Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

William Frederick Smith

David James Montgomery

Chengze Song

Andrew Kay

Paul Antony Gass

Hywel Hopkin

A light emitting structure includes a pixel layer having at least one subpixel, a microlens layer having at least one microlens, the at least one microlens aligned with the at least one subpixel for providing a narrowly-confined on-axis emission profile along an on-axis direction, a first filler material layer and a second filler material layer between the pixel layer and the microlens layer, an interface between the first filler material layer and the second filler material layer configured for reflecting a portion of off-axis emissions from the at least one subpixel by total internal reflection (TIR).

Microlenses and filter layers for emission control from a curved display

An optical system and, specifically an HMD, is disclosed for increasing brightness efficiency of light transmitted from a display. By including one polarization selective mirror between a half mirror and a display and another polarization selective mirror between the half mirror and a lens, brightness efficiency is increased without a substantial increase in thickness.

Polarization mirror HMD with increased brightness

A wide field of view display device employs curved optical components for enhanced performance with a compact arrangement. A wide field of view display includes a curved display device; a first curved lens having a display side and an exit side, wherein the display side is facing the curved display device; a first plurality of Fresnel facets disposed on the display side of the first curved lens; a second curved lens having a display side and an exit side, wherein the display side is facing the exit side of the first curved lens; and a second plurality of Fresnel facets disposed on the display side of the second curved lens, wherein the first plurality of Fresnel facets is configured to focus light from the curved display device on the second plurality of Fresnel facets, and wherein the second plurality of Fresnel facets is configured to focus light from the first plurality of Fresnel facets on a central image point.

Compact high field of view display

A head-mounted display (HMD) has an enhanced optical arrangement that permits high-resolution imaging in a compact device. The HMD system includes an optical arrangement; a first image panel, wherein the optical arrangement directs image light from the first image panel along a first optical pathway having a first length; and a second image panel arranged orthogonal to the first image panel, wherein the optical arrangement directs image light from the second image panel along a second optical pathway different from the first optical pathway having a second length. The first length is equal to the second length, and the optical arrangement is configured such that light from the first image panel and the second image panel are emitted from the HMD system in a combined fashion in a first eye direction. The optical arrangement may include a plurality of mirror components and a plurality of lens components, wherein the plurality of mirror components are configured to direct image light from the first and second image panels along respective optical pathways to the plurality of lens components.

Compact head-mounted display system with orthogonal panels

A wide field view display device has an enhanced FOV while maintaining a simplified and compact configuration. The wide field of view display includes a display device configured to emit a central set of rays and a peripheral set of rays, and an optics block. The optics block includes a central lens region configured to direct the central set of rays to a central image point, and a prism coupled to a periphery of the central lens region, wherein the prism is configured to direct the peripheral set of rays to a peripheral image point. The prism includes an entry surface that is configured to refract the peripheral set of rays to direct the peripheral set of rays to the reflecting surface; a reflecting surface that is configured to reflect the peripheral set of rays to the exit surface, and an exit surface that is configured to refract the peripheral set of rays to direct the peripheral set of rays to the peripheral image point.

Wide field of view head mounted display

A flexible electronic device is used to receive user inputs via flex gestures. The electronic device includes a flexible substrate, a shape sensor configured to determine an axis of bending and a degree of flex of the flexible substrate, and a processor coupled to the shape sensor and configured to determine a flex gesture associated with the axis of bending and the degree of flex, wherein the processor updates an output of the electronic device based on the flex gesture. The output includes display information, user interface elements, and a flex gesture input for a device that is coupled to the electronic device. The flex gestures can be assigned to functions such as moving, zooming, scrolling, cropping, rotating, and selection to manipulate content associated with the flexible electronic device.

System and method for multidimensional flexible display device input

An enhanced panoramic HMD that and related method of displaying an image employs an improved configuration of optical elements to achieve wider field of view as compared to conventional configurations. An HMD type display device includes a first optical element, coupled to the display device, configured to direct a central set of rays and a peripheral set of rays; a second optical element, coupled to the first optical element, configured to direct the central set of rays at a central image point; and a third optical component configured to direct the peripheral set of rays to a peripheral image point. The first optical element may include a microlens array wherein the microlens array comprises a plurality of individual microlenses; the second optical component may include a collimating lens; and the third optical component may include a mirror configured to reflect the peripheral set of rays to the peripheral image point.

Growing community of inventors

Oxford, United Kingdom

William Frederick Smith