Displays
First Claim
1. An optical component for a display apparatus comprising:
- an optical waveguide part arranged to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection thereat;
an input part arranged to receive light and direct the received light into the optical waveguide part; and
,an output part comprising;
a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating arranged upon a said surface part of the optical waveguide part and optically coupled to the input part by the optical waveguide part to receive said guided light and to transmit a portion of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part, the angularly reflective optical coating configured to transmit more than reflect light incident upon the coating in a first angular range and reflect more than transmit light incident upon the coating in a second angular range, wherein angles in the second angular range of light are greater than angles in the first angular range of incident light; and
a reflective coating inclined with respect to said surface part of the optical waveguide part and arranged to reflect said portion of said guided light back toward the angularly reflective optical coating and the optical waveguide part;
wherein the angularly reflective optical coating extends along a dimension of the optical waveguide part to expand the guided light in said dimension along the output part by repeated partial transmission thereof for output.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical component for a display apparatus comprises an optical waveguide part (11) arranged to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection, an input part (13) arranged to receive light and direct the received light into the optical waveguide part, and an output part comprising a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating (25) arranged upon a surface part of the optical waveguide part. The output part is optically coupled to the input part by the optical waveguide part to receive guided light and to transmit some but not all of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part. The angularly reflective optical coating extends along a dimension of the optical waveguide part to expand the guided light in said dimension along the output part by repeated partial transmission thereof for output.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical component for a display apparatus comprising:
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an optical waveguide part arranged to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection thereat; an input part arranged to receive light and direct the received light into the optical waveguide part; and
,an output part comprising; a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating arranged upon a said surface part of the optical waveguide part and optically coupled to the input part by the optical waveguide part to receive said guided light and to transmit a portion of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part, the angularly reflective optical coating configured to transmit more than reflect light incident upon the coating in a first angular range and reflect more than transmit light incident upon the coating in a second angular range, wherein angles in the second angular range of light are greater than angles in the first angular range of incident light; and a reflective coating inclined with respect to said surface part of the optical waveguide part and arranged to reflect said portion of said guided light back toward the angularly reflective optical coating and the optical waveguide part; wherein the angularly reflective optical coating extends along a dimension of the optical waveguide part to expand the guided light in said dimension along the output part by repeated partial transmission thereof for output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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10. A method of manufacturing an optical component for a display apparatus comprising:
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providing an optical waveguide part including surface parts for guiding light therebetween by internal reflection thereat; providing an input part to receive light and to direct the received light into the optical waveguide part; applying a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating upon a said surface part to receive said guided light and to transmit a portion of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part, the angularly reflective optical coating configured to transmit more than reflect light incident upon the coating in a first angular range and reflect more than transmit light incident upon the coating in a second angular range, wherein angles in the second angular range of light are greater than angles in the first angular range of incident light; and attaching an output part to the angularly reflective optical coating thereby optically coupling the output part to the angularly reflective optical coating, the output part for receiving transmitted light from the angularly reflective optical coating and outputting the light so received, the output part comprising a reflective coating inclined with respect to said surface part of the optical waveguide part and arranged to reflect said portion of said guided light back toward the angularly reflective optical coating and the optical waveguide part. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of displaying an image comprising:
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receiving light at an optical waveguide part and directing the received light into the optical waveguide part to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection thereat; receiving said guided light at an output part of the optical waveguide part comprising a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating arranged upon a said surface part of the optical waveguide part, the angularly reflective optical coating configured to transmit more than reflect light incident upon the coating in a first angular range and reflect more than transmit light incident upon the coating in a second angular range, wherein angles in the second angular range of light are greater than angles in the first angular range of incident light; transmitting a portion of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part through the angularly reflective optical coating, thereby expanding the guided light in a dimension of the optical waveguide part along which the angularly reflective optical coating extends by repeated partial transmission of guided light for output through the angularly reflective optical coating; and reflecting said portion of said guided light back toward the angularly reflective optical coating and the optical waveguide part using a reflective coating inclined with respect to said surface part of the optical waveguide part. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification