Systems and methods for augmented near-eye wearable displays

• US 10,585,290 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Cai, Jingbo, El-Ghoroury, Hussein S., Jonker, Reginald, Maiers, Marty, Chuang, Chih-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US16/505,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• 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 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Wearable augmented reality display systems are provided. One or a plurality of emissive display elements are embedded in the bridge area of an eyeglass frame. The lenses are provided with a set of transmissive diffractive optical elements and partially reflective diffractive optical elements. The display outputs are directed toward the lens elements whereby the diffractive elements in turn direct the outputs toward the eye-boxes of the viewer.

Claims

1. A near-eye display system comprising:

an optical lens element having a first transmissive diffractive optical element and a partially reflective diffractive optical element; and

an emissive display device configured to output an optical image, wherein the emissive display device comprises a second transmissive diffractive optical element being an optical complement of the first transmissive diffractive optical element;

wherein the second transmissive diffractive optical element directs light toward the first transmissive diffractive optical element and the partially reflective diffractive optical element partially reflects the light toward an eye box of a viewer as the optical image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the emissive display device comprises an array of independently addressable, full-color emissive micro-pixels.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the emissive display device further comprises electronic circuitry to drive the array of emissive micro-pixels.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective diffractive optical element is embedded in a surface of the optical lens element.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second transmissive diffractive optical element maps chief light rays emitted from each of the emissive micro-pixels in a desired angular direction so that the chief light rays pass through a center of a human eyeball after reflecting off the optical lens element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second transmissive diffractive optical element has a thickness in a range of about 10-30 microns.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second transmissive diffractive optical element comprises a Bragg or volume holographic grating.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the grating is linear or non-linear.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the grating is comprised of high order polynomial expressions.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the grating is not uniform and is graded.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein a top and a bottom of the grating are symmetrical.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein grating lines of the grating are not continuous over a viewing surface of the optical lens element.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmissive diffractive optical element does not cover an entire surface of the optical lens element.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein chief light rays are emitted from each of the emissive micro-pixels through the second transmissive diffractive optical element at predetermined positions that are substantially on an axis with pupils of human eyes.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the eye box is about 16 millimeters (mm).

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third transmissive diffractive optical element that is an optical complement of the first transmissive diffractive optical element, the third transmissive diffractive optical element having a slope and direction opposite to those of the first transmissive diffractive optical element.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the emissive display device is embedded in an eyeglass frame.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the emissive display device is embedded in a bridge area of the eyeglass frame.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective diffractive optical element has a reflectance characteristic in the range of 20-60%.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmissive diffractive optical element (TDOE) and the partially reflective diffractive optical element (RDOE) are nano-imprinted TDOE and RDOE layers, respectively.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective diffractive optical element has a thickness in a range of about 10-30 microns.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective diffractive optical element comprises a Bragg or volume holographic grating.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the grating is linear or non-linear.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the grating is comprised of high order polynomial expressions.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the grating is not uniform and is graded.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein a top and a bottom of the grating are symmetrical.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein grating lines of the grating are not continuous over a viewing surface of the optical lens element.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective diffractive optical element does not cover an entire surface of the optical lens element.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmissive diffractive optical element and the partially reflective diffractive optical element are formed based on a wavelength of the middle of a visible light spectrum.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical image is a single view image or multi-view light field image.

31. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second emissive display device embedded in an arm of the eyeglass frame.

32. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one eye-tracking sensor to obtain at least one of an angular position of an eye, an iris diameter, or a distance between two pupils.

33. A method of providing a near-eye display system, the method comprising:

outputting, by an emissive display device, an optical image to an optical lens element, the optical lens element comprising a first transmissive diffractive optical element and a partially reflective diffractive optical element;

directing, by the first transmissive diffractive optical element, the optical image to the partially reflective diffractive optical element;

directing, by a second transmissive diffractive optical element, light from a surrounding environment to the partially reflective diffractive optical element, wherein the second transmissive diffractive optical element is an optical complement of the transmissive diffractive optical element; and

reflecting, by the partially reflective diffractive optical element, the optical image to an eye box of a viewer.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the emissive display device comprises an array of independently addressable, full-color emissive micro-pixels.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the emissive display device further comprises electronic circuitry to drive the array of emissive micro-pixels.