Holographic Substrate-Guided Wave-Based See-Through Display

• US 20100157400A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Luminit LLC
• Original Assignee: Luminit LLC
• Inventors: Yu, Kevin, Voloschenko, Dmitry, Aye, Tin, Soboleva, Svetlana, Yin, Khin Swe, Kyaw, Myo, Dimov, Fedor
• Granted Patent: US 10,274,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/188 Plurality of such optical elements formed in or on a supporting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• 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 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0408 Total internal reflection [TIR] holograms, e.g. edge lit or substrate mode holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0439 for recording Holographic Optical Element [HOE] HOE per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/261 in optical contact
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/63 Environment affecting the recording, e.g. underwater G03H2001/0432 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/21 Curved bearing surface

Abstract

A holographic substrate-guided wave-based see-through display can has a microdisplay, capable of emitting light in the form of an image. The microdisplay directs its output to a holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image. The holographic lens couples its output to an elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the holographic lens at a first location, and transmitting the light in the form of an image along a length of the substrate by total internal reflection to a second location spaced from the first location, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image at the second location. The substrate couples out what it receives to a transparent holographic grating, capable of accepting the light transmitted from the elongate substrate and transmitting it to a location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a microdisplay, capable of emitting light in the form of an image;

a holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image;

an elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the holographic lens at a first location, and transmitting the light in the form of an image along a length of the substrate by total internal reflection to a second location spaced from the first location, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image at the second location; and

a transparent holographic grating, capable of accepting the light transmitted from the elongate substrate and transmitting it to a location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image.

2. A display apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second microdisplay, capable of emitting light in the form of an image;

a second holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image;

the elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the second holographic lens at a third location, and transmitting the light in the form of an image along a length of the substrate by total internal reflection to the second location, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image at the second location; and

the transparent holographic grating, capable of accepting the light transmitted by the elongate substrate from the second holographic lens and transmitting it to the location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image.

3. A display apparatus comprising:

a microdisplay, capable of emitting highly collimated light in the form of a second image;

a first holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image with light beams that diverge;

an elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the light in the form of the second image from the first holographic lens at a first location, and transmitting the light in the form of the second image along a length of the substrate by total internal reflection to a second location spaced from the first location, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of the second image at the second location; and

a second holographic lens, capable of accepting the second image transmitted from the elongate substrate and transmitting it to a location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image.

4. An apparatus for monitoring a reflective area comprising:

a light source positioned to illuminate the reflective area;

a holographic lens, capable of accepting light reflected by the area in the form of an image from the area, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image of the illuminated reflective area;

an elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the light in the form of an image from the holographic lens at a first location, and transmitting the light in the form of an image along a length of the substrate by internal reflection to a second location spaced from the first location, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of an image at the second location;

a transparent holographic grating, capable of accepting the light transmitted from the elongate substrate and transmitting it to a location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image

a camera, capable of accepting light bearing an image from the holographic grating, the camera being capable of continuously or intermittently recording the transmitted image of the reflective area.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a first microdisplay, capable of emitting light in the form of a first image;

a second microdisplay, capable of emitting light in the form of a second image;

a second holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of the image from the first microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of the first image;

a third holographic lens, capable of accepting the light in the form of the second image from the second microdisplay, and capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form of the second image;

an elongate transparent substrate, capable of accepting the first and second images from the microdisplays that have been conveyed to the holographic lenses at a third location and a fourth location, and transmitting the light in the form of an image along a length of the substrate by internal reflection to a fifth location spaced from the first through fourth locations, the elongate substrate being capable of transmitting the accepted light in the form the first and second images from the microdisplays from their respective locations; and

a transparent holographic grating located at the fifth location, capable of accepting the light transmitted from the elongate substrate at the third and fourth locations and transmitting it to a location outside of the holographic grating as a viewable image.