NED polarization system for wavelength pass-through

• US 8,885,997 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Ian A., Bohn, David D., Levola, Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): PENG, CHARLIE YU
• Application Number:
  US13/601,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 385/31, 385/37, 345/87, 345/105, 345/106, 345/108, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/558, 359/566, 359/56, 359/572, 359/618, 359/629, 359/630, 359/633, 359/636, 359/639
• US Class Current: 385/37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1814 structurally combined with one or more further optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms or other diffraction gratings G02B5/189 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing uniform color distribution of light emitted from a light source to an eye box in a near eye display (NED). An example of the system and method uses an optical element including two or more waveguides optimized to different colors of the visible light spectrum. The optical element further includes one or more polarization state generators for controlling the polarization of light incident on the waveguides to facilitate coupling of light into a matched waveguide, and to impede coupling of light into unmatched waveguides.

Claims

1. A method for presenting an image, comprising:

(a) projecting light from a light source into an optical element, the light including at least first and second wavelength bands, and the optical element including at least first and second waveguides, the first and second waveguides each having at least one optical grating;

(b) modifying, for a first time, the polarization of the second wavelength band incident on the first waveguide from a first state to a second state so that the second wavelength band predominantly does not couple within the first waveguide;

(c) controlling the polarization of the first wavelength band incident on the first waveguide to be different than the polarization of the second wavelength band incident on the first waveguide so that the first wavelength band couples within the first waveguide to a greater extent than the other than first wavelength bands; and

(d) modifying, for a second time, the polarization of the second wavelength band incident on the second waveguide from the second state to the first state so that the second wavelength band predominantly couples within the second waveguide.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of controlling the polarization of the first wavelength band to be different than the polarization of the second wavelength bands comprises the step of modifying the polarization of the first wavelength band incident on the first waveguide.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of controlling the polarization of the first wavelength band to be different than the polarization of the second wavelength bands comprises the step of modifying the polarization of the first wavelength band incident on the first waveguide from a first state to a second state, the first wavelength band coupling within the first waveguide to a greater extent in the second state as compared to the first state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of controlling the polarization of the first wavelength band to be different than the polarization of the second wavelength band comprises the step of modifying the polarization of the first wavelength band incident on the first waveguide from a polarization where a magnetic field component of the first wavelength band along a grating vector is zero to a polarization where an electric field component of the first wavelength band along a grating vector is zero.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the light further comprises a third wavelength band, the method further comprising controlling the polarization of the second wavelength band to be different than the polarization of the third wavelength band by modifying the polarization of the second wavelength band incident on the second waveguide from a polarization where a magnetic field component of the second wavelength band along the grating vector is zero to a polarization where an electric field component of the second wavelength band along the grating vector is zero, while the third wavelength band has a polarization where a magnetic field component of the third wavelength band along the grating vector is zero.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of projecting light including a first wavelength band from a display into an optical element comprises the step of projecting light wherein the first and second wavelength bands are comprised of light from the visible spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second waveguides comprise four waveguides.

8. A method for presenting an image, comprising:

(a) projecting light from a light source into an optical element, the light including a plurality of wavelength bands, and the optical element including a plurality of waveguides, a wavelength band of the plurality of wavelength bands being matched to a waveguide of the plurality of waveguides; and

(b) passing the wavelength band through a plurality of polarization state generators, each polarization state generator associated with a waveguide of the plurality of waveguides, the plurality of polarization state generators controlling the polarization of the wavelength band passing therethrough to change, a first time, from a first state to a second state to pass through one or more waveguides and to change, a second time from the second state back to the first state facilitating coupling of the wavelength band within the matched waveguide, while impeding coupling of remaining wavelength bands passing through the matched waveguide.