Light guide optical device

• US 8,004,765 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Brandi
• Application Number:
  US12/287,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20090097127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/620, 359/627, 359/628, 359/633, 359/639, 359/641
• US Class Current: 359/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/0098 for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0114 comprising dichroic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0136 with a single image source for both eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/108 for sampling a portion of a beam or combining a small beam in a larger one, e.g. wherein the area ratio or power ratio of the divided beams significantly differs from unity, without spectral selectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/148 including stacked surfaces having at least one double-pass partially reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/26 of the autostereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• 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 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• 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 6/0055 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 : for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements

Abstract

The invention provides an optical device, including a light-transmitting substrate, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate, characterized in that the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a first light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges, at least one reflecting surface located between the two major surfaces of the substrate for partially reflecting light waves; and

a transparent layer, thinner than the substrate, having at least two major surfaces, one of the major surfaces of the transparent layer being attached to a major surface of the first light-transmitting substrate,

wherein light waves coupled inside the first light-transmitting substrate traverse the first substrate and the transparent layer and are reflected off a second of the two major surfaces of the transparent layer, by total internal reflection.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the partially reflecting surface is non-parallel to the major surfaces of the substrate.

3. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the two major surfaces are parallel.

4. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising means for producing image light waves coupled by the optical means into the substrate by total internal reflection.

5. The optical device according to claim 4, wherein the means for producing image light waves comprises a display source and an imaging lens.

6. The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the imaging lens is a collimating lens.

7. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising means for producing image light waves coupled by the optical means into the substrate by total internal reflection.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one partially reflecting surface couples the light waves trapped by total internal reflection out of the substrate through one of the major surfaces acting as the output surface of the substrate.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a second thin transparent layer having at least two major surfaces, one of the major surfaces being attached to a second major surface of the first substrate.

10. An optical device comprising:

a first light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges;

a display light source;

optical means for coupling light waves from the display source into the first substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one partially reflecting surface located in the first substrate; and

a thin transparent layer having at least two major surfaces, one of the major surfaces being attached to a major surface of the first substrate;

wherein light waves coupled into the first substrate traverse the one major surface of the thin transparent layer, and are reflected off a second of the two major surfaces of the thin transparent layer, by total internal reflection.