Wide field-of-view binocular device

• US 20060018019A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mirage Innovations Limited
• Original Assignee: Planop-Planar Optics, Ltd.
• Inventors: Cohen, Tal, Niv, Yehuda, Nivon, Uzia
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/566
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• 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 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• 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

Abstract

A binocular device for transmitting an image into the eyes is provided. The binocular device comprises a first monocular device, for providing one eye with a first asymmetric field-of-view, and a second monocular device for providing another eye with a second asymmetric field-of-view, where the first and second asymmetric field-of-views are mutually complementary to a combined field-of-view, wider than each individual asymmetric field-of-view.

Claims

1. An optical device for transmitting light striking the optical device at a plurality of angles defining a field-of-view, the optical device comprising a light-transmissive substrate formed with at least one input optical element and a plurality of output optical elements;

said at least one input optical element being designed and constructed to diffract the light into said light-transmissive substrate in a manner such that different portions of the light, corresponding to different portions of the field-of-view, propagate in different directions within said light-transmissive substrate; and

said plurality of output optical elements being designed and constructed to complementarily diffract said different portions of the light out of said light-transmissive substrate, thereby to substantially preserve the field-of-view.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one input optical element and said plurality of output optical elements is independently a linear diffraction grating.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of output optical elements comprise a first output optical element diffracting a first portion of the field-of-view, and a second output optical element, diffracting a second portion of the field-of-view.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein each of said at least one input optical element, said first output optical elements and said second output optical element is independently a linear diffraction grating.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein at least one of said light-transmissive substrate and said linear diffraction grating is selected so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the field-of-view.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element are designed and constructed such that each light ray, being in said predetermined overlap, bifurcates within the device and exits said light-transmissive substrate in a form of two substantially parallel light rays.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, have substantially identical periods.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, are substantially parallel.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of the light and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than or equal a unity.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of the light and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is smaller than a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the light has a plurality of wavelengths defining a spectrum and further wherein different portions of said spectrum are complementarily diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said plurality of output optical elements.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the light has a plurality of wavelengths, respectively corresponding to a plurality of wavelength-dependent field-of-views, and further wherein said light-transmissive substrate, said at least one input optical element and said plurality of output optical elements are designed and constructed so as to maximize an overlap among said plurality of wavelength-dependent field-of-views.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein said plurality of output optical elements comprise a first output optical element and a second output optical element.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said spectrum has a first portion and a second portion, each of said first and said second portions of said spectrum being diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by at least one of said first and said second output optical elements.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said light-transmissive substrate, said at least one input optical element, said first output optical element and said second output optical element are designed and constructed such that when said first and said second portions of said spectrum strike the optical device at an angle within a first predetermined range, said first portion of said spectrum is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said first output optical element, and said second portion of said spectrum is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said second output optical element.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said light-transmissive substrate, said at least one input optical element, said first output optical element and said second output optical element are designed and constructed such that:

when said first portion of said spectrum strike the optical device at an angle within a first predetermined range, said first portion of said spectrum is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said first output optical element; and

when said first portion of said spectrum strike the optical device at an angle within a second first predetermined range, said first portion of said spectrum is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said second output optical element.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein each of said at least one input optical element, said first output optical elements and said second output optical element is independently a linear diffraction grating.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, have substantially identical periods.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, are substantially parallel.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein at least one of said light-transmissive substrate and said linear diffraction gratings is selected so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the field-of-view.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than λ

_R/(n_Sp) and smaller than λ

_B, said n_S being a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate, said p being a predetermined parameter, said λ

_R being a longest wavelength of said spectrum and said λ

_B being a shortest wavelength of said spectrum.

22. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input light source for producing the light.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein said input light source comprises an input display source, hence the light constitutes an image.

24. The device of claim 22, further comprising a collimator for collimating said light produced by said input light source.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein said propagation of the light within said light-transmissive substrate is via total internal reflection which is characterized by a predetermined maximal diffraction angle.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein said predetermined maximal diffraction angle equals about 80 degrees with respect to a perpendicular orientation to said light-transmissive substrate.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein said predetermined maximal diffraction angle is selected so as to allow at least one reflection within a predetermined distance.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein said predetermined distance is from about 30 mm to about 80 mm.

31. The device of claim 21, wherein λ

_B is between about 400 to about 500 nm.

32. The device of claim 21, wherein λ

_R is between about 600 to about 700 nm.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm.

34. The device of claim 11, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is selected so as to allow simultaneous propagation of said plurality of wavelengths.

35. The device of claim 21, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is larger than 10λ

_R.

36. The device of claim 1, wherein said light-transmissive substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass and a transparent polymer.

37. The device of claim 2, wherein said linear diffraction grating is selected from the group consisting of reflection linear diffraction grating and transmission linear diffraction grating.

