Patent ID: 8760592

Claim:
A light deflecting apparatus, comprising: first and second light deflecting liquid crystal cells, arranged to correspond respectively to eyes of a user, and each comprising (i) a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules with positive dielectric anisotropy and exhibiting a cholesteric blue phase when no voltage is applied, (ii) a pair of transparent substrates facing each other and sandwiching the liquid crystal layer, (iii) a pair of transparent electrodes respectively provided above surfaces of the transparent substrates facing the liquid crystal layer and being configured to apply a voltage to the liquid crystal layer, and (iv) a prism layer formed above the surface of one of the transparent substrates facing the liquid crystal layer; and a driving device that performs a first control for alternately switching between a first state in which a first high voltage is applied to the first light deflecting liquid crystal cell such that the first light deflecting liquid crystal cell is in a homeotropic phase while a second low voltage is applied to the second light deflecting liquid crystal cell such that the second light deflecting liquid crystal cell is in a cholesteric blue phase, and a second state in which a third low voltage is applied to the first light deflecting liquid crystal cell such that the first light deflecting liquid crystal cell is in a cholesteric blue phase while a fourth high voltage is applied to the second light deflecting liquid crystal cell such that the second light deflecting liquid crystal cell is in a homeotropic phase.