Voltage-controlled liquid crystal x{14 y display device

Claim 1

In a two-dimensional beam deflector apparatus, the combination of a source of a thin, collimated, monochromatic light beam, a dispersion member aligned with said beam, and a dispersed-light receiving station having at least portions thereof non-aligned with said beam, said dispersion member being located between said source and said receiving station, and comprising: a cell having walls transparent to said light, a mesomorphic material in said cell, said mesomorphic material having light dispersion characteristics when exposed to a field of particular magnitude, said dispersion comprising formation of a spot of said monochromatic light at said receiving station, said spot being angularly displaced from alignment with said beam in a first direction when subjected to an AC electrical field having a frequency of at least 10 Hz, and displaced in a second direction when subjected to a DC electrical field, each displacement being dependent upon the magnitude of the corresponding field, means to generate a composite field comprising a source of variable AC potential with a frequency of at least 10 Hz, a source of DC potential, at least one of said sources being capable of producing a field of said particular magnitude as a minimum, and means for superposing said sources, means to subject said mesomorphic material to said composite field, comprising electrically-conductive, light-transmitting coatings on said cell walls, and electrical conductors connecting said coatings in circuit with said sources of potential, and independent means for selectively varying the potential of each said source, whereby said spot can be moved to arbitrary positions at said receiving station.