Split exit pupil expander
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a split substrate of optical material having a first surface and a second surface, said split substrate comprising a first part and a second part which are physically separated and configured to rotate relative to each other around a line which separates the first and the second parts in a predetermined angle range;
two diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface and configured to receive an input optical beam, wherein one of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, and said two diffractive elements are substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts; and
two further diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, whereinat least part of the input optical beam is diffracted in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided between the first part and the second part, respectively, substantially within the first and second surfaces, andat least part of the diffracted optical beams in each of the first part and the second part is further coupled out of the split substrate by diffraction in each of said two further diffractive elements to provide substantially identical two output optical beams with an expanded exit pupil in one or two dimensions.
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Abstract
The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and method for using a split exit pupil expander to provide general diffractive optics method that uses a plurality of diffractive elements for expanding the exit pupil of a display of an electronic device for viewing.
95 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a split substrate of optical material having a first surface and a second surface, said split substrate comprising a first part and a second part which are physically separated and configured to rotate relative to each other around a line which separates the first and the second parts in a predetermined angle range; two diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface and configured to receive an input optical beam, wherein one of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, and said two diffractive elements are substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts; and two further diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, wherein at least part of the input optical beam is diffracted in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided between the first part and the second part, respectively, substantially within the first and second surfaces, and at least part of the diffracted optical beams in each of the first part and the second part is further coupled out of the split substrate by diffraction in each of said two further diffractive elements to provide substantially identical two output optical beams with an expanded exit pupil in one or two dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method, comprising:
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receiving an input optical beam by two diffractive elements disposed on a first or a second surface of a split substrate made of optical material, said split substrate comprising a first part and a second part which are physically separated and configured to rotate relative to each other around a line which separates the first and the second parts in a predetermined angle range, and wherein one of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, and said two diffractive elements are substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts, and two areas, each occupied by one of said two diffractive elements, are symmetric relative to said line which separates the first and the second parts; diffracting at least part of the input optical beam in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided between the first part and the second part, respectively, substantially within the first and second surfaces; coupling at least part of the diffracted optical beams in each of the first part and the second part out of the split substrate by diffraction in each of two further diffractive elements to provide substantially identical two output expanded optical beams with expanded exit pupil in one or two dimensions, wherein the two further diffractive elements are disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic device, comprising:
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a data processing unit; an optical engine operatively connected to the data processing unit for receiving image data from the data processing unit; a display device operatively connected to the optical engine for forming an image based on the image data; and an exit pupil expander comprising; a split substrate of optical material having a first surface and a second surface, said split substrate comprising a first part and a second part which are physically separated and configured to rotate relative to each other around a line which separates the first and the second parts in a predetermined angle range; two diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface and configured to receive an input optical beam, wherein one of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, and said two diffractive elements are substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts; and two further diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, wherein at least part of the input optical beam is diffracted in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided between the first part and the second part, respectively, substantially within the first and second surfaces, and at least part of the diffracted optical beams in each of the first part and the second part is further coupled out of the split substrate by diffraction in each of said two further diffractive elements to provide substantially identical two output optical beams with an expanded exit pupil in one or two dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A goggle, comprising:
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a wearable housing; and an exit pupil expander, operatively attached to said wearable housing, said exit pupil expander comprising; a split substrate of optical material having a first surface and a second surface, said split substrate comprising a first part and a second part which are physically separated and configured to rotate relative to each other around a line which separates the first and the second parts in a predetermined angle range; two diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface and configured to receive an input optical beam, wherein one of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of the two diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, and said two diffractive elements are substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts; and two further diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, wherein at least part of the input optical beam is diffracted in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided substantially next to each other and adjacent to said line which separates the first and the second parts; and two further diffractive elements disposed on the first or the second surface, wherein one of the two further diffractive elements is disposed on the first part and another of said two further diffractive elements is disposed on the second part, respectively, wherein at least part of the input optical beam is diffracted in the two diffractive elements to provide two diffracted optical beams substantially equally divided between the first part and the second part, respectively, substantially within the first and second surfaces, and at least part of the diffracted optical beams in each of the first part and the second part is further coupled out of the split substrate by diffraction in each of said two further diffractive elements to provide substantially identical two output optical beams with an expanded exit pupil in one or two dimensions, such that each of said two output optical beams is provided to only one part, left or right, of said goggles. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification