Abstract: An image display device includes a display panel and a liquid crystal lens. The liquid crystal lens includes first and second zones equally distant from a center of the liquid crystal lens. The first zone, positioned at a left of the center, includes first linear electrodes. The second zone, positioned at a right of the center, includes second linear electrodes. A number of the first linear electrodes is equal to a number of the second linear electrodes. Bus lines are electrically connected to the first and second linear electrodes. A number of the plurality of bus lines is less than a sum of the number of the first linear electrodes and the number of the second linear electrodes.

Abstract: A method of driving an optical modulation device includes applying a voltage to an upper electrode; forming a forward phase slope by applying a first driving signal to a lower electrode in a first area; forming a backward phase slope by applying a second driving signal different from the first driving signal to another lower electrode in a second area; forming an area without phase retardation by applying a third driving signal to two lower electrodes in a third area between the first area and the second area; and forming a flat phase slope by applying a fourth driving signal different from the first to third driving signals one lower electrode in a fourth area between the first area and the second area.

Abstract: A liquid crystal lens unit is provided as follows. Lower plate electrodes are positioned on a first substrate. The lower plate electrodes are extended in a first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction. An upper plate electrode is positioned on the lower plate electrodes. A second substrate is positioned on the upper plate electrode. A liquid crystal layer is positioned between the lower plate electrodes and the upper electrode. A first voltage is applied to at least two outermost lower plate electrodes and then, a second voltage lower than the first voltage is applied to at least two second outermost lower plate electrodes.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes a first plate, a second plate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first plate includes an active area and a peripheral area positioned around the active area. The liquid crystal layer is positioned between the first plate and the second plate and includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first plate includes a first electrode, first and second voltage transmitting lines, and a first aligner. The second plate includes a second electrode and a second aligner. The first and second voltage transmitting lines are positioned at the peripheral area and extend in a direction crossing a direction in which the first electrode extends. The first electrode is electrically connected to the first voltage transmitting line in the peripheral area. The first electrode includes a portion overlapping the second voltage transmitting line.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes: a first plate and a second plate that face each other and that include a plurality of unit regions; and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first plate and the second plate that includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, wherein the first plate includes a plurality of lower electrodes, the second plate includes at least one upper electrode, a pretilt angle P1 of a long axis of the liquid crystal molecules with respect to a surface of the first plate or the second plate when no electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer and an abnormal inclination angle P2 of the liquid crystal molecules with respect to a surface of the first plate or the second plate in an abnormal region of the liquid crystal molecules satisfy (90-P1)/(90-P2)=K, where K is larger than about 0.2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical device including a display panel configured to display an image and a phase retardation plate disposed on the display panel. An optical modulation device is disposed on the phase retardation plate. The optical modulation device includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate. The first and second substrates include a plurality of unit regions. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first substrate includes a plurality of lower electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode. and the first substrate includes a first aligner. The second substrate includes an upper electrode and a second aligner. An alignment direction of the first aligner and an alignment direction of the second aligner are substantially parallel to each other.

Abstract: A method for driving an optical modulation device is provided. The optical modulation device includes first and second portions. Each of the first and second portions includes a first plate, a second plate opposite to the first plate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second plates. The method includes forming a forward phase gradient in the first portion by applying a first driving signal to first and second electrodes in the first plate of the first portion and a third electrode in the second plate of the first portion. The method further includes forming a reverse phase gradient in the second portion by applying a second driving signal differing from the first driving signal to fourth and fifth electrodes in the first plate of the second portion and a sixth electrode in the second plate of the second portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical path converting element. The optical path converting element includes a first layer, a second layer, and a liquid crystal layer. The first layer includes at least one first-layer electrode. The second layer includes at least one second-layer electrode. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the first layer and the second layer. Liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer has a first state or a second state in accordance with a voltage applied to the first-layer and second layer electrodes. The liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer is vertically aligned in the first state. The liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer is horizontally aligned in the second state. The liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer is spirally aligned in a first direction in the second state. The liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer has chirality.

Abstract: An optical modulation device or an optical device including the same includes: a first plate and a second plate facing the first plate; and a liquid crystal layer between the first plate and the second plate and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, wherein the first plate includes a plurality of first electrodes and a first aligner, the second plate includes at least one second electrode and a second aligner, and an alignment direction of the first aligner is substantially parallel to an alignment direction of the second aligner and wherein portions of the first plate, the second plate, and the liquid crystal layer between the first and second plates are individual units.

Abstract: An image display device includes a display panel and a liquid crystal lens. The liquid crystal lens includes first and second zones equally distant from a center of the liquid crystal lens. The first zone, positioned at a left of the center, includes first linear electrodes. The second zone, positioned at a right of the center, includes second linear electrodes. A number of the first linear electrodes is equal to a number of the second linear electrodes. Bus lines are electrically connected to the first and second linear electrodes. A number of the plurality of bus lines is less than a sum of the number of the first linear electrodes and the number of the second linear electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid crystal lens includes a lower substrate, an upper substrate disposed opposite to the lower substrate, a plurality of lower lens electrodes disposed on the lower substrate and corresponding to a unit liquid crystal lens, an upper lens electrode disposed on substantially an entire surface of the upper substrate, a spacer disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate, where the lower lens electrodes includes a flat-shaped central lens electrode disposed at a central portion thereof and has a width wider than a width of other lower lens electrodes corresponding to the unit liquid crystal lens, and the spacer is disposed only on the central lens electrode.

Abstract: A liquid crystal lens includes a plurality of first sub liquid crystal portions having refractive indexes varied based on voltages applied thereto, a plurality of second sub liquid crystal portions having refractive indexes varied based on voltages applied thereto, where the second sub liquid crystal portions are adjacent to the first sub liquid crystal portions, respectively and a controller which controls the voltages applied to the first sub liquid crystal portions and the voltage applied to the second sub liquid crystal portions to provide a lens part.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display panel including a three-dimensional (“3D”) pixel, including multiple subpixels corresponding to multiple viewpoints, a viewpoint detecting part configured to detect a target viewpoint, a display panel driver configured to generate grayscale data of the subpixels based on the detected target viewpoint, and a light converting element including a light converting axis sequentially corresponding to central regions of the subpixels including colors different from one another And configured to convert an image on the display panel into a 3D image.