Distributed light manipulation over imaging waveguide

• US 9,904,058 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Yeoh, Ivan L., Edwin, Lionel E., Macnamara, John Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Lepisto, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chiem, Erin
• Application Number:
  US15/591,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20170329140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• 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 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0808 by means of one or more diffracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0026 Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

In a stacked waveguide assembly, the waveguides can comprise color filters, distributed filters, and/or switch materials. Examples of color filters include dyes, tints, or stains. Examples of distributed filters and/or switch materials include dichroic filters, Bragg gratings, electronically switchable glass, and electronically switchable mirrors. Switch materials can be designed or tuned to attenuate light of unwanted colors or wavelengths. The waveguides may each be associated with a particular design wavelength. This can mean that a waveguide that is associated with a design wavelength includes an incoupling optical element is configured to deflect light at the design wavelength to an associated light distributing element and that the associated wavelength selective region is configured to attenuate light not at the design wavelength.

Claims

1. A stacked waveguide assembly comprising:

a first waveguide comprising;

a first layer of an incoupling optical element configured to couple light at a first wavelength into a first layer of a light distributing element, the light distributing element comprising a wavelength selective region;

a first layer of the wavelength selective region configured to receive incoupled light from the first layer of the incoupling optical element and to attenuate the incoupled light not at the first wavelength relative to incoupled light at the first wavelength,

wherein the first layer of the light distributing element is configured to couple the incoupled light at the first wavelength out of the first layer of the wavelength selective region; and

a first layer of an outcoupling optical element configured to receive the incoupled light at the first wavelength from the first layer of the light distributing element and to couple the incoupled light out of the first waveguide; and

a second waveguide comprising;

a second layer of the incoupling optical element configured to couple light at a second wavelength into a second layer of the light distributing element, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength;

a second layer of the wavelength selective region configured to receive incoupled light from the second layer of the incoupling optical element and to attenuate the incoupled light not at the second wavelength relative to incoupled light at the second wavelength,

wherein the second layer of the light distributing element is configured to couple the incoupled light at the second wavelength out of the second layer of the wavelength selective region; and

a second layer of the outcoupling optical element configured to receive the incoupled light at the second wavelength from the second layer of the light distributing element and to couple the incoupled light out of the second waveguide.

2. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer of the wavelength selective region comprises a first color filter and the second layer of the wavelength selective region comprises a second color filter, the first color filter configured to attenuate light at the second wavelength, and the second color filter configured to attenuate light at the first wavelength.

3. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 2, wherein the first color filter or the second color filter comprises a dye, a tint, a stain, a volumetric optical filter, or a dichroic filter.

4. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer of the wavelength selective region comprises a first electronically switchable region, and the second layer of the wavelength selective region comprises a second electronically switchable region.

5. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 4, further comprising a controller configured to electronically control the first electronically switchable region and the second electronically switchable region to modulate light in the stacked waveguide assembly.

6. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to switch the first electronically switchable region to modulate light in the first layer of the light distributing element and to switch the second electronically switchable region to not modulate light in the second layer of the light distributing element.

7. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to electronically control the first electronically switchable region and the second electronically switchable region to steer the incoupled light to expand a field of view.

8. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer of the wavelength selective region is configured to alter an index of refraction of light not at the first wavelength or the second layer of the wavelength selective region is configured to alter an index of refraction of light not at the second wavelength.

9. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer or the second layer of the wavelength selective region comprises a polarizer.

10. The stacked waveguide assembly of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength is associated with a first subcolor of a color and the second wavelength is associated with a second subcolor of the color, the second subcolor different from the first subcolor.