Optical device, and virtual image display

• US 7,453,612 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavarias; Arnel C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callaway; Jade
• Application Number:
  US11/424,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 359/34
• US Class Current: 359/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0927 Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0944 Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it

Abstract

An optical device including an optical waveguide upon which a group of parallel light beams different in traveling direction from each other are incident and from which the group of parallel light beams go out after propagated by repeated total reflection through it. The optical waveguide includes a first reflection-type volume hologram grating, and a second reflection-type volume hologram grating. The pitches of interference fringes on the hologram surfaces of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings are equal to each other. In at least the second reflection-type volume hologram grating, the angle formed between the interference fringes and hologram surfaces are varied continuously or stepwise within the hologram in relation to the main incident light beam so as to meet the Bragg condition. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the unevenness of color and brightness due to angles of view.

Claims

1. An optical device including an optical waveguide upon which a group of parallel light beams different in traveling direction from each other are incident and from which the group of parallel light beams go out after propagated by repeated total reflection through it, the optical waveguide comprising:

a first reflection-type volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect, in the light beam-incident section thereof, the group of parallel light beams as they are so as to meet internal total reflection condition in the optical wave guide;

a second reflection-type volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect, in a section thereof from which the group of parallel light beams are to go out, the group of parallel light beams as they are so as to go out of the optical waveguide;

a plurality of pitches of interference fringes on the hologram surfaces of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings being equal to each other;

in at least the second reflection-type volume hologram grating, an angle formed between the interference fringes and hologram surfaces being varied continuously or stepwise within the hologram in relation to the main incident light beam so as to meet the Bragg condition; and

at least parts of the group of parallel light beams different in traveling direction from each other and propagated from the incident to outgoing section in the optical waveguide by repeated total reflection have different numbers of total reflection respectively depending upon the difference in traveling direction,

wherein,

in the first reflection-type volume hologram grating, the number of stacked hologram layers or interference fringes laid side by side in each hologram layer is varied in a direction perpendicular to the interference fringes on the surface of the first reflection-type volume hologram grating.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the pitches of the interference fringes on the hologram surfaces of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings, that diffract the light beams having nearly equal waveband, respectively, are equal to each other.

3. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings are disposed parallel with the total reflection surface of the optical waveguide.

4. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed between the interference fringe and surface of the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is increased as the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the first one.

5. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating diffracts and reflects parts of the group of parallel light beams propagated through the optical waveguide more than twice and allows a part of the light amount to go out of the optical waveguide at each diffraction.

6. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having same incident angle and having different waveband in the same incident position at nearly equal angles, respectively.

7. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by side-by-by laying, from a plurality of interference fringes that diffract mainly light beams having same incident angle and having different waveband in the same incident position at nearly equal angles, respectively.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having equal wavelengths and having different incident angles in the same incident position and diffract light beams having equal in wavelength and incident angle to each other at the same angle.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by side-by-side laying, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having equal wavelengths and having different incident angles in the same incident position and diffract light beams having equal in wavelength and incident angle to each other at the same angle.

10. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers having equal interference fringes with the hologram layers being staggered from each other in a direction perpendicular to the interference fringes.

11. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is formed, by side-by-side laying, a plurality of equal interference fringes with the latter being staggered from each other in a direction perpendicular thereto.

12. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed between the interference fringe and surface of the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is decreased as the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the second one.

13. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein in the first reflection-type volume hologram grating, the number of stacked hologram layers or interference fringes laid side by side in each hologram layer is increased in a direction in which the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the second one.

14. A virtual image display, comprising:

a light source;

a collimation optical system to form light beams emitted from the light source into parallel light beams;

a scanning optical system to scan the parallel beams; and

an optical waveguide upon which a group of parallel light beams formed in the scanning optical system to travel in different directions are incident and from which the group of parallel light beams go out toward a viewer'"'"'s pupil after propagated by repeated total reflection through it,

wherein,

the optical waveguide includes;

a first reflection-type volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect, in the light beams-incident section thereof, the group of parallel light beams as they are at an angle that meets the total reflection condition in the optical waveguide,

a second reflection-type volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect, in a section thereof from which the group of parallel light beams are to go out, the group of parallel light beams as they are at an angle at which they go out of the optical waveguide,

a plurality of pitches of interference fringes on the hologram surfaces of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings being equal to each other,

in at least the second reflection-type volume hologram grating, an angle formed between the interference fringes and hologram surfaces being varied continuously or stepwise within the hologram in relation to the main incident light beam so as to meet the Bragg condition, and

at least parts of the group of parallel light beams different in traveling direction from each other and propagated through the optical waveguide by repeated total reflection have different numbers of total reflections, respectively, depending upon the difference in traveling direction, and

in the first reflection-type volume hologram grating, the number of stacked hologram layers or interference fringes laid side by side in each hologram layer is varied in a direction perpendicular to the interference fringes on the surface of the first reflection-type volume hologram grating.

15. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein a color filter that allows only light beams having a specific wavelength to pass by is provided in the light path from the light source to the viewer'"'"'s pupil.

16. The virtual image display according to claim 15, wherein the color filter limits the waveband of light beams allowed to be incident upon the second reflection-type volume hologram grating so that the range viewable by the viewer will be less than 2 mm in diameter.

17. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the pitches of the interference fringes on the hologram surfaces of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings, that diffract the light beams having nearly equal waveband, respectively, are equal to each other.

18. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings are disposed parallel with the total reflection surface of the optical waveguide.

19. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the angle formed between the interference fringe and surface of the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is increased as the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the first one.

20. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating diffracts and reflects parts of the group of parallel light beams propagated through the optical waveguide more than twice and allows a part of the light amount to go out of the optical waveguide at each diffraction.

21. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having same incident angle and having different wavelengths in the same incident position at nearly equal angles, respectively.

22. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by side-by-by laying, from a plurality of interference fringes that diffract mainly light beams having same incident angle and having different wavelengths in the same incident position at nearly equal angles, respectively.

23. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having equal wavelengths and having same incident angle in the same incident position and diffract light beams having equal in wavelength and incident angle to each other at the same angle.

24. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second reflection-type volume hologram gratings is formed, by side-by-side laying, from a plurality of hologram layers that diffract mainly light beams having equal wavelengths and having same incident angle in the same incident position and diffract light beams having equal in wavelength and incident angle to each other at the same angle.

25. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is formed, by stacking, from a plurality of hologram layers having equal interference fringes with the hologram layers being staggered from each other in a direction perpendicular to the interference fringes.

26. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the second reflection-type volume hologram grating is formed, by side-by-side laying, from a plurality of equal interference fringes with the latter being staggered from each other in a direction perpendicular thereto.

27. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein the angle formed between the interference fringe and surface of the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is decreased as the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the second one.

28. The virtual image display according to claim 14, wherein in the first reflection-type volume hologram grating, the number of stacked hologram layers or interference fringes laid side by side in each hologram layer is increased in a direction in which the first reflection-type volume hologram grating is nearer to the second one.