MICROLENS COLLIMATOR FOR SCANNING OPTICAL FIBER IN VIRTUAL/AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM

• US 20170097506A1
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Yeoh, Ivan, Schowengerdt, Brian T., Edwin, Lionel Ernest, Schuelke, Aaron Mark, Welch, William Hudson, Macnamara, John Graham
• Granted Patent: US 11,016,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/103 having movable or deformable optical fibres, light guides or waveguides as scanning elements light guides per se G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0015 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0026 Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A display subsystem for a virtual image generation system for use by an end user comprises a planar waveguide apparatus, an optical fiber, at least one light source configured for emitting light from a distal end of the optical fiber, and a collimation element mounted to a distal end of the optical fiber for collimating light from the optical fiber. The virtual image generation system further comprises a mechanical drive assembly to which the optical fiber is mounted to the drive assembly. The mechanical drive assembly is configured for displacing the distal end of the optical fiber, along with the collimation element, in accordance with a scan pattern. The virtual image generation system further comprises an optical waveguide input apparatus configured for directing the collimated light from the collimation element down the planar waveguide apparatus, such that the planar waveguide apparatus displays image frames to the end user.

Claims

1. A display subsystem for a virtual image generation system for use by an end user, comprising:

a planar waveguide apparatus;

an optical fiber;

at least one light source configured for emitting light from a distal end of the optical fiber;

a collimation element mounted to a distal end of the optical fiber for collimating light from the optical fiber;

a mechanical drive assembly to which the optical fiber is mounted, the mechanical drive assembly configured for displacing the distal end of the optical fiber, along with the collimation element, in accordance with a scan pattern;

an optical waveguide input apparatus configured for directing the collimated light from the collimation element down the planar waveguide apparatus, such that the planar waveguide apparatus displays one or more image frames to the end user.

2. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the mechanical drive assembly is configured for displacing the distal end of the optical fiber, along with the collimation element, about a fulcrum in accordance with the scan pattern, such that outputted light diverges from a longitudinal axis coincident with the fulcrum.

3. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is mounted to the mechanical drive assembly as a fixed-free flexible cantilever.

4. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the collimation element comprises a lens.

5. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the collimation element comprises a single lens.

6. The display subsystem of claim 5, wherein the single lens is a microlens.

7. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the mechanical drive assembly comprises a piezoelectric element to which the optical fiber is mounted, and drive electronics configured for conveying electrical signals to the piezoelectric element, thereby causing the optical fiber to vibrate in accordance with the scan pattern.

8. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is vibrated in a first order vibration mode.

9. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is vibrated in a second order vibration mode.

10. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the planar waveguide apparatus comprises a plurality of planar waveguides configured for respectively displaying the one or more image frames at different focal points to the end user, and the optical waveguide input apparatus is configured for directing the light from the collimation element down the plurality of planar waveguides.

11. The display subsystem of claim 10, wherein the optical waveguide input apparatus comprises a plurality of diffractive optical elements respectively extending parallel along the plurality of planar waveguides, the plurality of diffractive optical elements respectively directing the light from the collimation element down the plurality of planar waveguides.

12. The display subsystem of claim 10, wherein the optical waveguide input apparatus comprises a distribution waveguide extending perpendicularly to the plurality of planar waveguides, the distribution waveguide comprising a plurality of diffraction gratings that respectively direct the light from the collimation element down the plurality of planar waveguides.

13. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the planar waveguide apparatus is configured for being positioned in front of the end user'"'"'s eyes.

14. The display subsystem of claim 1, wherein the planar waveguide apparatus has a partially transparent display surface configured for being positioned in a field of view between the end user'"'"'s eyes and an ambient environment.

15. The display subsystem of claim 1, further comprising a frame structure configured for being worn by the end user, the frame structure carrying the planar waveguide apparatus.

16. A virtual image generation system for use by an end user, comprising:

memory storing a three-dimensional scene;

a control subsystem configured for rendering a plurality of synthetic image frames of the three-dimensional scene; and

the display subsystem of claim 1, the display subsystem configured for sequentially displaying the plurality of image frames to the end user.

17. The virtual image generation system of claim 16, wherein the control subsystem comprises a graphics processing unit (GPU).