Magic Leap, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Molecular Imprints, Inc.

Samarth Bhargava

Victor Kai Liu

Kevin Messer

Vikramjit Singh

Frank Y Xu

Christophe Peroz

Eric C Browy

David Alexander Sell

Michael Anthony Klug

Kevin R Curtis

Shuqiang Yang

Kang Luo

Robert D TeKolste

Brian T Schowengerdt

Robert Dale Tekolste

Bradley Jay Sissom

Jeffrey Dean Schmulen

William Hudson Welch

Michael Nevin Miller

Hui-Chuan Cheng

Sharad D Bhagat

Chieh Chang

Ling Li

Miller Harry Schuck, Iii

Marlon Edward Menezes

Michal Beau Dennison Vaughn

Xiaopei Deng

Brandon Michael-James Born

Mathew David Watson

Jason A Schaefer

Jason Donald Mareno

Neal Paul Ricks

Ryan Jason Ong

Matthew Grant Dixon

Fahri Yaras

Joseph Christopher Sawicki

Erik Heath Arend

Ludovic Godet

Chulwoo Oh

Pierre St Hilaire

Ravi Kumar Komanduri

Daihua Zhang

Jinxin Fu

Mauro Melli

Yingdong Luo

David Carl Jurbergs

David Tinch

Evgeni Poliakov

Rami Hourani

Yangyang Sun

Melanie Maputol West

Bach Nguyen

Philip F Brune

Qizhen Xue

Zhengping Yao

David Kleinman

Ali Karbasi

Jingyi Yang

Xiao Li

Wubin Pang

Stephen Richard Rugg

Yingnan Liu

Matthew C Traub

Mike Nevin Miller

Kevin Richard Curtis

Miller Harry Schuck Iii

Eric Browy

An augmented reality device includes a projector, projector optics optically coupled to the projector, and an eyepiece optically coupled to the projector optics. The eyepiece includes an eyepiece waveguide characterized by lateral dimensions and an optical path length difference as a function of one or more of the lateral dimensions.

Method and system for variable optical thickness waveguides for augmented reality devices

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an optical system having a lens system configured to have a wide field of view and high resolution. The optical system includes three or more lens groups with ability to combat optical aberrations and produce a pupil outside of the lens group. The lens system as an image projection system projects a pattern or image rendered on a flat reticle or display of finite distance to the infinity. In an imaging system, the lens system collects light from infinity and forms an image of that object on a sensor.

Ultra-wide angle lens systems with external pupil

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a waveguide. Methods may include measuring a waveguide substrate, the waveguide having a substrate thickness distribution; and depositing an index-matched layer onto a surface of the waveguide, the index-matched layer having a first surface disposed on the waveguide substrate and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the index-matched layer is disposed only over a portion of the waveguide substrate, and a device slope of a second surface of the index-matched layer is substantially the same as the waveguide slope of the first surface of the waveguide.

Total or local thickness variation for optical devices

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to augmented reality waveguide combiners. The waveguides includes a waveguide substrate, having a substrate refractive index (RI) n, a slab waveguide layer disposed over the waveguide substrate, the slab waveguide layer having a slab RI nand a slab depth d, the slab depth dfrom a lower surface to an upper surface of the slab waveguide layer, at least one grating defined by a plurality of grating structures, the grating structures are disposed in, on, or over the slab waveguide layer, and a superstrate between and over the grating structures, the superstrate having a superstrate RI nand an interface with the slab waveguide layer. The slab RI nis greater than the substrate RI nand the slab RI nis greater than the superstrate RI n.

Slab waveguide layer for enhanced near-eye-display surface relief grating lightguide

A plurality of waveguide display substrates, each waveguide display substrate having a cylindrical portion having a diameter and a planar surface, a curved portion opposite the planar surface defining a nonlinear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height D with respect to the cylindrical portion, and a wedge portion between the cylindrical portion and the curved portion defining a linear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height W with respect to the cylindrical portion. A target maximum height Dof the curved portion is 10to 10times the diameter, D is between about 70% and about 130% of D, and W is less than about 30% of D.

Biased total thickness variations in waveguide display substrates

Embodiments of this disclosure provides systems and methods for displays. In embodiments, a display system includes a frame, an eyepiece coupled to the frame, and a first adhesive bond disposed between the frame and the eyepiece. The eyepiece can include a light input region and a light output region. The first adhesive bond can be disposed along a first portion of a perimeter of the eyepiece, where the first portion of the perimeter of the eyepiece borders the light input region such that the first adhesive bond is configured to maintain a position of the light input region relative to the frame.

Athermalization concepts for polymer eyepieces used in augmented reality or mixed reality devices

An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece waveguide can include an input coupling grating (ICG) region. The ICG region can couple an input beam into the substrate of the eyepiece waveguide as a guided beam. A first combined pupil expander-extractor (CPE) grating region can be formed on or in a surface of the substrate. The first CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a first plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a first plurality of output beams. The eyepiece waveguide can also include a second CPE grating region formed on or in the opposite surface of the substrate. The second CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a second plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a second plurality of output beams.

