Naked-eye stereoscopic display device

Abstract

A naked-eye stereoscopic display device includes a display pixel array arranged in a row direction and a column direction, and a liquid crystal lens structure disposed thereon. The liquid crystal lens structure is composed of a plurality of elongated lens units, each of which extends along a lens direction across the column direction. The device further includes a third alignment layer having an alignment direction arranged perpendicular to the lens direction to ensure accurate stabilization of the optical orientation of the liquid crystal lens. A half-wave plate is disposed between the display pixel array and the liquid crystal lens structure to rotate the polarization direction of the transmitted light to be consistent with the alignment direction, thereby achieving stable polarization control, improving the image separation effect and improving the quality of the stereoscopic display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a glasses-free stereoscopic display device, and more particularly to an improved liquid crystal lens for enhancing stereoscopic display effects. Background Technology

[0002] To enable observers to perceive three-dimensional (3D) depth without wearing special glasses, various autostereoscopic display technologies have been proposed. Traditional technologies primarily employ lenticular lenses. In a common implementation, an array of lenticular lenses is positioned in front of the display panel to direct different pixel groups to the observer's left and right eyes respectively. For example, US Patent No. 4,959,641 discloses a stereoscopic display system capable of providing images with parallax, allowing observers to perceive three-dimensional visual depth without wearing stereoscopic glasses. However, lenticular lens-based display devices suffer from several drawbacks, including limited viewing angles, reduced image resolution, and color distortion. In contrast, liquid crystal lens technology—such as the technology disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN104597685B—offers an alternative solution that achieves image separation by dynamically adjusting the optical properties of the liquid crystal layer. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention utilizes a liquid crystal lens to dynamically control the optical path, achieving precise separation of the left-eye and right-eye images, thereby enhancing stereoscopic vision. The device of this invention includes a display pixel array arranged orthogonally along the row and column directions, and a liquid crystal lens structure disposed above the display pixel array. The liquid crystal lens structure includes a plurality of elongated lens units extending parallel to each other, each elongated lens unit having a lens direction extending across the row direction.

[0004] In the optical imaging process, each lens unit is configured to form multiple pixel groups and define boundaries between adjacent pixel groups, thereby producing the multi-view separation effect required for stereoscopic image generation. A key feature of this invention is that a PI (polyimide) alignment layer is disposed within the liquid crystal lens structure. This PI alignment layer forms an alignment direction through a friction process, and the alignment direction is set to be approximately perpendicular to the lens direction. This friction alignment method enables the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal lens layer to achieve a stable and consistent orientation, and defines the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens under the action of an applied electric field. In this specification, the effective optical axis can also be simply referred to as the optical axis formed by the lens unit in the working state.

[0005] Therefore, when incident light enters the liquid crystal lens with its polarization direction approximately parallel to the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules, higher optical efficiency can be achieved, and optical loss caused by polarization mismatch can be reduced. To achieve the above polarization matching, the present invention further provides a half-wave plate between the liquid crystal panel and the liquid crystal lens structure. The half-wave plate is configured to rotate the polarization direction of the incident linearly polarized light, so that the rotated polarization direction is precisely aligned with the alignment direction of the alignment layer. In other words, after the incident light passes through the half-wave plate, its polarization direction is adjusted to be parallel to the alignment direction of the alignment layer in the liquid crystal panel, and the alignment direction is set to be approximately perpendicular to the lens direction of the liquid crystal lens, thereby enabling the incident light to enter the liquid crystal lens with the optimal polarization orientation corresponding to the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens.

[0006] By employing the aforementioned polarization control mechanism, the liquid crystal lens can modulate incident light in an optimal manner, effectively reducing adverse effects such as optical crosstalk, brightness reduction, and contrast reduction caused by polarization mismatch. By calibrating the polarization direction of the incident light to be approximately parallel to the alignment direction of the polyimide (PI) alignment layer, and further setting this alignment direction to be substantially perpendicular to the lens direction, this invention ensures that the liquid crystal lens operates under optimal polarization conditions, thereby significantly improving the display quality of stereoscopic images. The above and other objectives of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1A and Figure 1B A display system is shown in which display pixels are arranged in rows and columns and are provided with optical elements covering them;

[0008] Figure 2A and Figure 2B This paper illustrates a display system for directing different images to an observer's left and right eyes respectively, demonstrating how optical elements guide different pixel groups to achieve a stereoscopic display effect.

[0009] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An embodiment of a display device having a liquid crystal lens structure is shown, comprising a liquid crystal lens unit formed of liquid crystal material;

[0010] Figure 4 One embodiment is shown in which a half-wave plate is disposed above a torsion nematic (TN) structure or similar configuration, allowing liquid crystal molecules to rotate their polarization direction as light passes through;

[0011] Figure 5 Another embodiment is shown, wherein the liquid crystal lens is disposed on the polarizer;

[0012] Figure 6A and Figure 6BAn embodiment with a third alignment layer is shown, the alignment layer having a predetermined alignment direction perpendicular to the lens direction;

[0013] Figure 7A and Figure 7B One embodiment is shown in which a third polarizer may be added to ensure that the polarized light entering the liquid crystal lens is in the same direction;

[0014] Figures 8A to 8D One embodiment is shown in which a half-wave plate is configured to rotate the polarization direction of the transmitted light;

[0015] Figure 9A and Figure 9B One embodiment is shown in which image segments corresponding to the right-eye image field and the left-eye image field are reallocated to different pixel groups and are coordinated with the switching of the electrode configuration of the liquid crystal lens;

[0016] Figures 10A to 10H An embodiment of a stereoscopic display system is shown. The system employs a liquid crystal lens structure. By selectively driving at least two sets of electrodes, the effective electric field position in the liquid crystal lens is laterally displaced. By changing the shape of the electrode pattern, different electric field distributions are generated, thereby achieving different optical effects and viewing configurations. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this detailed description, several specific details are listed to make the technical features of the present invention clearer. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention can be practiced even without relying on these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods or components are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the core ideas of the present invention.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, a conventional glasses-free stereoscopic display device includes a display pixel array 3. The display pixel array 3 comprises a plurality of display pixels 5, which are arranged in rows and columns along both the row direction (X-axis) and column direction (Y-axis). Furthermore, an optical element array 11 is disposed above the display pixel array 3 in a direction perpendicular to the X and Y axes (i.e., the Z-axis direction). The plurality of optical elements 11 extend parallel to each other and are disposed over the display pixel array 3.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, different pixel groups (e.g., pixel groups R1, R2, L1, and L2) can be directed to the observer's left and right eyes respectively via the optical element 11, thereby achieving naked-eye stereoscopic 3D display. Related technologies for directing different images to the observer's left and right eyes can be found, for example, in US Patent No. 4,959,641, which discloses a stereoscopic display system capable of generating at least one pair of images with parallax, allowing the observer to perceive three-dimensional depth without wearing special glasses. Its basic principle lies in displaying two or more images with subtle differences (parallax), so that the observer's left and right eyes receive different images respectively, thereby producing a stereoscopic visual effect.

