Projection display

• US 7,907,342 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Simmonds, Michael David, Howard, Richard Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington; Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/628,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20080285137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-634, 345 7- 9, 362/600, 362/616, 362/618, 362/551, 362/558, 362/623
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• 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 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• 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: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/606 for relief projection

Abstract

A projection display is provided including a rod-like waveguide (7), an image providing light source device (10) located at a first side (9) of the waveguide (7) to inject image bearing light into the waveguide (7), through the first side (9). An input means (12) is provided on the waveguide (7) adjacent one end (13) at a second side (14) opposite to the first side (9) to reflect the image bearing light internally along the waveguide (7). An output transmission grating (18) is provided along a third side (19) of the waveguide (7) through which image bearing light is outputted from the waveguide (7). A plate-like waveguide (8) is located with an edge surface (23) thereof adjacent to and in line with the third side (19) of the waveguide (7) to receive the image bearing light from the waveguide (7). The waveguide (8) includes an exit grating (25) on or at a first surface (26) thereof for diffracting the received image bearing light out of the waveguide (8) towards a viewer (6).

Claims

1. A projection display for displaying an image to a viewer, including a rod-like substantially rectangular cross-section waveguide made of light transmissive material, an image-providing light source device arranged to inject image bearing light into the rod-like waveguide, an input means coupled to or within the rod-like waveguide to direct said image bearing light to propagate internally along the rod-like waveguide reflecting from each of the four sides of the waveguide in turn, an output transmission grating provided along a longitudinal side of the rod-like waveguide through which the image bearing light is outputted from the rod-like waveguide, and a plate-like waveguide made of light transmissive and transparent material located with an edge surface thereof adjacent to and in line with the longitudinal side of the rod-like waveguide to receive the image bearing light therefrom, which plate-like waveguide includes an exit grating on or at a first surface thereof for diffracting the received image bearing light out of the plate-like waveguide.

2. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the rod-like waveguide includes therein a series of semi-reflecting parallel surfaces or holographic layers located substantially parallel to the longitudinal side of the rod-like waveguide and operable to split each impinging ray of the injected image bearing light into two parts at each interaction.

3. A projection display according to claim 2, wherein the semi-reflecting parallel surfaces or holographic layers are such as to co-operate to generate a multiplicity of overlapping display images.

4. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the input means is located adjacent one end of the rod-like waveguide and the rod-like waveguide includes therein or thereon a pair of spaced apart matching reflection means located one at or adjacent to a first side which is perpendicular to said longitudinal side and the other at or adjacent to a second side which is perpendicular to said longitudinal side and opposite said first side, the pair of spaced apart matching reflection means also being located to an end of the rod-like waveguide remote from the input means, which pair of spaced apart matching reflection means being arranged to reflect incident rays of image bearing light back along the rod-like waveguide without change in their propagation angles.

5. A projection display according to claim 4, wherein at least the first and second surfaces of the rod-like waveguide are curved.

6. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the light transmissive material from which the rod-like waveguide or light transmissive and transparent material from which the plate-like waveguide are made is glass or plastics.

7. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the image providing light source device includes an image generating light source.

8. A projection display according to claim 7, including an optical means located between the image generating light source and the rod-like waveguide, operable to collimate light received from the image generating light source and to inject the collimated image light bearing light into the rod-like waveguide.

9. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the input means is such that incident inputted image bearing light is diffracted therefrom with the incidence angle of the diffracted light at internal surfaces of the rod-like waveguide being greater that the critical angle for the material from which the rod-like waveguide is made.

10. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the output transmission grating is a low efficiency grating.

11. A projection display according to claim 10, wherein a light reflective coating is provided on a side of the rod-like waveguide opposite to the longitudinal side to reflect back to the output transmission grating image bearing light incident thereon.

12. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like waveguide includes a series of semi-reflecting parallel surfaces or holographic layers located therein substantially perpendicularly to the edge surface thereof, operable to split each impinging ray of received multiplied image bearing light into a plurality of parallel rays.

13. A projection display according to claim 12, wherein the semi-reflecting parallel surfaces or holographic layers are such as to cooperate to generate a multiplicity of overlapping display images.

14. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like waveguide includes a narrow band selective reflection coating provided on a second surface of the plate-like waveguide opposite to and parallely spaced from the first surface thereof to reflect light diffracted from the exit grating back to the exit grating.

15. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein at least the first and second surfaces of the plate-like waveguide are curved.

16. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the input means is arranged to inject image bearing light via reflective, or transmissive, or refractive means.

17. A Head Up Display including a projection display according to claim 1.

18. A Helmet Mounted Display including a projection display according to claim 1.

19. A Head Mounted Display including a projection display according to claim 1.