The invention relates to a light modulation device having pixels. Essentially, the one half of the pixels are reflective and the other half of the pixels are transmissive. The reflective pixels are arranged in alternation with the transmissive pixels in the same substrate plane. The light modulation device also has a backplane, which has transistors and data lines for conducting signals to the pixels. Each pixel is assigned at least one transistor and at least two data lines. The transistors and the data lines of each adjacent pair of a reflective pixel and a transmissive pixel are arranged under the reflective pixel.

Various embodiments set forth optical patterning systems. In some embodiments, an optical patterning system includes multiple liquid crystal (LC) layers and a substrate including circuitry that is connected to each of the LC layers. Each LC layer is independently addressable, via connections to the circuitry in the substrate, to modulate a different degree of freedom (DOF) of light, such as an amplitude, a phase, a distinct polarization component, or an amplitude or a phase of a polarization component of the light. In addition, each LC layer can be configured to operate in a non-resonant mode, in which light passes through the LC layer a single time, or in a resonant mode, in which light bounces back and forth between reflective layers multiple times to enhance the interaction with the LC layer.

The invention relates to a display device comprising a display plane, on which one or more planar display regions 10, 11 are arranged, said planar regions 10, 11 being covered by transparent coverings. A single transparent covering 3 covers all the planar display regions 10, 11 of the display device, is formed three-dimensionally on the viewer's side by regions of differing thicknesses and is connected on the side facing away from the viewer to the planar display regions 10, 11 by means of optical bonding. The refractive index of the material of the covering 3 corresponds to the refractive index of the optical-bonding material 8.

The present invention relates to a dimming unit including: a dimming panel; and drive circuitry, the dimming panel sequentially including a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a second substrate, the first substrate sequentially including an insulating substrate, a lower-layer electrode, a first insulating layer, multiple first electrodes, a second insulating layer, and a second electrode which is provided with multiple parallel linear electrodes and to which a constant voltage is applied, the first electrodes including multiple island electrodes which are spaced from each other in a plan view and are electrically connected to each other, at least one of the island electrodes being electrically connected to the lower-layer electrode through a contact hole, the drive circuitry controlling voltages applied to the respective first electrodes.

Liquid crystal light beam control devices and their manufacture are described. Beneficial aspects of beam broadening devices employed for controlled illumination and architectural purposes are presented including improving beam divergence control, improving beam broadening dynamic range control, beam divergence preconditioning, improving projected beam intensity uniformity.

An optical device includes a light source configured to provide a light beam. The optical device includes a light source configured to generate a light beam, and a spatial light modulator (“SLM”) configured to modulate the light beam to provide a hologram for generating a display image. The optical device includes a polarization-selective steering assembly configured to provide a plurality of steering states for the modulated light beam. The optical device includes an image combiner configured to focus the modulated light beam steered by the polarization-selective steering assembly to generate an array of spots at an eye-box of the optical device.

A display assembly includes: a display module including a plurality of pixel islands; and a plurality of lens arrays laminated at a light-exiting side of the display module. Each lens array includes a substrate, a cover plate, a first transparent electrode, a second transparent electrode, and a liquid crystal layer and a diffraction lens grating arranged between the first and second transparent electrodes. The diffraction lens grating includes a plurality of diffraction lens grating units corresponding to the plurality of pixel islands. A voltage is applied to each of the first and the second transparent electrodes in such a manner that a refractive index of a liquid crystal molecule in the liquid crystal layer is equal to or not equal to a refractive index of the diffraction lens grating.

According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display panel configured to modulate a first polarization component, a first viewing angle control panel including a first liquid crystal layer containing twisted liquid crystal molecules, a second viewing angle control panel including a second liquid crystal layer containing twisted liquid crystal molecules, and a polarization axis rotation element provided between the first viewing angle control panel and the display panel. A second polarization axis of a second polarization component which passed through the first viewing angle control panel is different from a first polarization axis of the first polarization component. The polarization axis rotation element is configured to rotate the second polarization axis.

A privacy function structure, a display panel, and a display device are provided in the present disclosure. The privacy function structure includes a privacy state and a non-privacy state. The privacy function structure includes a first conductive layer, a privacy liquid crystal layer, a light-transmitting cover plate, and a second conductive layer. The privacy liquid crystal layer is disposed on a side of the first conductive layer, the light-transmitting cover plate is disposed on a side of the privacy liquid crystal layer away from the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer is disposed on a side of the light-transmitting cover plate facing the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer includes multiple conductive strips mutually parallel. By controlling on and off of the multiple conductive strips, the privacy function structure is switched between the privacy state and the non-privacy state.

An optical apparatus includes an image source, a relay optical system, and an optical processing system. The image source is configured to display an image. The relay optical system is configured to project the image displayed by the image source to the optical processing system, and to image at infinity. The optical processing system is configured to project incident light from the relay optical system in a same direction to at least two preset directions sequentially.