Electro-optical devices using dynamic reconfiguration of effective electrode structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798217-B2
Application number	US-201615348237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 21, 2008
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The drive signal source uses pulse-width modulation to set a frequency and an amplitude of the drive signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a variable optical device for controlling the propagation of light passing through the device, said optical device comprising:
a liquid crystal layer having a ground state alignment through which said light passes;
an electrode system comprising a hole patterned electrode arranged on a first substrate of the liquid crystal layer and an opposed electrode arranged on an opposed substrate of the liquid crystal layer to generate a spatially modulated electric field acting on said liquid crystal layer, said first substrate having a layer of weakly conductive material arranged thereon and said hole patterned electrode is additionally patterned to permit measuring sheet resistance of the weakly conductive layer; and
an electrical signal generator for generating a drive signal at a plurality of different frequencies and applying the drive signal to the electrode system;
the method comprising:
measuring a sheet resistance of the weakly conductive layer using said hole patterned electrode; and
adapting the drive signal in accordance with the sheet resistance measured.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the electrode system is configured to provide a heater and temperature sensor, the method comprising using said heater and said temperature sensor to keep the temperature of the device at a desired level.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , including using a heater and a temperature sensor to keep the temperature of the device at a desired level.

Assignees

• Lensvector Inc

Inventors

• Galstian Tigran
• Presniakov Vladimir
• Asatryan Karen
• Tork Amir
• Zohrabyan Armen
• Bagramyan Aram

Classifications

• G02F1/1337

  Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers · CPC title

• G02F1/29 Primary

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

• C08J3/28 Primary

  Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation · CPC title

• G02F1/13306

  Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2203/24

  beam steering · CPC title