Optical beam deflection arrangement and multi-view display having the same

摘要

There is disclosed an optical beam deflection arrangement which may be used in an autostereoscopic display device. The arrangement comprises a substrate; a first layer, for example formed of an optically isotropic solid and having a curved surface facing towards the substrate; and a second layer, for example formed of a liquid crystal material confined between the substrate and the first layer. An interface between the first and second layers may, for example, define an array of parallel lenticulars. A refractive index of the second layer, for light of a predetermined polarization, maybe switchable between a first value matching the refractive index of the first layer and a second value different to the refractive index of the first layer, to thereby selectably provide a beam deflection function. The substrate is spaced from the first layer by a plurality of spacers which are extended from the substrate or from the first layer, the spacers making point or line contact with the other one of the substrate and the first layer. The spacers may comprise elongate spacers having a length direction parallel to the plane of the substrate. The substrate and the first layer may be formed of flexible plastics materials, in which case the arrangement may be manufactured using roll-to-roll processing techniques.

主权项

1. A multi-view display device for providing multiple views to one or more viewers, the device comprising:
an image forming arrangement having an array of display pixels for producing a display; and an optical beam deflection arrangement arranged in registration with the image forming arrangement such that light from different pixels is directed by the optical beam deflection arrangement into different ones of the multiple views, wherein the optical beam deflection arrangement comprises:
a substrate formed of a solid material having a substrate surface;a first layer formed of an optically transparent solid material, having a first refractive index and having an optical beam deflection surface at least partly defined by a plurality of curved surfaces;a second layer of a gaseous and/or liquid material confined between the substrate surface and the optical beam deflection surface, and having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is different from the first refractive index, wherein the substrate surface is spaced from the deflection surface by a plurality of spacers which are extended from the substrate and/or from the first layer, wherein the spacers make point and/or line contact with one or more first portions of the other one of the substrate surface and the optical beam deflection surface, wherein the spacers are elongate having a length and width perpendicular to the length, where the spacer length and spacer width extend in a plane parallel to the plane of the substrate, wherein each spacer makes direct contact with at least two different curved surfaces, and wherein the curved surfaces contact each other at lines of contact that are substantially parallel and at an angle between 2 and 80 degrees to a direction of the lengths of the spacers.