Substrate-guide optical device

• US 10,649,214 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdin, Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US16/116,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20190011710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0136 with a single image source for both eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• 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 27/0081 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 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 : used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 : Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• 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 6/003 : Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 : for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/105 : having optical polarisation effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 : Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/10 : Optical elements and systems for visual disorders other than refractive errors, low vision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 : Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 : using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 : Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 : Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 : Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 : Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

An optical device, including a light waves-transmitting substrate has two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate, one or more of the partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) being an anisotropic surface. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having a plurality of surfaces including at least two major surfaces;

at least a first and second display;

at least one optical element for coupling light waves from the first display into the substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves out of the substrate;

at least one sensor; and

a switching unit configured to selectively control activation and deactivation of the first and second displays to effect switching between;

a first operational mode in which, in response to detection by the sensor of placement of at least one of the displays within a predetermined distance from an eye of a viewer, the switching unit activates the first display and deactivates the second display, such that the light waves from the first display are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the optical surface into the eye of the viewer, and

a second operational mode in which the switching unit deactivates the first display and activates the second display, such that the second display is viewable directly through the substrate.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a movement detector.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical sensor.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanical body, wherein at least the first display is integrated into the mechanical body.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the second display is integrated into the mechanical body.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the light-waves transmitting substrate and the at least one optical element for coupling light waves are integrated into the mechanical body.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the light-waves transmitting substrate is a protective cover-window of the mechanical body.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the mechanical body includes a cellular phone.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the mechanical body includes a wristwatch.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the second display is higher than the resolution of the first display.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the first display is higher than the resolution of the second display.

13. A system, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having a plurality of surfaces including at least two major surfaces;

at least a first and second display;

at least one optical element for coupling light waves from the first display into the substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves out of the substrate; and

a switching unit configured to selectively control activation and deactivation of the first and second displays to effect switching between;

a first operational mode in which the switching unit activates the first display and deactivates the second display in response to satisfying of at least one criterion defined by the position of at least one eye of a viewer relative to the second display, such that the light waves from the first display are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the optical surface into the eye of the viewer, and

a second operational mode in which the switching unit deactivates the first display and activates the second display in response to dissatisfying of the at least one criterion, such that the second display is viewable directly through the substrate.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the satisfying of the at least one criterion includes positioning of the second display such that the second display is at least partially visible by the at least one eye of the viewer.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the dissatisfying of the at least one criterion includes positioning of the second display such that the second display is non-visible by the at least one eye of the viewer.

16. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a mechanical body, wherein at least one of the displays is integrated into the mechanical body.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first and second displays are mechanically separated from each other and electronically connectable to each other.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the position of the at least one eye of the viewer relative to the second display is determined by at least one sensor in communication with the second display.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor includes a movement detector.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical sensor.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one optical surface defines an active area and an inactive area of the substrate, and wherein a majority portion of the second display is located behind the active area and a minority portion of the second display is located behind the inactive area, and wherein in the first operational mode, the switching unit deactivates only the majority portion of the second display, and wherein in the second operational mode the switching unit activates the majority portion of the second display, such that the minority portion of the second display remains active in both first and second operational modes.

23. A device, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having a plurality of surfaces including at least two major surfaces;

at least a first and second display;

at least one optical element for coupling light waves from the first display into the substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves out of the substrate;

an optical sensor; and

a switching unit configured to selectively control activation and deactivation of the first and second displays to effect switching between;

a first operational mode in which, in response to detection by the optical sensor of an eye of a viewer viewing a portion of the first display from a distance between the eye and the first display that is less than a threshold distance, the switching unit activates the first display and deactivates the second display, such that the light waves from the first display are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the optical surface into the eye of the viewer, and

a second operational mode in which, in response to detection by the optical sensor of the eye being at a distance from the first display that is greater than the threshold distance, the switching unit deactivates the first display and activates the second display, such that the second display is viewable directly through the substrate.

24. The device according to claim 23, further comprising a mechanical body, wherein at least the first display is integrated into the mechanical body.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the second display is integrated into the mechanical body.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the light-waves transmitting substrate and the at least one optical element for coupling light waves are integrated into the mechanical body.

27. The device according to claim 24, wherein the light-waves transmitting substrate is a protective cover-window of the mechanical body.

28. The device according to claim 24, wherein the mechanical body is a cellular phone.

29. The device according to claim 24, wherein the mechanical body is a wristwatch.

30. The device according to claim 23, wherein the threshold distance is in a range from 5 millimeters to 10 millimeters.

31. A device, comprising:

a light waves-transmitting substrate having a plurality of surfaces including at least two major surfaces;

at least a first and second display;

at least one optical element for coupling light waves from the first display into the substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one optical surface for coupling light waves out of the substrate; and

a switching unit configured to selectively control activation and deactivation of the first and second displays to effect switching between;

a first operational mode in which, in response to placement of the second display proximate to at least one eye of a viewer in a position that renders the second display non-visible to the viewer, the switching unit activates the first display and deactivates the second display, such that the light waves from the first display are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the optical surface into the eye of the viewer, and

a second operational mode in which, in response to placement of the second display in a position that renders the second display visible to the viewer, the switching unit deactivates the first display and activates the second display, such that the second display is viewable directly through the substrate.

32. The device according to claim 31, further comprising a mechanical body, wherein at least one of the displays is integrated into the mechanical body.

33. The device according to claim 31, wherein the first and second displays are mechanically separated from each other and electronically connectable to each other.