Lightguide structure, optical device and imaging system

• US 10,656,421 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Association For The Advancement Of Tissue Engineering And Cell Based Technologies And Therapies - A4Tec, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Piskunov, Dmitry Evgenievich, Muravev, Nikolay Victorovich, Popov, Mikhail Vyacheslavovic, Zakharova, Natalia Vladimirovna
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US15/307,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0048 with stepwise taper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/00 Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising G09F9/00, G09F11/00 take precedence; control of displays in general using static means to present variable information G09G

Abstract

It is provided that a lightguide structure comprising: a first portion disposed to receive light rays emitted by an external display, a second portion disposed to provide, to a second surface facing a viewer, the light rays from the first portion and ambient light, wherein the second portion has a plurality of first surfaces for reflecting light rays and at least one second surface which the light rays and the ambient light perpendicularly enter into and pass through, an intermediate portion disposed to connect between the first portion and the second portion and reflect the light rays from the first portion for transferring the light rays to the second portion.

Claims

1. A lightguide structure comprising:

a first portion configured to receive light rays emitted by an external display;

a second portion configured to output the light rays from the first portion and ambient light incident on the second portion; and

an intermediate portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and configured to reflect the light rays from the first portion and transfer the light rays to the second portion,

wherein the second portion comprises;

a plurality of first surfaces connected to each other and forming a stepped structure, the plurality of first surfaces being configured to reflect the light rays from the first portion; and

at least one second surface configured to output the ambient light and the light rays reflected from the plurality of first surfaces,

wherein the plurality of first surfaces comprise a plurality of inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the at least one second surface and at least one parallel surface located between the inclined surfaces, the at least one parallel surface being substantially parallel to the at least one second surface, and

wherein a top plane surface of the intermediate portion and a bottom plane surface of the intermediate portion are inclined at a same angle, respectively, relative to a second surface among the at least one second surface of the second portion adjacent to the bottom plane surface of the intermediate portion.

2. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein the second portion is further configured to pass the ambient light incident on the plurality of first surfaces through the at least one second surface towards a viewer together with the outputted light rays.

3. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one second surface and all of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion are planar.

4. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion are curved alternately in a concave shape and a convex shape relative to the at least one second surface.

5. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein joint places connecting each of the plurality of first surfaces and the at least one second surface of the second portion are rounded.

6. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein the first portion, the second portion and the intermediate portion are implemented as a monolithic structure.

7. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion is inclined relative to the at least one second surface of the second portion, and

wherein each of the at least one of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion inclined relative to the at least one second surface of the second portion is coated by a mirror coating.

8. The lightguide structure of claim 1, further comprising a compensating portion, and wherein a structure a surface of the compensating portion is identical to the stepped structure of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion so that the compensating portion adjoins the second portion with no gap therebetween.

9. The lightguide structure of claim 1, wherein the first portion has a convex structure.

10. The lightguide structure of claim 9, wherein the convex structure is a wedge-like structure.

11. An optical device comprising:

a display configured to emit light rays;

at least one optical means configured to direct the light rays along its optical axis; and

at least one lightguide structure comprising;

a first portion configured to receive light rays emitted by an external display;

a second portion configured to output the light rays from the first portion and ambient light incident on the second portion; and

an intermediate portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and configured to reflect the light rays from the first portion and transfer the light rays to the second portion,

wherein the second portion comprises;

a plurality of first surfaces connected to each other and forming a stepped structure, the plurality of first surfaces being configured to reflect the light rays from the first portion; and

at least one second surface configured to output the ambient light and the light rays reflected from the plurality of first surfaces,

wherein the plurality of first surfaces comprise a plurality of inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the at least one second surface and at least one parallel surface located between the inclined surfaces, the at least one parallel surface being substantially parallel to the at least one second surface,

wherein a top plane surface of the intermediate portion and a bottom plane surface of the intermediate portion are inclined at a same angle, respectively, relative to a second surface among the at least one second surface of the second portion adjacent to the bottom plane surface of the intermediate portion.

12. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the display comprises as a microdisplay.

13. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the at least one optical means comprises an eyepiece or collimating lens.

14. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the second portion is further configured to pass the ambient light incident on the plurality of first surfaces through the at least one second surface towards a viewer together with the outputted light rays.

15. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the at least one second surface and all of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion are planar.

16. The optical device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion is inclined relative to the at least one second surface of the second portion, and

wherein each of the at least one of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion inclined relative to the at least one second surface of the second portion is coated by a mirror coating.

17. The optical device of claim 11, further comprising a compensating portion, and wherein a structure a surface of the compensating portion is identical to the stepped structure of the plurality of first surfaces of the second portion so that the compensating portion adjoins the second portion with no gap therebetween.