Liquid Crystal Grating Slit Position Adjustment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid crystal gratings with movable slit positions are prone to short circuits and line defects due to the close proximity of numerous electrodes, limiting their effectiveness in providing optimal 3D display effects for viewers outside the fixed viewing region.

Innovation Solution

A liquid crystal grating design featuring grating element groups with varying widths, where opaque and transparent fringes are formed by adjusting the states of first and second grating elements, allowing for adjustable slit positions and reducing the number of electrodes, thereby preventing short circuits and line defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the number of electrodes is increased to achieve movable slit position, then the adaptability of the liquid crystal grating is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to short circuits and line defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemovable slit position capabilityVSAvoidshort circuit resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid crystal grating is divided into multiple grating element groups, each containing multiple grating elements that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the slit position to be adjusted by controlling specific groups rather than requiring individual control of every element, reducing the total electrode count while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Adjacent grating elements are merged into grating element groups that share common electrodes. Multiple grating elements within a group are controlled by the same electrode, reducing the number of electrodes required. The groups are arranged and controlled to achieve movable slit positions without requiring individual electrode control for each element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If the electrodes are arranged in close proximity to enable precise slit positioning, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to short circuits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslit position precisionVSAvoidshort circuit resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the grating into groups that share electrodes, the physical distance between independent electrode structures is increased while maintaining precise slit positioning capability through group-based control. This reduces the risk of short circuits between closely spaced electrodes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The grating element group structure acts as an intermediary between the electrode and the individual grating elements. Instead of directly controlling each element with separate electrodes, the group structure mediates the control, allowing precise positioning while maintaining larger physical spacing between electrode structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 enables precise adjustment of slit positions to match viewer positions, enhancing the 3D display effect while reducing the risk of short circuits and line defects by minimizing the number of electrodes, thus improving the autostereoscopic 3D display performance.

Implementation Method 1

Liquid crystal grating is one of the elements capable of achieving the autostereoscopic 3D display

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLiquid crystal: Liquid Crystals

Data Source

PatentEP3086166B1Liquid crystal grating, display device, and drive method
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3086166B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3086166B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a liquid crystal grating, a display device and a driving method. The liquid crystal grating of the present disclosure may include a plurality of grating element groups for forming dark fringes and transparent fringes. The dark fringe of each grating element group may be arranged adjacent to a transparent fringe of a neighboring grating element group. Each grating element group may include a plurality of first grating elements and at least one second grating element arranged parallel to each other. At least one of the first grating elements is transparent so as to form the transparent fringe of the grating element group, and different first grating elements are enabled to be transparent so as to change positions of the transparent fringes. The second grating element is opaque, the first grating elements and the second grating element that are opaque may be used to form the dark fringes of the grating element group, and the second grating element may have a width greater than that of each of the first grating elements. The liquid crystal grating with movable slit position according to the present disclosure can prevent a short circuit and a line defect due to an excessive number of the electrodes in the prior art.