Light modulation device for a display for representing two- and/or three-dimensional image content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684489-B2
Application number	US-201013126866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2010
Priority date	Jun 23, 2009
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a light modulation device for a display for representing two- and/or three-dimensional image content or image sequences. The light modulation device comprises a light modulator and a controller. The phase and/or the amplitude of a light wave field, which is substantially collimated, can be varied by means of the light modulator depending on the location of the light modulator. The light modulator can be actuated by means of the control device. According to the invention, in the direction of propagation of the light wave field, at least one diffracting unit is arranged downstream of the light modulator. The diffracting unit has a variable diffracting structure. By means of the diffracting structure, the light wave field varied by the light modulator can be diffracted in a variable and predeterminable manner. Further, the present invention relates to a display and a method for producing a light modulation device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light modulator device used for a display for the presentation of at least one of two-dimensional and three-dimensional image contents, comprising a light modulator and a control unit, wherein at least one of the phase and amplitude of a collimated light wave field is alterable by the light modulator in dependence on the location on the light modulator, said light modulator being controllable by the control unit,
wherein the light modulator is followed by at least one controllable tracking diffraction device in the direction of the propagation of the light wave field, the tracking diffraction device comprising a variable diffractive structure depending on how the tracking diffraction device is currently controlled and is structured in one dimension, and where the light wave field which has been modulated by the light modulator is variably diffractable by this diffractive structure in a presettable way.

2. The light modulator device according to claim 1 , wherein the tracking diffraction device adjusts a presettable grating-type diffractive structure or a saw-tooth-shaped diffractive structure which extends in only one defined dimension.

3. The light modulator device according to claim 1 wherein the periodicity of the diffractive structure which is adjustable by the tracking diffraction device is modifiable.

4. The light modulator device according to claim 1 , wherein the tracking diffraction device comprises parallel linear electrodes which are located at a first substrate.

5. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein a substrate of the tracking diffraction device comprises a planar electrode which is isolated from the parallel electrodes.

6. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the tracking diffraction device comprises a second substrate which is arranged at a distance to the first substrate, and where the second substrate comprises at least one of a planar electrode and multiple parallel linear electrodes.

7. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the electrodes of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate are transparent for the used light or where at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate are transparent for the used light.

8. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein electrodes are arranged at at least one substrate in at least two different planes which are parallel to a surface of the substrate and where the electrodes arranged in the different planes are arranged to be shifted to each other in a direction parallel to one of the different planes.

9. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein at least one intermediate electrode layer is provided between two substrates and where the intermediate electrode layer/s comprises electrodes.

10. The light modulator device according to claim 9 , wherein the electrodes of the intermediate electrode layer are of linear shape, arranged substantially parallel to each other and oriented in a presettable direction.

11. The light modulator device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the distance between a substrate and a neighbouring intermediate electrode layer and/or between two neighbouring intermediate electrode layers is presettable.

12. Light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the parallel linear electrodes of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and of an intermediate electrode layer are oriented in a presettable direction.

13. The light modulator device according to claim 12 , wherein the orientation of the parallel linear electrodes of the first substrate is arranged under a defined angle to the orientation of the parallel linear electrodes of the second substrate, said angle ranging between 0 and 90 degrees, but preferably being 0 degrees.

14. The light modulator device according to claim 12 , wherein the orientation of the parallel linear electrodes of a substrate is arranged under a defined angle to the orientation of the parallel linear electrodes of an intermediate electrode layer, said angle ranging between 0 and 90 degrees.

15. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein multiple electrodes of a substrate or an intermediate electrode layer are combined to form a segment, being commonly addressable or commonly disconnectable, where multiple segments are provided.

16. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the parallel linear electrodes of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate and of an intermediate electrode layer are oriented to be parallel to each other.

17. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the refractive index of the electrodes is substantially identical to the refractive index of the substrates, or where the electrode material and a substrate material are designed such that they comprise substantially the same refractive index.

18. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein a material which realises local changes in the refractive index for at least one direction of the polarisation of the light by modulating a material-affecting control factor is arranged between at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and between a substrate and a neighbouring intermediate electrode layer, and between two neighbouring intermediate electrode layers.

19. The light modulator device according to claim 18 , wherein the material comprises liquid crystals or that the material comprises a polymer film comprising liquid crystals or with oblong nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes, or that the material comprises a flexible or highly viscous layer comprising oblong nanoparticles.

20. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein liquid crystals are arranged between at least one of the first and the second substrates and between a substrate and a neighbouring intermediate electrode layer and between two neighbouring intermediate electrode layers, the orientation of said liquid crystals being controllable by a presettable electric voltage supplied to the electrodes and where means are provided to define a pre-orientation of the liquid crystals that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the electrodes.

21. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the electrodes of the diffraction device provide an electric field distribution in the tracking diffraction device which realises at least regionally a saw-tooth-shaped refractive index distribution with a predefined periodicity.

22. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the electrodes of the tracking diffraction device provide an electric field distribution in the tracking diffraction device which realises a substantially homogeneous refractive index distribution.

23. The light modulator device according to claim 22 , wherein for setting a substantially homogeneous refractive index distribution the electrodes of the tracking diffraction device realise an electric field distribution which prepares for the refractive index distribution which is to be set in next active state.

24. The light modulator device according to claim 4 , wherein the electrodes of the diffraction device are initially and temporarily supplied with a higher electric voltage than would be necessary to set the desired refractive index distribution, and where the electric voltage is then reduced to values which are necessary to set the desired

Assignees

• Kroll Bo
• Leister Norbert
• Futterer Gerald
• Missbach Robert
• Reichelt Stephan
• Seereal Tech S A

Inventors

• Kroll Bo
• Leister Norbert
• Futterer Gerald
• Missbach Robert
• Reichelt Stephan

Classifications

• G02B30/00 Primary

  Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images (in microscopes G02B21/22) · CPC title

• G02F1/134309 Primary

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02B30/20

  by providing first and second parallax images to an observer's left and right eyes · CPC title

• G02F1/134318

  having a patterned common electrode · CPC title

• Y10T29/49155

  Manufacturing circuit on or in base · CPC title