Static multiview display and method employing directional light source and horizontal diffuser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428860-B2
Application number	US-202117336206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A static multiview display and method of static multiview display operation provide a static multiview image using diffractive gratings to diffractively scatter light from guided light beams having different radial directions provided by a horizontal diffuser. The static multiview display includes a light guide configured to guide the light beams; the horizontal diffuser configured to provide the guided light beams with the different radial directions using light from a directional light source; and a plurality of diffraction gratings configured to scatter out light from the guided light beam plurality as directional light beams representing the static multiview image. The method of static display operation includes providing and diffusing directional light to provide guided light beams having different radial directions, and further scattering out light from the guided light beam as directional light beams representing the static multiview image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A static multiview display comprising:
a light guide configured to guide light beams;
a directional light source configured to provide directional light collimated in a vertical direction;
a horizontal diffuser between the directional light source and the light guide, the horizontal diffuser being configured to provide, from the directional light, a plurality of guided light beams within the light guide, guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having radial directions different from one another in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; and
a plurality of diffraction gratings distributed across the light guide, the diffraction grating plurality being configured to scatter out light from the guided light beam plurality as directional light beams representing a static multiview image, at least two of the directional light beams having respective different intensities that correspond to respective particular view pixels of the static multiview image.

2. The static multiview display of claim 1 , wherein the directional light source comprises a laser, the directional light being collimated in both the vertical direction and horizontal direction.

3. The static multiview display of claim 1 , wherein the directional light source has a tilt angle in the vertical direction, the tilt angle being configured to provide the directional light having a non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction.

4. The static multiview display of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal diffuser is further configured to tilt the directional light to provide guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having a non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction within the light guide.

5. The static multiview display of claim 1 , wherein the light guide comprises an input surface having a shape configured to provide guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having a non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction within the light guide.

6. The static multiview display of claim 1 , wherein each diffraction grating of the diffraction grating plurality is configured to scatter out from a portion of a guided light beam of the guided light beam plurality a directional light beam having an intensity and a principal angular direction corresponding to an intensity and a view direction of a view pixel of the static multiview image.

7. The static multiview display of claim 6 , wherein a grating characteristic of a diffraction grating of the diffraction grating plurality is configured to determine the intensity and the principal angular direction of the directional light beam, the grating characteristic being a function of both a location of the diffraction grating on a surface of the light guide and an input location of the directional light source on a side of the light guide.

8. The static multiview display of claim 7 , wherein the grating characteristic comprises one or both of a grating pitch of the diffraction grating and a grating orientation of the diffraction grating, the grating characteristic being configured to determine the principal angular direction of the directional light beam provided by the diffraction grating.

9. The static multiview display of claim 7 , wherein the grating characteristic comprises a grating depth configured to determine the intensity of the directional light beam provided by the diffraction grating.

10. A static multiview display comprising:
a plate light guide;
a directional light source configured to provide directional light collimated in a vertical direction;
a horizontal diffuser configured to provide a plurality of guided light beams from the directional light, guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having both a non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction and different radial directions from one another in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; and
an array of multiview pixels configured to provide a static multiview image, a multiview pixel comprising a plurality of diffraction gratings configured to diffractively scatter out light from the guided light beam plurality as directional light beams representing view pixels of different views of the static multiview image, at least two of the directional light beams having respective different intensities that correspond to respective particular view pixels of the static multiview image.

11. The static multiview display of claim 10 , wherein a principal angular direction of a directional light beam provided by a diffraction grating of the diffraction grating plurality is a function of a grating characteristic, the grating characteristic being a function of a relative location of the diffraction grating and the directional light source.

12. The static multiview display of claim 11 , wherein the grating characteristic comprises one or both of a grating pitch and a grating orientation of the diffraction grating, and wherein an intensity of the directional light beam provided by the diffraction grating and corresponding to an intensity of a corresponding view pixel is determined by a diffractive coupling efficiency of the diffraction grating.

13. The static multiview display of claim 10 , wherein the directional light source comprises a laser, the directional light being collimated in both the vertical direction and horizontal direction at an output of the laser.

14. The static multiview display of claim 10 , wherein the directional light source has a tilt angle in the vertical direction, the tilt angle being configured to provide the directional light having the non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction.

15. The static multiview display of claim 10 , wherein the horizontal diffuser is further configured to tilt the directional light to provide the guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having the non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction within the plate light guide.

16. The static multiview display of claim 10 , wherein the plate light guide comprises an input surface at an input end having a shape configured to provide the guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having the non-zero propagation angle in the vertical direction within the plate light guide.

17. A method of static multiview display operation, the method comprising:
providing directional light using a directional light source, the directional light being collimated in a vertical direction;
diffusing the directional light using a horizontal diffuser to provide a plurality of guided light beams within a light guide, guided light beams of the guided light beam plurality having radial directions different from one another in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; and
scattering out light from the guided light beam plurality as directional light beams using a plurality of diffraction gratings distributed across the light guide, the directional light beams representing view pixels of a static multiview image, at least two of the directional light beams having respective different intensities that correspond to respective particular view pixels of the static multiview image.

18. The method of static multiview display operation of claim 17 , wherein an intensity and a principal angular direction of a directional light beam of the directional light beams are controlled by a grating characteristic of a diffraction grating that is based on a location of the diffraction grating relative to a location of the directional light source at an input of the light guide, t

Assignees

• Leia Inc

Inventors

• Fattal David A

Classifications

• G02B27/42

  Diffraction optics {, i.e. systems including a diffractive element being designed for providing a diffractive effect}(G02B27/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/4205 Primary

  having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant · CPC title

• G02B6/0028

  Light guide, e.g. taper · CPC title

• G02B6/29304

  operating by diffraction, e.g. grating (G02B6/29301 takes precedence; spectrometers using gratings G01J3/18) · CPC title

• G02B5/1819

  Plural gratings positioned on the same surface, e.g. array of gratings (plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path G02B27/4272) · CPC title