Compact display system

• US 5,715,337 A
• Filed: 09/19/1996
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Mirco Optical Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobson, Joseph, Spitzer, Mark Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US08/716,103
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 385/1, 385/2, 385/3, 385/4, 385/8, 385/15, 385/16, 385/25, 385/31, 385/88, 385/89, 385/115, 385/116, 385/119, 385/901, 359/209, 359/630, 359/298, 359/242, 359/277, 359/239, 359/237, 362/32, 40/547
• US Class Current: 385/4
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3502 involving direct waveguide displacement, e.g. cantilever type waveguide displacement involving waveguide bending, or displacing an interposed waveguide between stationary waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A compact display system including a viewing surface; a beam steering mechanism; a source of light remote from the viewing surface and the beam steering mechanism; and at least one waveguide connecting the source of light with the viewing surface for transmitting illumination from the source of light to the viewing surface. The beam steering mechanism is associated with the waveguide and the viewing surface for scanning illumination transmitted by the waveguide onto the viewing surface. There is a modulator for modulating the source of light; and a subsystem for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering mechanism, but only the distal end of the waveguide and the beam steering mechanism are located near the viewing surface resulting in a more compact display which can be mounted on a pair of eyeglasses.

Claims

1. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

an optical signal processor including beam steering means;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface and the beam steering means;

at least one waveguide connecting said source of light with said viewing surface for transmitting illumination from the source of light to the viewing surface;

said beam steering means associated with the waveguide and the viewing surface for scanning illumination transmitted by the waveguide in two directions onto the viewing surface;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a pair of eyeglasses, said beam steering means mounted on said eyeglasses and connected to one end of said waveguide, the viewing surface including said eyeglasses, the source of light and the modulator remote from the eyeglasses.

3. The system of claim 2 further including means for sensing the range of scanning by the beam steering means.

4. The system of claim 3 further including means, responsive to the means for sensing, and responsive to the modulator, for interrupting the transmission of light to the beam steering means in response to a range of scanning beyond a predetermined threshold to protect the eyeglass wearer'"'"'s eyes.

5. The system of claim 1 in which said beam steering means includes a pair of reflective elements positioned to receive light from said waveguide, means for deflecting one of said reflective elements in one direction, and means for deflecting the other reflective element in a second direction.

6. The system of claim 1 in which said waveguide is an optical fiber.

7. The system of claim 6 in which said beam steering means includes a cantilever portion.

8. The system of claim 7 in which said beam steering means includes a substrate and a groove cut in the substrate to receive said optical fiber.

9. The system of claim 8 in which said groove includes two portions, a first portion of a first depth to fix the position of the fiber and a second, cantilever portion of a second, greater depth in which the distal end of the fiber is free to move.

10. The system of claim 7 in which said beam steering means includes a capacitor, one plate of which is a component of the cantilever portion and a second plate of which is spaced from the first plate in one direction for deflecting said cantilever in said one direction.

11. The system of claim 10 further including a second capacitor having a third plate spaced from the first plate in a second direction for deflecting said cantilever in said second direction.

12. The system of claim 7 in which said cantilever portion includes a layer of piezoelectric material and means for applying a potential across the piezoelectric material.

13. The system of claim 7 in which said cantilever portion includes one of a material attracted to magnetic forces and an electromagnetic material, the other of the material attracted to magnetic forces and the electromagnetic material spaced therefrom.

14. The system of claim 1 further including a vacuum enclosure surrounding said beam steering means for controlling the of damping the motion of the beam steering means.

15. The system of claim 1 further including means for amplifying the displacement of light exiting said waveguide.

16. The system of claim 15 in which said means for amplifying includes a set of reflectors displaced at an angle with respect to a path of light exiting the distal end of the waveguide.

17. The system of claim 1 in which said beam steering means includes a plurality of parallel output waveguides on a deflectable cantilever pad.

18. The system of claim 17 in which said at least one waveguide includes an optical fiber.

19. The system of claim 18 further including means for switching the position of a distal end of said fiber to direct illumination alternately among said output waveguides.

20. The system of claim 1 in which said source of light is a source of white light, the system further including means for resolving said white light into a plurality of colors.

21. The system of claim 20 in which said means for resolving includes dichroic devices, one for each color.

22. The system of claim 20 in which said modulator includes means for separately modulating each color of light.

23. The system of claim 22 in which said waveguide includes a plurality of input optical fibers each optically coupled to each means for modulating and a fiber coupler for coupling each to said input fiber.

24. The system of claim 23 further including an output optical fiber connected to said coupler.

25. The system of claim 1 in which said source of light includes at least one semiconductor light-emitting device.

26. The system of claim 6 in which said optical fiber is a single mode fiber with a core diameter in the range of approximately 1 μ

m to 5 μ

m.

27. The system of claim 6 in which said optical fiber has a length greater than three feet for increasing the maneuverability of said viewing surface.

28. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

a waveguide;

an optical signal processor including beam steering means comprising;

a pair of reflective elements positioned to receive light from said waveguide, means for deflecting one of said reflective elements in one direction, and means for deflecting the other reflective element in a second direction;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

the waveguide connecting said source of light with said beam steering means for transmitting illumination from the source of light to the beam steering means;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with said means for deflecting.

29. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

a long, flexible optical fiber;

beam steering means including a cantilever portion for scanning illumination transmitted by said optical fiber in two directions;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

30. The system of claim 29 in which said beam steering means includes a substrate and a groove cut in the substrate to receive said optical fiber.

31. The system of claim 30 in which said groove includes two portions, a first portion of a first depth to fix the position of the fiber and a second portion of a second, greater depth in which the distal end of the fiber is free to move.

32. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

a long, flexible, optic fiber;

beam steering means including a cantilever portion and a capacitor, one plate of which is a component of the cantilever portion and a second plate of which is spaced from the first plate in one direction for deflecting a distal end of said fiber in said one direction;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

33. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

a long, flexible optical fiber;

beam steering means comprising a cantilever portion including a distal end of said optical fiber, and a layer of piezoelectric material and means for applying a potential across the piezoelectric material;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

34. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

a long, flexible optic fiber connecting said source of light with said viewing surface for transmitting illumination from the source of light to the viewing surface;

beam steering means comprising a cantilever portion including a distal end of said optical fiber, said cantilever portion including one of a material attracted to magnetic forces and an electromagnetic material, the other of the material attracted to magnetic forces and the electromagnetic material spaced therefrom;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

35. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

beam steering means including a plurality of parallel output waveguides on a deflectable cantilever pad;

a source of light remote from the viewing surface;

a long, flexible, optical fiber connecting said source of light with said beam steering means;

said beam steering means associated with a distal end of the optical fiber and the viewing surface for scanning illumination transmitted by the optical fiber onto the viewing surface;

a modulator for modulating said source of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.

36. The system of claim 35 further including means for switching the position of the photons from said fiber to direct illumination alternately among said output waveguides.

37. A compact display system comprising:

a viewing surface;

beam steering means;

a source of white light;

means for resolving said white light into a plurality of colors;

at least one waveguide connecting said source of light with said viewing surface for transmitting illumination from the source of light to the viewing surface;

said beam steering means associated with the waveguide and the viewing surface for scanning illumination transmitted by the waveguide onto the viewing surface;

a modulator for including means for separately modulating each color of light; and

means for synchronizing the modulator with the beam steering means.