Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Facebook Technologies, LLC

Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC

Zhigu Holdings Limited

Adrian Travis

Timothy Andrew Large

Neil Emerton

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Joel Steven Kollin

Andreas Georgiou

Ying Geng

Gang Li

Lu Lu

Babak Amirsolaimani

Afsoon Jamali

Andrew Maimone

Changwon Jang

Yingfei Jiang

Jacques Gollier

Douglas Christopher Burger

Brian M Wheelwright

Yusufu Njoni Bamaxam Sulai

Kurt Jenkins

Mengfei Wang

Weichuan Gao

Jaron Zepel Lanier

Tuomas Vallius

Glen C Larsen

Doug Burger

Dmitry Reshidko

Liying Chen

Tero Ollikainen

Stephen Heil

An optical device includes an optical assembly having a first end and a second end, the optical assembly including a first optical component and a second optical component, the first optical component having at least a first optical surface, a second optical surface, and a third optical surface that are non-parallel to one another. The first optical surface is curved and extends between the first end and the second end. A first polarization selective redirector is located between the first optical component and the second optical component, and a first polarization rotating redirector is disposed at the second end.

Wedge light guide

A device for illuminating a spatial light modulator includes a light source and an optical element. The light source is configured to provide illumination light. The optical element has a first surface, a second surface that is distinct from and non-parallel to the first surface, and a third surface that is distinct from and non-parallel to the first surface and the second surface. The optical element is configured to receive the illumination light at the first surface, propagate the illumination light via total internal reflection, and output the illumination light from the third surface. Also disclosed is a method performed by the device.

Display illumination using a wedge waveguide

A display device includes a projector and a display that has a first surface and a second surface. The projector is configured to project image light toward the display. The display is configured to output diffused image light from the first surface and to transmit ambient light from the second surface to the first surface. The display device also includes an optical assembly that has a substrate with substantially uniform thickness. The optical assembly is configured to receive the diffused image light and transmit a portion of the diffused image light output from the first surface of the display at a first optical power. The optical assembly is also configured to receive the ambient light and transmit a portion of the ambient light through the optical assembly at a second optical power that is less than the first optical power.

Display device with diffusive display and see-through lens assembly

A liquid crystal (LC) mixture for a pitch variable optical element is provided. The LC mixture includes a host LC and one or more LC dimers dissolved as a guest in the host LC. The host LC and the one or more LC dimers have respective dielectric anisotropies of opposite signs in nematic phase. A net dielectric anisotropy of the LC mixture is substantially neutral.

Liquid crystal mixtures for pitch variable optical elements

Apparatuses and systems including curved optical waveguides, and methods for use include an output-grating of a curved waveguide that includes a spatially modulated grating period configured to cause, for each beam of light corresponding to an image coupled into a bulk-substrate of the curved waveguide by an input-grating, corresponding rays of light output from different locations of the output-grating to be substantially collimated. Adaptive optics of a display engine compensate for aberrations that vary over a field-of-view associated with light corresponding to the image out-coupled by the output-grating. Further, a curved portion of the curved waveguide is designed to keep internally reflected light below a critical angle to prevent inadvertent out-coupling thereof. Further, curved surfaces of the curved waveguide can include polynomial surfaces to compensate for lateral color errors and distortion.

Display apparatuses, systems and methods including curved waveguides

An optical device is provided. The optical device includes an optical grating. The optical grating includes two electrodes arranged opposite to each other and a liquid crystal (LC) composition sandwiched between the electrodes. The two electrodes provide a driving voltage to the optical grating. The LC mixture includes a host LC and one or more LC dimers dissolved as a guest in the host LC. The host LC and the one or more LC dimers have respective dielectric anisotropies of opposite signs in nematic phase. A net dielectric anisotropy of the LC mixture is substantially neutral at a predetermined temperature.

Pitch variable optical devices and systems containing the same

An optical system includes a light source, a film positioned to be illuminated by light from the light source, the film including a plurality of Bragg gratings configured to redirect the light, and an actuator configured to apply a shearing force to the film. The shearing force manipulates an orientation of the plurality of Bragg gratings to change an extent to which the plurality of Bragg gratings redirects the light and to thereby re-position a pupil at which the light converges after redirection by the plurality of Bragg gratings.

Optical system steering via Bragg grating shear

A display includes a projector configured to provide light of a virtual image, a waveguide into which the light of the virtual image is injected at an injection angle by the projector, and a combiner disposed along the waveguide and configured to redirect the light of the virtual image. The waveguide is configured to emit the light at a point established by the injection angle. The combiner is further configured to allow ambient light from beyond the waveguide to pass through the combiner. The waveguide constrains the light of the virtual image through total internal reflection along a curved path for the light between the projector and the combiner.

Virtual image display with curved light path

A holographic display includes a pixel array including one or more pixels, a holographic data source, a drive array, and a light source. Each pixel includes a phase-modulating structure and an amplitude-modulating structure. The holographic data source is configured to supply a holographic drive signal. The holographic drive signal includes, for each pixel in each of a plurality of time-varying holographic image frames, a phase component defining phase modulation for the pixel and an amplitude component defining amplitude modulation for the pixel. The drive array is configured to, for each pixel in each holographic image frame, modulate the phase-modulating structure according to the phase component and modulate the amplitude-modulating structure according to the amplitude component. The light source is configured to output coherent light to illuminate the one or more pixels of the pixel array.

Holographic phase and amplitude spatial light modulation

Embodiments are disclosed for display devices including holographic optical elements for directing light toward image producing panels. An example display device includes a phase modulating image producing panel, and a holographic optical element configured to receive collimated light and to output converging light toward the phase modulating image producing panel, the phase modulating image producing panel being configured to use at least a portion of the converging light to produce an image with collimated or diverging light.

Holographic near-eye display

A near-eye display device comprises a left-eye optical system and a right-eye optical system. Each of the left-eye optical system and the right-eye optical system comprises a holographic optical component positioned in a field of view of a user eye, an image source configured to emit imaging light, and an alignment optical component, wherein projection beam path between the image source and the light-deflecting optical component and an alignment beam path between the alignment optical component and the light-deflecting component share a common optical path.

Binocular image alignment for near-eye display

A display device includes an optical sensor configured to image a user eye, an image source configured to provide image light, a holographic film including a plurality of holograms, and a controller. Each hologram is recorded with a same reference beam but recorded differently so as to differently diffract image light received from the light source. The controller is configured to determine, via the optical sensor, a position of the user eye, and adjust, based on the determined position of the user eye, a state of the holographic film such that a particular hologram of the plurality of holograms diffracts image light to the position of the user eye.

Holographic display

A display system produces three-dimensional images. The display system includes a waveguide, and a light source that injects light into the waveguide. A switchable grating allows individual positions in the grating in a two-dimensional array to be turned on and off. A controller configured to spatially modulate the switchable grating so as to control where light exits the waveguide. An eye tracking module tracks eye position of a viewer. The controller uses the eye position to control switching of the grating.

Backlight for viewing three-dimensional images from a display from variable viewing angles

An optical filter includes a first film having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side, and a second side. A second film is included that has an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side, and a second side. A third film is included that has an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side, and a second side. The first side of the first film is connected to the second side of the second film. The first side of the second film is connected to the second side of the third film. The lower surface of the first film is optically adjacent to the upper surface of the second film. The lower surface of the second film is optically adjacent to the upper surface of the third film. Methods of manufacture and use are also described.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Adrian Travis