[0020] Optical element 11 is set at a predetermined tilt angle relative to the column direction (Y-axis) of the display pixels to optimize image separation performance. This configuration allows multiple groups of pixels (e.g., R1, R2, L1, L2) to be repeatedly formed on the display surface, each group consisting of adjacent display pixels 5. When using a barrier or lenticular lens without a tilt angle to generate multi-view images, the effective resolution of each view in the horizontal direction decreases, while the resolution in the vertical direction remains essentially unchanged. By introducing a tilt angle into the barrier or lenticular lens, the resolution loss can be distributed across both the horizontal and vertical directions, thereby improving overall image quality in practical applications.

[0021] The optical element 11 can be implemented as a liquid crystal lens, each liquid crystal lens including multiple lens units to form multiple pixel groups. During optical imaging, each optical element 11 is configured to form multiple pixel groups and define boundaries between adjacent pixel groups, thereby producing the multi-view separation effect required for stereoscopic image generation. However, crosstalk may occur at image boundaries. For any given pixel, its optimal brightness value can be determined based on the distance between the pixel and the nearest edge of the boundary used to separate adjacent images. The processor can be configured to perform related operations, such as obtaining the distance between the displayed pixel and the nearest edge of the adjacent image boundary. The display device can adjust the pixel brightness according to the positional relationship of the pixel relative to the image boundary, appropriately reducing the brightness of pixels located near the boundary. The method of dynamically adjusting pixel brightness based on the distance between the pixel and the image boundary can be implemented according to the technical solution described in US Patent US12366765B1.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3A, in one embodiment, the optical element in the display device 300 is a liquid crystal lens 301. A liquid crystal lens is an electrically controllable optical element that can reorient liquid crystal molecules under the action of an applied electric field, thereby modulating the refractive index distribution of the liquid crystal layer to achieve optical functions such as focusing or zooming. The liquid crystal lens 301 includes multiple electrically controllable lens units, with its liquid crystal layer disposed between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. By applying a potential difference across the liquid crystal layer, a refractive index distribution with a spatial gradient can be formed in the liquid crystal layer, thereby producing a lens effect; furthermore, by adjusting the applied potential, the size, shape, or orientation of each lens unit can be further controlled.

[0023] Based on the above structure, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the display device 300 further includes a display panel 302 for generating images. Multiple display pixels 5 in the display panel 302 are arranged along the row direction X and the column direction Y, respectively. A liquid crystal lens 301 disposed above the display panel 302 includes multiple elongated lens units 31, which extend parallel to each other and are arranged along a lens direction EX, where the lens direction EX intersects the column direction Y (or the row direction X). During optical imaging, the lens units 31 are used to form multiple pixel groups (e.g., R1, L1, etc.) on the display panel and to form boundaries 7 between adjacent pixel groups to achieve the multi-view separation effect required for naked-eye stereoscopic display.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, a liquid crystal panel 401 is used to generate images. To improve brightness and visibility, the liquid crystal panel 401 may include a first alignment layer 41 and a liquid crystal layer 1 disposed between the first alignment layer 41 and a second alignment layer 42. The alignment direction of the first alignment layer 41 is approximately orthogonal to the alignment direction of the second alignment layer 42, thereby forming a twisted nematic (TN) structure, which causes the liquid crystal molecules to rotate the polarization direction of light when light passes through. The naked-eye stereoscopic display device 400 may also include a backlight module 403, a first polarizer 410 disposed between the backlight module 403 and the first alignment layer 41, and a second polarizer 420 disposed above the second alignment layer 42. In addition, a half-wave plate 430 may be disposed above the second polarizer 420.

[0025] The optical properties of a liquid crystal lens are related to the principal orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, and its effective optical axis is determined by both the principal orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules and the applied electric field. Due to the birefringence of liquid crystal materials, optimal optical modulation can be achieved when the polarization direction of the incident light matches the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens. If the polarization direction of the incident light is not aligned with this effective optical axis, it may affect the effective refractive index distribution in the liquid crystal lens, leading to adverse effects such as focal length shift and image crosstalk. Therefore, to match the polarization direction of the incident light with the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens, a polarization compensation element, such as a half-wave plate, can be placed in the optical path. By rotating the polarization direction of the incident light, it can be adapted to the working orientation conditions of the liquid crystal lens, thereby ensuring that the liquid crystal lens achieves optimal imaging performance.

[0026] A liquid crystal lens unit array is disposed above the half-wave plate 430. This array includes multiple lens units extending along the lens direction EX to form multiple pixel groups and image boundaries between adjacent images, achieving the desired multi-view separation effect. Each lens unit extends parallel to each other and covers the display pixels. Each lens unit has a lens direction EX extending across the pixel row direction and is arranged at a fixed tilt angle relative to the row direction of the pixel array. As shown in FIG6B, a third alignment layer disposed within the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal lens 402 has an alignment direction R, which is approximately perpendicular to the lens direction EX. The third alignment layer is disposed between the half-wave plate 430 and the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal lens 402.

[0027] In liquid crystal displays (LCDs), the "alignment direction" typically refers to the predetermined orientation of the liquid crystal molecules imparted by the alignment layer. The alignment layer is usually a thin polymer film formed on the substrate surface, with its surface treated by mechanical friction to create a fine trench structure. This friction treatment typically involves sweeping a cloth or similar material along a single direction across the alignment layer surface, causing the surface molecular chains to align regularly along that direction. After friction treatment, the alignment layer applies interfacial anchoring forces to adjacent liquid crystal molecules, causing them to tend to align uniformly along the friction direction (i.e., the alignment direction) without an external electric field. Thus, the liquid crystal layer exhibits stable and predictable optical properties in its initial state. This alignment process is one of the key steps in achieving stable optical response and normal display function in liquid crystal devices.

