Generating a virtual content display

• US 10,473,936 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Luo, Kang, Singh, Vikramjit, Xu, Frank Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Audrey Y
• Application Number:
  US15/724,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 359 34, 359466, 359630, 359569, 345 7, 362620, 385146, 385 37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0944 Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4205 having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant
• 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 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of generating a virtual image, including directing a light beam to a first side of an eyepiece, including transmitting the light beam into a first waveguide of the eyepiece; deflecting, by first diffractive elements of the first waveguide, a first portion of the light beam towards a second waveguide of the eyepiece, the first portion of the light beam associated with a first phase of light; deflecting, by protrusions on the first side of the eyepiece, a second portion of the light beam towards the second waveguide, the second portion of the light beam associated with a second phase of light differing from the first phase; and deflecting, by second diffractive elements of the second waveguide, some of the first and the second portions of the light beam to provide an exiting light beam associated with the virtual image that is based on the first and second phases.

Claims

1. A method of generating a virtual image, comprising:

directing a light beam to a first side of an eyepiece, including transmitting the light beam into a first waveguide of the eyepiece;

deflecting, by one or more first diffractive elements of the first waveguide, a first portion of the light beam towards a second waveguide of the eyepiece, the first portion of the light beam associated with a first phase of light;

deflecting, by two or more protrusions having a randomized pattern and disposed on the first side of the eyepiece, a second portion of the light beam towards the second waveguide of the eyepiece, the second portion of the light beam associated with a second phase of light differing from the first phase; and

deflecting, by one or more second diffractive elements of the second waveguide, some of the first and the second portions of the light beam to provide an exiting light beam associated with the virtual image, the exiting light beam based on the first and the second phases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the two or more protrusions minimizes a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the light beam is deflected by the two or more protrusions having a pattern density to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more protrusions are cylindrical, and wherein the second portion of the light beam is deflected by the two or more protrusions having a diameter to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the diameter of the two or more protrusions is between 10 and 900 microns.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the light beam is deflected by the two or more protrusions having a height to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the height of the two or more protrusions is between 10 and 500 nanometers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the deflecting of the second portion of the light beam by the two or more protrusions mitigates an interference pattern between the first portion and the second portion.

20. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 8, wherein the deflecting of the second portion of the light beam by the two or more protrusions mitigates an interference pattern between the first portion and the second portion.

9. An optical projection eyepiece comprising:

a first side configured to receive a light beam;

first and second waveguides, the first waveguide including one or more first diffractive elements configured to deflect a first portion of the light beam towards the second waveguide, the first portion of the light beam associated with a first phase of light; and

two or more protrusions having a randomized pattern and disposed on the first side of the eyepiece, the two or more protrusions arranged to deflect a second portion of the light beam towards the second waveguide of the eyepiece, the second portion of the light beam associated with a second phase of light differing from the first phase;

wherein the second waveguide includes one or more second diffractive elements configured to deflect some of the first and the second portions of the light beam to provide an exiting light beam associated with a virtual image and based on the first and the second phases.

10. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein the pattern of the two or more protrusions minimizes a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

11. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein the two or more protrusions have a pattern density to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

12. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein the two or more protrusions are cylindrical, and have a diameter to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

13. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 12, wherein the diameter of the two or more protrusions is between 10 and 900 microns.

14. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein the two or more protrusions have a height to minimize a striation of the virtual image by the exiting light beam.

15. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 14, wherein the height of the two or more protrusions is between 10 and 500 nanometers.

16. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein a first subset of the two or more protrusions is associated with a first geometric structure and a second, differing subset of the two or more protrusions is associated with a second, differing geometric structure.

17. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 10, wherein the two or more protrusions have a grating pattern.

18. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein a first subset of the two or more protrusions is associated with a first index of refraction and a second, differing subset of the two or more protrusions is associated with a second, differing index of refraction.

19. The optical projection eyepiece of claim 9, wherein the first waveguide, the second waveguide, or both, are associated with a phase, polarization, or both, of the two or more protrusions.