Patent ID: 9052546
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
1. An illumination unit comprising: a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate disposed to be separated from and face each other; a light source emitting light to an end surface of the first transparent substrate or the second transparent substrate; an electrode disposed on a surface of the first transparent substrate or the second transparent substrate and generating an electric field in a direction parallel to the surface of the first transparent substrate; a light modulation layer disposed in a gap between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate and exhibiting a scattering property or transparency with respect to light from the light source, depending on magnitude of the electric field; and a drive circuit applying a voltage to the electrode, wherein the electrode includes a plurality of separately driven sub-electrode groups, each sub-electrode group including a first electrode having comb teeth which extend in a first direction and a second electrode having comb teeth which are disposed alternately with the comb teeth of the first electrode, wherein a plurality of the sub-electrode groups are arranged in a direction normal to a side surface facing the light source of side surfaces of the first transparent substrate such that the drive circuit may independently apply voltages to the respective sub-electrode groups according to a distance from the light source.