Diffractive grating element for balancing diffraction efficiency

• US 7,483,604 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Levola, Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly Cushwa; Michelle R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peace; Rhonda S
• Application Number:
  US10/538,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20060051024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 385/37
• US Class Current: 385/37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12107 Grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements

Abstract

A diffractive grating element is divided into at least two different grating regions each having different diffractive properties and arranged on opposite sides with respect to a transition point to form a splitted grating structure. The diffractions generated by the at least two different grating regions are arranged to mutually compensate for the variation in the input angle of the incident light wave to the total diffraction efficiency of the at least one diffracted light wave that is arranged to propagate within the substrate.

Claims

1. A virtual image display device, comprising

an imager for providing an image light wave;

and

a diffractive grating element, responsive to said image light wave, for enlarging an exit pupil of said virtual image display device for displaying said image light wave as graphics, said diffractive grating element in turn comprising a waveguiding substrate and a diffractive grating element arranged on or embedded within said substrate and arranged to interact with said image light wave in order to couple energy from said image light wave into said substrate to form at least one diffracted image light wave propagating within said substrate in a direction of selected diffraction order, said grating element comprising at least two different grating regions having different diffractive properties and arranged on opposite sides with respect to a transition point, wherein diffractions generated by said at least two different grating regions are arranged to mutually compensate for an effect of a variation in input angle of said image light wave at a given point of the grating on a total diffraction efficiency of said at least one diffracted image light wave propagating within said substrate.

2. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein a grating profile of at least one of the grating regions has an asymmetric period profile, preferably a blazed period profile.

3. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein said regions are arranged to be symmetrically splitted, that is, the two different grating regions have grating period profiles arranged as substantially mirror images of each other with respect to a transition point.

4. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two different grating regions have grating period profiles with substantially different depths.

5. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein diffraction efficiency of at least one of the grating regions is arranged to vary at different local distances measured from the transition point.

6. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the transition point is located within an area where the image light wave first interacts with the diffractive grating element.

7. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein a first interaction of the image light wave with the diffractive grating element is arranged to take place substantially within a single grating region.

8. The virtual image display device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the grating regions is arranged to redirect or recirculate the image light wave waveguided within the substrate back towards a reverse direction inside the substrate.

9. A device comprising

a waveguiding substrate;

an imager having a first location of an image point and a second location of an image point;

input optics to direct light from said first location point towards said substrate to form a first incident light wave and to direct light from said second location towards said substrate to form a second incident light wave; and

a diffractive grating element arranged to couple energy of said first incident light wave into said substrate to form first diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate in a direction of a first selected diffraction order and to form second diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate in a direction of a second selected diffraction order, said diffractive grating element also being arranged to couple energy of said second incident light wave into said substrate to form first diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate in a direction of said first selected diffraction order and to form second diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate in a direction of said second selected diffraction order, wherein said diffractive grating element comprises at least two different grating regions having different diffractive properties such that distribution of light between the direction of said first selected diffraction order and the direction of said second selected diffraction order is arranged to remain substantially the same when light is directed from said second location instead of light being directed from said first location, wherein said input optics is further arranged to shift said second incident light wave on said grating element with respect to said first incident light wave.

10. The device according to claim 9 wherein said first location is located in the center of a surface of said imager and said second location is located near the edge of the surface of said imager.

11. Apparatus comprising

waveguiding substrate means;

imager means having a first location of an image point and a second location of an image point;

input optics means to direct light from said first location towards said substrate means to form a first incident light wave and to direct light from said location point towards said substrate means to form a second incident light wave; and

a diffractive grating means arranged to couple energy of said first incident light wave into said substrate means to form first diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate means in a direction of a first selected diffraction order and to form second diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate means in a direction of a second selected diffraction order, said diffractive grating means also being arranged to couple energy of said second incident light wave into said substrate means to form first diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate means in a direction of said first selected diffraction order and to form second diffracted light waves propagating within said substrate in a direction of said second selected diffraction order, wherein said diffractive grating means comprises at least two different grating regions having different diffractive properties such that distribution of light between the direction of said first selected diffraction order and the direction of said second selected diffraction order is arranged to remain substantially the same when light is directed from said second location instead of light being directed from said first location wherein said input optics is further arranged to shift said second incident light wave on said diffractive grating means with respect to said first incident light wave.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first location is located in the center of a surface of said imager and said second location is located near the edge of the surface of said imager.