but this application does not limit this, and it depends on the specific situation.

[0074] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the first electrode corresponding to each first sub-electrode gradually increases in size from the first sub-electrode to the second electrode, so that the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the first sub-electrode can be a smooth transition curve, and the light modulation curve portion corresponding to the second sub-electrode can be a smooth transition curve, but the present application does not limit this, and the specific situation depends on the circumstances.

[0075] Based on any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 15 As shown, the method further includes:

[0076] In the second state, symmetrical voltage signals are applied to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism, so that the liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the first electrodes in the same first electrode unit are symmetrically distributed, so that the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism formed by the light modulation curve of the area corresponding to a first sub-electrode alone is a symmetrical curve, and the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent column prism formed by the light modulation area corresponding to a second sub-electrode alone is a symmetrical curve, thereby improving the uniformity of light emission of each equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism.

[0077] On the basis of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present application, the size of a single equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism in the first direction is 1 / M of the size of the first electrode unit in the first direction, where M is 1 or an even number greater than 1. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present application, when M is 1, the size of a single equivalent prism in the first direction in the liquid crystal prism is the size of the first electrode unit in the first direction. In this embodiment, in the second state, applying symmetrical voltage signals to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer, and applying the same voltage to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit includes: applying the same voltage signal to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode, gradually decreasing the voltage signal applied to each first electrode corresponding to the first sub-electrode from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, and gradually increasing the voltage signal applied to each first electrode corresponding to the second sub-electrode from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where a first electrode unit is located can be a light modulation curve of an equivalent cylindrical prism, with reference to FIG. Figure 5 Curve 2 in .

[0078] In another embodiment of the present application, M is greater than 1 to further reduce the width of the equivalent rod prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, thereby improving the resolution of the display screen of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is applied to the 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, thereby improving the user experience.

[0079] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present application, M is 2. In this embodiment, in the second state, applying symmetrical voltage signals to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer, and applying the same voltage to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit includes:

[0080] The same voltage signal is applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode, and the voltage signal applied to each first electrode corresponding to the first sub-electrode first decreases and then increases along the direction from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, and the voltage signal applied to each first electrode corresponding to the second sub-electrode first decreases and then increases along the direction from the first sub-electrode to the second sub-electrode, so that the light modulation curve formed in the area where the first sub-electrode is located can be a light modulation curve equivalent to a rod prism, and the light modulation curve formed in the area where the second sub-electrode is located can be equivalent to a light modulation curve equivalent to a rod prism, reference Figure 5 Curve 3 in .

[0081] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, one repeating unit covers two first electrode units; in this embodiment, in the second state, the size of a single equivalent prism of the liquid crystal prism along the first direction is 1 / M of the size of the first electrode unit along the first direction, M is 1 or an even number greater than 1, and the second resolution is 2 times the first resolution. M times.

[0082] As can be seen from the above, the equivalent prism width of the liquid crystal prism is different in different states, and accordingly, the resolution of the three-dimensional display device is also different. Therefore, in an optional embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 16 As shown, the method further includes:

[0083] S4: Detecting the distance between the user and the three-dimensional display device;

[0084] S5: Based on the distance between the user and the three-dimensional display device, determine the working state of the liquid crystal prism in the three-dimensional display device, so as to adjust the resolution of the display image of the three-dimensional display device according to the distance between the user and the three-dimensional display device, so that the user can view the display image with higher resolution regardless of whether the user is far or near from the three-dimensional display device, thereby improving the user experience.

[0085] In summary, the display device method provided by the embodiment of the present application, in a first state, applies different voltage signals to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism, and applies different voltage signals to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a first resolution, thereby utilizing a repeating unit consisting of two first sub-electrodes and one second sub-electrode and two first electrode units to cooperate in controlling the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer, so that the equivalent prism width in the liquid crystal prism is the width of one repeating unit, which is also the width of two first electrode units, thereby increasing the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism, so that the maximum equivalent prism width that can be achieved by the liquid crystal prism is greater than the width of one first electrode unit (see Figure 5Based on curve 1) in FIG, the number of independently controlled first electrodes in the first electrode layer is reduced, the number of drive circuits for driving the first electrodes in the liquid crystal prism is reduced, the border width of the liquid crystal prism is reduced, and the driving complexity of each first electrode in the first electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism is reduced. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same, so that the light modulation curve corresponding to the area of a first sub-electrode independently forms the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism, and the light modulation area corresponding to the area of a second sub-electrode independently forms the light modulation curve of at least one equivalent rod prism. This reduces the width of the equivalent rod prism formed by the liquid crystal prism, improves the resolution of the display image of the 3D display device when the liquid crystal prism is used in a 3D display device when viewed at a close distance, and improves the user experience.