38. The device of claim 2, wherein said linear diffraction grating is recorded by a procedure selected from a group consisting of holography, computer-generated masks, lithography, embossing, etching and direct writing.

39. The device of claim 1, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 20 degrees.

40. The device of claim 1, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 30 degrees.

41. The device of claim 1, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 40 degrees.

42. A binocular device for transmitting an image into a first eye and a second eye of a user, the binocular device comprising:

an input optical element, formed in a light-transmissive substrate and capable of diffracting the image into said light-transmissive substrate;

a first output optical element, formed in said light-transmissive substrate and capable of diffracting a first portion of the image out of said light-transmissive substrate into the first eye; and

a second output optical element, formed in said light-transmissive substrate and capable of diffracting a second portion of the image out of said light-transmissive substrate into the second eye.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein each of said input optical element, said first output optical element and said second output optical element is independently a linear diffraction grating.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein at least one of said light-transmissive substrate and said linear diffraction grating is selected so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the image.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element are designed and constructed such that each light ray, emitted by or reflected from said predetermined overlap, bifurcates within the device and exits said light-transmissive substrate in a form of two substantially parallel light rays, respectively propagating into the first and the second eyes.

46. The device of claim 42, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, have substantially identical periods.

47. The device of claim 46, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, are substantially parallel.

48. The device of claim 46, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of a light constituting the image and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than or equal a unity.

49. The device of claim 46, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of a light constituting the image and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is smaller than a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate.

50. The device of claim 42, wherein the image is a multicolor image characterized by a spectrum having a first portion and a second portion, each of said first and said second portions of said spectrum being diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by at least one of said first and said second output optical elements.

51. The device of claim 50, wherein said first portion of said spectrum of said first portion of the image is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said first output optical element, and said first portion of said spectrum of said second portion of the image is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said second output optical element.

52. The device of claim 50, wherein said first portion of said spectrum of said first portion of the image is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said first output optical element, and said second portion of said spectrum of said first portion of the image is diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by said second output optical element.

53. The device of claim 42, wherein the image is a multicolor image having a plurality of wavelengths, respectively corresponding to a plurality of wavelength-dependent portions of the image, and further wherein said light-transmissive substrate, said at least one input optical element and said plurality of output optical elements are designed and constructed so as to maximize an overlap among said plurality of wavelength-dependent portions of the image.

54. The device of claim 50, wherein each of said at least one input optical element, said first output optical elements and said second output optical element is independently a linear diffraction grating.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, have substantially identical periods.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein said linear diffraction grating of said at least one input optical element, said linear diffraction grating of said first output optical element and said linear diffraction grating of said second output optical element, are substantially parallel.

57. The device of claim 55, wherein at least one of said light-transmissive substrate and said linear diffraction gratings is selected so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the image.

58. The device of claim 54, wherein a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than λ

_R/(n_Sp) and smaller than λ

_B, said n_S being a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate, said p being a predetermined parameter, said λ

_R being a longest wavelength of said spectrum and said λ

_B being a shortest wavelength of said spectrum.

59. The device of claim 42, further comprising an input display source for producing the image.

60. The device of claim 59, further comprising a collimator for collimating light constituting the image.

61. The device of claim 60, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

62. The device of claim 61, wherein said converging lens is a spherical converging lens.

63. The device of claim 61, wherein said converging lens is a non-spherical converging lens.

64. The device of claim 60, wherein said collimator comprises an arrangement of lenses.

65. The device of claim 60, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

66. The device of claim 58, wherein λ

_B is between about 400 to about 500 nm.

67. The device of claim 58, wherein λ

_R is between about 600 to about 700 nm.

68. The device of claim 42, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm.

69. The device of claim 50, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is selected so as to allow simultaneous propagation of a plurality of wavelengths.

70. The device of claim 58, wherein a thickness of said light-transmissive substrate is larger than 10λ

_R.

71. The device of claim 42, wherein said light-transmissive substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass and a transparent polymer.

72. The device of claim 43, wherein said linear diffraction grating is selected from the group consisting of reflection linear diffraction grating and transmission linear diffraction grating.

73. The device of claim 42, wherein said linear diffraction grating is recorded by a procedure selected from a group consisting of holography, computer-generated masks, lithography, embossing, etching and direct writing.

74. A binocular device for transmitting an image into a first eye and a second eye of a user, the binocular device comprising a first monocular device for providing the first eye with a first asymmetric field-of-view and a second monocular device for providing the second eye with a second asymmetric field-of-view, said first and second asymmetric field-of-views being mutually complementary to a combined field-of-view.

75. The device of claim 74, wherein each of said first and said second monocular devices is defined by a light-transmissive substrate, an input optical element and an output optical element, such that said first and said second monocular devices share said light-transmissive substrate and said input optical element.

