Wearable laser based display method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630307-B2
Application number	US-202016921555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	May 17, 2010
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

The present invention is directed to wearable display technologies. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projection display systems where one or more laser diodes are used as light source for illustrating images with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. In one set of embodiments, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projector systems that utilize transparent waveguides and blue and/or green laser fabricated using gallium nitride containing material. In another set of embodiments, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projection systems having digital lighting processing engines illuminated by blue and/or green laser devices with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. In one embodiment, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating a 3D display system with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. There are other embodiments as well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable display system configured with a laser module apparatus comprising:
a package member comprising a surface region;
a blue laser diode configured on the package member, the blue laser diode comprising a first gallium and nitrogen containing material, the first gallium and nitrogen containing material comprising a first quantum well region, the first quantum well region configured with one or a plurality of quantum wells;
a first laser cavity configured with the first quantum well region, the first laser cavity having a first length of 500 um and less;
a green laser diode configured on the package member, the green laser diode comprising a second gallium and nitrogen containing material, the second gallium and nitrogen containing material comprising a second quantum well region, the second quantum well region configured with one or a plurality of quantum wells;
a second laser cavity configured with the second quantum well region, the second laser cavity having a second length of 500 um and less;
a red laser diode configured on the package member;
a first optical device coupled to a first laser pathway for the blue laser diode, the first optical device arranged to receive light emitted from a first facet of the blue laser diode and reflected from a first mirror in the blue laser diode, the first mirror arranged external to the first laser cavity;
a second optical device coupled to a second laser pathway for the green laser diode, the second optical device arranged to receive light emitted from a first facet of the green laser diode and reflected from a second mirror in the green laser diode, the second mirror arranged external to the second laser cavity;
a third optical device coupled to a third laser pathway for the red laser diode, the third optical device arranged to receive light emitted from a first facet of the red laser diode and reflected from a third mirror in the red laser diode, the third mirror arranged external to a third laser cavity of the red laser diode;
a beam combiner configured with the first laser pathway, the second laser pathway, and the third laser pathway to create a combined beam of red, green, and blue laser light;
an electrical driver module coupled to each of the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode; whereupon the electrical driver module configured to individually supply a unique signal comprised of electrical power to each of the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode; and
a light engine comprising a micro-display configured with the package member, the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, the red laser diode, the first optical device, the second optical device, and the third optical device; whereupon the light engine is configured as glasses for a human user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the micro-display is comprised of a scanning MEMS mirror, an LCOS, or a digital light processing chip.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first mirror of the blue laser diode is an etched facet mirror, wherein the second mirror of the green laser diode is an etched facet mirror, and/or wherein the third mirror of the red laser diode is an etched facet mirror.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first optical device is a collimating lens, wherein the second optical device is a collimating lens, and/or wherein the third optical device is a collimating lens.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first, second, or third optical device is SAC lens, a FAC lens, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the light engine is configured with a frame for a pair of glasses.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first length is 400 um and less or 300 um and less or 200 um and less or 100 um and less; and wherein the second length is 400 um and less or 250 um and less or 100 um and less.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the package member comprises an intermediate carrier, the intermediate carrier is selected from at least one of a silicon, a metal, a plastic, a composite, or a ceramic.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode each has a power of less than 5 mW, less than 15 mW, or less than 30 mW.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode each has a power of less than 50 mW, less than 100 mW, or less than 200 mW.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a spatial length dimension of the laser module apparatus is less than 8 mm, less than 5 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm, wherein a spatial width dimension of the laser module apparatus is less than 8 mm, less than 5 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm, and wherein a spatial height dimension of the laser module apparatus is less than 8 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the beam combiner is configured from a free-space configuration.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the beam combiner is configured from a waveguide device.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the package member is made of a silicon, a metal, a plastic, a composite, or a ceramic.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein first and/or second gallium and nitrogen containing substrate is configured with a semi-polar or a non-polar surface region.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein first and second gallium and nitrogen containing substrates is configured with a {20-21} surface region; wherein the second laser cavity is oriented in a projection of a c-direction; wherein the first laser cavity comprises a first ridge structure comprising a pair of first etched facets.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the second laser cavity comprises a second ridge structure comprising a pair of second etched facets.

Assignees

• Kyocera Sld Laser Inc

Inventors

• Rudy Paul
• Raring James W
• Goutain Eric
• Huang Hua

Classifications

• H01S5/0014

  Measuring characteristics or properties thereof (measuring techniques per se G01J, G01K, G01N, G01R) · CPC title

• H01S5/4012

  Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms · CPC title

• H01S5/4093

  Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion · CPC title

• H01S5/2201

  in a specific crystallographic orientation · CPC title

• H01S5/1039

  Details on the cavity length · CPC title