SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR EYEBOX EXPANSION IN WEARABLE HEADS-UP DISPLAYS
First Claim
1. A wearable heads-up display comprising:
- a support structure that in use is worn on a head of a user;
a scanning laser projector carried by the support structure;
a holographic combiner carried by the support structure, wherein the holographic combiner is positioned within a field of view of an eye of the user when the support structure is worn on the head of the user; and
an exit pupil selector carried by the support structure and positioned in an optical path between the scanning laser projector and the holographic combiner, the exit pupil selector controllably switchable into and between respective ones of N different configurations, where N is an integer greater than 1, wherein in each one of the N different configurations the exit pupil selector is positioned and oriented to receive at least one light signal generated by the scanning laser projector and redirect the at least one light signal towards the holographic combiner effectively from a respective one of N spatially-separated virtual positions for the scanning laser projector, and wherein the holographic combiner comprises at least one hologram positioned and oriented to redirect light signals received from the exit pupil selector towards the eye of the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for eyebox expansion by exit pupil replication in wearable heads-up displays (“WHUDs”) are described. A WHUD includes a scanning laser projector (“SLP”), a holographic combiner, and an exit pupil selector positioned in the optical path therebetween. The exit pupil selector is controllably switchable into and between N different configurations. In each of the N configurations, the exit pupil selector receives a light signal from the SLP and redirects the light signal towards the holographic combiner effectively from a respective one of N virtual positions for the SLP. The holographic combiner converges the light signal to a particular one of N exit pupils at the eye of the user based on the particular virtual position from which the light signal is made to effectively originate. In this way, multiple instances of the exit pupil are distributed over the eye and the eyebox of the WHUD is expanded.
132 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A wearable heads-up display comprising:
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a support structure that in use is worn on a head of a user; a scanning laser projector carried by the support structure; a holographic combiner carried by the support structure, wherein the holographic combiner is positioned within a field of view of an eye of the user when the support structure is worn on the head of the user; and an exit pupil selector carried by the support structure and positioned in an optical path between the scanning laser projector and the holographic combiner, the exit pupil selector controllably switchable into and between respective ones of N different configurations, where N is an integer greater than 1, wherein in each one of the N different configurations the exit pupil selector is positioned and oriented to receive at least one light signal generated by the scanning laser projector and redirect the at least one light signal towards the holographic combiner effectively from a respective one of N spatially-separated virtual positions for the scanning laser projector, and wherein the holographic combiner comprises at least one hologram positioned and oriented to redirect light signals received from the exit pupil selector towards the eye of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wearable heads-up display comprising:
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a support structure that in use is worn on a head of a user; a scanning laser projector carried by the support structure; a holographic combiner carried by the support structure, wherein the holographic combiner is positioned within a field of view of an eye of the user when the support structure is worn on the head of the user; and an exit pupil selector carried by the support structure and positioned in an optical path between the scanning laser projector and the holographic combiner, the exit pupil selector controllably switchable into and between respective ones of N different configurations, where N is an integer greater than 1, wherein in each one of the N different configurations the exit pupil selector is positioned and oriented to receive at least one light signal generated by the scanning laser projector and redirect the at least one light signal towards the holographic combiner along a respective optical path between the exit pupil selector and the holographic combiner, and wherein the holographic combiner comprises at least one hologram positioned and oriented to redirect light signals received from the exit pupil selector towards the eye of the user. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method of operating a wearable heads-up display, the wearable heads-up display including a scanning laser projector, a controllably switchable exit pupil selector, and a holographic combiner positioned within a field of view of an eye of a user when the wearable heads-up display is worn on a head of the user, the method comprising:
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generating a first sequence of N instances of a light signal by the scanning laser projector, where N is an integer greater than 1; controllably switching the exit pupil selector into and between a first sequence of N different configurations; receiving respective ones of the N instances of the light signal by the exit pupil selector in respective ones of the N different configurations; redirecting each one of the N instances of the light signal towards the holographic combiner along a respective optical path by the exit pupil selector in respective ones of the N different configurations; and redirecting respective ones of the N instances of the light signal towards the eye of the user by the holographic combiner. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of operating a wearable heads-up display, the wearable heads-up display including a scanning laser projector, a controllably switchable exit pupil selector, and a holographic combiner positioned within a field of view of an eye of a user when the wearable heads-up display is worn on a head of the user, the method comprising:
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generating a first light signal by the scanning laser projector; controllably switching the exit pupil selector into a first configuration; receiving the first light signal by the exit pupil selector in the first configuration; redirecting the first light signal towards the holographic combiner effectively from a first virtual position for the scanning laser projector by the exit pupil selector in the first configuration; and redirecting the first light signal towards a first exit pupil at the eye of the user by the holographic combiner. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification