Liquid crystal lens and liquid crystal spectacles

• US 11,067,833 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2018
• Issued: 07/20/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Qian, Chen, Xiaochuan, Zhao, Wenqing, Chen, Chenyu, Wang, Haiyan, Li, Zhongxiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoan C
• Application Number:
  US16/301,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20200355942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1337 Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13793 Blue phases
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1523 comprising inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/122 having a particular pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/44 Arrangements combining different electro-active layers, e.g. electrochromic, liquid crystal or electroluminescent layers

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of liquid crystal display, and specifically discloses a liquid crystal lens and liquid crystal spectacles. The liquid crystal lens includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged oppositely, a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an electrode unit including a first electrode and a second electrode. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes an annular electrode. The first electrode is located on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and the second electrode is located on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate. Under an effect of the first electrode and the second electrode, liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer further form a Fresnel lens having an adjustable focal distance.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal lens, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate that is opposite the first substrate;

a mono-layered liquid crystal cell between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

an electrode unit comprising a first electrode and a second electrode,

wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises an annular electrode,

wherein the first electrode is on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate and the second electrode is on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and

wherein liquid crystals in the mono-layered liquid crystal cell are configured to form a Fresnel lens with an adjustable focal distance under an effect of the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the first electrode comprises a first pixel electrode, wherein the first pixel electrode comprises a plurality of first annular electrodes comprising the first annular electrode and arranged concentrically at intervals, wherein respective distances between adjacent first annular electrodes are equal, and

wherein the second electrode comprises a second pixel electrode, wherein the second pixel electrode comprises a plurality of second annular electrodes comprising the second annular electrode and arranged concentrically at intervals and corresponding to respective ones of the first annular electrodes, wherein respective distances between adjacent second annular electrodes are equal,

the liquid crystal lens further comprising;

an electrochromic layer and a third electrode arranged sequentially on a side of the second substrate facing away from the mono-layered liquid crystal cell,

wherein the electrochromic layer is configured to form an emotion pattern when a voltage is applied to the third electrode.

2. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1,

wherein the first electrode further comprises a first common electrode,

wherein the first pixel electrode comprises a first annular electrode and the first common electrode comprises a first planar electrode,

wherein the second electrode further comprises a second common electrode,

wherein the second pixel electrode comprises a second annular electrode and the second common electrode comprises a second planar electrode, and

wherein the liquid crystals in the mono-layered liquid crystal cell comprise nematic liquid crystals or smectic liquid crystals.

3. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first alignment film on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate and proximate to the mono-layered liquid crystal cell; and

a second alignment film on the side of the second substrate facing the first substrate and proximate to the mono-layered liquid crystal cell,

wherein a first alignment direction of the first alignment film is perpendicular to a second alignment direction of the second alignment film.

4. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first annular spacers at intervals on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate; and

a plurality of second annular spacers at intervals on the side of the second substrate facing the first substrate,

wherein the liquid crystals in the mono-layered liquid crystal cell are configured to form a curve describing liquid crystal delays under the effect of the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the curve describing liquid crystal delays comprises a plurality of peak-valley descending segments and a plurality of valley-peak ascending segments, and

wherein ones of the plurality of first annular spacers and ones of the plurality of second annular spacers are at a peak-valley descending segment or a valley-peak ascending segment, to form a convex Fresnel lens or a concave Fresnel lens.

5. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 4, wherein the first annular electrodes are circular or elliptic.

6. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1,

wherein the first electrode comprises a first pixel electrode, the first pixel electrode comprising the annular electrode,

wherein the second electrode comprises a second common electrode, the second common electrode comprising a planar electrode, and

wherein the liquid crystals in the mono-layered liquid crystal cell comprise blue phase liquid crystals.

7. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 6,

wherein the first pixel electrode comprises a plurality of first annular electrodes comprising the annular electrode and arranged concentrically at intervals,

wherein distances between adjacent ones of the first annular electrodes are equal.

8. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of annular spacers arranged at intervals on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate,

wherein the liquid crystals in the mono-layered liquid crystal cell are configured to form a curve describing liquid crystal delays under an effect of the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the curve describing liquid crystal delays comprises a plurality of peak-valley descending segments and a plurality of valley-peak ascending segments, and

wherein ones of the annular spacers are arranged at respective ones of the peak-valley descending segments or at respective ones of the valley-peak ascending segments, to form a convex Fresnel lens or a concave Fresnel lens.

9. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 8, wherein the first annular electrodes are circular or elliptic.

10. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 7, wherein the first annular electrodes are circular or elliptic.

11. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1, wherein the first annular electrodes are circular or elliptic.

12. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1,

wherein the first substrate comprises a first base plate, and the second substrate comprises a second base plate, and

wherein the first base plate and the second base plate comprise respective transparent flexible base plates.

13. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1, wherein the third electrode comprises a plurality of block sub-electrodes in an array.

14. The liquid crystal lens according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises a tungsten trioxide layer and an electrolyte layer.

15. Liquid crystal spectacles, comprising the liquid crystal lens according to claim 1.

16. The liquid crystal spectacles according to claim 15, further comprising:

a sensor unit; and

a controller,

wherein the sensor unit comprises a plurality of distance sensors,

wherein ones of the distance sensors are connected with the controller, and are configured to detect respective distances between the ones of the distance sensors and human eyes and are configured to transmit the respective distances to the controller, and

wherein the controller is configured a to calculate a focal distance of human eyes based on the respective distances, and configured to calculate respective voltages to provide to the first electrode and the second electrode based on the focal distance of human eyes, thereby adjusting a focal distance of the Fresnel lens.

17. The liquid crystal spectacles according to claim 16, further comprising:

a detector,

wherein the detector is configured for detecting a physiological state of a human body and configured to feed the physiological state of the human body back to the controller, and

wherein the controller controls the liquid crystal lens to display an emotion pattern corresponding to the physiological state of the human body that was fed back by the detector.