Flexible Stereoscopic Display Using Optically-Anisotropic Liquid Crystal Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stereoscopic image display devices using lenticular lenses and lens arrays are limited in reducing thickness and flexibility, especially when incorporating flexible display panels, as they lack the necessary optical properties to achieve effective stereoscopic imaging.
Innovation Solution
A stereoscopic image display device comprising a display panel, an optical element with an optically-anisotropic layer made of a liquid crystal compound, and a circularly polarizing plate, where the liquid crystal alignment pattern causes circularly polarized light to change direction, enabling flexible and thin stereoscopic image display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lenticular lenses or lens arrays are used to achieve stereoscopic imaging, then stereoscopic visibility is improved, but device thickness cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical lens system (lenticular lenses or lens arrays) with an optically-anisotropic layer that utilizes optical properties of liquid crystal compounds to achieve light separation. This substitution eliminates the need for thick mechanical optical elements while maintaining stereoscopic imaging functionality through controlled light manipulation at the molecular level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the display system by introducing an optically-anisotropic layer with specific refractive index characteristics and liquid crystal alignment patterns. This allows control of light propagation direction through optical parameter manipulation rather than mechanical structure, enabling thin-form-factor stereoscopic displays.
2Reliability
If lenticular lenses or lens arrays are used to achieve stereoscopic imaging, then stereoscopic visibility is improved, but device flexibility cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid mechanical lens structures with an optically-anisotropic layer based on liquid crystal compounds that can be integrated into flexible display panels. This substitution enables the display to achieve flexibility while maintaining stereoscopic imaging through optical field control rather than mechanical optics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an optically-anisotropic layer as a thin film structure that can be integrated into flexible display panels. This thin film approach replaces bulky mechanical lenses with a flexible optical layer that maintains stereoscopic functionality while enabling device bending and flexibility.
3Manufacturing precision
If display panels with smaller pitch are used to display images for multiple element lenses, then stereoscopic imaging quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light separation function from the display panel pixel structure and relocates it to a dedicated optically-anisotropic layer. This separation allows the display panel to maintain standard pixel pitch while the optical layer handles the stereoscopic light routing, simplifying manufacturing by decoupling these two functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optically-anisotropic layer as an intermediary between the display panel and the viewer's eyes. This intermediary layer performs the light separation and direction control function, allowing the display panel to operate at standard resolutions while achieving multi-view or stereoscopic imaging without requiring ultra-fine pixel pitch.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for a thin and flexible stereoscopic image display device with enhanced stereoscopic visibility, capable of displaying multiple parallax images, suitable for wearable devices, by effectively bending and dividing light between the left and right eyes.
Implementation Method 1
the optically-anisotropic layer causes a part of a circularly polarized light component incident into the optically-anisotropic layer among light components emitted through a plurality of pixels of the display panel to advance in a direction different from a direction in which the part of the circularly polarized light component is incident
Implementation Method 2
the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating along at least one in-plane direction of the optically-anisotropic layer
Implementation Method 3
a circularly polarizing plate
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a thin stereoscopic image display device that can also deal with a requirement for flexibility and a wearable display device including this stereoscopic image display device. The stereoscopic image display device includes a display panel, an optical element, and a circularly polarizing plate, in which the optical element includes an optically-anisotropic layer that is formed of a liquid crystal compound, the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating along at least one in-plane direction of the optically-anisotropic layer, and circularly polarized light emitted from the display panel is caused to advance in a direction different from a direction in which the circularly polarized light component is incident.