Liquid Crystal Light Turning Element for Flat HUD Beam Steering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional light turning elements used in holographic head-up displays suffer from issues such as dark bands, increased volume, and limited turning angles, making them unsuitable for flat surfaces and reducing image quality.

Innovation Solution

A light turning element using a layer of liquid crystal material with an oscillating director angle and a polymer matrix to maintain orientation, allowing for a wide range of turning angles and reducing dark bands, while being flat and suitable for attachment on planar surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional light turning elements are used, then they can turn light propagation paths, but they produce dark bands and have limited turning angles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturning angle rangeVSAvoiddark bands

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the light turning element material from conventional birefringent materials to liquid crystal materials. This parameter change enables continuous adjustment of the director angle to create smooth phase gradients, eliminating dark bands while providing wide turning angle ranges through electrical control of the liquid crystal orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic control capability by using electrically addressable liquid crystal materials. The director angle can be dynamically adjusted by applying different voltages, allowing the turning angle to be varied continuously. This dynamic property enables the system to adapt turning angles without mechanical reconfiguration, eliminating the need for fixed geometric structures that cause dark bands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If conventional light turning elements are used, then they can provide beam steering, but they increase device volume

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam steering capabilityVSAvoiddevice volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a thin film structure of liquid crystal material deposited on a substrate to achieve beam steering. This thin film approach replaces bulky conventional optical elements, reducing device volume while maintaining beam steering capability through the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical beam steering mechanisms with an optical field-based approach using liquid crystal orientation control. Instead of physically moving mirrors or prisms, the system uses electrical fields to reorient liquid crystal directors, achieving beam steering without mechanical components and significantly reducing device volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If conventional light turning elements are used, then they can redirect light, but they are unsuitable for flat surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight redirectionVSAvoidsurface geometry compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from three-dimensional geometric light turning structures to a two-dimensional liquid crystal layer on a flat substrate. The light redirection function is achieved through in-plane orientation control of liquid crystal directors rather than through three-dimensional geometric shaping, enabling compatibility with flat surfaces while maintaining effective light turning capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 provides improved image consistency and reduced dark bands, enabling high-quality holographic head-up displays with enhanced flexibility and attachment options on flat surfaces.

Implementation Method 1

a light turning element configured to turn a propagation path of a light ray from a light source by a turning angle as the light ray propagates through the light turning element. The light turning element comprises a layer of liquid crystal material... an angle between a director of the liquid crystal material and a first dimension changes as a function of position in the first dimension

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBirefringence: Birefringence

Data Source

PatentEP4300144B1Display system for producing a holographic head-up display image

Publication Date: 2025.12.03 ENVISICS LTD

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AI summary

A light turning element (850) and a method fabricating such a light turning element are described. The light turning element (850) is configured to turn/rotate the propagation path of a collimated incident light beam (806) by a predetermined angle as the light beam (806) propagates through the light turning element (850). The light turning element (850) comprises a layer of liquid crystal material (852). The layer of liquid crystal material (852) defining a plane. The layer of liquid crystal material (852) is configured such that an angle (θ) between a director (n) of the liquid crystal material and a first dimension (x) is an oscillating function of position in the first dimension x. The first dimension x is a dimension within the plane.