Digilens Inc.

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Sbg Labs, Inc.

Diglens Inc.

Alastair John Grant

Milan Momcilo Popovich

Jonathan David Waldern

James H Stanley

Robert D Brown

Wyatt L Hendrick

Steven J Robbins

Shibu Abraham

Ratson Morad

Baeddan George Hill

Tsung-Jui Ho

Sihui He

Roger Allen Conley Smith

Hyesog Lee

Sean Michael Williams

James M Tedesco

Francois Raynal

Edward Lao

Gerald Buxton

Nima Shams

Michiel Koen Callens

Nicholas Sherwood

Richard E Bergstrom, Jr

Kimberly Sun Lokovic

Roger Conley Smith

An optical display comprises: a first waveguide comprising a first surface and a second surface, an input coupler, a fold grating, and an output grating. The input coupler receives collimated first wavelength light from an Input Image Node causes the light to travel within the first waveguide via total internal reflection between the first surface and the second surface to the fold grating. The fold grating provides pupil expansion in a first direction directs the light to the output grating via total internal reflection between the first surface and the second surface. The output grating provides pupil expansion in a second direction different than the first direction and causes the light to exit the first waveguide from the first surface or the second surface. At least one of the input coupler, fold grating and output grating is a rolled k-vector grating, and the fold grating is a dual interaction grating.

Apparatus for providing waveguide displays with two-dimensional pupil expansion

One embodiment provides an apparatus for displaying an image comprising: a first optical substrate comprising at least one waveguide layer configured to propagate light in a first direction, wherein the at least one waveguide layer of the first optical substrate comprises at least one grating lamina configured to extract the light from the first substrate along the first direction; and a second optical substrate comprising at least one waveguide layer configured to propagate the light in a second direction, wherein the at least one waveguide layer of the second optical substrate comprises at least one grating lamina configured to extract light from the second substrate along the second direction; wherein the at least one grating lamina of at least one of the first and second optical substrates comprises an SBG in a passive mode.

Transparent waveguide display with grating lamina that both couple and extract modulated light

Disclosed herein is a waveguide-based display comprising: a waveguide, a source of image modulated light projected over a field of view; an input coupler for coupling said light into a total internal reflection (TIR) path within the waveguide; and a grating structure for providing beam expansion of the TIR light in at least one direction and extracting the TIR light from the waveguide. The grating structure may include a plurality of grating elements having at least two different grating prescriptions and at least one surface relief grating formed by a phase separation process.

Grating structures for color waveguides

An optical waveguide comprises at least two TIR surface and contains a grating. Input TIR light with a first angular range along a first propagation direction undergoes at least two diffractions at the grating. Each diffraction directs light into a unique TIR angular range along a second propagation direction.

Waveguide grating device

Holographic volume gratings in waveguide cells can be recorded using many different methods and systems in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. One embodiment includes a holographic recording system including at least one laser source configured to emit recording beams and a movable platform configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein when the movable platform is in the first position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a first set of one or more recording beams toward a first set of one or more stations and when the movable platform is in the second position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a second set of one or more recording beams toward a second set of one or more stations.

Systems and methods for high-throughput recording of holographic gratings in waveguide cells

Systems and methods for generating head-up displays (HUDs) using waveguides incorporating Bragg gratings in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are provided. The term HUD is typically utilized to describe a class of displays that incorporates a transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. HUDs can be incorporated in any of a variety of applications including (but not limited to) vehicular and near-eye applications, such as googles, eyewear, etc. HUDs that utilize planar waveguides that incorporate Bragg gratings in accordance with various embodiments of the invention can achieve significantly larger fields of view and have lower volumetric requirements than HUDs implemented using conventional optical components.

