Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Tapani Matias Alasaarela

Jani Kari Tapio Tervo

Simo Kaarlo Tapani Tammela

Joona Koponen

Maksim Shpak

A near-eye optical display system that may be utilized in mixed reality applications and devices includes a see-through waveguide on which diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are disposed that are configured for in-coupling, exit pupil expansion, and out-coupling. The optical display system includes a conformal coating that is thickness modulated over different areas of the display to enable tuning of the optical parameters such as refractive index and reflectivity to meet various design requirements. The conformal coating may also be utilized to enhance physical characteristics of the optical display system to thereby improve reliability and resist wear and damage from handling and exposure to environmental elements.

Thickness-modulated conformal coatings on optical components

A projector system in a head mounted display (HMD). The projector system includes a microscopic mirror. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is coupled to the microscopic mirror. The MEMS is configured to tilt the microscopic mirror at a varying scan angle in a first periodic fashion along a single scanning axis. A rotary platform is coupled to the microscopic mirror. The rotary platform is configured to rotate the microscopic mirror about a rotation axis in a second periodic fashion. A light emitter is configured to direct light into the mirror. The light emitter is configured to be modulated based on the position of the microscopic mirror due to the microscopic mirror being tilted along the scanning axis and rotated about the rotary axis.

Projection device and projection method for head mounted display based on rotary MEMS fast scanner

Disclosed are a mixed-reality optical waveguide-based combiner apparatus that includes stacked plates of reflective optical elements (ROEs) and associated methods of fabrication. ROEs in the plates of the waveguide combiner share a commonly shaped and sized footprint and are aligned in the stack. A top plate in the stack of plates includes an input-coupler, such as a prism, for in-coupling light for virtual images from a display engine into the waveguide combiner. The top plate also includes a top ROE comprising a cascaded array of mirror elements in a waveguide that horizontally expands an exit pupil of the virtual images and couples the light to a corresponding bottom ROE, disposed in a bottom plate in the stack, comprising a cascaded array of mirror elements in a waveguide. The bottom ROE couples the virtual image light to an output coupler in the bottom plate which out-couples light from the waveguide combiner.

Waveguide combiner with stacked plates

A waveguide display for use in a near-eye display system includes a waveguide stack having at least one waveguide substrate, an input coupler coupling light into the waveguide substrate and an optical arrangement that includes a birefringent reflective polarizer, a mirror and a polarization state converting element configured to convert light in a linear polarization state to a circular polarization state and to convert light in a circular polarization state to a linear polarization state. The mirror is arranged to receive light from the polarization state converting element and reflect the light back to the polarization state converting element. The optical arrangement causes a transmission path of light that traverses the waveguide stack a first time to be folded back through the waveguide stack such that at least a portion of light not coupled into the waveguide substrate is caused to traverse the waveguide stack a plurality of additional times.

Near-eye display system having multiple pass in-coupling for waveguide display

This document relates to an optical device that uses a mirror scanning system as part of a display engine, where images generated by the mirror scanning system can be propagated through a waveguide or other such optical assembly to a user's eye. The mirror scanning system can utilize a magnetic assembly, where the mirror of the scanning system can be held in place magnetically instead of using support structures such as torsion bars or beams. Actuators can then be actuated to control the tilt of the mirror by way of magnetic fields, providing a greater field of movement for the optical element and enabling a spherical scan area to be produced.

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Espoo, Finland

Tapani Matias Alasaarela