Guolin Peng

Hyungryul J Choi

Vikrant Bhakta

Scott M Delapp

Kevin A Keilbach

Jonathan B Pfeiffer

Jose A Dominguez-Caballero

A display may include a waveguide for providing light to an eye box. The display may include polarization recycling structures having a polarizing beam splitter and a prism. The polarizing beam splitter may transmit a first portion of unpolarized light as first image light having a first polarization and may reflect a second portion of the unpolarized light as second image light having a second polarization. One or more waveplates may be mounted to the prism for transmitting the second image light. Upon transmission by the waveplate(s), the second image light may have the same polarization as the first image light. An input coupler may couple the first and second image light into the waveguide. Providing polarized light to the waveguide may maximize the optical efficiency of the waveguide. The polarization recycling structures may maximize the amount of the image light that is coupled into the waveguide.

Optical systems for providing polarized light to a waveguide

An electronic device may include a waveguide with an input coupler and an output coupler. The input coupler may receive the image light from imaging optics. The input coupler may be an input coupling prism and the imaging optics may include lens elements. World light may be viewable at an eye box through the output coupler. Biasing, compensation, and/or prescription lenses may overlap the output coupler. The input coupling prism, the lens elements in the imaging optics, and/or one or more of the biasing, compensation, and prescription lenses may be formed from gradient index (GRIN) material. The GRIN material may have a gradient refractive index that varies in one or more gradient directions. Use of GRIN materials may minimize the volume required to form the device without sacrificing optical performance. In addition, the GRIN materials may compensate for dispersion and aberrations in the device.

Optical systems having gradient index optical structures

A display may include illumination optics, a spatial modulator, and a waveguide. The illumination optics may produce illumination that is modulated by the spatial modulator to produce image light. The waveguide may direct the image light towards an eye box. The illumination optics may include light source sets that produce the illumination. Each set may include a low power light source and a high power light source. In a first state, the high and low power light sources may be active. In a second state, the low power light sources may be active. Control circuitry may adjust between the first and second states based on image data. The second state may be used when virtual objects in the image data are confined to a peripheral region of the field of view of the eye box.

Optical systems having light sources with power saving modes

An electronic device may include a display module that generates light and an optical system that redirects the light towards an eye box. The system may include an input coupler on a waveguide and a lens that directs the light towards the input coupler. The input coupler may include a prism having a reflective surface that reflects the light into the waveguide. The reflective surface may be curved to provide the light with an optical power. The prism may be configured to expand a field of view of the light. A birefringent beam displacer may expand the effective pupil size of the light. The lens may include lens elements that converge the light at a location between the lens elements and the waveguide. A switchable panel may be placed at the location and toggled between first and second orientations to increase the effective resolution of the light.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Guolin Peng