[0028] Because the lens units of the liquid crystal lens in this invention are arranged at a fixed tilt angle relative to the direction of the display pixel array rows, the effective optical axis formed by the liquid crystal lens under the working electric field is not necessarily aligned with the optical axis of the polarizer disposed on the liquid crystal panel. When the polarization direction of the incident light is not aligned with this effective optical axis, polarization mismatch is easily generated, resulting in deterioration of polarization control performance, reduced contrast, increased optical noise, and even problems such as image crosstalk or overall display quality degradation. To solve the above problems, this invention provides a half-wave plate between the polarizer and the liquid crystal lens. The half-wave plate is used to rotate the polarization direction of the linearly polarized light emitted from the polarizer, so that the rotated polarization direction is aligned with the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens.

[0029] By appropriately setting the fast axis angle of the half-wave plate, the polarization axis mismatch between the polarizer and the liquid crystal lens can be effectively compensated. Through the above-mentioned polarization compensation mechanism, this invention significantly improves the polarization state of light incident on the liquid crystal lens, increases polarization utilization efficiency, and reduces optical distortion caused by polarization mismatch. As a result, the display device can achieve higher contrast, better brightness uniformity, and superior overall image quality. In addition, this optical axis calibration mechanism also helps reduce crosstalk during stereoscopic display, thereby achieving a clearer and more stable stereoscopic visual effect in multi-view naked-eye stereoscopic display mode.

[0030] Based on the above structure, such as Figure 4 As shown, the present invention provides a half-wave plate 430 between the polarizer 420 and the liquid crystal lens 402. Since the lens units of the liquid crystal lens are arranged at a fixed tilt angle relative to the row direction of the display pixel array, after applying a driving electric field, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal lens are reoriented along a predetermined alignment direction, forming an optical structure with an anisotropic refractive index distribution within the liquid crystal layer, thereby generating an effective optical axis associated with the main alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules. This effective optical axis is typically not aligned with the transmission axis direction of the polarizer 420 in the liquid crystal panel. When the polarization direction of the light incident on the liquid crystal lens is not aligned with the effective optical axis, the birefringence characteristics of the liquid crystal material will lead to a decrease in polarization coupling efficiency, thereby causing polarization mismatch, manifested as decreased contrast, brightness loss, increased optical noise, and even adverse effects such as image crosstalk.

[0031] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention introduces a half-wave plate 430 to rotate the polarization direction of the linearly polarized light output from the polarizer 420. This rotated polarization direction matches the effective optical axis direction formed by the liquid crystal lens under the working electric field, thereby achieving polarization compensation. Specifically, when the fast axis of the half-wave plate 430 forms an angle θ with respect to the polarization direction of the incident linearly polarized light, the polarization direction after passing through the half-wave plate will rotate by 2θ. By appropriately setting the fast axis orientation angle of the half-wave plate 430, the rotated polarization direction can be made substantially consistent with the effective optical axis direction determined by the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal lens. Consequently, the polarization direction of the transmitted light can be further kept parallel to the alignment direction R of the third alignment layer, thereby significantly reducing the polarization mismatch effect. By utilizing the aforementioned polarization compensation and optical axis matching mechanism, this invention can effectively improve the polarization state of light incident on the liquid crystal lens, increase polarization utilization efficiency, and reduce optical distortion caused by polarization mismatch. This enables the display device to achieve higher contrast and better brightness uniformity in stereoscopic display mode, and significantly reduces crosstalk during multi-view display, thereby achieving a more stable and clear naked-eye stereoscopic visual effect.

[0032] like Figure 5 As shown, in another embodiment, the display device 500 may include a liquid crystal panel 501 for displaying images. The liquid crystal panel 501 may include a first alignment layer 51 and a liquid crystal layer 2 disposed between the first alignment layer 51 and another alignment layer 52. The alignment layer 52 is disposed on the alignment layer 51, and the alignment direction of the alignment layer 51 is substantially orthogonal to the alignment direction of the alignment layer 52. The display device 500 may also include a backlight module 503 and a polarizer 510 disposed between the backlight module 503 and the alignment layer 51. The polarizer 510 is configured such that the polarization direction of light entering the liquid crystal layer 2 is substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the alignment layer 51. Another polarizer 520 may be disposed on the alignment layer 52 such that the polarization direction of light emitted from the liquid crystal layer 2 is substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the alignment layer 52.

[0033] A liquid crystal lens 502 is disposed on top of a polarizer 520 and can be arranged at a predetermined fixed tilt angle relative to the pixel row direction X or pixel column direction Y of the display surface (as shown in Figure 3B, for example). A half-wave plate 530 is disposed between the liquid crystal lens 502 and the liquid crystal panel 501, and is configured such that the polarization direction of the light entering the liquid crystal lens 502 is approximately parallel to the alignment direction of the alignment layer within the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal lens 502. The angular difference between the optical axis of the polarizer 520 and the effective input optical axis of the liquid crystal lens 502 is approximately twice the angular difference between the optical axis of the polarizer 520 and the optical axis of the half-wave plate 530.

[0034] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, in another embodiment, the glasses-free stereoscopic display device 600 includes a plurality of display pixels 5 arranged in a matrix. That is, an image is divided into a plurality of pixels and arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, each pixel containing color information such as RGB components. The display pixels 5 may be provided by a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel, or other suitable display technology 601. Displaced above the display pixels 5 is a liquid crystal lens structure 602, which includes a plurality of elongated liquid crystal lens units 61. The lens units 61 extend parallel to each other and are arranged along a lens direction EX, wherein the lens direction EX intersects the column direction Y of the display pixel array.

[0035] The liquid crystal lens structure 602 further includes a third alignment layer 603. The third alignment layer 603 is aligned to form a specific alignment direction R, which is approximately perpendicular to the lens direction EX. Through this alignment configuration, the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal lens structure 602 can achieve correct and stable orientation, thereby providing the optical characteristics required for stereoscopic image separation. A half-wave plate 604 is disposed between the display pixel 5 and the liquid crystal lens unit 61. The half-wave plate 604 is configured to rotate the polarization direction of the transmitted light, aligning this polarization direction with the alignment direction R. Through this polarization control, the optical performance of the liquid crystal lens can be optimized, thereby improving image sharpness and contrast.