Eyepieces for augmented reality display system

An example waveguide can include a polymer layer having substantially optically transparent material with first and second major surfaces configured such that light containing image information can propagate through the polymer layer being guided therein by reflecting from the first and second major surfaces via total internal reflection. The first surface can include first smaller and second larger surface portions monolithically integrated with the polymer layer and with each other. The first smaller surface portion can include at least a part of an in-coupling optical element configured to couple light incident on the in-coupling optical element into the polymer layer for propagation therethrough by reflection from the second major surface and the second larger surface portion of the first major surface. The waveguide can include a tilted surface portion forming at least part of an in-coupling optical element, the tilted surface portion having curvature to provide optical power.

Waveguides with integrated optical elements and methods of making the same

This disclosure describes a wearable display system configured to project light to the eye(s) of a user to display virtual (e.g., augmented reality) image content in a vision field of the user. The system can include light source(s) that output light, spatial light modulator(s) that modulate the light to provide the virtual image content, and an eyepiece configured to convey the modulated light toward the eye(s) of the user. The eyepiece can include waveguide(s) and a plurality of in-coupling optical elements arranged on or in the waveguide(s) to in-couple the modulated light received from the spatial light modulator(s) into the waveguide(s) to be guided toward the user's eye(s). The spatial light modulator(s) may be movable, and/or may include movable components, to direct different portions of the modulated light toward different ones of the in-coupling optical elements at different times.

Tilting array based display

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods of forming a substrate having a target thickness distribution at one or more eyepiece areas across a substrate. The substrate includes eyepiece areas corresponding to areas where optical device eyepieces are to be formed on the substrate. Each eyepiece area includes a target thickness distribution. A base substrate thickness distribution of a base substrate is measured such that a target thickness change can be determined. The methods described herein are utilized along with the target thickness change to form a substrate with the target thickness distribution.

Freeform optical substrates in waveguide displays

A method of operating an eyepiece waveguide includes directing light from a projector to impinge on an incoupling grating (ICG). The method also includes diffracting a first fraction of the light from the projector into a first portion of the eyepiece waveguide, propagating the first fraction of the light into a second portion of the eyepiece waveguide, and diffracting the first fraction of the light out of the eyepiece waveguide. The method further includes diffracting a second fraction of the light from the projector into the second portion of the eyepiece waveguide, propagating the second fraction of the light into the first portion of the eyepiece waveguide, and diffracting the second fraction out of the eyepiece waveguide.

Method and system for dual projector waveguide displays with wide field of view

A method of operating a dynamic eyepiece in an augmented reality headset includes producing first virtual content associated with a first depth plane, coupling the first virtual content into the dynamic eyepiece, and projecting the first virtual content through one or more waveguide layers of the dynamic eyepiece to an eye of a viewer. The one or more waveguide layers are characterized by a first surface profile. The method also includes modifying the one or more waveguide layers to be characterized by a second surface profile different from the first surface profile, producing second virtual content associated with a second depth plane, coupling the second virtual content into the dynamic eyepiece, and projecting the second virtual content through the one or more waveguide layers of the dynamic eyepiece to the eye of the viewer.

Methods and systems for augmented reality display with dynamic field of view

The disclosure describes an improved drop-on-demand, controlled volume technique for dispensing resist onto a substrate, which is then imprinted to create a patterned optical device suitable for use in optical applications such as augmented reality and/or mixed reality systems. The technique enables the dispensation of drops of resist at precise locations on the substrate, with precisely controlled drop volume corresponding to an imprint template having different zones associated with different total resist volumes. Controlled drop size and placement also provides for substantially less variation in residual layer thickness across the surface of the substrate after imprinting, compared to previously available techniques. The technique employs resist having a refractive index closer to that of the substrate index, reducing optical artifacts in the device. To ensure reliable dispensing of the higher index and higher viscosity resist in smaller drop sizes, the dispensing system can continuously circulate the resist.

Surface relief waveguides with high refractive index resist

An eyepiece for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece can include a waveguide substrate. The waveguide substrate can include an input coupler grating (ICG), an orthogonal pupil expander (OPE) grating, a spreader grating, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) grating. The ICG can couple at least one input light beam into at least a first guided light beam that propagates inside the waveguide substrate. The OPE grating can divide the first guided light beam into a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart light beams. The spreader grating can receive the light beams from the OPE grating and spread their distribution. The spreader grating can include diffractive features oriented at approximately 90° to diffractive features of the OPE grating. The EPE grating can re-direct the light beams from the first OPE grating and the first spreader grating such that they exit the waveguide substrate.

Eyepiece for virtual, augmented, or mixed reality systems

Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide. The in-coupling optical element can be truncated or have reduced diffraction efficiency along the propagation direction to reduce the occurrence of light loss due to re-bounce of in-coupled light, resulting in less in-coupled light being prematurely out-coupled and/or absorbed during subsequent interactions with the in-coupling optical element.

Diffractive optical elements with mitigation of rebounce-induced light loss and related systems and methods

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Samarth Bhargava