Adjustable scanned beam projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10120337-B2
Application number	US-201615344130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

Examples are disclosed herein relating to an adjustable scanning system configured to adjust light from an illumination source on a per-pixel basis. One example provides an optical system including an array of light sources, a holographic light processing stage comprising, for each light source in the array, one or more holograms configured to receive light from the light source and diffract the light, the one or more holograms being selective for a property of the light that varies based upon the light source from which the light is received, and a scanning optical element configured to receive and scan the light from the holographic light processing stage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical system, comprising
an array of light sources;
a holographic light processing stage comprising, for each light source in the array, one or more holograms configured to receive light from the light source and diffract the light, the one or more holograms being selective for a property of the light that varies based upon the light source from which the light is received, and
a scanning optical element configured to receive and scan the light from the holographic light processing stage.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the holographic light processing stage is configured to vary an optical power of the light received from each light source based upon an angle of the light received from the light source.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the holographic light processing stage is configured to correct one or more optical aberrations based upon an angle of the light received from the light sources.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the holographic light processing stage comprises a volume hologram.

5. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the holographic light processing stage comprises a plurality of stacked holograms.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a switchable hologram and a variable power optical element.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a switchable polarizing element configured to receive the light from the array of light sources and output the light to the holographic light processing stage.

8. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein two or more light sources of the array of light sources are configured to emit light of different wavelengths, and wherein the holographic light processing stage is wavelength selective.

9. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein two or more light sources of the light source array are configured to output light of different polarizations.

10. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the array of light sources and the scanning optical element to vary a property of light output by the holographic light processing stage on a per-pixel basis.

11. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising an eye tracking unit configured to provide eye tracking data, and wherein the holographic light processing stage is configured to correct aberrations based upon the eye-tracking data.

12. A holographic light processing structure, comprising
a plurality of holograms each configured to diffract light received from a corresponding angle, two or more of the holograms being configured to diffract light received from different corresponding angles, and each hologram being configured to selectively impart a different optical characteristic on light for output by the holographic light processing structure.

13. The holographic light processing structure of claim 12 , wherein the optical characteristic comprises an optical power.

14. The holographic light processing structure of claim 12 , wherein the optical characteristic comprises an optical aberration correction.

15. The holographic light processing structure of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of holograms comprises one or more of a volume hologram and a plurality of stacked holograms.

16. A method of controlling a light field on a per-pixel basis, the method comprising:
emitting light via a first light source of an array of light sources;
receiving the light from the first light source at a holographic light processing stage comprising a plurality of holograms, a first hologram of the plurality of holograms being configured to selectively diffract light from the first light source;
outputting light from the first light source diffracted by the first hologram;
receiving the light from the first light source at a scanning optical element and scanning the light to direct the light toward a first pixel;
emitting light via a second light source of the array of light sources;
receiving the light from the second light source at the holographic light processing stage, a second hologram of the plurality of holograms being configured to selectively diffract light from the second light source;
outputting the light from the second light source diffracted by the second hologram differently than the light from the first light source; and
receiving the light from the second light source at the scanning optical element and scanning the light to direct the light toward a second pixel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first hologram and the second hologram have different optical powers.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising illuminating the second light source while illuminating the first light source, such that light diffracted by the first hologram and light diffracted by the second hologram are directed toward the first pixel.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising illuminating the first light source and the second light source at different intensities to control a balance of optical properties of the first light source and the second lights source at the first pixel.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising controlling the array of light sources and the scanning optical element to vary a property of light output by the holographic light processing stage on a per-pixel basis.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Maimone Andrew
• Kollin Joel S
• Miller Joshua Owen

Classifications

• G03H1/0248

  Volume holograms · CPC title

• G03H2222/36

  Scanning light beam · CPC title

• G03H2223/17

  Element having optical power · CPC title

• G02B27/0025

  for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration · CPC title

• G03H1/265

  Angle multiplexing; Multichannel holograms (G03H1/268 takes precedence) · CPC title