Waveguide architectures and related methods of manufacturing

Mastering systems and methods of fabricating waveguides and waveguide devices using such mastering systems are described. Mastering systems for fabricating holographic waveguides can include using a master to control the application of energy (e.g. a laser, light, or magnetic beam) onto a liquid crystal substrate to fabricate a holographic waveguide into the liquid crystal substrate. Mastering systems for fabricating holographic waveguides in accordance with embodiments of the invention can include a variety of features. These features include, but are not limited to: chirp for single input beam copy (near i.e. hybrid contact copy), dual chirped gratings (for input and output), zero order grating for transmittance control, alignment reference gratings, 3:1 construction, position adjustment tooling to enable rapid alignment, optimization of lens and window thickness for multiple RKVs simultaneously, and avoidance of other orders and crossover of the diffraction beam.

Methods for fabricating optical waveguides

Various embodiments of waveguide devices are described. A debanding optic may be incorporated into waveguide devices, which may help supply uniform output illumination. Accordingly, various waveguide devices are able to output a substantially flat illumination profile eliminating or mitigating banding effects.

Waveguide device with uniform output illumination

Transparent waveguide display with passive expander input bragg gratings with different angular diffraction efficiencies

Multiplexed reflection and transmission gratings, and methods of their manufacture, are provided that improve uniformity with laser light, that is, reduced banding and other illumination artifacts occurring in waveguides. The mechanism for this can be the multiple reflections between the waveguide reflecting surfaces and the reflection hologram, which promote illumination averaging as beam propagation processes within a waveguide. In some gratings, a beam splitter layer overlapping the multiplexed gratings can be provided for the purposes of reducing banding in a laser-illuminated waveguide. The beam splitter can be provided by one or more dielectric layers. The beamsplitter can have sensitivity to one polarization. The beamsplitter can be sensitive to S-polarization. The beam splitter can be an anti-reflection coating optimized for normal incidence that becomes reflective at high TIR angles when immersed in glass or plastic.

Waveguides incorporating transmissive and reflective gratings and related methods of manufacturing

An optical display, including a first waveguide having a first set of surfaces, an input grating, a fold grating, and an output grating; an image input image node assembly; and a prismatic relay optics is provided. The prismatic relay optics may be configured to be optomechanically connected to the waveguide and the input image node assembly. The optical display is may also be configured to operate alone or as integrated with a headpiece to be used as a HUD. The HUD may have a first and a second configuration wherein the waveguide is decoupled or coupled.

Wearable heads up displays

Methods and apparatus for eye-glow suppression in waveguide systems is disclosed herein. Some embodiments of the methods and the apparatus include a source of image modulated light; a waveguide having an eye-facing surface and an external surface facing the outside world; an input coupler for coupling the light into a total reflection internal path in the waveguide; at least one grating for providing beam expansion and extracting light from the waveguide towards an eyebox; a polymer grating structure comprising a modulation depth and a grating pitch. The modulation depth is greater than the grating pitch across at least a portion of the polymer grating structure. Advantageously, the polymer grating structure is configured to diffract light entering the waveguide from the outside world or stray light generated within the waveguide away from optical paths that are refracted through the external surface into the outside world.

Eye glow suppression in waveguide based displays

Waveguides and waveguide displays having a layer for blocking non-image light (i.e. haze) that could otherwise reduce contrast and degrade color gamut and uniformity, while providing high transmission to external light are provided. Many waveguides and displays incorporate at least one light control layer applied to at least one external surface of a waveguide supporting at least one grating and overlapping at least a portion of the at least one grating, to divert or block scattered light from the set of gratings that might otherwise enter said eyebox.

Holographic waveguide display with light control layer

Gratings may be used in waveguides. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. Deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated periodic structures (EPSs). EPSs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) periodic structure. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured periodic structure provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Evacuated periodic structures and methods of manufacturing

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing waveguide display devices utilizing overlapping integrated dual axis (IDA) waveguides. One embodiment includes a waveguide display device including: a first input image source providing first image light; a second input image source provide second image light; a first IDA waveguide; and a second IDA waveguide. The first IDA waveguide and the second IDA waveguide may include an overlapping region where a first two-dimensionally expanded first image light, a second two-dimensionally expanded first image light, a first two-dimensionally expanded second image light, and a second two-dimensionally expanded second image light is ejected towards an eyebox. Advantageously, resolution may be enhanced and field of view may be expanded through the use of overlapping IDA waveguides.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Alastair John Grant