Head wearable display using powerless optical combiner

• US 10,459,228 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kress, Bernard C., Saeedi, Ehsan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Evan P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broome, Sharrief I
• Application Number:
  US14/289,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 359572, 359566, 359569, 359567, 359576, 359558, 359 2, 359326, 359573
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1861 Reflection gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence

Abstract

An optical apparatus includes a lightguide and an optical combiner. The lightguide receives display light having an initial cross-section size and guides the display light down the lightguide. The lightguide includes internal optical elements that redirect the display light out of the lightguide with an expanded cross-section size that is larger than the initial cross-section size. The optical combiner combines the display light having the expanded cross-section with ambient scene light. The optical combiner includes an ambient scene side, an eye-ward side, and one or more reflective optical elements that pass at least a portion of the ambient scene light incident along an eye-ward direction on the ambient scene side through to the eye-ward side and redirect the display light having the expanded cross-section and incident on the eye-ward side to the eye-ward direction. The one or more reflective optical elements are substantially without lensing power.

Claims

1. An optical apparatus for a head wearable display, comprising:

a lightguide to receive, at a first side of the lightguide, display light having an initial cross-section size into the lightguide and guide the display light down the lightguide, wherein the lightguide includes a first plurality of reflective optical elements that redirect the display light out of a second side of the lightguide with an expanded cross-section size that is larger than the initial cross-section size, wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a linear array of planar surfaces offset from each other and obliquely oriented relative to the second side; and

an optical combiner separate from, and obliquely oriented relative to, the lightguide, the optical combiner to combine the display light having the expanded cross-section with ambient scene light, the optical combiner including;

an ambient scene side;

an eye-ward side; and

a second plurality of reflective optical elements that pass at least a portion of the ambient scene light incident along an eye-ward direction on the ambient scene side through to the eye-ward side and redirect the display light having the expanded cross-section and incident on the eye-ward side to the eye-ward direction, wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a linear array of planar surfaces offset from each other and obliquely oriented relative to the ambient and eye-ward sides, and wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements are substantially without lensing power.

2. The optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or both of the ambient scene side or the eye-ward side is curved to impart corrective optical power to the ambient scene light.

3. The optical apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a plurality of inserts disposed within a lens body including the ambient scene side and the eye-ward side.

4. The optical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightguide comprises a planar lightguide and wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a plurality of dichroic reflective surfaces disposed along a length of the lightguide at oblique angles relative to sides of the planar lightguide, the dichroic reflective surfaces configured to reflect the display light when incident at a first angle while transmitting the display light when incident at a second angle.

5. The optical apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

in-coupling optics coupled to a proximal end of the lightguide to couple the display light having the initial cross-section size into the lightguide at the proximal end for propagation down the lightguide towards a distal end of the lightguide via total internal reflection, wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements expand the display light by redirecting portions of the display light out the second side of the lightguide extending between the proximal and distal ends as the display light propagates down the lightguide.

6. The optical apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a display source to generate the display light; and

collimation optics disposed between the display source and the in-coupling optics, the collimation optics configured to reduce a divergence of the display light.

7. A head wearable display comprising:

a display module to generate display light;

a lightguide to receive, at a first side of the lightguide, the display light having an initial cross-section size into the lightguide and guide the display light down the lightguide, wherein the lightguide includes a first plurality of reflective optical elements that redirect the display light out of a second side of the lightguide with an expanded cross-section size that is larger than the initial cross-section size, and wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a linear array of planar surfaces offset from each other and obliquely oriented relative to the second side;

an optical combiner separate from and obliquely oriented relative to the lightguide, the optical combiner including a second plurality of reflective optical elements disposed between an ambient scene side and an eye-ward side, the second plurality of reflective optical elements configured to reflect the display light incident on the eye-ward side to an eye-ward direction while passing ambient scene light incident on the ambient scene side along the eye-ward direction, wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a linear array of planar surfaces offset from each other and obliquely oriented relative to the ambient and eye-ward sides, and wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements are substantially without lensing power; and

a frame assembly to support the display module, the lightguide, and the optical combiner for wearing on a head of a user with the optical combiner positioned in front of an eye of the user.

8. The head wearable display of claim 7, wherein one or both of the ambient scene side or the eye-ward side is curved to impart corrective optical power to the ambient scene light.

9. The head wearable display of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of reflective optical elements comprise one or more inserts disposed within a lens body including the ambient scene side and the eye-ward side.

10. The head wearable display of claim 7, wherein the lightguide comprises a planar lightguide and wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements comprise a plurality of dichroic reflective surfaces disposed along a length of the lightguide at oblique angles relative to the second side, the dichroic reflective surfaces configured to reflect the display light when incident at a first angle while transmitting the display light when incident at a second angle.

11. The head wearable display of claim 7, further comprising:

in-coupling optics coupled to a proximal end of the lightguide to couple the display light having the initial cross-section size into the lightguide at the proximal end for propagation down the lightguide towards a distal end of the lightguide via total internal reflection, wherein the first plurality of reflective optical elements expand the display light by redirecting portions of the display light out the second side of the lightguide extending between the proximal and distal ends as the display light propagates down the lightguide.

12. The head wearable display of claim 11, wherein the display module comprises:

a display source to generate the display light; and

collimation optics disposed between the display source and the in-coupling optics, the collimation optics configured to reduce a divergence of the display light.

13. The head wearable display of claim 11, wherein the distal end of the lightguide is closer to the optical combiner than the proximal end.

14. The head wearable display of claim 11, wherein the proximal end of the lightguide is closer to the optical combiner than the distal end.