Optical waveguide with coherent light source

• US 10,222,615 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lowney, Joseph Daniel, Wall, Richard Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Stahl, Mike
• Application Number:
  US15/607,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20180341045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/122 Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

A waveguide increases the optical path of a portion of light received from a coherent light source. The waveguide includes a first element that allows light from an exit pupil of a coherent light source to enter the waveguide, and a second element that directs some of the entered light to exit the waveguide through a first set of pupils. The waveguide includes additional elements that cause the remaining light to make an additional path through the waveguide and the second element before exiting through a second set of pupils to increase the path of the exiting light. The pupils of the first set and the second set are staggered so that light exiting a pupil does not interfere with the light exiting via the neighboring pupils.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide comprising:

a front surface;

a rear surface; and

a first optical element configured to;

allow light from a coherent light source to enter the optical waveguide through the front surface, wherein the light has a coherence length, wherein the coherent light source comprises a laser; and

a second optical element configured to;

allow a first portion of the light to exit the optical waveguide through the rear surface with a first optical path length; and

allow a second portion of the light to exit the optical waveguide through the rear surface with a second optical path length, wherein a difference between the first optical path length and the second optical path length is greater than the coherence length.

2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the first optical element comprises a diffractive optical element.

3. The optical waveguide of claim 2, wherein the first optical element comprises a coating on one of the front surface or the rear surface.

4. The optical waveguide of claim 3, wherein the coating is a surface-relief diffraction grating.

5. The optical waveguide of claim 1, further comprising a third optical element configured to:

receive a third portion of the light traveling in a first direction through the optical waveguide; and

cause a fourth portion of the light to travel in a second direction through the optical waveguide.

6. The optical waveguide of claim 5, wherein the second direction is an opposite direction of the first direction.

7. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the coherent light source comprises a first laser and a second laser, and the first portion of the light comprises light from the first laser and the second portion of the light comprises light from the second laser.

8. A head mounted display device comprising:

a coherent light source;

a controller coupled to the coherent light source and configured to cause the coherent light source to project light comprising a display image, wherein the light has a coherence length; and

a plurality of optical waveguides, wherein each optical waveguide comprises;

a first end;

a second end;

a first optical element configured to;

allow the light to enter into the optical waveguide; and

cause the light to traverse in a first direction towards the first end;

a second optical element configured to;

receive the light traversing in the first direction from the first optical element; and

allow a first portion of the light traversing in the first direction to exit out of the optical waveguide, wherein the first portion of light has a first optical path length; and

a third optical element configured to;

receive a second portion of the light traversing in the first direction from the second optical element; and

cause a third portion of the light to traverse in a second direction towards the second end, wherein the second optical element is further configured to;

receive the third portion of the light traversing in the second direction from the third optical element; and

allow a fourth portion of the light traversing in the second direction to exit out of the optical waveguide, wherein the fourth portion of the light has a second optical path length, and further wherein a difference between the first optical path length and the second optical path length is greater than the coherence length.

9. The head mounted display device of claim 8, wherein each optical waveguide further comprises a fourth optical element configured to:

receive a fifth portion of the light traversing in the second direction from the second optical element; and

cause a sixth portion of the light to traverse in the first direction towards the first end.

10. The head mounted display device of claim 8, wherein each optical waveguide further comprises a front surface and a rear surface.

11. The head mounted display device of claim 10, wherein the second optical element of each optical waveguide configured to allow the first portion of the light traversing in the first direction to exit out of the optical waveguide comprises the second optical element of each optical waveguide configured to allow the first portion of the light traversing in the first direction to exit out of the optical waveguide through the rear surface.

12. The head mounted display device of claim 10, wherein the first optical element of each optical waveguide comprises a coating on one of the front surface or the rear surface.

13. The head mounted display device of claim 12, wherein the coating is a surface-relief diffraction grating.

14. An optical waveguide comprising:

a first surface and a second surface;

a first optical element that allows light received from a coherent light source to enter the optical waveguide through the first surface or second surface and traverse in a first direction within the optical waveguide, wherein the light has a coherence length;

a second optical element that receives the light traversing in the first direction, causes a first portion of the light to exit the optical waveguide through the first surface or the second surface, and allows a second portion of the light to continue to traverse in the first direction, wherein the first portion of light has a first optical path length; and

a third optical element that receives the second portion of the light traversing in the first direction, and causes a third portion of the light to traverse in a second direction within the optical waveguide, wherein the second optical element further receives the third portion of the light, and allows a fourth portion of the light to exit the optical waveguide through the first surface or the second surface, wherein the fourth portion of light has a second optical path length, and further wherein a difference between the first optical path length and the second optical path length is greater than the coherence length.

15. The optical waveguide of claim 14, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.

16. The optical waveguide of claim 14, wherein the coherent light source is a laser.

17. The optical waveguide of claim 14, wherein the first optical element, the second optical element, and the third optical element comprise surface-relief diffraction gratings or volumetric gratings.