Laser Based Image Display System
First Claim
1. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:
- generating an image;
providing a beam of substantially collimated light carrying said image; and
replicating said image by reflecting said substantially collimated light along a waveguide between substantially parallel planar optical surfaces defining outer optical surfaces of said waveguide, at least one of said optical surfaces being a mirrored optical surface, such that light escapes from said waveguide through one of said surfaces when reflected to provide a replicated version of said image on a said reflection.
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Abstract
We describe optical techniques for replicating an image to expand the exit pupil of a head-up laser-based image display system. The system includes image replication optics to replicate an image carried by a substantially collimated beam, the image replication optics comprising a pair of substantially planar reflecting optical surfaces defining substantially parallel planes spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the parallel planes. The system is configured to launch the collimated beam into a region between the parallel planes such that the reflecting optical surfaces waveguide the beam between the surfaces in a plurality of successive reflections at front and rear optical surfaces. The front optical surface is configured to transmit a proportion of the collimated beam when reflecting the beam such that at each reflection of the collimated beam at the front optical surface a replica of the image is output from the image replication optics.
116 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of displaying an image, the method comprising:
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generating an image; providing a beam of substantially collimated light carrying said image; and replicating said image by reflecting said substantially collimated light along a waveguide between substantially parallel planar optical surfaces defining outer optical surfaces of said waveguide, at least one of said optical surfaces being a mirrored optical surface, such that light escapes from said waveguide through one of said surfaces when reflected to provide a replicated version of said image on a said reflection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An optical image replicator for an image production system, the image replicator comprising a pair of substantially planar reflecting optical surfaces defining substantially, parallel planes spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to said parallel planes, said substantially planar optical surfaces defining outer optical surfaces of a waveguide configured such that light escapes from said waveguide through one of said surfaces when reflected to provide a replicated version of said image on said reflection;
- wherein said optical surfaces comprise a first, front optical surface and a second, rear optical surface, wherein said first, front optical surface is configured to transmit a proportion of light when reflecting light such that said light escapes through said front optical surface.
- View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20)
- 15. An optical replicator comprising a pair of parallel planar optical reflecting surfaces configured to form a cavity within which light can propagate by alternately reflecting off the surfaces, a first one of said surfaces being configured to transmit light of a first polarisation and reflect light of a second, orthogonal polarisation, the second of said surfaces being configured to reflect light of both said polarisations, the optical reflector further comprising a polarisation rotating layer to rotate a polarisation of light at said second polarisation reflected from said first surface to introduce a component at said second polarisation such that when again incident on said first surface said rotated component of light is transmitted.
Specification