Light modulator device used for a display for the presentation of two- and/or three-dimensional image contents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11294246-B2
Application number	US-202117315949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	Jun 23, 2009
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

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 deflection device comprising:
a first diffraction device which comprises a plurality of first electrodes provided in a first direction and having a stripe shape extending in a direction crossing the first direction, the first diffraction device being configured to deflect incident light in the first direction making an angle with a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively, and oriented to a first location, and the first diffraction device comprising liquid crystals;
a second diffraction device which comprises a plurality of second electrodes provided in a second direction and having a stripe shape extending in a direction crossing the second direction, the second diffraction device being configured to deflect the incident light in the second direction making an angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, and oriented to a second location, and the second diffraction device comprising liquid crystals; and
a polarization converter which provide a suitable polarization of the light incident on one of the first diffraction device or second diffraction device, configured to convert polarization of the light incident on one of the first diffraction device or second diffraction device such that the light is deflected to the first direction by the first diffraction device or to the second direction by the second diffraction device.

2. The light deflection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first diffraction device comprises:
a first electrode structure comprising the plurality of first electrodes on a first substrate;
a second electrode structure used as a common electrode on a second substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystals aligned between the first substrate and the second substrate, and
where the second diffraction device comprises:
a first electrode structure comprising the plurality of second electrodes on a first substrate;
a second electrode structure used as a common electrode on a second substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystals aligned between the first substrate and the second substrate.

3. The light deflection device according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization converter comprises a retardation plate.

4. The light deflection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction and the second direction make a presettable angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively.

5. The light deflection device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes make a presettable angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

6. The light deflection device according to claim 5 , wherein the presettable angle is 55 degrees.

7. The light deflection device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes comprise a plurality of group electrodes, each group electrode comprising n electrodes, and where the electrodes of the group electrodes are commonly addressed such that a presettable voltage is set to the electrodes.

8. A holographic three-dimensional display device comprising:
an illumination device configured to emit light; the illumination device comprising a waveguide configured to guide the light and output the light;
a spatial light modulator configured to form a holographic image by modulating light emitted by the illumination device; and
a light deflection device configured to deflect the light emitted by the illumination device, the light deflection device comprising a first diffraction device configured to deflect the light emitted by the illumination device in a first direction making an angle with a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively, such that the deflected light is oriented to a first location, and a second diffraction device configured to deflect the light deflected from the first diffraction device such that the light is deflected in a second direction making an angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, at the first location and is oriented to a second location.

9. The holographic device according to claim 8 , wherein the first diffraction device comprises a plurality of first electrodes provided in the first direction and having a stripe shape extending in a direction crossing the first direction, the first diffraction device being configured to deflect incident light in the first direction and oriented to the first location, and the first diffraction device comprising liquid crystals,
the second diffraction device comprises a plurality of second electrodes provided in the second direction and having a stripe shape extending in a direction crossing the second direction, the second diffraction device being configured to deflect the incident light in the second direction at the first location and oriented to the second location, and the second diffraction device comprising liquid crystals, and
the light deflection device further comprises a polarization converter which provide a suitable polarization of the light incident on one of the first diffraction device or second diffraction device, configured to convert polarization of the light incident on one of the first diffraction device or second diffraction device such that the light is deflected to the first direction by the first diffraction device or to the second direction by the second diffraction device.

10. The holographic device according to claim 9 , wherein the first diffraction device comprises:
a first electrode structure comprising the plurality of first electrodes on a first substrate;
a second electrode structure used as a common electrode on a second substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystals aligned between the first substrate and the second substrate, and
where the second diffraction device comprises:
a first electrode structure comprising the plurality of second electrodes on a first substrate;
a second electrode structure used as a common electrode on a second substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystals aligned between the first substrate and the second substrate.

11. The holographic device according to claim 9 , wherein the polarization converter comprises a retardation plate.

12. The holographic device according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes comprise a plurality of group electrodes, each group electrode comprising n electrodes, and where the electrodes of the group electrodes are commonly addressed such that a presettable voltage is set to the electrodes.

13. The holographic device according to claim 8 , wherein the first direction and the second direction make a presettable angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively.

14. The holographic device according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes make a presettable angle with the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

15. The holographic device according to claim 14 , wherein the presettable angle is 55 degrees.

Assignees

• Seereal Tech S A

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G03H2225/11

  1D SLM · CPC title

• G03H2225/55

  Having optical element registered to each pixel · CPC title

• G03H1/02

  Details {of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording} · CPC title

• G03H1/2205

  using downstream optical component · CPC title

• G02F1/292

  by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31) · CPC title