76. The device of claim 74, wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first asymmetric field-of-view and said second asymmetric field-of-view.

77. The device of claim 76, wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed such that each light ray, being in said predetermined overlap, bifurcates within the binocular device and exits through said first and said second monocular devices in a form of two substantially parallel light rays, respectively propagating into the first and the second eyes.

78. The device of claim 74, wherein the image is a multicolor image characterized by a spectrum having a first portion and a second portion, and further wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed such each eye is provided with at least one of said first and said second portions of said spectrum.

79. The device of claim 78, wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed such that when said first and said second portions of said spectrum strike the binocular device at an angle within a first predetermined range, the first eye is provided with said first portion of said spectrum, and the second eye is provided with said second portion of said spectrum.

80. The device of claim 78, wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed such that:

when said first portion of said spectrum strike the binocular device at an angle within a first predetermined range, the first eye is provided with said first portion of said spectrum; and

when said first portion of said spectrum strike the optical device at an angle within a second first predetermined range, the second eye is provided with said first portion of said spectrum.

81. The device of claim 74, wherein the image is a multicolor image having a plurality of wavelengths, each corresponding to a wavelength-dependent combined field-of-view, and further wherein said first and said second monocular devices are designed and constructed so as to maximize an overlap between at least two wavelength-dependent combined field-of-views.

82. The device of claim 74, further comprising an input display source for producing the image.

83. The device of claim 82, further comprising a collimator for collimating light constituting the image.

84. The device of claim 83, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

85. The device of claim 84, wherein said converging lens is a spherical converging lens.

86. The device of claim 84, wherein said converging lens is a non-spherical converging lens.

87. The device of claim 83, wherein said collimator comprises an arrangement of lenses.

88. The device of claim 83, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

89. The device of claim 74, wherein said combined field-of-view is symmetric.

90. The device of claim 74, wherein said combined field-of-view is asymmetric.

91. The device of claim 74, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 20 degrees.

92. The device of claim 74, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 30 degrees.

93. The device of claim 74, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 40 degrees.

94. A method of transmitting light striking light-transmissive substrate at a plurality of angles defining a field-of-view, the method comprising:

(a) diffracting the light into the light-transmissive substrate in a manner such that different portions of the light, corresponding to different portions of the field-of-view, propagate in different directions within the light-transmissive substrate; and

(b) complementarily diffracting said different portions of the light out of the light-transmissive substrate, so as to substantially preserve the field-of-view.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein said steps (a) and (b) are each independently effected by a linear diffraction grating.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein steps (a) and (b) are executed so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the field-of-view.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein said step (a) comprises bifurcating each light ray, being in said predetermined overlap, into a bifurcated light ray, and said step (b) comprises diffracting said bifurcated light ray out of said light-transmissive substrate in a form of two substantially parallel light rays.

98. The method of claim 95, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of the light and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than or equal a unity.

99. The method of claim 95, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of the light and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is smaller than a refraction index of the light-transmissive substrate.

100. The method of claim 94, wherein the light has a plurality of wavelengths, respectively corresponding to a plurality of wavelength-dependent field-of-views, and further wherein said steps (a) and (b) are executed so as to maximize an overlap among said plurality of wavelength-dependent field-of-views.

101. The method of claim 95, wherein the light has a plurality of wavelengths defining a spectrum having a first portion and a second portion, each of said first and said second portions of said spectrum being diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate by at least one linear diffraction grating.

102. The method of claim 101, wherein said step (b) comprises:

if both said first and said second portions of said spectrum strike the light-transmissive substrate at an angle within a first predetermined range, then diffracting said first portion of said spectrum by a first linear diffraction grating and said second portion of said spectrum by a second linear diffraction grating.

103. The method of claim 101, wherein said step (b) comprises:

if said first portion of said spectrum strikes the light-transmissive substrate at an angle within a first predetermined range, then diffracting said first portion of said spectrum by a first linear diffraction grating; and

if said first portion of said spectrum strikes the light-transmissive substrate at an angle within a second predetermined range, then diffracting said first portion of said spectrum by a second linear diffraction grating.

104. The method of claim 101, wherein a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than λ

_R/(n_Sp) and smaller than λ

_B, said n_S being a refraction index of the light-transmissive substrate, said p being a predetermined parameter, said λ

_R being a longest wavelength of said spectrum and said λ

_B being a shortest wavelength of said spectrum.

105. The method of claim 94, further comprising producing the light using an input light source.

106. The method of claim 105, further comprising producing an image to be constituted by the light using an input display source.

107. The method of claim 105, further comprising collimating said light produced by said input light source using a collimator.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

109. The method of claim 107, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

110. The method of claim 94, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 20 degrees.

111. The method of claim 94, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 30 degrees.

112. The method of claim 94, wherein the field-of-view is of at least 40 degrees.

113. A method of transmitting an image into a first eye and a second eye of a user, the method comprising:

(a) diffracting the image into a light-transmissive substrate;

(b) diffracting a first portion of the image out of said light-transmissive substrate into the first eye; and

(c) diffracting a second portion of the image out of said light-transmissive substrate into the second eye.

