MULTIPLE DEPTH PLANE THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY USING A WAVE GUIDE REFLECTOR ARRAY PROJECTOR

• US 20140003762A1
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Macnamara, John Graham
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/50 the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0075 Arrangements of multiple light guides G02B6/0028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/011 in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass

Abstract

A two-dimensional array of linear wave guides includes a plurality of 2D planar wave guide assemblies, columns, sets or layers which each produce a respective depth plane to for a simulated 4D light field. Linear wave guides may have a rectangular cylindrical shape, and may stacked in rows and columns. Each linear wave guide is at least partially internally reflective, for example via at least one opposed pair of at least partially reflective planar side walls, to propagate light along a length of the wave guide. Curved micro-reflectors may reflect some modes of light while passing others. The side walls or a face may reflect some modes of light while passing others. The curved micro-reflectors of any given wave guide each contribute to spherical wave front at a defined radial distance, the various layers producing image planes at respective radial distances.

Claims

1. A wave guide reflector array projector apparatus, comprising:

a first planar set of a plurality of rectangular wave guides, each of the rectangular wave guides in the first planar set having at least a first side, a second side, a first face, and a second face, the second side opposed to the first side along a length of the rectangular wave guide, at least the first and the second sides forming an at least partially internally reflective optical path along at least a portion of the length of the rectangular wave guide, and each of the rectangular wave guides in the first planar set including a respective plurality of curved micro-reflectors disposed between the first and the second sides at respective positions along at least a portion of the length of the respective rectangular wave guide to partially reflect a respective portion of a spherical wave front outwardly from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide; and

at least a second planar set of a plurality of rectangular wave guides, each of the rectangular wave guides in the second planar set having at least a first side, a second side, a first face, and a second face, the second side opposed to the first side along a length of the rectangular wave guide, at least the first and the second sides forming an at least partially internally reflective optical path along at least a portion of the length of the rectangular wave guide, and each of the rectangular wave guides in the second planar set including a respective plurality of curved micro-reflectors disposed between the first and the second sides at respective positions along at least a portion of the length of the respective rectangular wave guide to partially reflect a respective portion outwardly from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide,

the second planar set of rectangular wave guides arranged laterally from the first planar set of rectangular wave guides along a first lateral (Z) axis, the first lateral axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (X), the longitudinal (X) axis parallel to the lengths of the rectangular wave guides of at least the first and the second planar sets.

2. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rectangular wave guides in each of the first and at least the second planar set are arranged laterally along a second lateral (Y) axis, the second lateral (Y) axis orthogonal with respect to the first lateral and the longitudinal axes.

3. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first faces of the rectangular wave guides of the second planar set parallel to the first faces of the rectangular wave guides of the first planar set.

4. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second planar set of wave guides is immediately adjacent the first planar set of wave guides.

5. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional planar sets of wave guides, the first, the second and the plurality of additional sets of wave guide arranged as respective layers in a stack along the first lateral (Z) axis.

6. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 5 wherein for each of the first, the second and the additional planar sets of the rectangular wave guides that comprise the respective first, the second and the additional planar set, the rectangular wave guides are stacked along the second lateral (Y) axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another.

7. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 6 wherein the rectangular wave guides in each successive one of the first, the second, and the additional planar sets of rectangular wave guides are stacked along the first lateral (Z) axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another.

8. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a set of a plurality of second lateral (Y) axis distribution optical couplers, each of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution optical couplers in the set optically coupled to provide a respective optical path to a respective one of the first, the second, and the additional planar sets of the plurality of rectangular wave guides.

9. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end along a length of the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler, and a plurality of at least partially reflective elements that provide an optical path between the first end of the lateral axis distribution coupler and a respective one of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers of the set of the plurality of second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers.

10. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least partially reflective elements of the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler comprise a number of optical gates, and further comprising:

at least one light source, the at least one light source operable to emit red, green and blue pixel patterns;

an intensity modulator operable to modulate an intensity of the red, green and blue pixel patterns to produce modulated red, green and blue pixel patterns;

a beam deflector, the beam deflector optically coupled between at least one light source and the linear array of column distribution couplers and operable to deflect the modulated red, green and blue pixel patterns, and wherein the optical gates are controlled to operate in synchronization with the beam deflector; and

an input fiber optically coupled to the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler at least proximate the first end thereof to provide intensity modulated beam deflected pixel patterns as an input cone of light representative of at least a portion of an image to be projected via the wave guide reflector array projector apparatus.

11. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of input fibers optically coupled to respective ones of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers to provide an input cone of light representative of at least a portion of an image to be projected via the wave guide reflector array projector apparatus.

12. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein for each of the rectangular wave guides the plurality of curved micro-reflectors are aligned in a linear array.

13. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to reflect a portion of light from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front.

14. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to each reflect a conical projection of rays from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide to form a respective portion of a spherical wave front.

15. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about a second lateral (Y) axis to reflect a portion of light from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front, the second lateral (Y) axis orthogonal to the first lateral (Z) axis and the longitudinal (X) axis.

16. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein for each of at least some of the rectangular wave guides the respective angle about the second lateral (Y) axis for each of the respective curved micro-reflectors is greater than the respective angle of an immediately preceding one of the respective curved micro-reflectors as the longitudinal (X) axis is traversed.

17. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about the longitudinal (X) axis to reflect a portion of light from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front.

18. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at both a respective first angle about a second lateral (Y) axis and a respective second angle about an axis that is perpendicular to a plane in which the respective first angle lies to reflect a portion of light from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front, the second lateral (Y) axis orthogonal to the first lateral (Z) axis and the longitudinal (X) axis.

19. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about both of at least two different axes to refocus infinity focused light at specific radial distances.

20. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented to reflect light received via an end of the respective rectangular wave guide out of the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide, where the first face through which the light is reflected outwardly of the respective rectangular wave guide is perpendicular to the end via which the light is received.

21. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 20 wherein the curved micro-reflectors reflect the light outwardly from the respective rectangular wave guide along respective radial axes (R) which are oriented at respective angles with respect to first face from which the light is reflected outward.

22. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 21 wherein at least some of the respective radial axes (R) are oriented at both a respective first non-perpendicular angle and a respective second non-perpendicular angle with respect to the first face from which the light is reflected outward, the first and the second non-perpendicular angles being non-planar with one another.

23. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 22 wherein the rectangular wave guides arranged laterally successively with one another along the first lateral (Z) axis are at least partially transmissive of light reflected from the curved micro-reflectors of one another in at least one direction.

24. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 23 wherein the rectangular wave guides arranged laterally successively with one another along the first lateral (Z) axis are at least partially transmissive of light reflected from the curved micro-reflectors of one another in only one direction.

25. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 23 wherein the rectangular wave guides arranged laterally successively with one another along the second lateral (Y) axis are not transmissive of light reflected from the curved micro-reflectors of one another.

26. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein for at least some of the rectangular wave guides, the plurality of curved micro-reflectors each have a respective first radius of curvature, the first radius of curvature for at least one of the curved micro-reflectors different from the first radius of curvature of at least another one of the curved micro-reflectors of the respective rectangular wave guide.

27. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein for at least some of the rectangular wave guides, the plurality of curved micro-reflectors each have a respective first radius of curvature about a first axis and a respective second radius of curvature about of second axis, the second axis not collinear with the first axis.

28. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 27 wherein for at least some of the rectangular wave guides, the respective first and the respective second radii of curvature of at least one of curved micro-reflectors is different from the respective first and the respective second radii of curvature of at least a second one of the curved micro-reflectors of the respective rectangular wave guide.

29. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 27 wherein for each of the rectangular wave guides, at least one of the first side, the second sides, the first face or second face substantially retain a first set of angular modes in the rectangular wave guide and substantially pass a second set of angular modes from the rectangular wave guide, and the respective curved micro-reflectors of the rectangular wave guide substantially reflect the second set of angular modes and substantially pass the first set of angular modes to traverse along the length of the respective rectangular wave guide.

30. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a two dimensional array of a plurality of wave guides arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, each of the wave guides having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end along a length of the wave guide, at least a first pair of opposed sides which are at least partially reflective toward an interior of the wave guide to reflect light along the length of the wave guide, the length which defines a major axis of the respective wave guide, each of the wave guides having a plurality of curved micro-reflectors disposed at respective positions along the length of the respective wave guide and which are at least partially reflective of at least defined wavelengths, the curved micro-reflectors oriented at respective angles with respect to the face of the respective wave guide to provide in conjunction with at least the first pair of opposed sides an optical path that extends between the face and the first end of the wave guide; and

a linear array of column distribution couplers, a respective column distribution coupler for each column of the two dimensional array of the plurality of rectangular wave guides, each of the column distribution couplers having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end along a length of the column distribution coupler, each of the column distribution couplers having a plurality of elements that provide an optical path between the first end of the column distribution coupler and a respective one of the wave guides in the respective column of the two dimensional array of the plurality of wave guides.

31. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein each of the wave guides has a rectangular cross section.

32. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to reflect a portion of electromagnetic energy from a face of the wave guide.

33. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to reflect a portion of electromagnetic energy from a face of the wave guide in a spherical wave front.

34. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to each reflect a conical projection of rays from a face of the wave guide to form a respective portion of a spherical wave front.

35. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about a lateral axis of the respective wave guide, the lateral axis perpendicular to the major axis, to reflect a portion of electromagnetic energy from a face of the wave guide in a spherical wave front.

36. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about the major axis to reflect a portion of electromagnetic energy from a face of the wave guide in a spherical wave front.

37. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about both the major axis and about a lateral axis of the respective wave guide, the lateral axis perpendicular to the major axis, to reflect a portion of electromagnetic energy from a face of the wave guide in a spherical wave front.

38. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about both the major axis and about a lateral axis of the respective wave guide, the lateral axis perpendicular to the major axis, to focus infinity focused light at specific radial distances.

39. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the respective plurality of elements of each of the column distribution coupler comprises a linear array of splitters oriented to split at least a portion of light toward a respective one of the wave guides in the respective column of the two dimensional array of the plurality of rectangular wave guides.

40. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein each column of the two dimensional array of the plurality of rectangular wave guides forms a respective depth layer of a four dimensional image.

41. The optical apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

a lateral axis (Z axis) distribution coupler having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end along a length of the lateral axis distribution coupler, and a plurality of at least partially reflective elements that provide an optical path between the first end of the lateral axis distribution coupler and a respective one of the column distribution couplers of the linear array of column distribution couplers.

42. The optical apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

an input fiber (multiplexed) optically coupled to the lateral axis distribution coupler at least proximate the first end thereof to provide an input cone of light representative of an image to be projected via the optical apparatus.

43. The optical apparatus of claim 42 wherein the at least partially reflective elements of the lateral axis distribution coupler comprise a number of optical gates.

44. The optical apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

a beam deflector optically coupled between at least one light source and the linear array of column distribution couplers, and wherein the optical gates are controlled to operate in synchronization with the beam deflector.

45. The optical apparatus of claim 44, further comprising:

the at least one light source, which is operable to emit red, green and blue light;

an intensity modulator operable to modulate an intensity of the red, green and blue light; and

a single mode optical fiber optically coupled between the at least one light source and the beam deflector.

46. The optical apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

a plurality of input fibers (non-multiplexed) optically coupled to respective ones of the column distribution couplers at least proximate the first end of the respective column distribution coupler to provide an input cone of light representative of an image to be projected via the optical apparatus.

47. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are at least one of dynamically deformable or dynamically orientable about at least one axis in response to at least one control signal.

48. The optical apparatus of claim 47 wherein the curved micro-reflectors comprise curved liquid crystal surfaces.

49. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein for each of the columns, the wave guides that comprise the column are stacked along a first lateral axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another, the first lateral axis perpendicular to the major axes of the wave guides.

50. The optical apparatus of claim 49 wherein for each of the plurality of rows in the two dimensional array of a plurality of wave guides, the wave guides that comprise the row are stacked along a second lateral axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another, the second lateral axis orthogonal with the major axes and the first lateral axes.

51. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein for each of the plurality of rows in the two dimensional array of a plurality of wave guides, the wave guides that comprise the respective row are at least partially transmissive of light reflected from the curved micro-reflectors of the wave guides from other columns that comprise the respective row.

52. The optical apparatus of claim 51 wherein each of the columns in the two dimensional array of the plurality of wave guides, the wave guides that comprise the column are not transmissive of light reflected from the curved micro-reflectors of the other wave guides that comprise the respective column.

53. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented to reflect light received via the first end of the respective wave guide out of the face of the respective wave guide, where the face through which the light is reflected outwardly of the respective wave guide is perpendicular to the first end via which the light is received.

54. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein for at least some of the wave guides, the plurality of curved micro-reflectors each have a respective first radius of curvature, the first radius of curvature for each of the curved micro-reflectors different from the first radius of curvature of each other of the curved micro-reflectors of the respective wave guide.

55. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein for at least some of the wave guides, the plurality of curved micro-reflectors each have a respective first radius of curvature about a first axis and a respective second radius of curvature about of second axis, the second axis not collinear with the first axis.

56. The optical apparatus of claim 55 wherein for at least some of the wave guides, the respective first and the respective second radii of curvature of at least one of curved micro-reflectors is different from the respective first and the respective second radii of curvature of at least a second one of the curved micro-reflectors of the respective wave guide.

57. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein the curved micro-reflectors allow a portion of light that is not reflected to traverse along the length of the respective wave guide.

58. The optical apparatus of claim 30 wherein for each of the wave guides, at least the first and the second sides substantially retain a first set of angular modes in the wave guide and substantially pass a second set of angular modes from the wave guide, and the respective curved micro-reflectors of the wave guide substantially reflect the second set of angular modes and substantially pass the first set of angular modes to traverse along the length of the respective wave guide.

59. A system, comprising

a coupling tube oriented in a first direction and having a series of beam splitters, wherein the coupling tube is configured to receive input light, and further wherein each of the beam splitters reflects a portion of light incident on the beam splitter to a wave guide and transmits a second portion of light;

multiple wave guides oriented in a second direction different from the first direction;

multiple sets of curved micro-reflectors, wherein a set of curved micro-reflectors is embedded in each of the multiple wave guides,

wherein each set of micro-reflectors reflects light into a three-dimensional (3D) pattern.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein each of the curved micro-reflectors are partially transparent.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the input light is a cone of light.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein a first reflectance of each of the micro-reflectors reflects angular modes of the cone of light that are reflected from an inner surface of the corresponding wave guide and is transparent to other angular modes.

63. The system of claim 61, wherein a second reflectance of each of the wave guides does not reflect angular modes reflected from the corresponding micro-reflectors and reflects other angular modes within the wave guide.

64. The system of claim 59, wherein the input light has a sufficiently wide so that no gap is present between light reflected from the micro-reflectors in the 3D pattern.

65. The system of claim 59, further comprising a multi-mode optical fiber configured to direct the input light into the coupling tube.

66. The system of claim 59, wherein the input light is polarized along a first axis, and the micro-reflectors and wave guide surfaces only reflect light polarized along the first axis.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein an exterior of a display housing the apparatus has an orthogonally polarizing screen configured to adjust a contrast level between external light and light reflected into the 3D pattern.

68. The system of claim 59, wherein a curvature and shape of the micro-reflectors are dynamically varied.

69. The system of claim 59, wherein the 3D pattern corresponds to a spherical wave front produced by a virtual point source at a given x-coordinate, y-coordinate, and z-coordinate.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate are determined by a 2D angular orientation of each of the curved micro-reflectors in the multiple sets of curved micro-reflectors.

71. The system of claim 69, wherein the z-coordinate is determined by a configuration of micro-reflector shapes and two-dimensional orientation gradients of the micro-reflectors.

72. The system of claim 59, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

73. A three-dimensional projection system comprising multiple stacked apparatuses as claimed in claim 59, wherein the input light is directed into each coupling tube by a separate multi-mode optical fiber.

74. A system having an array of reflectors, wherein the array converts an input light beam into a stack of two-dimensional projections of virtual depth planes that recreates a three-dimensional volume on a display.

75. The system of claim 74, further comprising a coupling tube having multiple beam splitters configured to receive the input light beam and create multiple copies of the input light beam.

76. The system of claim 74, wherein the micro-reflectors in the array are partially transparent.

77. A method of recreating a three-dimensional volume for viewing, the method comprising:

receiving multiple input light beams, wherein each input light beam corresponds to an intensity pattern of a portion of a visual field in a different layer of the three-dimensional volume;

creating a set of multiple intermediate light beams from each of the multiple input light beams;

projecting at least a portion of each set of multiple intermediate light beams into a virtual depth plane;

wherein together, the virtual depth planes recreate the three-dimensional volume.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the multiple input light beams include light having a range of angles.

79. The method of claim 77, wherein projecting at least a portion of each set of multiple intermediate light beams into a virtual depth plane comprises independently rotating copies of the multiple intermediate light beams for each set and projecting a wave front that appears to radiate from a virtual point for each set.

80. A method of recreating a three-dimensional volume for viewing, the method comprising:

receiving time-multiplexed input light via a single single-mode fiber, wherein the received input light beam corresponds to an intensity pattern of a portion of a visual field for a plurality of depth planes of the three-dimensional volume;

transferring the received time-multiplexed input light to a z-axis optical coupler;

transferring the portions of the received time-multiplexed input light to respective ones of a set of y-axis distribution optical couplers by the z-axis optical coupler;

transferring the portions of the received time-multiplexed input light to respective sets of wave guides by the y-axis optical couplers; and

projecting at least a portion of the received time-multiplexed input light via the wave guides of each of at least some of the sets of wave guides, where each set of wave guide projects a respective virtual depth plane, the cumulative virtual depth planes forming the three-dimensional volume for viewing.