[0036] like Figure 7AAs shown, in another embodiment, the glasses-free stereoscopic display device may further include a third polarizer 30 disposed between the half-wave plate 704 and the liquid crystal layer of the lens unit 71. The third polarizer 30 is configured to filter out polarization components that are not oriented along its transmission axis, allowing only linearly polarized light with a polarization direction consistent with its transmission axis to pass through. By ensuring that the light entering the liquid crystal lens has a consistent and controlled polarization direction, polarization quality can be further improved.

[0037] like Figure 7B As shown, commercially available half-wave plates typically exhibit optimized phase retardation characteristics at approximately 540 nm (green light band). However, in the red and blue light bands, their phase retardation may deviate from the ideal 180° (π radians), causing the transmitted light to deviate from linear polarization and become elliptically polarized. By introducing the third polarizer 30, the elliptically or circularly polarized components can be effectively filtered out, allowing only linearly polarized light aligned with its transmission axis to pass through. Therefore, even if the incident light is circularly or elliptically polarized, the light ultimately entering the liquid crystal lens can still maintain a linearly polarized state.

[0038] In one embodiment, when the fast axis of the half-wave plate forms an angle of θ degrees with respect to the polarization direction of the incident light, the half-wave plate will rotate the polarization direction of the incident light by 2θ degrees. It should be understood that the half-wave plate (λ / 2 wave plate) used in this invention is used to rotate the polarization direction of linearly polarized light without changing the type of polarization state. For example, when linearly polarized light is incident at an angle of 45° relative to the optical axis of the half-wave plate, its polarization direction will be rotated to twice the original incident angle.

[0039] In contrast, a quarter-wave plate (λ / 4 waveplate) introduces a 90° (π / 2 radian) phase difference between two sets of orthogonal polarization components, thereby converting linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light, or vice versa. For example, when linearly polarized light is incident at an angle of 45° relative to the optical axis of the λ / 4 waveplate, the output light will be circularly polarized; conversely, when circularly polarized light passes through a properly oriented λ / 4 waveplate, it can be converted back into linearly polarized light. In another embodiment, the λ / 4 waveplate can also be used to adjust the polarization state to improve light transmission efficiency and reduce crosstalk in stereoscopic or multi-view displays. In contrast, a half-wave plate (λ / 2 waveplate) is primarily used to rotate the polarization direction. Although both half-wave plates and quarter-wave plates are birefringent optical elements, their functions and roles in optical systems are different.

[0040] As shown in Figure 8A, in another embodiment, a glasses-free stereoscopic display device may include an orthogonally arranged display pixel array 801 for generating a display image. The display pixel array 801 comprises a plurality of display pixels 8, which are arranged along the row direction X and the column direction Y, respectively. For ease of illustration, only a small number of display pixels are shown in the figures; however, in practical applications, display panels typically contain tens of thousands of rows and columns of display pixels 8.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8B, the naked-eye stereoscopic display device may further include an imaging configuration configured to guide outgoing light from different display pixels 8 to different spatial positions, thereby enabling the observer to perceive a stereoscopic three-dimensional image.

[0042] For example, as shown in Figures 8C and 8D, a liquid crystal lens structure 802 may be disposed above the display pixel array 801. The liquid crystal lens structure 802 includes a plurality of elongated lens units 82, which extend substantially parallel to each other and cover the display pixel array 801. Each elongated lens unit 82 extends along a lens direction EX, which crosses the row direction X. The lens direction EX characterizes the geometric extension direction of the elongated lens unit; while the effective optical axis of the liquid crystal lens structure is determined by the principal orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules under an applied driving electric field, as described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0043] The imaging configuration includes an electrically controllable lens device, implemented as an electrically adjustable lens array. The lens array may include a liquid crystal material layer (liquid crystal layer) sandwiched between electrode layers on opposing first and second glass substrates. Each electrode layer includes a transparent electrode structure, such as a transparent electrode formed of indium tin oxide (ITO). Each glass substrate has a mechanically rubbed alignment layer, wherein the alignment layer on the glass substrate closest to the display panel is configured to have an alignment direction substantially consistent with the polarization direction of the light emitted from the display panel.

[0044] By designing electric field regions with different electric field intensities within each lens unit, the orientation state of liquid crystal molecules within the corresponding region can be precisely controlled, thereby causing the liquid crystal layer to exhibit a refractive index distribution similar to that of a lens, and thus altering its optical properties. By adjusting the electric field intensity, the spatial distribution of the refractive index can be dynamically changed, realizing variations in the lens focal length and electronically controlled zoom functionality. This structure offers advantages such as low cost and ease of control, and facilitates the selection and switching of different operating modes for display devices.

[0045] The electrode patterns in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are preferably designed with different shapes and arranged in a non-parallel manner, more preferably in a mutually perpendicular configuration. By setting the above-mentioned non-parallel (or perpendicular) electrode patterns, at least two different lens axis directions can be defined within the liquid crystal layer, thereby enabling the liquid crystal lens to selectively form different effective lens axes according to different requirements of display direction or viewing angle.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8C, the naked-eye stereoscopic display device may further include a third alignment layer 803 disposed within the liquid crystal lens structure 802. The third alignment layer 803 is mechanically rubbed to form a predetermined alignment direction, wherein this alignment direction is rubbed to be substantially perpendicular to the lens direction EX of the aforementioned elongated lens unit. Through this alignment setting, the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal lens structure 802 can obtain a stable and consistent orientation under the influence of no external electric field or a working electric field, thereby providing the basic conditions for forming the desired refractive index distribution and effective optical axis. The display device may further include a half-wave plate 804 disposed between the display pixel array 801 and the third alignment layer 803. The half-wave plate 804 is configured to rotate the polarization direction of the transmitted light, aligning the rotated polarization direction with the aforementioned alignment direction. Furthermore, a polarizer 30 may be disposed between the half-wave plate 804 and the third alignment layer 803 to further define the polarization state entering the liquid crystal lens structure.