114. The method of claim 113, wherein said steps (a)-(c) are each independently effected by a linear diffraction grating.

115. The method of claim 114, wherein said steps (a)-(c) are executed so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second portions of the image.

116. The method of claim 115, wherein said step (a) comprises bifurcating each light ray, emitted by or reflected from said predetermined overlap, into a bifurcated light ray, and said steps (b) and (c) respectively comprises diffracting said bifurcated light ray out of said light-transmissive substrate in a form of two substantially parallel light rays propagating into the first and the second eyes.

117. The method of claim 114, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of a light constituting the image and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than or equal a unity.

118. The method of claim 114, wherein a ratio between a wavelength of a light constituting the image and a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is smaller than a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate.

119. The method of claim 114, wherein the image is a multicolor image characterized by a spectrum having a first portion and a second portion, each of said first and said second portions of said spectrum being diffracted out of said light-transmissive substrate into at least one eye.

120. The method of claim 114, wherein said step (b) comprises diffracting said first portion of said spectrum into the first eye, and said step (c) comprises diffracting said first portion of said spectrum into the second eye.

121. The device of claim 120, wherein said step (b) further comprises diffracting said second portion of said spectrum into the second eye.

122. The method of claim 114, wherein the image is a multicolor image having a plurality of wavelengths, respectively corresponding to a plurality of wavelength-dependent portions of the image, and further wherein said steps (a)-(c) are executed so as to maximize an overlap among said plurality of wavelength-dependent portions of the image.

123. The method of claim 119, wherein a period characterizing said linear diffraction gratings is larger than λ

_R/(n_Sp) and smaller than λ

_B, said n_S being a refraction index of said light-transmissive substrate, said p being a predetermined parameter, said λ

_R being a longest wavelength of said spectrum and said λ

_B being a shortest wavelength of said spectrum.

124. The method of claim 113, further comprising producing the image using an input display source.

125. The method of claim 124, further comprising collimating light constituting the image using a collimator.

126. The method of claim 125, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

127. The method of claim 126, wherein said converging lens is a spherical converging lens.

128. The method of claim 126, wherein said converging lens is a non-spherical converging lens.

129. The method of claim 125, wherein said collimator comprises an arrangement of lenses.

130. The method of claim 125, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

135. The method of claim 114, wherein the image is a multicolor image characterized by a spectrum having a first portion and a second portion, each of said first and said second portions of said spectrum being transmitted into at least one eye.

136. The method of claim 135, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting said first portion of said spectrum into the first eye, and said step (b) comprises diffracting said first portion of said spectrum into the second eye.

137. The device of claim 136, wherein said step (a) further comprises transmitting said second portion of said spectrum into the second eye.

131. A method of transmitting an image into a first eye and a second eye of a user, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting a first asymmetric field-of-view to the first eye; and

(b) transmitting a second asymmetric field-of-view to the second eye;

said first and second asymmetric field-of-views being mutually complementary to a combined field-of-view.

132. The method of claim 131, wherein said steps (a) and (b) are each independently effected by a linear diffraction grating.

133. The method of claim 131, wherein steps (a) and (b) are executed so as to provide a predetermined overlap between said first and said second asymmetric field-of-views.

134. The method of claim 133, further comprising bifurcating each light ray, being in said predetermined overlap, into a bifurcated light ray, wherein said steps (b) and (c) respectively comprises transmitting said bifurcated light ray into the first and the second eyes in a form of two substantially parallel light rays.

138. The method of claim 131, wherein the image is a multicolor image having a plurality of wavelengths, each corresponding to a wavelength-dependent combined field-of-view, and further wherein said steps (a) and (b) are executed so as to maximize an overlap between at least two wavelength-dependent combined field-of-views.

139. The method of claim 131, further comprising producing the image using an input display source.

140. The method of claim 139, further comprising collimating light constituting the image using a collimator.

141. The method of claim 140, wherein said collimator comprises a converging lens.

142. The method of claim 141, wherein said converging lens is a spherical converging lens.

143. The method of claim 141, wherein said converging lens is a non-spherical converging lens.

144. The method of claim 140, wherein said collimator comprises an arrangement of lenses.

145. The method of claim 140, wherein said collimator comprises a diffractive optical element.

146. The method of claim 131, wherein said combined field-of-view is symmetric.

147. The method of claim 131, wherein said combined field-of-view is asymmetric.

148. The method of claim 131, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 20 degrees.

149. The method of claim 131, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 30 degrees.

150. The method of claim 131, wherein said combined field-of-view is of at least 40 degrees.