Light deflector and display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017200423-A1
Application number	US-201615171587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light deflector includes a first light deflecting member disposed on a transparent substrate and has a refractive index that varies depending on a magnitude of an electric field applied thereto. The light deflector may adjust the refractive index by applying electric fields differently according to regions of the first light deflecting member or time divisions. The light deflector may have a smaller size than a light deflector including an optical device, and may easily adjust the refractive index.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light deflector comprising:
a light source configured to emit light of a plurality of wavelengths; a first light deflecting member that is configured to deflect the light incident from the light source in a deflection direction, and comprises a light path conversion surface configured to adjust the deflection direction of the incident light; and a controller configured to control the first light deflecting unit so that the light of the plurality of wavelengths which is incident onto the light path conversion surface is deflected in a same direction.

2 . The light deflector of claim 1 , wherein the first light deflecting member comprises:
a light deflecting layer on which the light path conversion surface is disposed; a first electrode layer disposed on a surface of the light deflecting layer; and a second electrode layer disposed on another surface of the light deflecting layer, wherein the light deflecting layer is disposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

3 . The light deflector of claim 2 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes that are spaced apart from one another.

4 . The light deflector of claim 3 , wherein the second electrode layer is a common electrode configured to apply a voltage between the second electrode layer and each of the plurality of first sub-electrodes.

5 . The light deflector of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to apply a voltage to each of the plurality of first sub-electrodes to adjust the light path conversion surface.

6 . The light deflector of claim 3 , wherein a refractive index distribution of the light deflecting layer is obtained according to a voltage distribution applied between each of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the second electrode layer, and an interface between two different refractive indexes in the light deflecting layer becomes the light path conversion surface.

7 . The light deflector of claim 2 , wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer comprise a transparent conductive material.

8 . The light deflector of claim 2 , wherein the light deflecting layer comprises liquid crystal.

9 . The light deflector of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the light source and the light deflecting member so that the light having the plurality of wavelengths passes through the light deflecting member in a time multiplexing manner.

10 . The light deflector of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to divide one frame into a plurality of sub-frames, control the light source so that light beams of different wavelengths are incident to the light deflecting member at a same angle within the plurality of sub-frames, and control the light deflecting member so that angles of the light beams of different wavelengths incident onto the light path conversion surface are different from each other.

11 . The light deflector of claim 10 , wherein time durations of the plurality of sub-frames are equal to each other.

12 . The light deflector of claim 1 , further comprising a second light deflecting member that comprises a light path conversion surface that has a variable inclination so that a deflection direction of incident light is adjusted.

13 . The light deflector of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of wavelengths comprises a first wavelength and a second wavelength which is different from the first wavelength, the light source emits the light of the first wavelength to the first light deflecting member, and the light source emits the light of second wavelength to the second light deflecting member.

14 . The light deflector of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first light deflecting member and the second light deflecting member so that the light of the first wavelength is incident to the light path conversion surface of the first light deflecting member at a first incident angle and the light of the second wavelength is incident to the light path conversion surface of the second light deflecting members at a second incident angle, the second incident angle being different from the first incident angle.

15 . The light deflector of claim 14 , further comprising at least one light path conversion member configured to convert a light path so that the light of the first wavelength and the second wavelength respectively emitted from the first light deflecting member and second light deflecting member forms a same light path.

16 . The light deflector of claim 15 , wherein the light path conversion member comprises a dichroic mirror.

17 . The light deflector of claim 12 , wherein the second light deflecting member is located on a light path through which the light deflected from the first light deflecting member proceeds, and comprises a light path conversion surface that has a variable inclination to adjust the deflection direction of the light passing through the first light deflecting member.

18 . The light deflector of claim 17 , wherein an inclination of the light path conversion surface of the first light deflecting member varies along a first axis and an inclination of the light path conversion surface of the second light deflecting member varies along a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis.

19 . A display apparatus comprising:
a light source configured to emit light of a plurality of wavelengths; a first light deflecting member that is configured to deflect the light incident from the light source in a deflection direction, and comprises a light path conversion surface configured to adjust the deflection direction of the incident light; and a controller configured to control the first light deflecting unit so that the light of the plurality of wavelengths which is incident onto the light path conversion surface is deflected in a same direction; and a display panel configured to modulate the light deflected from the first light deflecting member according to image information.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Young
• Kim Yunhee
• Song Hoon

Classifications

• G09G3/2003

  Display of colours (specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607) · CPC title

• G09G2310/0235

  Field-sequential colour display · CPC title

• G02B30/27

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title

• G02F1/29

  for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection · CPC title

• G09G3/3433 Primary

  using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices (using liquid crystal devices G09G3/36; using electrochromic devices G09G3/38) · CPC title