[0047] Therefore, based on the above structure, a naked-eye stereoscopic display device in this embodiment may include: a display pixel array 801, the display pixel array 801 comprising a plurality of display pixels 8, the display pixels 8 being arranged orthogonally along the row direction X and the column direction Y, for generating a display image; a liquid crystal lens structure 802 disposed above the display pixel array 801, the liquid crystal lens structure 802 comprising a plurality of elongated lens units 82 extending parallel to each other, each elongated lens unit 82 having a lens direction EX extending across the row direction X; the liquid crystal lens structure 802 further includes a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer disposed opposite to each other, and by applying electric fields of different intensities to different electrodes, an electrically controllable refractive index distribution is formed in the liquid crystal layer.

[0048] In this design, the transparent electrode patterns of the first and second electrode layers are arranged in a non-parallel manner, for example, perpendicularly to each other, thereby forming electric field gradient distributions with different directions within the liquid crystal layer. By selectively applying different electric field driving methods, liquid crystal molecules can form main orientations along different directions, and correspondingly form at least two different sets of effective lens axes in the liquid crystal lens to adapt to different display orientations or viewing direction requirements (e.g., Portrait and Landscape viewing direction requirements). In this specification, the effective lens axis refers to the equivalent optical principal axis direction determined by the main orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules and the principal direction of the refractive index gradient when a driving electric field is applied to the liquid crystal lens, rather than a simple geometric extension direction.

[0049] The display device may further include: a third alignment layer 803 disposed within the liquid crystal lens structure 802, the third alignment layer 803 having an alignment direction R, and the alignment direction R being rubbed to be substantially perpendicular to the lens direction EX; a half-wave plate 804 disposed between the display pixel array 801 and the third alignment layer 803, the half-wave plate 804 being used to rotate the polarization direction of transmitted light so that the rotated polarization direction is substantially consistent with the alignment direction R; and a polarizer 30 disposed between the half-wave plate 804 and the third alignment layer 803, for further defining the polarization state of light entering the liquid crystal lens structure.

[0050] In this specification, "lens axis" or "effective optical axis" refers to the equivalent principal optical axis direction determined by the principal orientation direction of the liquid crystal molecules and the principal direction of the refractive index gradient when a driving electric field is applied to the liquid crystal lens. Unless otherwise stated, "lens axis" and "effective optical axis" have the same technical meaning herein. In other words, when the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal lens forms a lens effect with graded refractive index (GRIN) characteristics within the liquid crystal layer under the action of the electric field configuration applied by the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the principal optical direction corresponding to this lens effect is defined as the lens axis or effective optical axis.

[0051] Specifically, for elongated liquid crystal lens units, the lens axis typically corresponds to the main alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules, such as the alignment direction defined by the third alignment layer. For liquid crystal lenses that are electrically controlled through electrode patterns, the lens axis can also be determined by the extension direction of the transparent electrode pattern or by the direction of the electric field gradient it generates. When the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern are arranged in a non-parallel manner (e.g., perpendicular to each other), at least two different lens axis directions can be formed in the liquid crystal layer accordingly, thereby enabling the liquid crystal lens to switch between different lens axes according to different display orientations or viewing angle requirements.

[0052] Therefore, the terms "lens axis" or "effective optical axis" are not merely used to describe the geometric alignment of a liquid crystal lens, but rather to indicate the dominant direction of its optical function, including but not limited to: the focusing direction of the lens, the direction in which liquid crystal molecules are guided to form a refractive index gradient, and the optical axis direction to which the incident polarized light needs to be aligned when performing half-wave plate polarization compensation. In various embodiments of the present invention, the lens axis is used to define the target direction to which the incident polarized light should be rotated by the half-wave plate to achieve optimal optical axis matching, so that the rotated polarization direction is substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the third alignment layer, thereby enabling the liquid crystal lens to obtain optimal optical performance.

[0053] As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, in another embodiment, an electrically controllable liquid crystal lens assembly 900 may include: a first substrate 901 and a second substrate 902 disposed opposite to each other; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate 901 and the second substrate 902; a first electrode layer formed on the first substrate 901, the first electrode layer having first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2, wherein the first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2 include a plurality of first electrode fingers extending along a first direction; and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate 902, the second electrode layer having a second transparent electrode pattern I20, wherein the second transparent electrode pattern I20 includes a plurality of second electrode fingers extending along a second direction that is not parallel to the first direction.

[0054] The first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2 and the second transparent electrode pattern I20 are arranged in a non-parallel manner, such that at least two different lens axes are defined in the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the first direction and the second direction, respectively. Furthermore, by applying independently controlled electric field strengths to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, a spatially varying refractive index distribution can be formed at different lateral positions in the liquid crystal layer, thereby constituting an electrically controllable graded refractive index (GRIN) lens and realizing the electrical adjustment of the lens focal length or lens axis direction.

[0055] In an embodiment, the liquid crystal lens assembly 900 may include: a first substrate 901 and a second substrate 902 disposed opposite to each other; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate 901 and the second substrate 902; a first electrode layer formed on the first substrate 901, the first electrode layer having first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2, wherein the first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2 include a plurality of first electrode fingers extending along a first direction; and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate 902, the second electrode layer having a second transparent electrode pattern I20, wherein the second transparent electrode pattern I20 includes a plurality of second electrode fingers extending along a second direction, and the second direction is not parallel to the first direction.

[0056] The non-parallel arrangement of the first transparent electrode patterns I1 and I2 and the second transparent electrode pattern I20 allows at least two different lens axes to be defined within the liquid crystal layer, corresponding to the first and second directions respectively. Furthermore, by applying independently controlled electric field strengths to the first and second electrode layers, a spatially varying refractive index distribution can be formed at different lateral positions of the liquid crystal layer, thereby constituting an electrically controllable graded refractive index (GRIN) liquid crystal lens and realizing the electrical adjustment of the lens focal length or lens axis orientation.

[0057] The first and second electrode layers of the liquid crystal lens respectively include transparent electrode patterns I1, I2, and I20. The electrode patterns may be composed of multiple electrode fingers. As used herein, "electrode fingers" refer to elongated electrode segments formed of a transparent conductive material (e.g., indium tin oxide, ITO), typically arranged in an interlaced or striped structure. The width of each electrode finger can range from several micrometers to tens of micrometers, and it can extend linearly or slightly curved along its direction to generate an electric field distribution with a spatial gradient within the liquid crystal layer.

