Distributed light projection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181702-B2
Application number	US-202117153596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2021
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A Distributed light projection device, including: one or a plurality of waveguides; and above each waveguide, a plurality of extraction cells coupled to distinct portions of the guide, each extraction cell including first and second stacked diffraction gratings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distributed light projection device, comprising:
a plurality of waveguides; and
above each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides, a plurality of extraction cells coupled to distinct portions of each waveguide, each extraction cell in the plurality of extraction cells comprising stacked first and second diffraction gratings,
wherein the first and second diffraction gratings within each extraction cell in the plurality of extraction cells are offset by a position offset value and different extraction cells in the plurality of extraction cells have different position offset values between the first and second diffraction gratings, whereby the different extraction cells have different extraction coefficients;
wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is a monomode waveguide;
wherein, in each extraction cell, the first and second diffraction gratings have a same pitch;
wherein the second diffraction grating extends above at least one portion of the first diffraction grating and covers the at least one portion of the first diffraction grating;
wherein the extraction coefficient comprises a percentage of guided light extracted by each extraction cell; and
wherein each extraction cell is formed apart in a horizontal plane.

2. The distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , wherein, for each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides, the different extraction cells coupled to the waveguide have the position offset values between the first and second diffraction gratings decreasing as a distance to an input end of the waveguide increases, such that the different extraction cells have extraction coefficients increasing as the distance to the input end of the waveguide increases.

3. The distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second diffraction gratings of an extraction cell of a waveguide of the plurality of waveguides laterally extend above at least one other waveguide of the plurality of waveguides and form an extraction cell of the at least one other waveguide, and
each distinct portion of the waveguide includes an area of a respective surface of each of the plurality of waveguides.

4. An image projection device, comprising the distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , and, opposite each extraction cell of the distributed light projection device, a holographic element for orienting light extracted by the extraction cell.

5. An optical phase-control network comprising the distributed light projection device according to claim 1 and, upstream of the distributed light projection device, a device for modifying the phase of light injected into each waveguide of the distributed light projection device.

6. The distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second diffraction gratings of each extraction cell are formed of strips of material.

7. The distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a layer separating the first and second diffraction gratings of each extraction cell.

8. The distributed light projection device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one laser source having a controllable intensity configured to inject a light beam into each waveguide.

9. The distributed light projection device according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of waveguides are located in a same plane parallel to a surface of a substrate comprising the horizontal plane, and wherein the plurality of waveguides extend over at least a portion of the substrate.

10. The distributed light projection device according to claim 3 , wherein the respective surface of each of the plurality of waveguides is arranged spaced apart in the horizontal plane in a first direction.

11. The image projection device according to claim 4 , further comprising, opposite each extraction cell, a controllable element for activating or deactivating the extraction cell.

12. The image projection device according to claim 4 , comprising no controllable elements for activating or deactivating the extraction cells.

13. The distributed light projection device according to claim 6 , wherein each position offset value comprises a distance between a first edge of a first strip and a second edge of a second strip of the strips of material.

14. The distributed light projection device according to claim 6 , wherein the strips of material have a same width.

15. The distributed light projection device according to claim 10 , wherein each area is spaced apart in the horizontal plane in a second direction.

16. The distributed light projection device according to claim 15 , wherein the stacked first and second diffraction gratings are stacked in a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

17. A distributed light projection device, comprising:
one waveguide; and
above the waveguide, a plurality of extraction cells coupled to distinct portions of the waveguide, each extraction cell in the plurality of extraction cells comprising stacked first and second diffraction gratings,
wherein the first and second diffraction gratings within each extraction cell in the plurality of extraction cells are offset by a position offset value and different extraction cells in the plurality of extraction cells have different position offset values between the first and second diffraction gratings, whereby the different extraction cells have different extraction coefficients;
wherein the waveguide is a monomode waveguide;
wherein, in each extraction cell, the first and second diffraction gratings have a same pitch;
wherein the second diffraction grating extends above at least one portion of the first diffraction grating and covers the at least one portion of the first diffraction grating;
wherein the extraction coefficient comprises a percentage of guided light extracted by each extraction cell; and
wherein each extraction cell is formed apart in a horizontal plane.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Martinez Christophe
• Fowler Daivid
• Meynard Basile

Classifications

• G02B6/0076

  Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area · CPC title

• G02B6/006

  to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like · CPC title

• G02B6/124

  Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings · CPC title

• G02B6/34

  utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/0038 Primary

  Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide · CPC title