A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material, such as a liquid crystal material, sandwiched between a flexible substrate and a rigid substrate. The flexible substrate and the rigid substrate may each have a conductive layer deposited on the surface facing the optically active material. The flexible substrate may be bonded about its perimeter to the rigid substrate and may be sufficiently flexible to conform to non-planarity of the rigid substrate. As a result, the flexible substrate may adopt the surface contour of the rigid substrate to maintain a uniform thickness of optically active material between the flexible substrate and the rigid substrate.

The present invention provides a transmissive screen including a light control layer, the screen being reduced in reflection scattering toward an image source, and an image display apparatus using the transmissive screen.

Disclosed herein is a light emitting device and method of manufacturing such a device comprised of a series of photopolymerizable, chiral liquid crystalline layers that can be solvent cast on a substrate. The mixture of chiral materials in each successive layer may be blended in such a way that each layer has the same chiral pitch. Further the chiral materials in each layer may also be blended so that the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices in each layer match the other layers such that the complete assembly of layers will optically function as a single relatively thick layer of chiral liquid crystal. The chiral nematic material in each layer can spontaneously adopt a helical structure with a helical pitch. The light emitting layers of the light emitting device can further comprise electroluminescent material that emits light into the band edge light propagation modes of the photonic crystal.

An electrical characteristic of a privacy glazing structure and indicative of a health of the privacy glazing structure can be measured at a first time and at a second time later than the first time. In response to detecting a change in the electrical characteristic indicating a change in the health of the privacy glazing structure, one or more parameters of an electrical drive signal can be adjusted to compensate for the change in the health of the privacy glazing structure. The electrical characteristic can be measured at a plurality of times after the second time and compared to the electrical characteristic measured at the first time. If, at any of the plurality of times, the measured electrical characteristic differs from the electrical characteristic measured at the first time by more than a threshold amount, one or more parameters of the electrical drive signal can be adjusted.

An apparatus to treat refractive error of an eye comprises an electroactive component configured to switch between a light scattering or optical power providing configuration to treat refractive error of the eye and a substantially transparent configuration to allow normal viewing. The electroactive component can be located on the lens away from a central axis of the lens to provide light to a peripheral region of the retina to decrease the progression of myopia. The electroactive component can be located on the lens away from the central axis of the lens in order for the wearer to view objects through an optical zone while the electroactive component scatters light. The electroactive component can be configured to switch to the substantially transparent configuration to allow light to pass through the electroactive component and to allow the lens to refract light to correct vision and allow normal viewing through the lens.

A masking device disposed over a display has a first viewing region, a second viewing region, a first operating mode, and a second operating mode, wherein in the first operating mode the masking device allows a first observer located in the first viewing region to observe information displayed on the display, and also allows a second observer located in the second viewing region to observe the displayed information, wherein in the second operating mode the masking device projects light to the second viewing region so as to prevent the second observer from observing the displayed information.

The present invention provides a light control film, including: a first transparent substrate; a first transparent electrode layer; a light control layer which contains a liquid crystal compound, and which enables switching between a light transmitting state and a light scattering state in accordance with a voltage to be applied; a second transparent electrode layer; and a second transparent substrate in the stated order, wherein the first transparent substrate has a front retardation of 50 nm or less, wherein the second transparent substrate has a front retardation of 50 nm or less, and wherein the light control film has a total light transmittance of from 85% to 99% in the light transmitting state.

A novel display device that is highly convenient, useful, or reliable is provided. The display device includes a light guide plate, a display panel, and an intermediate layer, and the light guide plate includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is irradiated with light, the second surface has a function of distributing light, the second surface is in contact with the intermediate layer, and the second surface has a first refractive index N1 in a region in contact with the intermediate layer. The display panel faces the second surface, the display panel is in contact with the intermediate layer, and the display panel has a function of scattering the distributed light. The intermediate layer includes a region positioned between the second surface and the display panel, and the intermediate layer has a second refractive index N2 in a region in contact with the second surface. The second refractive index N2 is smaller than the first refractive index N1.

A use of zwitterionic compound in preparation of dynamic-scattering-mode-based liquid crystal material. A liquid crystal material is also described. Such material contains liquid crystal and dopant, and the dopant is zwitterionic compound. A liquid crystal electro-optical device comprising such liquid crystal compound and the use of such optical device are also described. Zwitterionic compound is used as dopant to induce a stable dynamic scattering mode in liquid crystals.

A display device with a high aperture ratio is provided. The display device includes, in a pixel, a first transistor, a second transistor, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer, a conductive layer, a pixel electrode, a layer containing a liquid crystal material, and a common electrode. The first insulating layer is positioned over a channel formation region of the first transistor. The conductive layer is positioned over the first insulating layer. The second insulating layer is positioned over the first transistor, the second transistor, the first insulating layer, and the conductive layer. The pixel electrode is positioned over the second insulating layer, the layer containing a liquid crystal material is positioned over the pixel electrode, and the common electrode is positioned over the layer containing a liquid crystal material. The common electrode overlaps with the conductive layer with the layer containing a liquid crystal material and the pixel electrode therebetween. The pixel includes a first connection portion where the conductive layer is electrically connected to the first transistor and a second connection portion where the pixel electrode is electrically connected to the second transistor. The conductive layer, the pixel electrode, and the common electrode each have a function of transmitting visible light.