Patent ID: 8189039

Claim:
A switchable autostereoscopic display device, comprising: a display panel having an array of display pixels for producing a display, the array of display pixels being arranged in rows and columns; an array of lens elements arranged over the display panel for directing the light output of the array of display pixels so as to provide a stereoscopic image, the array of lens elements comprising an electro-optic material whose refractive index is switchable by selective application of an electric field between a first value that maintains the light output directing function and a second values that removes the light output directing function; and first (R 1 . . . R m ) and second (C 1 . . . C n ) electrode layers provided on opposite sides of the array of lens elements for applying the electric field across the array of lens elements, wherein the electrode layers are segmented with the first electrode layer comprising an array of row electrode lines (R 1 . . . R m ) and the second electrode layer comprises an array of column electrode lines (C 1 . . . C n ), wherein the device further comprises a driver circuit for applying drive signals to the electrode lines to control the switching of the array of lens elements, wherein the drive signals comprise: a row select voltage waveform (R SW ); a column select voltage waveform (C SW ); and a common row and column de-select voltage waveform (V base ), and wherein the waveforms each comprise a substantially square wave voltage waveform, each waveform having the same period, with the three waveforms comprising each of the three possible timings to provide relative phase shifts of 2π/3.