VIRTUAL IMAGE GENERATOR

• US 20160150201A1
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucio Kilcher, Nicolas Abele
• Inventors: KILCHER, LUCIO, ABELE, NICOLAS
• Granted Patent: US 10,419,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/266 Wavelength multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques related to virtual image projection systems. In some examples, the system may include a scanning mirror arrangement for receiving a light beam and reflecting the light beam to a projection surface and a dynamic optical lens for focusing the light beam at a focal plane so that the light beam reflected from the projection surface is collimated or diverging enabling the projected image to be perceived as a virtual image.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a scanning mirror to receive a light beam and to reflect the received light beam;

a dynamic optical lens to focus the reflected light beam at a focal plane to project a virtual image; and

a controller operably coupled to the dynamic optical lens, the controller to send a control signal to the dynamic optical lens to cause the dynamic optical lens to adjust during projection of the virtual image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dynamic optical lens is a variable position lens, the controller to send a control signal to the variable position lens to cause the variable position lens change position with respect to the scanning mirror.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dynamic optical lens is a variable focal length lens, the controller to send a control signal to the variable focal length lens to cause the variable focal length lens change focal lengths.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the scanning mirror rotatable around a first axis and a second axis different from the first axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the focal plane is a virtual focal surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the focal plane comprises a projection surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the focal plane is planar, spherical, aspherical, or polynomial.

8. A system for projecting an image comprising:

a light source to emit a light beam;

a scanning mirror to receive the light beam and to reflect the received light beam;

a dynamic optical lens to focus the reflected light beam at a focal plane to project a virtual image; and

a controller operably coupled to the dynamic optical lens, the controller to send a control signal to the dynamic optical lens to cause the dynamic optical lens to adjust during projection of the virtual image.

9. The system of claim 8, the scanning mirror to reflect the light beam onto a projection surface, the projection surface to reflect a portion of the light beam, the dynamic optical lens to focus the light beam on the focal plane so the reflected portion of the light beam is collimated or divergent so a projected image is to be perceived as the projected virtual image.

10. The system of claim 9, comprising the projection surface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the projection surface is a spectacle lens, a helmet visor, or a windshield.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the projection surface is semi-transparent.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the dynamic optical lens is a variable position lens, the controller to send a control signal to the variable position lens to cause the variable position lens change position with respect to the scanning mirror.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the dynamic optical lens is a variable focal length lens, the controller to send a control signal to the variable focal length lens to cause the variable focal length lens change focal lengths.

15. The system of claim 8, the scanning mirror rotatable around a first axis and a second axis different from the first axis.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the scanning mirror oscillates more slowly about the first axis than about the second axis, the control to orient the first axis along an axes in which the projected image has the largest variation in distance between the scanning mirror and the focal plane.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the projection surface comprises a hologram and wherein one image pixel on the projection surface is projected by using more than one light beam, each light beam projecting the same pixel having a different wavelength from each other, the dynamic optical lens to adjust the focus of each of the light beams individually.

18. A method to project a virtual image, the method comprising:

receiving a light beam;

reflecting the light beam onto a projection surface;

transmitting the reflected light beam through a dynamic optical lens to focus the reflected light beam at a focal plane to project a virtual image; and

adjusting the dynamic optical lens during projection of the virtual image.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising rotating a mirror about a first axis and a second axis different than the first axis to reflect the light beam onto the projection surface.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising sending a control signal to the dynamic optical lens to cause the dynamic optical lens to change position to vary a depth of the focal plane.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising sending a control signal to the dynamic optical lens to cause the dynamic optical lens to change focal lengths to vary a depth of the focal plane.

22. The method of claim 18, comprising:

detecting an eye position of a viewer;

detecting an object based on the detected eye position; and

determining a distance to the object, wherein the dynamic optical lens is adjusted based on the determined distance.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a scanning mirror to receive a light beam and to reflect the received light beam;

a dynamic optical lens to focus the reflected light beam at a focal plane to project a virtual image; and

a controller operably coupled to the dynamic optical lens, the controller to send a control signal to the dynamic optical lens to cause the dynamic optical lens to adjust during projection of the virtual image, wherein the control signal to cause the dynamic optical lens change position with respect to the scanning mirror or the control signal to cause the dynamic optical lens to change focal lengths.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, the scanning mirror to reflect the light beam onto a projection surface, the projection surface to reflect a portion of the light beam, the dynamic optical lens to focus the light beam on the focal plane so the reflected portion of the light beam is collimated or divergent so a projected image is to be perceived as the projected virtual image.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the projection surface is a spectacle lens, a helmet visor, or a windshield.