Compact optics for head-mounted display systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12566322-B2
Application number	US-202218066184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 21, 2022
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

An optical system of a head-mounted display (HMD) system that includes a diffractive optical element coupled to a display, for example, via lamination or a suitable optically clear adhesive. The optical system may include a reflective polarizer and a quarter-wave plate that, together with the diffractive optical element, form a catadioptric or “pancake” configuration that focuses light from a display system to an eye of a user of the head mounted display system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A head-mounted display system operative to present images to an eye of a user, the head-mounted display system comprising:
a support structure configured to be worn on the head of the user; a single pixelated display system including red, green, and blue sub-pixels, supported by the support structure, the display system configured to emit image light comprising (i) red light polarized in a first polarization state and (ii) blue and green light polarized in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state; and an optical system comprising a catadioptric optical system that includes:
a diffractive optical element positioned on the display system on a surface that faces the user's eye during operation, the diffractive optical element comprising:
a first diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the red light in the first polarization state while transmitting light in the second polarization state; and
a second diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the blue and green light in the second polarization state while transmitting light in the first polarization state;
wherein the diffractive optical element is configured to focus light from the display system to the user's eye;

a reflective polarizer positioned between the diffractive optical element and the user's eye; and
a quarter-wave plate positioned between the diffractive optical element and the reflective polarizer.

2 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a surface relief or a polarization-based diffractive optical element.

3 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises an achromatic diffractive lens (ADL).

4 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the display system comprises a backlight that includes a coherent light source.

5 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a metalens.

6 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises a film laminated to the display system.

7 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes a substrate coupled to the display system.

8 . The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , further comprising an optically clear substrate positioned between the diffractive optical element and the quarter-wave plate.

9 . The head-mounted display system of claim 8 wherein the optically clear substrate comprises plastic or glass.

10 . A near-eye display system, comprising:
a display subsystem comprising a single array of red, green, and blue pixels configured to emit light comprising (i) red light polarized in a first polarization state and (ii) blue and green light polarized in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state; and an optical system comprising a catadioptric optical system that includes:
a diffractive optical element positioned on the display system on a surface that faces a user's eye during operation, the diffractive optical element comprising:
a first diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the red light in the first polarization state while transmitting light in the second polarization state; and
a second diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the blue and green light in the second polarization state while transmitting light in the first polarization state;

wherein the diffractive optical element is configured to focus light from the display system to the user's eye;
a reflective polarizer positioned between the diffractive optical element and the user's eye; and
a quarter-wave plate positioned between the diffractive optical element and the reflective polarizer.

11 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a surface relief or a polarization-based diffractive optical element.

12 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises an achromatic diffractive lens (ADL).

13 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the display system comprises a backlight that includes a coherent light source.

14 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a metalens.

15 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the optical system comprises a film laminated to the display system.

16 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , wherein the optical system includes a substrate coupled to the display system.

17 . The near-eye display system of claim 10 , further comprising an optically clear substrate positioned between the diffractive optical element and the quarter-wave plate.

18 . The near-eye display system of claim 17 wherein the optically clear substrate comprises plastic or glass.

19 . A head-mounted display system operative to present images to an eye of a user, the head-mounted display system comprising:
a support structure configured to be worn on the head of the user; a single pixelated display system including red, green, and blue sub-pixels, supported by the support structure, the display system configured to emit image light comprising (i) red light polarized in a first polarization state and (ii) blue and green light polarized in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state; and an optical system comprising a catadioptric optical system that includes:
a diffractive optical element positioned on the display system on a surface that faces the user's eye during operation, the diffractive optical element comprising:
a first diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the red light in the first polarization state while transmitting light in the second polarization state; and
a second diffractive sub-element configured to diffract the blue and green light in the second polarization state while transmitting light in the first polarization state, wherein the diffractive optical element is configured to focus light from the display system to the user's eye;
a reflective polarizer positioned between the diffractive optical element and the user's eye; and
a quarter-wave plate positioned between the diffractive optical element and the reflective polarizer.

Assignees

• Valve Corp

Inventors

• Hudman Joshua Mark
• Rausch Kameron Wade

Classifications

• G02B2027/0123

  comprising devices increasing the field of view · CPC title

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B27/4205

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

• G02B2027/0127

  comprising devices increasing the depth of field · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title