Projector with field lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12114103-B2
Application number	US-202318240034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Feb 28, 2021
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A projector having a curved field lens and a displaced light modulating display. The system includes at least one light source configured to generate colored light beams, and a prism routing the light beams to the display. The curved field lens is coupled to a face of the prism, and the prism and curved field lens together decenter the light beam from the prism face and uniformly illuminate the display. A center of the display is displaced from the projection lens optical axis. The decentered light beam and the displaced display together generate a favorable shifted boresight of the created image. Dimensions of components of the projector are a function of a curvature of the curved field lens. The greater the curvature of the curved field lens, the smaller the dimensions of the components and the overall projector. The projector may be used in eyewear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projector, comprising:
a light source configured to generate a light beam comprising a center axis;
a modulator configured to modulate the light beam to generate an image, the modulator having a modulator center;
a prism having a prism face and configured to route the light beam from the light source to the modulator; and
a curved field lens configured to route the light beam from the prism face to the modulator, wherein the curved field lens is configured to decenter the light beam from the prism face and the modulator center is positioned a distance from a center axis of the curved field lens.

2. The projector of claim 1 , wherein the curved field lens is configured to angle the center axis of the light beam from the prism face to the modulator such that the angle is not perpendicular to the prism face.

3. The projector of claim 2 , wherein the modulator is configured to be evenly illuminated by the light beam.

4. The projector of claim 3 , wherein the modulator center is positioned in an image plane from the curved field lens optical axis a distance.

5. The projector of claim 1 , wherein the modulator center is positioned in an image plane from the curved field lens optical axis a distance.

6. The projector of claim 1 , wherein the projector has an illumination section having a dimension that is a function of a curvature of the curved field lens.

7. The projector of claim 1 , wherein the curved field lens has a dimension that is a function of a curvature of the curved field lens.

8. The projector of claim 7 , wherein the curved field lens is proximate the modulator.

9. The projector of claim 8 , wherein curved field lens is configured to pass the light beam to the modulator and also from the modulator.

10. The projector of claim 1 , further comprising eyewear and wherein the modulator is coupled to eyewear.

11. A method of use of a projector, comprising:
a light source generating a light beam comprising a center axis;
a modulator modulating the light beam to generate an image, the modulator having a modulator center;
a prism having a prism face and routing the light beam from the light source to the modulator; and
a curved field lens decentering the light beam from the prism face and the modulator center, wherein the modulator center is positioned a distance from a center axis of the curved field lens.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the curved field lens angles the center axis of the light beam from the prism face to the modulator such that the angle is not perpendicular to the prism face.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the modulator is evenly illuminated by the light beam.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the modulator center is positioned in an image plane from the curved field lens optical axis a distance.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modulator center is positioned in an image plane from the curved field lens optical axis a distance.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the projector has an illumination section having a dimension that is a function of a curvature of the curved field lens.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the curved field lens has a dimension that is a function of a curvature of the curved field lens.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the curved field lens is proximate the modulator.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the curved field lens is configured to pass the light beam to the modulator and also from the modulator.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the projector comprises eyewear, wherein the modulator is coupled to eyewear.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Bates Robert Matthew
• Fliszar David G

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• G02B17/086

  wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems · CPC title