Plenoptic cellular axis redirection

• US 10,698,201 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2019
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lamkin, Mark A., Ringgenberg, Kyle Martin, Lamkin, Jordan David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US16/373,087
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0075 with means for altering, e.g. increasing, the depth of field or depth of focus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0037 characterized by the distribution or form of lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0075 characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electronic display assembly includes a first and second microlens layer. The first microlens layer includes a first plurality of cells and the second microlens layer includes a second plurality of cells. Each cell of the first and second plurality of cells includes a transparent lenslet and a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent cells. The electronic display assembly further includes an image sensor layer adjacent to the first microlens layer, and a display layer adjacent to the second microlens array. The electronic display assembly further includes a first Fresnel prism adjacent to the first microlens layer, the first Fresnel prism configured to redirect the incoming light into the first plurality of cells. The electronic display assembly further includes a second Fresnel prism adjacent to the second microlens layer, the second Fresnel prism configured to redirect the emitted light from the second plurality of cells.

Claims

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a first microlens layer on a first side of a circuit board, the first microlens layer comprising a first plurality of cells;

a second microlens layer on an opposite side of the circuit board from the first microlens layer, the second microlens layer comprising a second plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the first and second plurality of cells comprises;

a transparent lenslet; and

a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent cells;

an image sensor layer adjacent to the first microlens layer, the image sensor layer comprising a plurality of sensor pixels configured to detect incoming light through the first plurality of cells;

a display layer adjacent to the second microlens array, the display layer comprising a plurality of display pixels configured to emit light through the second plurality of cells;

a first Fresnel prism adjacent to the first microlens layer, the first Fresnel prism configured to redirect the incoming light into the first plurality of cells; and

a second Fresnel prism adjacent to the second microlens layer, the second Fresnel prism configured to redirect the emitted light from the second plurality of cells.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first plurality of cells are oriented towards a first direction; and

the second plurality of cells are oriented towards a second direction that is 180 degrees from the first direction.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second Fresnel prisms each comprises a plurality of segments comprising:

a center segment that comprises a face that is substantially perpendicular to a viewing direction;

a plurality of upper segments that are above the center segment with respect to the viewing direction; and

a plurality of lower segments that are below the center segment with respect to the viewing direction;

wherein;

each segment of the plurality of upper and lower segments comprises an angled face with respect to the viewing direction; and

the angled faces of the segments of the plurality of upper and lower segments comprise decreasing angles with respect to the viewing direction as distances from the upper and lower segments to the center segment increase.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the transparent lenslet of each cell of the first and second plurality of cells is formed from a polymer, silica glass, or sapphire.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 4, wherein the polymer comprises polycarbonate or acrylic.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 1, wherein the transparent lenslet of each cell of the first and second plurality of cells comprises a three-dimensional shape with a collimating lens on one end of the three-dimensional shape, the three-dimensional shape comprising:

a triangular polyhedron;

a rectangular cuboid;

a pentagonal polyhedron;

a hexagonal polyhedron;

a heptagonal polyhedron;

or

an octagonal polyhedron.

7. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a first microlens layer on a first side of a circuit board, the first microlens layer comprising a first plurality of cells;

a second microlens layer on an opposite side of the circuit board from the first microlens layer, the second microlens layer comprising a second plurality of cells;

an image sensor layer adjacent to the first microlens layer, the image sensor layer comprising a plurality of sensor pixels configured to detect incoming light through the first plurality of cells; and

a display layer adjacent to the second microlens array, the display layer comprising a plurality of display pixels configured to emit light through the second plurality of cells, wherein;

the collimating lenses of the first and second plurality of cells comprise;

a center lens that comprises a face that is substantially perpendicular to a viewing direction;

a plurality of upper lenses that are above the center lens with respect to the viewing direction; and

a plurality of lower lenses that are below the center lens with respect to the viewing direction;

each lens of the plurality of upper and lower segments comprises an angled face with respect to the viewing direction; and

the angled faces of the lenses of the plurality of upper and lower lenses comprise decreasing angles with respect to the viewing direction as distances from the upper and lower lenses to the center lens increases.

8. The electronic display assembly of claim 7, wherein:

the first plurality of cells are oriented towards a first direction; and

the second plurality of cells are oriented towards a second direction that is 180 degrees from the first direction.

9. The electronic display assembly of claim 7, wherein the transparent lenslet of each cell of the first and second plurality of cells is formed from a polymer, silica glass, or sapphire.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 7, wherein each cell of the first and second plurality of cells comprises:

a transparent lenslet comprising a three-dimensional shape with a collimating lens on one end of the three-dimensional shape; and

a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent cells.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 7, wherein the transparent lenslet of each cell of the first and second plurality of cells comprises a three-dimensional shape comprising:

a triangular polyhedron;

a rectangular cuboid;

a pentagonal polyhedron;

a hexagonal polyhedron;

a heptagonal polyhedron;

or

an octagonal polyhedron.

12. A method of manufacturing an electronic display, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of unit attachment locations on a circuit board, each unit attachment location corresponding to one of a plurality of display units and one of a plurality of sensor units;

coupling a plurality of sensor units to a first side of the circuit board, each sensor unit being coupled to a respective one of the unit attachment locations; and

coupling a plurality of display units to a second side of the circuit board that is opposite the first side, each sensor unit being coupled to a respective one of the facet locations;

coupling a first plurality of microlenses to the plurality of sensor units;

coupling a second plurality of microlenses to the plurality of display units;

coupling a first Fresnel prism adjacent to the first plurality of microlenses; and

coupling a second Fresnel prism adjacent to the second plurality of microlenses.

13. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 12, further comprising coupling a plurality of logic units between the circuit board and the plurality of display units.

14. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 12, further comprising coupling a plurality of logic units between the circuit board and the plurality of sensor units.

15. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 12, wherein the circuit board is flexible.

16. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second plurality of microlenses comprises:

a transparent lenslet; and

a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent microlenses.

17. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 16, wherein the transparent lenslet of each cell of the first and second plurality of cells is formed from a polymer, silica glass, or sapphire.

18. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 17, wherein the polymer comprises polycarbonate or acrylic.

19. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 16, wherein each transparent lenslet comprises a three-dimensional shape with a collimating lens on one end of the three-dimensional shape.

20. The method of manufacturing the electronic display of claim 19, wherein, the three-dimensional shape comprises:

a triangular polyhedron;

a rectangular cuboid;

a pentagonal polyhedron;

a hexagonal polyhedron;

a heptagonal polyhedron;

or

an octagonal polyhedron.