Optical systems including a single actuator and multiple fluid-filled optical lenses for near-eye-display devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422989-B2
Application number	US-201815890242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2018
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A near-eye-display device includes a pair of fluid-filled lenses. The power of an inner lens of the pair of lenses can be set to position a focal plane for a virtual object from infinity to a predefined distance. The optical power of an outer lens of the pair of lenses is set to cancel out the optical power of the inner lens. A single actuator coupled to a reservoir pumps fluid into or out of the lenses to change their optical power. When the actuator is activated, fluid flows into one of the lenses in a pair and out of the other lens in the pair. The amount of fluid in each lens in a pair of lenses is thereby maintained to cancel out the optical power of the other lens. A single actuator can also be utilized to modify the power of two or more pairs of lenses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical assembly, comprising:
an illumination engine; and
a display panel comprising:
a waveguide,
a single actuator,
a reservoir coupled to the single actuator,
a first fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a first side of the waveguide, and
a second fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a second side of the waveguide,
wherein the actuator is configured, when activated, to cause fluid to flow into the first fluid-filled lens from the reservoir and to cause the fluid to flow out of the second fluid-filled lens into the reservoir.

2. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid-filled lens is bonded to the first side of the waveguide and wherein the second fluid-filled lens is bonded to the second side of the waveguide.

3. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the single actuator comprises an electromagnetic actuator.

4. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the single actuator comprises a lead screw actuator.

5. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the single actuator comprises a shape-changing polymer.

6. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical assembly forms a part of a near-eye-display (NED) device.

7. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein an optical power of the first fluid-filled lens cancels an optical power of the second fluid-filled lens.

8. An optical assembly, comprising:
an illumination engine; and
a display panel comprising:
a first waveguide,
a second waveguide,
a single actuator,
a reservoir coupled to the single actuator,
a first fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a first side of the first waveguide,
a second fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a second side of the first waveguide,
a third fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a first side of the second waveguide, and
a fourth fluid-filled lens coupled to the reservoir and located on a second side of the second waveguide,
wherein the actuator is configured, when activated, to cause fluid to flow into the first fluid-filled lens from the reservoir, to cause the fluid to flow out of the second fluid-filled lens to the reservoir, to cause the fluid to flow into the third fluid-filled lens from the reservoir, and to cause the fluid to flow out of the fourth fluid-filled lens into the reservoir.

9. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first fluid-filled lens and the second fluid-filled lens are bonded to the first waveguide, and wherein the third fluid-filled lens and the fourth fluid-filled lens are bonded to the second waveguide.

10. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein the single actuator comprises an electromagnetic actuator.

11. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein the single actuator comprises a lead screw actuator.

12. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein the single actuator comprises a shape-changing polymer.

13. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein the optical assembly forms a part of a near-eye-display (NED) device.

14. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein an optical power of the first fluid-filled lens cancels an optical power of the second fluid-filled lens, and wherein an optical power of the third fluid-filled lens cancels an optical power of the fourth fluid-filled lens.

15. An optical assembly, comprising:
a first waveguide;
a first fluid-filled lens located on a first side of the first waveguide;
a second fluid-filled lens located on a second side of the first waveguide; and
a single actuator configured, upon activation, to cause fluid to flow from a reservoir into the first fluid-filled lens and to cause the fluid to flow out of the second fluid-filled lens into the reservoir.

16. The optical assembly of claim 15 , wherein an optical power of the first fluid-filled lens cancels an optical power of the second fluid-filled lens.

17. The optical assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first fluid-filled lens and the second fluid-filled lens are bonded to the first waveguide.

18. The optical assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second waveguide;
a third fluid-filled lens located on a first side of the second waveguide; and
a fourth fluid-filled lens located on a second side of the second waveguide,
wherein the single actuator is further configured, upon activation, to cause the fluid to flow from the reservoir into the third fluid-filled lens and to cause the fluid to flow out of the fourth fluid-filled lens into the reservoir.

19. The optical assembly of claim 18 , wherein an optical power of the third fluid-filled lens cancels an optical power of the fourth fluid-filled lens.

20. The optical assembly of claim 18 , wherein the third fluid-filled lens and the fourth fluid-filled lens are bonded to the second waveguide.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Bohn David Douglas

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B6/122

  Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths · CPC title

• G02B2027/0152

  involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices · CPC title

• G02B3/14 Primary

  of variable focal length · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title