Liquid Crystal Lens for 3D Display Without Polarizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D display technologies using liquid crystal lenses suffer from reduced brightness due to the need for polarized light, which results in light loss and decreased transmittance, especially when used with non-polarized light sources like OLED, PDP, and CRT displays.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal lens design featuring first and second lenses disposed between substrates, each converging light components in specific polarization directions, allowing for 3D display without the need for an additional polarizer, thereby reducing light loss and enhancing transmittance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a liquid crystal lens is used for naked eye 3D display, then the 3D display effect is achieved, but the display brightness is reduced by 50% or more due to light loss from the polarizer
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid crystal lens is segmented into multiple independent liquid crystal units, each corresponding to a sub-pixel unit. This segmentation allows selective control of light convergence for different visual areas, enabling the system to maintain brightness by only modulating light where needed for 3D effect rather than blocking light across the entire display area with a polarizer
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal lens serves multiple functions: it acts as both a light modulation element for 3D display and a brightness preservation element. By using the birefringence characteristic of liquid crystal molecules to converge or scatter light beams based on electric field distribution, the same liquid crystal layer that enables 3D effect also manages light transmission efficiency, eliminating the need for a separate polarizer that would block 50% or more of the light
2Reliability
If a polarizer is added to convert non-polarized light to polarized light for liquid crystal lens operation, then the 3D display effect is achieved, but the transmittance of the display device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operational parameter of the liquid crystal system from requiring polarized light to working with natural light. By utilizing the birefringence characteristic of liquid crystal molecules and controlling their arrangement orientation through electric field distribution, the system can converge or scatter light beams without needing a polarizer, thus maintaining high light transmittance while achieving the 3D display effect
Solution Approach 2:
The polarizer component is completely removed from the display structure. The liquid crystal lens operates directly with natural light from the display, extracting the light modulation function from the polarizer and transferring it to the liquid crystal units which control light convergence and scattering through voltage-controlled molecular orientation
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
This design achieves high-brightness 3D displays by effectively converging polarized light in two directions, improving luminance and maintaining the 3D effect without the need for a polarizer, thus overcoming the limitations of prior art.
Implementation Method 1
The principle of the liquid crystal lens is that light beam is converged or scattered based on birefringence characteristic of liquid crystal molecules and arrangement orientation thereof varied with distribution of electric field
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal lens and a 3D display device are provided. The liquid crystal lens comprises a lower substrate, an upper substrate disposed opposite to the lower substrate and a common substrate disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. A plurality of first lenses are disposed between the lower substrate and the common substrate, each of the first lenses only converging light component of the incident natural light in a first polarization direction. A plurality of second lenses are disposed between the upper substrate and the common substrate, each of the second lenses only converging the light component of the incident natural light in a second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction. The 3D display device of the invention can reduce loss of light energy and enhance display luminance of the 3D display device as a whole.