Directionally illuminated waveguide arrangement
First Claim
1. A directionally-illuminated waveguide arrangement, comprising:
- a waveguide comprising an input end, and first and second, opposed guide surfaces for guiding light along the waveguide, the first guide surface being arranged to guide light by total internal reflection and the second guide surface having a stepped shape comprising a plurality of facets extending in a lateral direction across the waveguide and oriented to reflect input light from the input end through the first guide surface as output light, and intermediate regions between the facets that are arranged to direct light through the waveguide without extracting it;
an illumination system selectively operable to provide the input light directed (a) from different lateral positions distributed in the lateral direction and (b) in different input directions distributed perpendicular to the lateral direction, the input light output through the first guide surface being directed in output directions that are (a) distributed with respect to a normal to the first guide surface in the lateral direction in dependence on the lateral position of the input light and (b) distributed with respect to a normal to the first guide surface in a perpendicular direction to the lateral direction in dependence on the input direction of the input light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a light guiding valve apparatus comprising an optical valve, a two dimensional light source array and a focusing optic for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources. A stepped waveguide may be a stepped structure, in which the steps may be extraction features optically hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. A two dimensional array of viewing windows may be produced. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays with wide viewing freedom and low cross talk and near-eye displays that are substantially transparent.
95 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A directionally-illuminated waveguide arrangement, comprising:
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a waveguide comprising an input end, and first and second, opposed guide surfaces for guiding light along the waveguide, the first guide surface being arranged to guide light by total internal reflection and the second guide surface having a stepped shape comprising a plurality of facets extending in a lateral direction across the waveguide and oriented to reflect input light from the input end through the first guide surface as output light, and intermediate regions between the facets that are arranged to direct light through the waveguide without extracting it; an illumination system selectively operable to provide the input light directed (a) from different lateral positions distributed in the lateral direction and (b) in different input directions distributed perpendicular to the lateral direction, the input light output through the first guide surface being directed in output directions that are (a) distributed with respect to a normal to the first guide surface in the lateral direction in dependence on the lateral position of the input light and (b) distributed with respect to a normal to the first guide surface in a perpendicular direction to the lateral direction in dependence on the input direction of the input light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25-66. -66. (canceled)
Specification