Light modulation apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and drive methods therefor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A light modulation apparatus comprising:
- a liquid crystal device;
a pulse control unit for changing the transmittance of light made incident on said liquid crystal device from a current transmittance into a target transmittance by sequentially applying at least two distinct drive pulses to said liquid crystal device; and
a polarizing plate that is movable into and out of an optical path of light made incident on said liquid crystal device;
wherein said at least two drive pulses include a first drive pulse having a first pulse height and a first pulse width and a second drive pulse having a second pulse height and a second pulse width; and
wherein the first pulse height is greater than the second pulse height and/or the first pulse width is greater than the second pulse width.
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Abstract
Disclosed are a light modulation apparatus including a liquid crystal device; and a polarizing plate disposed in an optical path of light made incident on said liquid crystal device; wherein said liquid crystal device is of a guest-host type using a negative type liquid crystal as a host material, an image pickup apparatus using the light modulation apparatus, and methods of driving the light modulation apparatus and image pickup apparatus.
26 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A light modulation apparatus comprising:
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a liquid crystal device; a pulse control unit for changing the transmittance of light made incident on said liquid crystal device from a current transmittance into a target transmittance by sequentially applying at least two distinct drive pulses to said liquid crystal device; and a polarizing plate that is movable into and out of an optical path of light made incident on said liquid crystal device; wherein said at least two drive pulses include a first drive pulse having a first pulse height and a first pulse width and a second drive pulse having a second pulse height and a second pulse width; and wherein the first pulse height is greater than the second pulse height and/or the first pulse width is greater than the second pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
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a light modulation apparatus including a liquid crystal device and a pulse control unit for changing the transmittance of light made incident on said liquid crystal device from a current transmittance into a target transmittance by sequentially applying at least two distinct drive pulses to said liquid crystal device; wherein said light modulation apparatus is disposed in an optical path of an optical system of said image pickup apparatus; wherein said at least two drive pulses include a first drive pulse having a first pulse height and a first pulse width and a second drive pulse having a second pulse height and a second pulse width; and wherein the first pulse height is greater than the second pulse height and/or the first pulse width is greater than the second pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of driving a light modulation apparatus including a liquid crystal device, comprising the step of:
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changing the transmittance of light made incident on said liquid crystal device from a current transmittance into a target transmittance by sequentially applying at least two distinct drive pulses to said liquid crystal device; wherein the light modulation apparatus includes a polarizing plate that is movable into and out of an optical path of light made incident on said liquid crystal device; wherein the at least two drive pulses include a first drive pulse having a first pulse height and a first pulse width and a second drive pulse having a second pulse height and a second pulse width; and wherein the first pulse height is greater than the second pulse height and/or the first pulse width is greater than the second pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of driving an image pickup apparatus in which a liquid crystal device of a light modulation apparatus is disposed in an optical path of an optical system of said image pickup apparatus, comprising the step of:
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changing the transmittance of light made incident on said liquid crystal device from a current transmittance into a target transmittance by sequentially applying at least two distinct drive pulses to said liquid crystal device; wherein the at least two drive pulses include a first drive pulse having a first pulse height and a first pulse width and a second drive pulse having a second pulse height and a second pulse width; and wherein the first pulse height is greater than the second pulse height and/or the first pulse width is greater than the second pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification