Abstract: To reduce the optical members and the complexity of optical design. A vehicular lamp including: a light source; a light collecting member; a first polarizer advancing in a first direction a first component of the light, and advancing in a second direction a second component; a liquid crystal element disposed on one side of the first polarizer in the first direction; a second polarizer disposed on one side of the liquid crystal element in the first direction; a projection lens disposed on one side of the second polarizer in the first direction and projecting the first component to the front of an own vehicle; a reflecting member for reflecting the second component; where the first component is focused at a first focal point, the second component of the light is focused at a second focal point, and the liquid crystal element is disposed corresponding to the first focal point.

Abstract: To obtain projection images with high contrast when selective light irradiation is performed forward of its own vehicle. A lamp unit for a vehicular lamp system performing selective light irradiation to the surroundings of the own vehicle includes: a light source; an optical shutter part that modulates light emitted from the light source; and an optical system that projects the light transmitted through the optical shutter part. The optical shutter part includes: polarizers; a liquid crystal element disposed between the polarizers and where the initial alignment of liquid crystal molecules is horizontally aligned and causes an alignment change in the in-plane direction upon electric field application; a first optical plate which is a positive A-plate disposed between the polarizers closer to the light source and the liquid crystal element; and a second optical plate which is a positive C-plate disposed between the first optical plate and the liquid crystal element.

Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes: a light source; a liquid crystal element including a liquid crystal layer and a pair of sandwiching substrates; and a projection optical system. In this vehicular lamp, one of the pair of sandwiching substrates in the liquid crystal element includes a first transparent substrate, and a common electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate, and the other of the pair of sandwiching substrates in the liquid crystal element includes a second transparent substrate, a plurality of wiring electrodes disposed on the second transparent substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the second transparent electrode to cover the plurality of wiring electrodes, a plurality of segment electrodes disposed on the insulating layer, and a plurality of connection electrodes configured to electrically connect each of the plurality of wiring electrodes to each of the plurality of segment electrodes through the insulating layer.

Abstract: A lighting device includes: a liquid crystal element having electrode pattern including a first portion and a second portion; drive circuit connected to the electrode pattern; polarizer disposed in front of the liquid crystal element and separated from the liquid crystal element in optical axis direction; analyzer disposed at rear of the liquid crystal element, and separated from the liquid crystal element in optical axis direction, wherein the polarizer and the analyzer constitute crossed Nicol polarizers; light source for supplying lights to the liquid crystal element within a predetermined incident angle range; and projection optical system projecting lights transmitted through the liquid crystal element forwardly; wherein the polarizer and the analyzer locally overlap with the liquid crystal element in projection normal to the liquid crystal element, and when the light source is turned on, the drive circuit supplies drive signal to the first portion of the electrode pattern which applies or releases volta

Abstract: To reduce the optical members and the complexity of optical design. A vehicular lamp including: a light source; a light collecting member; a first polarizer advancing in a first direction a first component of the light, and advancing in a second direction a second component; a liquid crystal element disposed on one side of the first polarizer in the first direction; a second polarizer disposed on one side of the liquid crystal element in the first direction; a projection lens disposed on one side of the second polarizer in the first direction and projecting the first component to the front of an own vehicle; a reflecting member for reflecting the second component; where the first component is focused at a first focal point, the second component of the light is focused at a second focal point, and the liquid crystal element is disposed corresponding to the first focal point.

Abstract: To provide a lighting apparatus etc. that is capable of obtaining various light distribution patterns and is superior in light utilization efficiency. The lighting apparatus includes a light source, a light conversion part for converting the light emitted from the light source into nearly parallel beams, a light modulating part having a plurality of pixel regions arranged so that the nearly parallel beams can be incident and capable of switching between a light transmitting state and a light scattering state for each of the pixel regions, and a projection lens disposed on the light path of the nearly parallel beams and on the light emitting side of the light modulating part and where the projection lens projects an image formed by the light modulating part using the nearly parallel beams.