[0058] Since the refractive index of liquid crystal materials depends on the orientation state of liquid crystal molecules under the action of a local electric field, the distribution of electric field intensity in different regions of the liquid crystal layer can be precisely controlled by adjusting the shape, width, spacing, and extension direction of the electrode fingers. For example, when the electrode fingers of the first electrode layer and the electrode fingers of the second electrode layer are arranged in non-parallel directions (e.g., perpendicular to each other), the electric field distribution formed by their superposition exhibits directional differences. This allows at least two different lens axis orientations to be selectively formed within the liquid crystal layer, enabling the liquid crystal lens to switch between different lens axis orientations according to different driving electric field configurations. Thus, the liquid crystal layer can be modulated to exhibit graded refractive index (GRIN) optical properties, forming a liquid crystal lens with an electrically controllable focal length or an electrically controllable lens axis orientation.

[0059] By applying different voltage combinations to the first and second electrode layers, local electric fields of varying magnitudes can be generated within the liquid crystal layer. This causes liquid crystal molecules at different locations to undergo varying degrees of reorientation, thereby altering the refractive index distribution within the liquid crystal layer. This allows for electrical adjustment of the focal length, imaging direction, or lens axis orientation of the liquid crystal lens. The aforementioned electrode finger structure achieves a high degree of controllability in the optical behavior of the liquid crystal lens without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, making it particularly suitable for applications such as glasses-free stereoscopic displays or multi-view displays.

[0060] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG8C, the optical compensation structure for a liquid crystal lens may include: a liquid crystal lens having an optical axis associated with the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules; and a half-wave plate 804 disposed in front of the liquid crystal lens. The half-wave plate 804 has a fast axis that forms an angle θ with respect to the polarization direction of the incident linearly polarized light. By means of the fast axis, the half-wave plate can rotate the polarization direction of the incident light by 2θ, thereby making the rotated polarization direction substantially parallel to the optical axis of the liquid crystal lens. The angle θ is selected such that the orientation of the fast axis of the half-wave plate approximately corresponds to half the angular difference between the transmission axis of the preceding polarizer and the optical axis of the liquid crystal lens, to compensate for the optical axis mismatch between the polarizer and the liquid crystal lens. In this document, "fast axis" refers to a principal axis direction in a birefringent optical element, along which light experiences a lower refractive index and therefore has a higher propagation speed. The half-wave plate utilizes the refractive index difference between the fast and slow axes to introduce a half-wave phase delay between mutually orthogonal polarization components, thereby achieving rotation of the polarization direction of linearly polarized light.

[0061] To improve the polarization quality of light before it enters the liquid crystal lens layer, this invention provides a third polarizer downstream of the half-wave plate and upstream of the liquid crystal lens layer. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" used herein are technical terms describing the relative positions of optical elements in an optical path. "Upstream" refers to the position before light passes through a particular optical element, while "downstream" refers to the position after light passes through that optical element. Therefore, in this embodiment, the half-wave plate is located upstream of the optical path, while the third polarizer is located downstream of the half-wave plate and upstream of the liquid crystal lens layer.

[0062] Half-wave plates are primarily used to rotate the polarization direction of incident linearly polarized light. However, because the phase retardation of commercially available half-wave plates is wavelength-dependent, at wavelengths other than the design center (typically around 540 nm), the transmitted light may develop elliptically or circularly polarized components, causing the polarization state to no longer remain purely linear. To compensate for this effect, the present invention employs a third polarizer positioned downstream of the half-wave plate. This third polarizer has a transmission axis configured to allow only linearly polarized components aligned with this axis to pass through, and to block all polarization components that deviate from the transmission axis and fail to maintain a linear polarization state, such as elliptically or circularly polarized components caused by the phase retardation error of the half-wave plate.

[0063] By utilizing the aforementioned polarization purification mechanism, even if the half-wave plate introduces phenomena such as polarization ellipticization at different wavelengths, the resulting undesirable polarization components can be effectively filtered out by the third polarizer. Consequently, the transmitted light maintains a consistent and highly pure linear polarization state, with its polarization direction precisely aligned to the alignment direction defined by the alignment layer within the liquid crystal lens layer. This structure significantly improves the optical stability of the liquid crystal lens, enhances light transmission efficiency, improves contrast and image clarity in stereoscopic display applications, and reduces multi-view crosstalk caused by polarization mismatch.

[0064] Therefore, as shown in FIG7A, in an embodiment, a polarization purification module for a liquid crystal lens system may include: a half-wave plate 704 configured to rotate the polarization direction of incident linearly polarized light; and a third polarizer 30 disposed downstream of the half-wave plate and upstream of the liquid crystal lens layer, the third polarizer having a transmission axis; wherein the third polarizer only allows linearly polarized components aligned with its transmission axis to pass through; wherein elliptic or circularly polarized components generated by the phase delay of the half-wave plate 704 varying with wavelength will be blocked by the third polarizer 30; and only purified linearly polarized components aligned with the transmission axis can be incident on the liquid crystal lens layer.

[0065] As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, in another embodiment, a stereoscopic image display system is provided, comprising: an image display screen 100 for displaying images; a display device configured to display left-eye and right-eye images in the form of image components arranged at intervals on the image display screen 100, such that at any given time, the image components define a left-eye image field l1, l2 and a right-eye image field r1, r2 that are alternately arranged; a liquid crystal (LC) lens system having a plurality of elements 200, 201 for applying potentials, disposed between the image display screen 100 and the stereoscopic image viewing position 10; and a control device configured to control which image components define the left-eye image field and the right-eye image field respectively, and to control the potentials applied to the elements 200, 201 for applying potentials respectively, so as to cause a lateral displacement of the effective optical position of the liquid crystal lens, thereby enabling the viewer's right eye to view the right-eye image field r1, r2, and the left eye to view the left-eye image field l1, l2.

[0066] The control device is further configured to automatically swap the image components of the left-eye image fields l1 and l2 with the adjacent right-eye image fields r1 and r2 at different time points, thereby synchronously swapping the display of the left-eye and right-eye image fields. Furthermore, while swapping the image field components, the corresponding potentials applied to the elements 200 and 201 used for applying potentials are simultaneously swapped to generate the lateral displacement and achieve the aforementioned viewing effect. This allows the viewer to view the interleaved image fields through their respective left and right eyes before and after the image display swap and lateral displacement occur.

