Holographic wide angle display

• US 10,690,915 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DigiLens Inc, Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Popovich, Milan Momcilo, Waldern, Jonathan David, Grant, Alastair John, Hendrick, Wyatt L., Stanley, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dabbi, Jyotsna V
• Application Number:
  US15/048,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/013 comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/34 Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• 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 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2226 Edge lit holograms TIR recording G03H1/0408
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2239 Enlarging the viewing window

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying an image, including: an input image node configured to provide at least a first and a second image modulated lights; and a holographic waveguide device configured to propagate the at least one of the first and second image modulated lights in at least a first direction. The holographic waveguide device includes: at least a first and second interspersed multiplicities of grating elements disposed in at least one layer, the first and second grating elements having respectively a first and a second prescriptions. The first and second multiplicity of grating elements are configured to deflect respectively the first and second image modulated lights out of the at least one layer into respectively a first and a second multiplicities of output rays forming respectively a first and second FOV tiles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying an image, comprising:

an input image node configured to provide modulated light;

a plurality of waveguides arranged to propagate the modulated light along the plurality of waveguides in a propagation direction, the plurality of waveguides being in a stacked arrangement, each of the plurality of waveguides having a curved output surface and curved gratings, each of the plurality of waveguides is optimized for a single different optical wavelength; and

a curved outer cladding layer extending along the curved output surface of an outer most one of the plurality of waveguides;

wherein each of the plurality of waveguides is configured to deflect the modulated light out of a respective curved output surface of the curved output surfaces via the curved gratings in an output direction different than the propagation direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the curved output surfaces is curved in a same plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waveguides comprise a color waveguide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the curved gratings are Bragg gratings.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical-electronic module disposed at one end of the plurality of waveguides, wherein the input image node is disposed at an other end of the plurality of waveguides.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a curved inner cladding layer extending along a curved inner surface of an inner most one of the plurality of waveguides; and

a plurality of curved cladding layers, wherein each of the plurality of curved cladding layers are positioned between adjacent waveguides of the plurality of waveguides and directly engage the adjacent waveguides.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of curved cladding layers that are positioned between the adjacent waveguides prevent a transfer of light between the adjacent waveguides.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein adjacent waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are not separated by cladding layers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of waveguides directly contact each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a helmet mounted display.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of waveguides comprise a visor of a helmet mounted display.

12. A method of displaying an image, comprising:

providing modulated light to a plurality of waveguides, the plurality of waveguides being in a stacked arrangement, each of the plurality of waveguides having a curved output surface and curved gratings, each of the plurality of waveguides is optimized for a single different optical wavelength;

propagating the modulated light along the plurality of waveguides in a propagation direction,

deflecting the modulated light out of a respective of the curved output surfaces of the plurality of waveguides via the curved gratings in an output direction different than the propagation direction for each of the plurality of waveguides;

wherein a curved outer cladding layer extends along the curved output surface of an outer most one of the plurality of waveguides.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the curved output surfaces is curved in a same plane.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of waveguides comprise a color waveguide.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein adjacent waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are separated by cladding layers.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein adjacent waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are not separated by cladding layers.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of curved cladding layers positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of waveguides.

18. An apparatus for displaying an image, comprising:

an input image node configured to provide at least first and second image modulated lights; and

a holographic waveguide device configured to propagate at least one of the first and second image modulated lights in at least a first direction, the holographic waveguide device comprising;

at least first and second interspersed multiplicities of grating elements disposed in a plane of a layer;

a curved outer cladding layer; and

a curved inner cladding layer;

wherein the first and second image modulated lights are modulated respectively with first field of view (FOV) image information and second FOV image information;

wherein the first multiplicity of grating elements have k-vectors which vary along a direction of propagation of the first image modulated light and are configured to deflect the first image modulated light out of the plane of the layer, and the second multiplicity of grating elements have k-vectors which vary along the direction of propagation of the second image modulated light and are configured to deflect the second image modulated light out of the plane of the layer;

wherein the holographic waveguide device, and the at least first and second interspersed multiplicities of grating elements are curved along a common plane; and

wherein the curved outer cladding layer extends along a curved output surface of the holographic waveguide device and the curved inner cladding layer extends along a curved inner surface of the holographic waveguide device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein apparatus is a helmet mounted display.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the curved output surface is convex.