Waveguide assembly with virtual image focus

    公开(公告)号:US11531202B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-12-20

    申请号:US17089783

    申请日:2020-11-05

    Abstract: An optical combiner, configured for use in a mixed-reality display system that combines holographic and real-world images, includes an assembly of see-through waveguides that are arranged in a stack to provide full color holographic images from constituent RGB (red, green, and blue) color components received from a holographic image source. Each waveguide—one per RGB color component—includes an in-coupling DOE (diffractive optical element), an intermediate DOE, and an out-coupling DOE that are disposed on internal surfaces of the stacked waveguides in the optical combiner. Each of the out-coupling DOEs incorporates a diffractive lens functionality to render the out-coupled holographic images at a set depth on the mixed-reality display. In an illustrative non-limiting example, the out-coupling DOE may provide a half diopter of negative lens power to set the optical focus of the holographic images at 1.33 m.

    Waveguide display with multiple focal depths

    公开(公告)号:US10108014B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-10-23

    申请号:US15402904

    申请日:2017-01-10

    Abstract: A near-eye optical display system utilized in augmented reality devices includes a see-through waveguide display having optical elements configured for in-coupling virtual images from an imager, exit pupil expansion, and out-coupling virtual images with expanded pupil to the user's eye. The near-eye optical display system further includes a curved two-sided array of electrically-activated tunable liquid crystal (LC) microlenses that is located between the waveguide and the user's eye. The LC microlenses are distributed in layers on each side of the two-sided array. Each pixel in the waveguide display is mapped to an LC microlens in the array, and multiple nearby pixels may be mapped to the same LC microlens. A region of the waveguide display that the user is gazing upon is detected and the LC microlens that is mapped to that region may be electrically activated to thereby individually shape the wavefront of each pixel in a virtual image.

    Wrapped Waveguide With Large Field Of View
    3.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20170357089A1

    公开(公告)日:2017-12-14

    申请号:US15177749

    申请日:2016-06-09

    Abstract: An apparatus having optical waveguides for providing a large FOV is disclosed. A first light engine projects light into an input diffractive coupler of a first waveguide at a first central angle. An output coupler of the first waveguide projects the light out of the first optical waveguide. A second light engine projects light into an input diffractive coupler of a second waveguide at a second central angle that is greater than the first central angle. An output coupler of the second waveguide projects the light out of the second optical waveguide to intersect with the light projected out of the first optical waveguide. The first waveguide may be used to project a first part of an image into a central portion of a user's vision. The second waveguide may be used to project a second part of the image into a peripheral portion of the user's vision.

    Diffractive optical elements with asymmetric profiles

    公开(公告)号:US11112605B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-09-07

    申请号:US16854948

    申请日:2020-04-22

    Abstract: In an optical display system that includes a waveguide with multiple diffractive optical elements (DOEs), gratings in one or more of the DOEs may have an asymmetric profile in which gratings may be slanted or blazed. Asymmetric gratings in a DOE can provide increased display uniformity in the optical display system by reducing the “banding” resulting from optical interference that is manifested as dark stripes in the display. Banding may be more pronounced when polymeric materials are used in volume production of the DOEs to minimize system weight, but which have less optimal optical properties compared with other materials such as glass. The asymmetric gratings can further enable the optical system to be more tolerant to variations—such as variations in thickness, surface roughness, and grating geometry—that may not be readily controlled during manufacturing particularly since such variations are in the submicron range.

    DIFFRACTIVE OPTICAL ELEMENTS WITH ASYMMETRIC PROFILES

    公开(公告)号:US20200292814A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-09-17

    申请号:US16854948

    申请日:2020-04-22

    Abstract: In an optical display system that includes a waveguide with multiple diffractive optical elements (DOEs), gratings in one or more of the DOEs may have an asymmetric profile in which gratings may be slanted or blazed. Asymmetric gratings in a DOE can provide increased display uniformity in the optical display system by reducing the “banding” resulting from optical interference that is manifested as dark stripes in the display. Banding may be more pronounced when polymeric materials are used in volume production of the DOEs to minimize system weight, but which have less optimal optical properties compared with other materials such as glass. The asymmetric gratings can further enable the optical system to be more tolerant to variations—such as variations in thickness, surface roughness, and grating geometry—that may not be readily controlled during manufacturing particularly since such variations are in the submicron range.

    Reducing stray light transmission in near eye display using resonant grating filter

    公开(公告)号:US10241332B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-03-26

    申请号:US14878727

    申请日:2015-10-08

    Inventor: Tuomas Vallius

    Abstract: A near eye optical display system comprising a waveguide and diffractive optical elements (DOEs) for in-coupling, exit pupil expansion, and out-coupling reduces the transmission of stray light in the system using a doubly-periodic surface relief microstructure that combines a guided-mode resonant filter with Bragg reflectance. Such resonant grating filter may be configured with grooves and/or ridges of different widths that are located on the waveguide that have respective sub-periods that match Bragg reflectance periods for particular wavelengths. The interaction of the sub-periods gives rise to a photonic band gap effect in which the resonant grating's effective refractive index is modulated to increase angular sensitivity and wavelength bandwidth of the resonant grating filter. The sub-periods define an overall period (i.e., a super period) for the resonant grating filter by which incident light is coupled into the waveguide, guided, and then coupled out of the waveguide at the side of incidence.

    OPTICAL DEVICE TO IMPROVE IMAGE UNIFORMITY
    7.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20180203230A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-07-19

    申请号:US15407957

    申请日:2017-01-17

    CPC classification number: G02B27/0172 G02B27/0081 G02B2027/0125

    Abstract: An optical waveguide including an input-coupler, a first intermediate-component, a second intermediate-component and an output-coupler is described herein. The input-coupler couples, into the waveguide, light corresponding to an image associated with an input-pupil and directs the light toward the first intermediate-component. The first intermediate-component performs horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and redirects the light corresponding to the image toward the output-coupler. The second intermediate-component is a diffractive component located between the first-intermediate component and the output-coupler and performs pupil redistribution on a portion of the light corresponding to the image before the portion reaches the output-coupler. The output-coupler performs the other one of horizontal or vertical pupil expansion and couples, out of the waveguide, the light corresponding to the image. Related methods and systems are also described.

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