Substrate-guide optical device

• US 10,073,264 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapel, Derek S
• Application Number:
  US15/225,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0136 with a single image source for both eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 : used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 : Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 : Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 : Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 : for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/105 : having optical polarisation effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 : Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/10 : Optical elements and systems for visual disorders other than refractive errors, low vision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 : Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 : using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 : Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 : Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 : Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 : Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

An optical device includes a light waves-transmitting substrate having two major surfaces and edges, two electronic display sources, an optical surface for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and located at an angle to the major surfaces. At least two of the partially reflecting surfaces have major axes, mounted with the major axes in different directions. The major surfaces reflect light waves coupled into the substrate at least twice before the light waves are coupled out. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges;

at least a first and second electronic display source, each having a predetermined resolution;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves from said first display source into the substrate by total internal reflection;

a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and located at an angle to the major surfaces of the substrate, each of at least two of the partially reflecting surfaces having a major axis and being mounted with the major axes in different directions, wherein light waves coupled into the substrate are reflected at least twice by the major surfaces of the substrate before being partially reflected out of the substrate by the partially reflecting surfaces; and

a switching unit for selectively controlling activation and deactivation of the first and second display sources effecting a first and second operational modes,

wherein in a first mode the switching unit activates the first display source and deactivates the second display source, thereby the image light waves from the first display source are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the partially reflecting surfaces into an eye of a viewer, and in the second mode, the switching unit deactivates the first display source and activates the second display source which enables viewing the display source directly through the substrate.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanical body, wherein said first and second displays, the optical means and the substrate are integrated into the mechanical body.

3. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the light-waves transmitting substrate is the protective cover-window of the mechanical body.

4. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein said mechanical body is a cellular phone.

5. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein said mechanical body is a wristwatch.

6. The optical device according to claim 2, further comprising a collimating optical module integrated into said mechanical body for collimating light waves from said first display source.

7. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the switching unit includes a control button for selectively activating and deactivating the display sources.

8. The optical device according to claim 7, wherein said control button is integrated in the mechanical body.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the second display is higher than the resolution of the first display.

10. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the first display is higher than the resolution of the second display.

11. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is operated by an icon on a touch screen of a smartphone.

12. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is activated by pre-set vocal commands.

13. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is operated by utilizing gesture analysis.

14. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is operated by a movement detector.

15. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is operated by a proximity detector.

16. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is operated by an optical sensor.

17. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein during the first mode only a part of the second display is deactivated.

18. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two partially reflecting are anisotropic surfaces, and wherein light waves coupled into the substrate pass through at least one of the partially reflecting surfaces, at least two times at two different incident points, and in two different incident directions.

19. The optical device according to claim 18, wherein the polarization of the light waves at the first incident point in a first direction is substantially different than the polarization of light waves at the second incident point in a second direction.

20. An optical device, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges;

at least a first and second electronic display source, each having a predetermined resolution;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves from said first display source into the substrate by total internal reflection;

a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and located at an angle to the major surfaces of the substrate, each of at least two of the partially reflecting surfaces being anisotropic and having a major axis, the anisotropic surfaces being mounted in different directions, wherein light waves coupled into the substrate pass through at least one of the partially reflecting surfaces, at least two times at two different incident points, and in two different incident directions, and wherein the polarization of the light waves at the first incident point in a first direction is substantially different than the polarization of light waves at the second incident point in a second direction; and

a switching unit for selectively controlling activation and deactivation of the first and second display sources effecting a first and second operational modes,

wherein in a first mode the switching unit activates the first display source and deactivates the second display source, thereby the image light waves from the first display source are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the partially reflecting surfaces into an eye of a viewer, and in the second mode, the switching unit deactivates the first display source and activates the second display source which enables viewing the display source directly through the substrate.