Variable-Focus Liquid Crystal Lens With Stepped Annular Voltage Division
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid crystal zoom lens designs face challenges in achieving an ideal optical path difference distribution due to complex circuitry, high-resistance film uniformity issues, and oversampling leading to image quality degradation.
Innovation Solution
A variable-focus liquid crystal lens design with a lower substrate featuring annular electrodes of unequal spacings and line widths, a voltage divider circuit with equal connection point distances and resistances, and annular trace winding regions to ensure an equally stepped optical path difference distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If discrete multi-electrode designs are used to achieve ideal optical path difference distribution, then the optical performance is improved, but the device complexity and circuitry become significantly more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is divided into multiple annular zones with different electrode configurations, where each zone can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows precise optical path difference distribution across different regions while using a manageable number of electrodes rather than requiring complex multi-electrode designs throughout the entire lens.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lens are assigned different electrode properties - the central region uses a different electrode configuration compared to the outer ring region. This local quality approach optimizes each region's contribution to image quality without requiring uniform high sampling rates across the entire lens, thereby reducing overall circuit complexity.
2Device complexity
If spiral or concentric circle designs with equal line width and equal line spacing are used, then the optical path difference distribution is simplified, but image quality degrades in the central region due to oversampling and diffraction effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric electrode spacing where the spacing between adjacent annular electrodes varies across different regions. Specifically, the spacing is designed to be different in the central region compared to the outer ring region, which prevents oversampling in the central area and reduces diffraction effects while maintaining simple electrode geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
Different spacing parameters are applied to different regions: the central region uses one spacing configuration optimized for its specific optical requirements, while the outer ring region uses a different spacing configuration. This local optimization maintains manufacturing simplicity while improving overall image quality.
3Device complexity
If the entire lens area adopts the same electrode sampling rate, then the electrode design is simplified, but image quality degrades in the central region due to oversampling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different electrode sampling rates for different regions - the central region uses a lower sampling rate appropriate for its optical characteristics, while the outer ring region uses a higher sampling rate. This regional differentiation eliminates oversampling in the central area and improves image quality without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens is segmented into regions with different sampling rate requirements. By dividing the lens area and assigning appropriate sampling rates to each segment, the patent avoids the pitfalls of uniform sampling while keeping the control system manageable.
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 design achieves an ideal optical path difference distribution, reducing voltage errors and enhancing image quality by operating the liquid crystal material in a linear region of the voltage-optical path difference curve.
Implementation Method 1
controlling the liquid crystal material to operate in a linear region of a voltage-optical path difference curve results in an equally stepped optical path difference distribution
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a variable-focus liquid crystal lens including an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal material, where the liquid crystal material is disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. The lower substrate internally includes a first electrode region, where the first electrode region includes a plurality of annular electrodes with unequal spacings and unequal line widths arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside. A voltage divider circuit is disposed on the periphery of the lower substrate. an annular trace is respectively connected to the plurality of annular electrodes through different connection lines, a plurality of spaced connection points are formed at junctions between each of the connection lines and the annular trace, annular trace winding regions are disposed between every two adjacent connection points, distances between every two adjacent connection points are equal, and resistances between every two adjacent connection points are equal.