Holographic superimposition of real world plenoptic opacity modulation through transparent waveguide arrays for light field, virtual and augmented reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073657-B2
Application number	US-201716064375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are transparent energy relay waveguide systems for the superimposition of holographic opacity modulation states for holographic, light field, virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications. The light field system may comprise one or more energy waveguide relay systems with one or more energy modulation elements, each energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough, whereby the energy passing therethrough may be directed according to 4D plenoptic functions or inverses thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a first 4D plenoptic function;
a second energy waveguide relay system following the first energy waveguide relay system, the second energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a second 4D plenoptic function, the second 4D plenoptic function inverse of the first 4D plenoptic function;
a first energy modulation element disposed in a first location in the first energy waveguide relay system, in a second location in the second energy waveguide relay system or in a third location in between the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system, the first energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough;
a second energy modulation element located in one of the first, second, or third location, the second energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough; and
a third energy modulation element located in one of the first, second, or third location, the third energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough;
wherein each of the first, second and third energy modulation elements include LCD, LED, DLP, OLED, LCOS, or quantum dot.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first energy waveguide relay system includes a first array of energy waveguides configured to direct energy therethrough along a plurality of energy propagation paths, wherein the energy waveguides of the first array are located at different spatial coordinates, and each energy waveguide directs energy from the respective spatial coordinate to the plurality of energy propagation paths along different directions according to the first 4D plenoptic function.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second energy waveguide relay system includes a second array of energy waveguides configured to direct energy therethrough along a plurality of energy propagation paths, wherein the energy waveguides of the second array are located at different spatial coordinates, and each energy waveguide directs energy from the respective spatial coordinate to the plurality of energy propagation paths along different directions according to the second 4D plenoptic function.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energy modulation elements are located at the same location.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second energy modulation elements are located at different locations.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third energy modulation elements and at least one of the first and second energy modulation elements are located at the same location.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third energy modulation elements are located at the same location.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third energy modulation elements are located at different locations.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system is curved.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein both the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system are curved.

11. A system comprising:
a first energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a first 4D plenoptic function;
a second energy waveguide relay system following the first energy waveguide relay system, the second energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a second 4D plenoptic function, the second 4D plenoptic function inverse of the first 4D plenoptic function;
a first energy modulation element disposed in the first energy waveguide relay system;
a second energy modulation element disposed in between the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system; and
a third energy modulation element disposed in the second energy waveguide relay system; and
wherein the first, second and third energy modulation elements are configured to modulate energy passing therethrough;
wherein each of the first, second and third energy modulation elements include LCD, LED, DLP, OLED, LCOS, or quantum dot.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first energy waveguide relay system includes a first array of energy waveguides configured to direct energy therethrough along a plurality of energy propagation paths, wherein the energy waveguides of the first array are located at different spatial coordinates, and each energy waveguide directs energy from the respective spatial coordinate to the plurality of energy propagation paths along different directions according to the first 4D plenoptic function.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second energy waveguide relay system includes a second array of energy waveguides configured to direct energy therethrough along a plurality of energy propagation paths, wherein the energy waveguides of the second array are located at different spatial coordinates, and each energy waveguide directs energy from the respective spatial coordinate to the plurality of energy propagation paths along different directions according to the second 4D plenoptic function.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more additional energy modulation elements located in one of the first, second, or third location, the one or more additional energy modulation elements configured to modulate energy passing therethrough.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more additional energy modulation elements and at least one of the first, second and third energy modulation elements are located at the same location.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more additional energy modulation elements and at least one of the first, second and third energy modulation elements are located at different locations.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system is curved.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein both the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system are curved.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first energy modulation element includes white opacity, the second energy modulation element includes an additional opacity or color, and the third energy modulation element includes black opacity.

20. A system comprising:
a first energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a first 4D plenoptic function;
a second energy waveguide relay system following the first energy waveguide relay system, the second energy waveguide relay system configured such that energy passing therethrough is directed according to a second 4D plenoptic function, the second 4D plenoptic function inverse of the first 4D plenoptic function;
a first energy modulation element disposed in the first energy waveguide relay system;
a second energy modulation element disposed in between the first energy waveguide relay system and the second energy waveguide relay system; and
a third energy modulation element disposed in the second energy waveguide relay system; and
wherein the first, second and third energy modulation elements are configured to modulate energy passing therethrough; and
wherein the first and third energy modulation element are b

Assignees

• Light Field Lab Inc

Inventors

• Karafin Jonathan Sean
• Bevensee Brendan Elwood

Classifications

• G03H2223/19

  Microoptic array, e.g. lens array · CPC title

• G03H2001/0088

  for video-holography, i.e. integrating hologram acquisition, transmission and display · CPC title

• H04N13/344

  with head-mounted left-right displays · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G03H1/2202

  Reconstruction geometries or arrangements · CPC title