Projection display for displaying an image to a viewer

• US 9,081,178 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Simmonds, Michael David, Valera, Mohamed Salim
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Danell L
• Application Number:
  US11/628,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20090190222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,234 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-640, 385/36, 385/37, 345/6, 345/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4211 correcting chromatic aberrations G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence
• 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 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 6/0015 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it

Abstract

A projection display is provided including a first plate-like waveguide (7), an image providing light source device (10 and 11) located to inject image bearing light into the first plate-like waveguide 7. An input means (12) is provided on the waveguide (7) to reflect the image bearing light internally along the waveguide (7). A transmission grating (13) within the first plate-like waveguide (7) is provided to output image bearing light from the waveguide (7). A second plate-like waveguide (8) is located co-planar with the first plate-like waveguide (7) and has a coupling grating (17) therein to receive the image bearing light from the first plate-like waveguide (7). The second plate-like waveguide (8) also includes an exit grating (18) therein for diffracting the received image bearing light, diffracted by the coupling grating (17) out of the second plate-like waveguide (8) towards a viewer (6).

Claims

1. A projection display, for displaying an image to a viewer, comprising:

a first plate waveguide made of light transmissive material;

an image-providing light source device arranged to inject image bearing light into the first plate waveguide;

a transmission grating within the first plate waveguide;

an input device within the first plate waveguide arranged to direct the image bearing light onto the transmission grating of the first plate waveguide;

the transmission grating being arranged to direct said image bearing light internally along the first plate waveguide and to output the image bearing light from the first plate waveguide; and

a second plate waveguide made of light transmissive and transparent material, said second plate waveguide includes a coupling grating arranged to receive the image bearing light from the first plate waveguide, said second plate waveguide further includes an exit grating arranged to diffract received image bearing light out of the second plate waveguide,

wherein image bearing light is diffractively inputted into the first or second plate waveguide and diffractively outputted from the first or second plate waveguide and the diffractive input and diffractive output powers are substantially matched, and

dispersion associated with the diffractive input is oppositely matched with dispersion associated with the diffractive output thereby causing the net chromatic dispersion to a roach or substantially equal zero.

2. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the light transmissive material from which the first plate waveguide or light transmissive and transparent material from which the second plate waveguide are made is glass or plastics.

3. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the transmission grating is such that incident inputted image bearing light is diffracted therefrom with the incidence angle of the diffracted light at internal surfaces of the first plate waveguide being greater that the critical angle for the material from which the first plate waveguide is made.

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

5. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the coupling grating is such that incident image bearing light is diffracted therefrom with the incident angle of the diffracted light at internal surfaces of the second plate waveguide being greater than the critical angle for the material from which the second plate waveguide is made.

6. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the second plate waveguide includes a narrow band selective reflection coating provided on a surface of the second plate waveguide parallely spaced from the exit grating, which reflective coating is arrange to reflect light diffracted from the exit grating back to the exit grating.

7. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the first plate waveguide is curved.

8. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein the second plate waveguide is curved.

9. A projection display, according to Claim 1, wherein the diffractive input of the first or second plate waveguide and the diffractive output of the first or second plate waveguide are substantially matched in two orthogonal axes.

10. A projection display, according to claim 1, wherein a half-wave plate is located between the first and second plate waveguides.

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

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

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

17. A projection display according to claim 1, wherein the input means comprises a semi reflective surface or hologram region within the first plate waveguide, arranged to direct the injected image bearing light to the transmission grating.

19. The projection display according to claim 1, wherein dispersion associated with the diffractive input is oppositely matched with dispersion associated with the diffractive output for mitigating chromatic aberration.

14. A projection display, for displaying an image to a viewer, comprising:

a first plate waveguide made of light transmissive material;

an image providing light source device arranged to inject image bearing light into the first plate waveguide;

a transmission grating within the first plate waveguide;

an input device within the first plate waveguide arranged to direct the image bearing light onto the transmission grating of the first plate waveguide;

the transmission grating within the first plate waveguide arranged to direct image bearing light internally along the first plate waveguide and to output image bearing light from the first plate waveguide, said outputted image bearing light being substantially polarized;

a second plate waveguide, made of light transmissive and transparent material and including a coupling grating arranged to receive the image bearing light from the first plate waveguide, the diffractive power of the coupling grating being disposed at 90 degrees to the diffractive power of the transmission grating, the second plate waveguide further including an exit grating arranged to diffract received image bearing light out of the second plate waveguide; and

disposed between the first and second plate waveguides, a device for rotating the polarization of the image bearing light outputted from the first plate waveguide through 90 degrees,

wherein image bearing light is diffractively inputted into the first or second plate waveguide and diffractively outputted from the first or second plate waveguide and the diffractive input and diffractive output powers are substantially matched, and

dispersion associated with the diffractive input is oppositely matched with dispersion associated with the diffractive output thereby causing the net chromatic dispersion to approach or substantially equal zero.

15. A projection display according to claim 14, including an input means within the first plate waveguide arranged to direct said image bearing light on to the transmission grating of the first plate waveguide.

16. A projection display according to claim 14, wherein the polarization-rotating device comprises a half-wave plate.

18. A head-up display, a helmet-mounted display, or a head-mounted display including a projection display according to claim 14.