Holographic projector for a waveguide display

• US 10,254,542 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kollin, Joel Steven, Maimone, Andrew, Robbins, Steven John, Glik, Eliezer, Georgiou, Andreas, Lou, Xinye
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/624,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 359 15
• 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 2027/0147 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 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2066 Reflectors in illumination beam in projection beam G03B21/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0866 Digital holographic imaging, i.e. synthesizing holobjects from holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2205 using downstream optical component
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2249 Holobject properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2286 Particular reconstruction light G03H1/24 takes precedence; Beam properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2294 Addressing the hologram to an active spatial light modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2207 : Spatial filter, e.g. for suppressing higher diffraction orders
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2239 : Enlarging the viewing window
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2242 : Multiple viewing windows
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2276 : Polarisation dependent holobject G03H2001/0495 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2284 : Superimposing the holobject with other visual information
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/31 : Polarised light
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/12 : Amplitude mask, e.g. diaphragm, Louver filter
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/16 : Optical waveguide, e.g. optical fibre, rod
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/23 : Diffractive element
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2225/33 : Complex modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2225/52 : Reflective modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2225/60 : Multiple SLMs
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2227/02 : Handheld portable device, e.g. holographic camera, mobile holographic display
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/55 : being an optical element, e.g. spectacles

Abstract

Examples are disclosed that relate to a near-eye display device including a holographic display system. The holographic display system includes a light source configured to emit light that is converging or diverging, a waveguide configured to be positioned in a field of view of a user'"'"'s eye, and a digital dynamic hologram configured to receive the light, and project the light into the waveguide such that the light propagates through the waveguide.

Claims

1. A near-eye display device, comprising:

a holographic display system comprising;

a light source configured to emit light that is converging or diverging;

a waveguide configured to be positioned in a field of view of a user'"'"'s eye; and

a digital dynamic hologram configured to receive the light that is converging or diverging and spatially modulate the light to form an image for coupling into the waveguide such that the light propagates through the waveguide.

2. The near-eye display device of claim 1, wherein the digital dynamic hologram is positioned intermediate the light source and the waveguide, and wherein the digital dynamic hologram is configured to receive converging light from the light source.

3. The near-eye display device of claim 2, further comprising a fixed aperture mask configured to block one or more orders of the converging light from entering the waveguide.

4. The near-eye display device of claim 1, wherein the digital dynamic hologram is positioned intermediate the light source and the waveguide, and wherein the digital dynamic hologram is configured to receive diverging light.

5. The near-eye display device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic digital hologram is configured to reflect the light toward a waveguide coupling hologram for coupling light into the waveguide.

6. The near-eye display device of claim 5, wherein the digital dynamic hologram is positioned on an opposite side of the waveguide from the light source, wherein the light travels from the light source through the waveguide to the digital dynamic hologram, and wherein the digital dynamic hologram reflects the light back toward the waveguide for coupling into the waveguide.

7. The near-eye display device of claim 6, further comprising a waveguide coupling hologram configured to transmit light from the light source received from the light source directed toward the digital dynamic hologram, and to couple light received from the digital dynamic hologram into the waveguide.

8. The near-eye display device of claim 6, further comprising:

a polarization-sensitive hologram positioned between the waveguide and the digital dynamic hologram and configured to diffract light polarized in a first circular direction and transmit light polarized in a second circular direction;

a waveplate positioned intermediate the digital dynamic hologram and the polarization-sensitive hologram and configured to receive the light polarized in the second circular direction, change the light from being polarized in the second circular direction to being linearly polarized, and direct the linearly polarized light to the digital dynamic hologram, wherein the digital dynamic hologram is configured to reflect the linearly polarized light back to the waveplate to change the reflected light from being linearly polarized to polarized in the first circular direction for diffraction by the polarization-sensitive hologram into the waveguide.

9. The near-eye display device of claim 5, wherein the digital dynamic hologram is positioned on a same side of the waveguide as the light source, wherein the light is directed via one or more of folding optics and off-axis optics toward the digital dynamic hologram, and wherein the digital dynamic hologram reflects the light toward the waveguide for coupling into the waveguide.

10. The near-eye display device of claim 5, further comprising:

a front light waveguide positioned intermediate the digital dynamic hologram and the waveguide;

a front light input coupling hologram configured to receive the light and direct the light into the front light waveguide;

a front light output coupling hologram configured to direct the light exiting the front light waveguide to the digital dynamic hologram and make the light converging or diverging; and

a pupil-replicating waveguide configured to receive light reflected by the digital dynamic hologram and direct the received light toward the user'"'"'s eye.

11. The near-eye display device of claim 10, wherein the front light output coupling hologram comprises a volume hologram.

12. The near-eye display device of claim 1, further comprising an amplitude display positioned between the digital dynamic hologram and the waveguide.

13. The near-eye display device of claim 1, further comprising one or more pupil-replicating holograms coupled with the waveguide that forms a replicated exit pupil.

14. A near-eye display device, comprising:

a holographic display system comprising;

a waveguide configured to be positioned in a field of view of a user'"'"'s eye;

a digital dynamic hologram configured to receive light from a light source, spatially modulate the light to form an image, and direct the light toward the waveguide for coupling into the waveguide such that the light propagates through the waveguide toward the user'"'"'s eye;

a front light waveguide positioned intermediate the digital dynamic hologram and the waveguide;

a front light input coupling hologram configured to receive the light from the light source and couple the light into the front light waveguide; and

a front light output hologram configured to couple light out of the front light waveguide to the digital dynamic hologram and make the light converging or diverging.

15. The near-eye display device of claim 14, wherein the light source is configured to provide collimated light to the front light input coupling hologram.

16. The near-eye display device of claim 14, wherein the light source is configured to provide converging light or diverging light to the front light input coupling hologram.

17. The near-eye display device of claim 14, further comprising an amplitude display positioned between the digital dynamic hologram and the waveguide coupling hologram.

18. A near-eye display device, comprising:

a holographic display system comprising;

a light source comprising optics configured to output converging light;

a waveguide positioned in a field of view of a user'"'"'s eye;

a digital dynamic hologram configured to receive the converging light and spatially modulate the converging light to form an image for coupling into the waveguide such that the light propagates through the waveguide to form an image in the user'"'"'s eye; and

a fixed aperture mask positioned between the digital dynamic hologram and the waveguide and configured to block converging light from the light source that is not diffracted by the digital dynamic hologram.

19. The near-eye display device of claim 18, further comprising a pupil replicating hologram coupled with the waveguide and configured to receive light reflected by the digital dynamic hologram and direct the received light toward the user'"'"'s eye.

20. The near-eye display device of claim 18, wherein the fixed aperture mask is further configured to block one or more orders of diffracted light received from the digital dynamic hologram.