[0086] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive, parallel, or combined manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and reference can be made to the common and similar parts between the various embodiments. For the devices disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple. For relevant parts, refer to the description of the methods.

[0087] It should be noted that, in the description of the present application, it should be understood that the description of the drawings and embodiments is illustrative rather than restrictive. It should also be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are merely used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply the existence of any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the article or equipment comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements that are not clearly listed, or also includes elements that are inherent to such article or equipment. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements limited by the statement "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or equipment comprising the above elements.

[0088] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal prism, characterized in that: include: a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other; a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first electrode layer located on a side of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode units arranged along a first direction, different first electrode units being connected in parallel, and each first electrode unit comprising a plurality of first electrodes arranged along the first direction; a second electrode layer located on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, the second electrode layer comprising a plurality of repeating units arranged along a first direction, the repeating unit comprising two first sub-electrodes arranged along the first direction and a second sub-electrode located between adjacent first sub-electrodes, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, one repeating unit covers at least two first electrode units, each first sub-electrode overlaps only one first electrode unit, and each second sub-electrode overlaps two adjacent first electrode units; The liquid crystal prism includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different. In the second state, the voltages on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are the same.

2. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein In the first state, a maximum value of a voltage difference between the first sub-electrode and each corresponding first electrode in the first electrode unit is smaller than a minimum value of a voltage difference between the second sub-electrode and each corresponding first electrode in the first electrode unit.

3. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein In the second state, the liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the first electrodes in the same first electrode unit are arranged symmetrically.

4. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein The size of a single equivalent prism in the liquid crystal prism in the first direction is 1 / M of the size of the first electrode unit in the first direction, where M is an even number that is 1 or greater than 1.

5. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein In a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, the center of the second sub-electrode in the first direction is located in the gap between its corresponding two first electrode units.

6. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein The second electrode layer further includes a third sub-electrode located between the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the first direction.

7. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein The first electrode unit includes N first electrodes, and the multiple first electrode units include an adjacent first first electrode unit and a second first electrode unit. Along the first direction, the i-th electrode in the first first electrode unit is connected in parallel with the i-th electrode in the second first electrode unit, where i is any integer greater than 0 and not greater than N.

8. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein The first electrode unit includes N first electrodes, and the multiple first electrode units include an adjacent first first electrode unit and a second first electrode unit. Along the first direction, the i-th electrode in the first first electrode unit is connected in parallel with the Ni-th electrode in the second first electrode unit, where i is any integer greater than 0 and not greater than N.

9. The liquid crystal prism according to claim 1, wherein The second electrode layer includes a plurality of second electrodes arranged along a first direction, and the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode are different second electrodes; the liquid crystal prism further includes: a first signal line electrically connected to a first end of the first electrode and a second signal line electrically connected to a second end of the first electrode, the second end of the first electrode being opposite to the first end of the first electrode, the second signal line and the first signal line corresponding to the same first electrode transmitting the same signal; A third signal line electrically connected to the first end of the second electrode and a fourth signal line electrically connected to the second end of the second electrode, the second end of the second electrode is opposite to the first end of the second electrode, and the signals transmitted in the third signal line and the fourth signal line corresponding to the same second electrode are the same.

10. A three-dimensional display device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a display panel and a liquid crystal prism located on the display side of the display panel, wherein the liquid crystal prism is the liquid crystal prism according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A display control method, characterized in that: Applied to the three-dimensional display device according to claim 10, the method comprises: providing a display control signal to the display panel to control the display panel to display an image; In a first state, different voltage signals are applied to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism, and different voltage signals are applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a first resolution; In the second state, the same voltage is applied to the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in the same repeating unit, so that the three-dimensional display device outputs display content at a second resolution, which is greater than the first resolution.

12. The display control method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further includes: in the second state, applying symmetrical voltage signals to different first electrodes in the same first electrode unit corresponding to the same repeating unit in the second electrode layer of the liquid crystal prism.

13. The display control method according to claim 12, wherein: In a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, one repeating unit covers two first electrode units; In the second state, the size of a single equivalent prism of the liquid crystal prism along the first direction is 1 / M of the size of the first electrode unit along the first direction, M is an even number of 1 or greater than 1, and the second resolution is 2 times the first resolution. M times.

14. The display control method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The method further includes: detecting a distance between a user and the three-dimensional display device; Based on the distance between the user and the three-dimensional display device, the working state of the liquid crystal prism in the three-dimensional display device is determined.

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