Wearable image display system

• US 10,345,601 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Levola, Tapani, Saarikko, Pasi, Robbins, Steven John, Poon, Yarn Chee, Wolfe, Lena Adele, Towle, Erica Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washington, Tamara Y
• Application Number:
  US15/987,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 359 1, 359 13, 359 14, 359 15, 359 19, 359 32, 359 34, 359558-576, 359629-634, 3592045, 3592077, 3592116, 35933721, 359256, 359538, 359618, 345 6- 9, 345632-633, 715757
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• 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 27/4272 having plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path
• 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 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A wearable image display system includes a headpiece, a first and a second light engine, and a first and a second optical component. The first and second light engines generate a first and a second set of beams respectively, each beam substantially collimated so that the first and second set form a first and a second virtual image respectively. Each optical component is located to project an image onto a first and a second eye of a wearer respectively. The first and second sets of beams are directed to incoupling structures of the first and second optical components respectively. Exit structures of the first and second optical components guide the first and second sets of beams onto the first and second eyes respectively. The optical components are located between the light engines and the eyes. Both of the light engines are mounted to a central portion of the headpiece.

Claims

1. A wearable image display system comprising:

a frame;

a first and a second light engine configured to generate a first and a second set of beams respectively, the beams substantially collimated within each set so that the first and the second set form a first and a second virtual image respectively, the light engines mounted on the frame at a first angle relative to a vertical plane; and

a first and a second optical component mounted on the frame at a different angle than the first angle relative to the vertical plane, the first and the second optical components comprising respective incoupling structures, respective fold structures configured to manipulate spatial distributions of the first and the second set of beams within each optical component, and respective exit structures, where the respective incoupling structures are configured to receive the first and the second set of beams and the respective exit structures are configured to guide the first and the second sets of beams onto eyes of a wearer of the wearable image display system.

2. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, wherein each fold structure comprises surface modulations on surfaces of the first and the second optical components.

3. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and the second light engines comprise exit apertures;

the different angle than the first angle comprises a tilt of the first and the second optical components with respect to the first and the second light engines; and

the tilt is configured to cause outwardly reflected versions of the beams off the first and the second optical components to propagate clear of the exit apertures.

4. The wearable image display system according to claim 3, wherein the tilt is further configured to prevent ghosting originating from the outwardly reflected versions of the beams.

5. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, wherein the first light engine comprises:

a first display on which a first image is generated; and

collimating optics arranged to generate the first set of beams from the first image on the first display.

6. The wearable image display system according to claim 5, wherein the first display is substantially aligned with the vertical plane.

7. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, further comprising extensions mounted to the frame and configured to support the wearable image display system over ears of the wearer.

8. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second optical components are formed of glass.

9. The wearable image display system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second optical components are formed of polymer.

10. A wearable image display system comprising:

a frame;

first and second displays on which first and second images are generated respectively, the first and second displays mounted on the frame;

first and second optical components comprising respective incoupling structures and respective exit structures; and

collimating optics mounted on the frame, the collimating optics arranged to substantially collimate beams of the first and second images and to direct the beams to the respective incoupling structures of the first and second optical components, the respective exit structures of the first and second optical components being configured to diffract the beams of the first and second images toward first and second eyes of a wearer of the wearable image display system, wherein the optical components are mounted on the frame with a tilt about a horizontal axis with respect to a vertical plane defined by the first and second displays.

11. The wearable image display system according to claim 10, wherein the first and second displays and the collimating optics comprise light engines.

12. The wearable image display system according to claim 11, wherein the tilt of the first and second optical components is configured to direct reflections away from the light engines, the reflections formed from the beams of the first and second images reflecting off a side of the optical components facing the collimated optics.

13. The wearable image display system according to claim 12, wherein the tilt of the first and second optical components is configured to direct a portion of the reflections originating from pixels at an upper edge of the first and second displays to a point below the collimating optics.

14. The wearable image display system according to claim 10, further comprising a support structure mounted to the frame and supporting the first and second displays, the support structure configured to maintain horizontal alignment between diffracted versions of the first and second images to within one milliradian.

15. The wearable image display system according to claim 10, wherein the tilt of the first optical component is configured to prevent formation, in the first optical component, of a ghost image of the first image.

16. The wearable image display system according to claim 15, wherein the ghost image is formed from a reflection of the first image off of the first optical component.

17. A system comprising:

a frame;

first and second displays on which first and second images are generated respectively, the first and second displays mounted on the frame and defining a vertical plane;

first and second optical components mounted on the frame with a tilt with respect to a horizontal axis that passes through the vertical plane, the first and second optical components comprising respective incoupling gratings and respective exit gratings; and

collimating optics arranged to substantially collimate beams of the first and second images from the first and second displays to the respective incoupling gratings of the first and second optical components.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the optical components are substantially transparent.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first and second images comprise a stereoscopic image.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the tilt is configured to direct reflections of the beams off the first and second optical components away from exit apertures of the collimating optics.