Snap Inc.

Bae Systems, Inc.

James Raymond Leighton

Michael David Simmonds

Rory Thomas Alexander Mills

Mohmed Salim Valera

Nan Ma

Brennon Pennell

Optical devices and methods for expanding input light and outputting the expanded light include a waveguide and an input optical element to receive light incident on a first side of the waveguide. The input optical element includes an input reflective surface to reflect the received light into the waveguide. An intermediate diffractive optical element receives light in the waveguide from a first direction, and provides an expansion of the received light in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. An output optical element includes an output reflective surface to reflect the expanded light out of the waveguide towards a viewer. The waveguide guides light along an optical path from the input optical element to the intermediate diffractive optical element and from the intermediate diffractive optical element to the output optical element.

Optical device

An optical display system has an optical waveguide combiner and one or more cameras. The one or more camera(s) is optically coupled to the optical waveguide combiner and have a field of view of at least one real object and at least one virtual object displayable by the optical display system. The one or more camera(s), which may be for example wafer level waveguide camera(s), may be disposed outside the usable field of view of an output coupler. The one or more camera(s) may be self-calibrated electronically using images captured by the cameras of one or more virtual object(s) displayable by the optical display system. AR/VR/MR registration of devices and/or displayed virtual objects with real objects may be implemented using the images captured by the one or more camera(s) of the displayed virtual objects and real world objects. Real object distance and/or spatial location relative to the optical waveguide combiners may be determined or estimated from the captured images.

Optical waveguide combiner systems and methods

Optical devices and methods include a first waveguide having a first surface and a second waveguide including a second surface. The first waveguide is at a fixed position relative to the second waveguide with the first surface at least partly facing the second surface, and the first surface includes a first positioning element. The first positioning element is a NanoImprint Lithography (NIL) structure. The optical device further includes an adhesive arranged for attaching the first surface to the second surface, where the first positioning element is arranged to control a position of the adhesive. The first positioning element includes a philic region adapted to attract the adhesive, or a phobic region adapted to repel the adhesive.

A laser scanning projection system for use in illuminating a waveguide of an augmented reality or virtual reality headset is disclosed. The laser scanning projection system comprises a laser source configured to emit light towards a pair of polarising beam splitters. The polarising beam splitters direct light onto a plurality of mirrors through a plurality of quarter waveplates. The laser scanning projection system further comprises a waveguide having an input configured to receive the light such that the exit pupil formed at the laser scanner is relayed into the waveguide.

Pupil relay system

A waveguide structure for a head up display in which a reflective output coupling structure is formed of a separate, but connected, component to a main waveguide. Light is coupled from the main waveguide to the output coupling structure by evanescent wave coupling. In a method of manufacture for such a waveguide the output coupling structure is attached to the main waveguide using an optical feedback technique.

Waveguide for head-up display, including reflective output coupling structure

A waveguide structure for a head up display in which a reflective output coupling structure is formed of a separate, but connected, component to a main waveguide. In a method of manufacture for such a waveguide the output coupling structure may be formed by depositing a material on a main waveguide, impressing the reflective structure into that material, and curing the material.

Optical waveguide for head up display, and manufacturing method therefor

A diffraction gratingincludes a surfacehaving groovestherein, each grooveproviding a diffracting surface for light incident upon the diffracting surface. The groovesare separated from each other by landsupon the surface. The landsare of predetermined varying width, whereby the diffractive efficiency of the gratingvaries across the extent of the grating

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Burghfield Common, United Kingdom

James Raymond Leighton