Patent ID: 8537310
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: G02F,G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A liquid crystal device, comprising: a first optical element configured to polarize and diffract unpolarized incident light into first and second beams having orthogonal circular polarizations and having different directions of propagation than that of the incident light; a liquid crystal layer configured to receive the first and second beams from the first optical element and configured to be switched between a first state that does not substantially alter respective polarizations of the first and second beams traveling therethrough and a second state that alters the respective polarizations of the first and second beams traveling therethrough; and a second optical element configured to receive the first and second beams from the liquid crystal layer and configured to analyze and diffract the first and second beams to alter the respective directions of propagation of both the first and second beams in response to each of the first and second states of the liquid crystal layer, wherein the second optical element is configured to transmit both the first and second beams in a direction substantially parallel to that of the incident light when the liquid crystal layer is in one of the first and second states, and to transmit the first and second beams in respective directions that are not substantially parallel to that of the incident light when the liquid crystal layer is in the other of the first and second states.