Ultra-high resolution scanning fiber display

• US 10,557,988 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2019
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Schowengerdt, Brian T., Watson, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ellen E
• Application Number:
  US16/257,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20190154914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/0098 for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/08 for controlling the direction of light in light guides G02B6/35
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/028 with core or cladding having graded refractive index G02B6/02033, G02B6/02295 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/08 with fibre bundle in form of plate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/335 having an optical waveguide structure

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a compact system for scanning electromagnetic imaging radiation, comprising a first waveguide and a second waveguide, each of which is operatively coupled to at least one electromagnetic radiation source and configured such that output from the first and second waveguides is luminance modulated and scanned along one or more axes to form at least a portion of an image.

Claims

1. A system for scanning electromagnetic imaging radiation, comprising:

a drive electronics system configured to generate at least one pixel modulation signal;

at least one electromagnetic radiation source configured to modulate an intensity of at least one pixel within an image light output by the at least one electromagnetic radiation source based on the at least one pixel modulation signal;

a first waveguide optically coupled to the at least one electromagnetic radiation source and configured to transmit the image light output to produce a first projected field area of light; and

a second waveguide optically coupled to the at least one electromagnetic radiation source and configured to transmit the image light output to produce a second projected field area,

wherein the pixel modulation signal is configured to luminance modulate the at least one pixel intensity from the at least one electromagnetic radiation source to at least one of the first waveguide or second waveguide concurrent with the first projected field area sharing an overlapping area with the second projected field area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pixel intensity is increased when the pixel is displayed outside the overlapping area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pixel intensity is decreased when the pixel is displayed within the overlapping area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a luminance within the overlapping area is substantially equal to a luminance within the first and second projected areas outside the overlapping area.

5. The system according to any one of claim 2 or 3, wherein a luminance within the overlapping area is substantially equal to a luminance within the first and second projected areas outside the overlapping area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least of the one of the first or second waveguides comprises an optical fiber.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber comprises a cladding and at least one core.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the optical fiber comprises two or more cores occupying the same cladding.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is a single-mode optical fiber.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is a multi-mode optical fiber.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is a step-index optical fiber.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is a graded-index optical fiber.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source produces electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the ultraviolet to infrared range.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source produces visible light electromagnetic radiation.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scanning actuator operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second waveguides and configured to physically displace said at least one of the first and second waveguides.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the scanning actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuation element.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the scanning actuator is coupled to both of the first and second waveguides and configured to physically displace them together.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein a first scanning actuator is coupled to the first waveguide, and wherein a second scanning actuator is coupled to the second waveguide, such that the first and second waveguides may be actuated independently.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scanning element configured to receive the first and second projected field areas from the first and second waveguides and scan said first and second projected field areas along the one or more axes.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the scanning element is selected from the group consisting of:

a MEMS mirror scanner, a deformable membrane mirror, a scanning prism, and a scanning lens.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source comprises two independent electromagnetic radiation sources, a first electromagnetic radiation source operatively coupled to the first waveguide, and a second electromagnetic radiation source operatively coupled to the second waveguide.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source comprises a composite source configured to inject a plurality of wavelengths of radiation into at least one of the first or second waveguides.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the composite source is configured to inject red, green, and blue visible light radiation wavelengths.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the composite source comprises a plurality of individual sources operatively coupled together with a combiner.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the combiner comprises a wavelength division multiplexer.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source comprises a directly-modulatable emitter.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the directly-modulatable emitter is a diode laser.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the directly-modulatable emitter is a light-emitting diode.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation source comprises an emitter operatively coupled to a modulator.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the modulator is an interferometric modulator.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the interferometric modulator is a Mach-Zehnder interferometric modulator.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the modulator is an acousto-optical modulator.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the modulator is a shutter.