Abstract: A liquid crystal element comprises: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed substantially in parallel to each other to face each other, an electrode and a homeotropic alignment film being disposed on each of facing surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and formed of a liquid crystal material having a negative dielectric-constant anisotropy, wherein a twisting angle of the liquid crystal layer when a voltage is applied between the electrode of the first substrate and the electrode of the second substrate is in a range from 70° to 120°.

Abstract: To improve the appearance of a light distribution pattern. A liquid crystal element having a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer, where the first substrate has a counter electrode, where the second substrate includes inter-pixel electrodes, wiring parts, an insulating layer provided above the inter-pixel electrodes and the wiring parts, and pixel electrodes provided above the insulating layer, where the pixel electrodes are arranged along a first direction and a second direction, where the inter-pixel electrodes are arranged to at least overlap with a gap between the two pixel electrodes adjacent to each other in the first direction among the pixel electrodes and are connected to one of the two pixel electrodes through a through hole provided in the insulating layer, and where the wiring parts are connected to one of the inter-pixel electrodes and are arranged on the lower layer side of the pixel electrodes.

Abstract: A lighting device comprising: a light source for emitting lights along optic axis toward field of view; a liquid crystal element disposed on the optic axis, having electrode pattern in far field FF corresponding region and having no electrode pattern in near field corresponding region; a pair of polarizers including input side and output side polarizers sandwiching the liquid crystal element, constituting crossed Nicol polarizers; driver circuit for forming voltages applied to the electrode pattern; and phase shift forming element disposed between the pair of polarizers in the near field corresponding region of the liquid crystal element; wherein the far field corresponding region constitutes normally black optic system together with the pair of polarizers, and the near field corresponding region constitutes normally-on optic system together with the phase shift forming element and the pair of polarizers.

Abstract: A lighting device includes: a liquid crystal element having electrode pattern including a first portion and a second portion; drive circuit connected to the electrode pattern; polarizer disposed in front of the liquid crystal element and separated from the liquid crystal element in optical axis direction; analyzer disposed at rear of the liquid crystal element, and separated from the liquid crystal element in optical axis direction, wherein the polarizer and the analyzer constitute crossed Nicol polarizers; light source for supplying lights to the liquid crystal element within a predetermined incident angle range; and projection optical system projecting lights transmitted through the liquid crystal element forwardly; wherein the polarizer and the analyzer locally overlap with the liquid crystal element in projection normal to the liquid crystal element, and when the light source is turned on, the drive circuit supplies drive signal to the first portion of the electrode pattern which applies or releases volta

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus comprises, a display device having a display surface, a first polarizing plate categorized as absorption type, disposed so as to face the display surface of the display device, and having a transmittance characteristic that a transmittance to a non-polarized light is 50% or more, a liquid crystal optical element disposed between the display device and the first polarizing plate, and a second polarizing plate categorized as reflection type and disposed between the display device and the liquid crystal optical element.

Abstract: An automotive headlight includes: a light source for emitting light; a polarization beam splitter for receiving a light flux from the light source, and dividing the light flux into a first polarization and a second polarization; a liquid crystal element disposed to receive the first polarization and the second polarization, divided by the polarization beam splitter; a phase shifter disposed on optical axis of one of the first polarization and the second polarization, and aligning polarization axis directions of the first polarization and the second polarization; and an output side polarizer disposed on output side of the liquid crystal element, wherein illumination regions corresponding to respective control electrodes in the liquid crystal element can be controlled to shield light.

Abstract: There is provided a lighting fixture including: a light source that emits a light beam; an electrodeposition device that includes multiple pixels of which a transparent state and a mirror state are switchable, independently, and that is disposed such that a normal direction of a pixel surface is not parallel to an optical axis direction of an incident light beam on an optical path of a light beam emitted from the light source; and an optical system that emits, as an illumination beam, both a light beam transmitted through the electrodeposition device and a light beam reflected from the pixel in the mirror state in the electrodeposition device.

Abstract: To facilitate lead wiring layout corresponding to an increase in the number of individual electrodes of the liquid crystal element in a vehicle headlamp system. The vehicle headlamp system that selectively performs light irradiation towards the periphery of its own vehicle includes a light source, a liquid crystal element, and a lens. The liquid crystal element includes a plurality of first individual electrode parts, a plurality of second individual electrode parts, and a first lead wiring part. The first lead wiring part includes a plurality of first individual wirings each of which is connected to one of the plurality of first individual electrode parts, and a plurality of second individual wirings each of which is connected to one of the plurality of second individual electrode parts and arranged through a gap formed between the adjacent first individual electrode parts in the first direction.

Abstract: An electrodeposition element is provided which includes a first substrate including a first member and an electrode arranged above the first member, a second substrate arranged opposite to the first substrate and including an electrode, and an electrolyte layer arranged between the electrodes of the first substrate and the second substrate, and including an electrodeposition material that contains silver. When a voltage is applied between the electrodes of the first substrate and the second substrate such that the first substrate side is negative and the second substrate side is positive, a reflective surface made of a silver thin film and reflecting light, which is incident from a direction normal to the first and second substrates, in a direction not parallel to the incident direction of the light is formed above the electrode of the first substrate.

Abstract: A vehicle lighting device comprising a light source, a mirror member disposed on an optical axis of the light source, and a first optical element disposed on the optical axis of the light source between the light source and the mirror member, including a first region allowed to be switched between a light transmitting state and a light reflecting state and a second region having at least a light reflecting state, wherein the first region is capable of reflecting part of the light emitted from the light source to a relatively remote place, the second region is capable of reflecting part of the light emitted from the light source to a relatively near place, and the mirror member is capable of reflecting the light that is emitted from the light source and then passes through the first region to a relatively near place.

Abstract: To reduce the size, simplify the structure of a light emitting and receiving system. The system that detects a target object with the use of reflected lights gained from a light irradiated to the target object includes a flat-plate shaped light control apparatus having light control parts, a light-entry apparatus allowing light to enter into a light control part, a light-receiving apparatus that receives emitting lights from the remaining light control parts, a control apparatus that controls the light-entry apparatus and the light-receiving apparatus and detects the target object. The light control apparatus includes liquid crystal elements supporting light control parts between a pair of substrates and a drive unit to drive the liquid crystal elements. Each of the light control parts includes a pair of electrodes, a high-resistance film disposed between the electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer disposed at least to the region overlapping the high-resistance film.

Abstract: To prevent damage in an electro-optical device that uses electrochromic material. The device includes electro-optical elements and a driving device that applies a driving voltage to the electro-optical elements. The driving device applies a first DC voltage of a positive polarity that cyclically repeats a first voltage and a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage, or a second DC voltage of a negative polarity that cyclically repeats a third voltage and a fourth voltage that is higher than the third voltage, to the electro-optical elements. According to the driving device, when the first DC voltage is applied to one and the second DC voltage is applied to the other electro-optical elements adjacent in the planar view, the first and the second DC voltages are supplied by time division so that the applied period of the first voltage and the third voltage do not overlap.

Abstract: To reduce the size, simplify the structure of a light emitting and receiving system. The system that detects a target object with the use of reflected lights gained from a light irradiated to the target object includes a flat-plate shaped light control apparatus having light control parts, a light-entry apparatus allowing light to enter into a light control part, a light-receiving apparatus that receives emitting lights from the remaining light control parts, a control apparatus that controls the light-entry apparatus and the light-receiving apparatus and detects the target object. The light control apparatus includes liquid crystal elements supporting light control parts between a pair of substrates and a drive unit to drive the liquid crystal elements. Each of the light control parts includes a pair of electrodes, a high-resistance film disposed between the electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer disposed at least to the region overlapping the high-resistance film.

Abstract: To improve the accuracy of fully controlling the direction of advancing light. The liquid crystal element includes a first substrate and a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer provided between one surface side of the first substrate and one surface side of the second substrate, a pair of electrodes provided on one surface side of the first substrate with a gap therebetween in a planer view, a high-resistance film provided on one surface side of the first substrate and disposed between the pair of electrodes in a planer view and connected thereto, a first alignment film provided on one surface side of the first substrate covering the pair of electrodes and the high-resistance film, a second alignment film provided on one surface side of the second substrate, wherein sheet resistance of the high-resistance film is greater than sheet resistance of the pair of electrodes.