Augmented reality display system

• US 9,977,248 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PhantaField, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PhantaField, Inc.
• Inventors: Xie, Xuejun
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US15/849,044
• Time in Patent Office: 153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0037 characterized by the distribution or form of lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements

Abstract

There is disclosed a transparent light field display device including a transparent substrate, an array of light-emitting picture elements formed on the transparent substrate, and a sparse microlens array formed over the array of light-emitting picture elements. The sparse microlens array includes a plurality of lens elements with spaces between adjacent lens elements. When the transparent light field display device is disposed with the sparse microlens array proximate a viewer'"'"'s eye, the spaces between adjacent lens elements allow the viewer to see objects beyond the transparent light field display device.

Claims

1. A see-through system-on-lens (SOL) device, comprising:

a transparent light field display device and a light field camera disposed on a common transparent substrate;

the transparent light field display comprising;

an array of light-emitting picture elements formed on the transparent substrate; and

a sparse microlens array formed over the array of light-emitting picture elements, the sparse microlens array comprising a plurality of lens elements with spaces between adjacent lens elements,

wherein, when the transparent light field display device is disposed with the sparse microlens array proximate a viewer'"'"'s eye, the spaces between adjacent lens elements allow the viewer to see a scene beyond the transparent light field display device; and

the light field camera comprising;

an image sensor; and

a camera microlens array disposed between the image sensor and the scene,

wherein the camera microlens array is a dense microlens array, and is disposed adjacent to and coplanar with the sparse microlens array, and

wherein the array of light-emitting picture elements and the image sensor are on opposite sides of the sparse microlens array and the camera microlens array.

2. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein a position of each of the plurality of lens elements of the sparse microlens array is randomly or pseudo-randomly displaced from a respective nominal position in a rectangular microlens array.

3. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of lens elements of the sparse microlens array is randomly or pseudo-randomly positioned within the microlens array.

4. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a portion of a cylindrical surface.

5. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein each picture element of the array of light-emitting picture elements comprises:

one or more light emitting elements; and

control circuits for the one or more light emitting elements.

6. The SOL device of claim 5, wherein the control circuits comprise a single crystal silicon film transferred from a silicon-on-insulator wafer.

7. The SOL device of claim 5, wherein the control circuits comprise a semiconductor layer deposited over the light emitting elements.

8. The SOL device of claim 5, wherein the one or more light emitting elements are GaN light emitting diodes.

9. The SOL device of claim 8, wherein the control circuits comprise GaN transistors between the GaN light emitting diodes.

10. The SOL device of claim 8, wherein the GaN light emitting diodes are separated by ion implanted insulating regions.

11. The SOL device of claim 8, further comprising:

respective wavelength conversion elements associated with each GaN light emitting diode, the wavelength conversion elements formed over the GaN light emitting diodes.

12. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein each picture element of the array of light-emitting picture elements comprises:

first, second, and third GaN light emitting diodes;

control circuits for the first second and third light emitting diodes; and

respective wavelength conversion elements to convert violet or ultraviolet radiation from the first second and third light emitting diodes into red, green, and blue light, respectively.

13. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the array of light-emitting picture include image sensor elements to detect light reflected from a viewer'"'"'s eye and received through the sparse microlens array.

14. The SOL device of claim 1, wherein:

the image sensor is a portion of a silicon integrated circuit chip, and

the silicon integrated circuit chip further comprises a transceiver for communications with a remote rendering engine.

15. The SOL device of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the remote rendering engine.

16. The SOL device of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is an optical transceiver for communicating with the remote rendering engine via an optical fiber cable.

17. The SOL device of claim 14, wherein the silicon integrated circuit chip further comprises motions sensors.

18. The SOL device of claim 1, further comprising a thin film photovoltaic cell formed on a surface of the substrate facing the scene.

19. The SOL device of claim 1, further comprising a LIDAR (laser imaging and ranging) subsystem for depth mapping the scene.

20. The SOL device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless power antenna and receiver.