[0067] As described above, by alternately reassigning image segments (i.e., different image fields of image content) to different viewing areas within multiple time intervals, a liquid crystal (LC) lens can be applied to 3D display modes to improve display resolution. Generally, in naked-eye stereoscopic 3D display modes, since the left-eye and right-eye images need to be displayed simultaneously, the display resolution is usually at least halved. By rapidly and alternately reassigning the image segments to different viewing areas, the aforementioned "at least half" resolution loss can be compensated. For example, as shown in Figure 9A, in the first frame f1, the rendered content includes multiple image segments G1, G2... corresponding to the right-eye and left-eye images respectively; if in the subsequent frame f2, the right-eye and left-eye images are reassigned to opposite image segments G2, G1..., and the frames f1 and f2 are continuously and rapidly alternated, the resolution can be effectively doubled.

[0068] As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the basic structure of the liquid crystal lens 900 may include: an upper transparent substrate 901, a lower transparent substrate 902, a first electrode group I1, and a second electrode group I2. When the first electrode group I1 and the second electrode group I2 are switched, the display of the left-eye image and the right-eye image are also switched synchronously, thereby achieving a stereoscopic display effect with resolution preservation or no resolution loss.

[0069] Therefore, a stereoscopic image display system may include: a display device comprising a liquid crystal lens element capable of laterally displacing the effective electric field position (e.g., through at least two sets of electrodes I1 and I2) for providing a left-eye image and a right-eye image to a viewer located at a stereoscopic viewing position in the form of staggered image elements, such that at any given time, the image elements define a left-eye image field (e.g., l1, l2) and a right-eye image field (e.g., r1, r2) that are staggered with each other; and a control device coupled to the display device for controlling which image elements define the image fields and controlling the liquid crystal lens element such that the viewer's left eye views the left-eye image field and the right eye views the right-eye image field.

[0070] The control device is coupled to the display device and configured to automatically interchange the display of the left-eye and right-eye image fields at different time points (e.g., displaying one allocation method in frames 1, 3, 5, etc., and another allocation method in frames 2, 4, 6, etc.), and synchronously change the effective electric field position of the liquid crystal lens element during the image field interchange (e.g., by switching between electrode groups I1 and I2, simultaneously switching the display of the left-eye and right-eye images). Therefore, before and after the image field display interchange, the viewer can continuously view the corresponding interlaced image fields through their respective left and right eyes, thus continuously perceiving the corresponding stereoscopic image effect before and after the display interchange.

[0071] Therefore, a stereoscopic image display system may include: a display device comprising a liquid crystal lens element configured to provide a left-eye image and a right-eye image to a viewer located at a stereoscopic viewing position by means of an effective position of a laterally moved electric field (e.g., via at least two sets of electrodes I1 and I2), the left-eye image and the right-eye image being displayed in the form of staggered image components, and defining a left-eye image field (e.g., l1, l2) and a right-eye image field (e.g., r1, r2) staggered to each other at any given time; and a controller coupled to the display device for controlling which image components define the image fields and controlling the liquid crystal lens element such that the viewer's left eye views the left-eye image field and the viewer's right eye views the right-eye image field.

[0072] The controller is coupled to the display device and configured to automatically switch the display of the left-eye and right-eye image fields at different times (e.g., displaying one assignment mode in frames 1, 3, 5... and another assignment mode in frames 2, 4, 6...), and to change the effective position of the electric field of the liquid crystal lens element during the image field switching (e.g., by switching between electrode groups I1 and I2, and simultaneously switching the display of the left-eye and right-eye images). In this way, before and after the image field switching, the viewer can continuously view the corresponding interlaced image fields through their respective left and right eyes, thus continuously perceiving the corresponding stereoscopic image field before and after the display switching.

[0073] According to another aspect of the present invention, a stereoscopic image display system is provided, comprising: a display device for displaying an image; a liquid crystal (LC) lens element disposed in front of the display device, the liquid crystal lens element including at least a first set of electrodes (e.g., I1) and a second set of electrodes (e.g., I2), the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes being configured to change the effective electric field position inside the liquid crystal lens by switching between different electrodes, thereby causing a lateral displacement of the optical effect of the liquid crystal lens, thereby forming a stereoscopic image field composed of staggered image units at any given time, such that the image units are respectively viewable by the left eye and the right eye; and a control circuit coupled to the display device and the liquid crystal lens. The control circuit is configured to: control the display device to generate left-eye and right-eye images, and divide the left-eye and right-eye images into multiple image segments, so that the image segments are alternately reassigned to different viewing areas in multiple time segments; control the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes of the liquid crystal lens element to switch, so that the left-eye image field and the right-eye image field are exchanged with each other as the image segments are reassigned; and synchronously adjust the effective electric field position inside the liquid crystal lens element during the image field exchange, so that the viewer can continuously view the corresponding stereoscopic image field through the left eye and the right eye respectively before and after the image field exchange, thereby compensating for the resolution loss that usually occurs in stereoscopic display operation.

[0074] Compared to a prior art stereoscopic image display system disclosed in European Patent No. EP0713630B1, which separates the left and right eye images through shutter elements with variable transparency, this application controls the effective optical position of a liquid crystal (LC) lens by applying a potential, thereby actively guiding image light to the observer's corresponding viewing eye through lateral displacement of the effective optical position of the LC lens. This technical concept differs fundamentally from the aforementioned prior art in terms of optical principles, control methods, and the resulting technical effects. In particular, the prior art does not disclose or imply the synchronous control of image field interchange operations and the lateral optical displacement of the liquid crystal lens. Therefore, this application provides a technical solution that is clearly distinct from, and not obvious from, the aforementioned prior art. Its implementation requires coordinated control of image field reassignment and electrically controlled optical axis displacement, thus possessing significant inventiveness.

[0075] For example, the key technical features of EP0713630B1 are mainly reflected in the image domain processing level. The left-eye and right-eye images are displayed in an interleaved image field, and the stereoscopic display effect is achieved by controlling which image components belong to the left-eye or right-eye image field and periodically swapping them. The optical separation mechanism employed by EP0713630B1 relies on a shutter system composed of light-blocking elements with variable transparency. Its core control strategy is to synchronously switch the transparency state of the shutter elements while the image fields are swapped, attenuating or blocking image light that should not be viewed by the corresponding eye. Therefore, this system is essentially an attenuation-based stereoscopic display system. Its stereoscopic separation is achieved by selectively blocking unwanted light, rather than actively redirecting image light through optical displacement.

[0076] Although this embodiment superficially resembles the prior art in its concept of image field interchange, it differs fundamentally in its optical implementation mechanism and control level. This invention introduces a liquid crystal (LC) lens system in which the effective optical position is controlled by applying a potential to the liquid crystal lens. Unlike attenuation-type light blocking, this invention utilizes the lateral displacement of the effective optical position to actively guide image light, allowing the left and right eyes to receive their respective updated image fields.

[0077] In particular, achieving lateral displacement of the effective electric field position through at least two sets of electrodes is a completely different technical approach from transparency switching. In this invention, by applying different voltage configurations to multiple sets of electrodes, a lateral shift in the equivalent refractive index distribution of the liquid crystal lens is directly caused. In contrast, existing technologies only control the transparent or opaque state of the shutter element. For example, EP0713630B1 relies on an attenuation mechanism to avoid incorrect eye reception of image content, where the shutter element only affects light intensity and does not change the light propagation path. In this invention, however, the lateral optical displacement generated by the liquid crystal lens directly changes the propagation path of the image light. Traditional technologies "block incorrect light," while this invention "guides light to the correct spatial position." This difference is at the level of optical principles and is not an equivalent substitution that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art.

[0078] Although both technical solutions mention "synchronous control during image field swapping," the synchronous control in EP0713630B1 only involves synchronously switching the transparency state of the shutter element during image field swapping, which is a logic-level attenuation-based coordination control. In contrast, the synchronous control of this invention refers to simultaneously swapping the image fields and updating the corresponding image display content while controlling the lateral displacement of the effective optical position of the liquid crystal lens. This process requires precise voltage configuration, dynamic modulation of the refractive index distribution in the liquid crystal lens, and coordinated updating of the image field display content. Furthermore, this invention can improve light energy utilization efficiency, reduce attenuation loss, and compensate for the inherent resolution degradation problem in stereoscopic display.

[0079] EP0713630B1 does not disclose a technical means for generating lateral optical displacement in a liquid crystal lens by switching the applied potential, nor does it disclose a scheme for synchronously controlling the image field swapping with the lateral optical displacement. Those skilled in the art also lack a reasonable motivation to abandon the existing attenuation shutter architecture and instead introduce a liquid crystal lens system with multiple potential application elements, replacing the attenuation light-blocking mechanism with a lateral optical displacement mechanism.

[0080] As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the image contents r1 and l1 corresponding to the right and left eye image fields, respectively, are different at frame f1 compared to the image contents l2 and r2 corresponding to the left and right eye image fields, respectively, at frame f2. This allows the observer's visual system to reconstruct the complete right and left eye image fields in the time dimension, as shown in Figure 10C. In other words, the image content includes at least four sets of different contents (e.g., r1, l1, l2, and r2), thereby defining at least one left eye image field and at least one right eye image field configured in an alternating manner. This implementation method is fundamentally different from the traditional technical solution that only prepares two sets of image content in advance (e.g., one set of left eye image content and one set of right eye image content).

[0081] As shown in Figures 10D and 10E, the relative positions between the first group of electrodes (e.g., I1) and the second group of electrodes (e.g., I2) can be further adjusted to expand the range of achievable display effect variations. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10F, 10G, and 10H, different electric field distributions can be generated by changing the electrode shapes of the first and second groups of electrodes, thereby further increasing the achievable display effect variations. In addition, as shown in Figures 10F, 10G, and 10H, a third group of electrodes (e.g., I3) can be provided and applied to other frame groups to further enhance the diversity of display effects.

[0082] By replacing the traditional shutter system with a liquid crystal lens element and setting at least two sets of electrodes to cause a lateral displacement of the effective optical position of the liquid crystal lens, the display system can significantly improve the variety and flexibility of the display effects that can be achieved. The above structure and configuration not only help improve brightness, contrast, and viewing angle, but also greatly increase the range of display effects that can be varied. Therefore, the naked-eye stereoscopic display device of the present invention is suitable for a variety of application scenarios, including but not limited to gaming, medical imaging, and virtual reality.

[0083] Therefore, this invention provides a practically feasible and highly scalable technical solution for improving image fidelity and user experience in glasses-free stereoscopic display technology. All modifications and substitutions of this invention that fall within the scope defined by the appended claims are included within the protection scope of this invention. The above are merely various variations of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of implementation.

Claims

1. A glasses-free stereoscopic display device, characterized in that, include: A liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel comprising: a plurality of display pixels for generating images, the plurality of display pixels being arranged in rows and columns to form a display pixel array, and defining row directions and column directions; a first alignment layer; a second alignment layer; and a first liquid crystal layer disposed between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer, wherein the alignment direction of the first alignment layer and the alignment direction of the second alignment layer are approximately orthogonal. One backlight module; A first polarizer is disposed on the backlight module; A second polarizer is disposed on the second alignment layer; A half-wave plate is disposed on top of the second polarizer; and A liquid crystal lens array is disposed on the half-wave plate, wherein the liquid crystal lens array includes a plurality of lens units extending parallel to each other, the lens units being configured to form a plurality of pixel groups on the display pixel array and to define boundaries between adjacent pixel groups to produce the multi-view separation effect required for stereoscopic image display.

2. A display device, characterized in that, include: A liquid crystal panel for displaying images, the liquid crystal panel comprising: a first alignment layer; a second alignment layer disposed on the first alignment layer; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer, wherein the alignment direction of the first alignment layer and the alignment direction of the second alignment layer are substantially orthogonal. One backlight module; A first polarizer is disposed between the backlight module and the first alignment layer. The first polarizer has a transmission axis, and the transmission axis is substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the first alignment layer. A second polarizer is disposed on the second alignment layer. The second polarizer has a transmission axis that is substantially parallel to the alignment direction of the second alignment layer. A liquid crystal lens is disposed on the second polarizer; and A half-wave plate is disposed between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal lens, and the half-wave plate is configured to rotate the polarization direction of the light incident on the liquid crystal lens.

Images