LIQUID CRYSTAL LENS UNIT AND THREE DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20160202489A1
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: OH, Soo Hee, SEO, Hyun Seung, JEONG, Seung Jun
• Application Number:
  US14/806,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20160202489A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/50 OLEDs integrated with light modulating elements, e.g. with electrochromic elements, photochromic elements or liquid crystal elements

Abstract

A liquid crystal lens unit is provided as follows. Lower plate electrodes are positioned on a first substrate. The lower plate electrodes are extended in a first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction. An upper plate electrode is positioned on the lower plate electrodes. A second substrate is positioned on the upper plate electrode. A liquid crystal layer is positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the upper electrode. A first voltage is applied to at least two outermost lower plate electrodes and then, a second voltage lower than the first voltage is applied to at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal lens unit comprising:

a first substrate;

a plurality of lower plate electrodes positioned on the first substrate, wherein the lower plate electrodes are extended in a first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction;

an upper plate electrode positioned on the lower plate electrodes;

a second substrate positioned on the upper plate electrode;

a liquid crystal layer positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the upper electrode,

wherein a first voltage is applied to at least two outermost lower plate electrodes and then, a second voltage lower than the first voltage is applied to at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes.

2. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 1, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are vertically aligned (VA).

3. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 2, further comprising:

a first alignment layer positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the liquid crystal layer and having a first alignment direction which is substantially the same as the first direction.

4. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 3, further comprising:

a second alignment layer positioned between the upper plate electrode and the liquid crystal layer and having the first alignment direction.

5. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 1, wherein the lower plate electrodes include at least five electrodes arranged in the second direction and in the order of a first lower plate electrode, a second lower plate electrode, a third lower plate electrode, a fourth lower plate electrode and a fifth lower plate electrode, and wherein the first voltage is applied to the first lower plate electrode and the fifth lower plate electrode of at two outermost lower plate electrodes.

6. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 5, wherein the second voltage is applied to the second lower plate electrode and the fourth lower plate electrode of at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes, and a third voltage lower than the second voltage is applied to the third lower plate electrode interposed between the second and fourth lower plate electrodes.

7. The liquid crystal lens unit of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer performs, in response to an electric field formed between the lower plate electrodes and the upper plate electrode, as a Fresnel lens.

8. A 3D display device comprising:

a display panel displaying an image; and

a liquid crystal lens unit including;

a first substrate;

a plurality of lower plate electrodes positioned on the first substrate, extended in a first direction on the first substrate and spaced apart from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction;

an upper plate electrode positioned on the lower plate electrodes;

a second substrate positioned on the upper plate electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the upper electrode,

wherein a first voltage is applied to at least two outermost lower plate electrodes and then, a second voltage lower than the first voltage is applied to at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes.

9. The 3D display device of claim 8, wherein:

the lower plate electrodes include at least five electrodes arranged in the second direction and in the order of a first lower plate electrode, a second lower plate electrode, a third lower plate electrode, a fourth lower plate electrode, and a fifth lower plate electrode, and

the first voltage is applied to of the first lower plate electrode and the fifth lower plate electrode of at least two outermost electrodes.

10. The 3D display device of claim 9, wherein:

the second voltage is applied to the second lower plate electrode and the fourth lower plate electrode of at least two second outermost electrodes, and a third voltage lower than the second voltage is applied to the third lower plate electrode disposed between the second and fourth electrodes.

11. The 3D display device of claim 8, wherein:

the liquid crystal layer performs, in response to an electric field formed between the lower plate electrodes and the upper plate electrode, as a Fresnel lens.

12. The 3D display device of claim 8, wherein the display panel includes an organic light emitting diode.

13. A 3D display device comprising:

a display panel displaying an image;

a liquid crystal lens unit configured to display the image as a three dimensional image;

a voltage generator configured to apply sequentially two or more voltages to the liquid crystal lens unit such that the liquid crystal lens performs as a Fresnel lens.

14. The 3D display device of claim 13, wherein the liquid crystal lens unit including:

at least five plate electrodes spaced apart from each other;

an upper plate electrode facing the lower plate electrodes;

a liquid crystal layer positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the upper electrode,

wherein at least two outermost lower plate electrodes are applied with a first voltage from the voltage generator and then, at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes are applied with a second voltage.

15. The 3D display device of claim 14, wherein at least third outermost lower plate electrodes are applied with a third voltage from the voltage generator, wherein the second and third voltages are applied at substantially the same time.