Light projector using an acousto-optical control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286204-A1
Application number	US-201514983388-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An approach for projecting light may be implemented using a acousto-optical depth switch that uses surface acoustic waves produced along a substrate to guide image light to different areas. The surface acoustic waves may be generated on a substrate using a transducer. Surface acoustic waves of different frequencies can guide image light onto different optical elements at different physical positions. The optical elements may be configured to show objects in an image at different distances from a viewer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for projecting light, the system comprising:
an light generator that generates image light that corresponds to a series of images; and an acousto-optical depth switch, wherein the image light is deflected onto the acousto-optical depth switch and the acousto-optical depth switch deflects portions of the image light onto a plurality of diffractive optical elements, wherein each of of the plurality of diffractive optical elements corresponds to a different depth plane of the series of images.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a fiber scanning device receives the image light generated by the light generator and uses a fiber that actuates over an angle to deflect the image light onto the acousto-optical depth switch.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch is coupled to the light generator.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch comprises a transducer that generates surface acoustic waves on a substrate, the surface acoustic waves deflecting the image light onto the plurality of diffractive optical elements.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein acousto-optical depth switch is configured to generate the surface acoustic waves in a plurality of frequencies including a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, wherein the first frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a first diffractive optical element, and the second frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a second diffractive element.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the substrate is a lithium niobate substrate.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch comprises a vertical transducer that generates vertical surface acoustic waves on a substrate, and a horizontal transducer that generates horizontal surface acoustic waves on the substrate.

8 . A method for projecting light, comprising:
generating image light comprising a series of images, the series of images comprising objects that correspond to different distances; and deflecting, via an acousto-optical depth switch, portions of the series of images to diffractive optical elements, a first portion of the series of images deflected to a first diffractive optical element that corresponds to a first distance, a second portion of the series of images deflected to a second diffractive optical element that corresponds to a second distance, the second distance being larger than the first distance.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a fiber scanning device receives the image light uses a fiber that actuates over an angle to deflect the image light onto the acousto-optical depth switch.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch is coupled to a light generator that generates the image light.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch comprises a transducer that generates surface acoustic waves on a substrate, the surface acoustic waves deflecting the image light onto the diffractive optical elements.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein acousto-optical depth switch is configured to generate the surface acoustic waves in a plurality of frequencies including a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, the first frequency deflecting the first portion to the first diffractive optical element, the second frequency deflecting the second portion to the second diffractive optical element.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is a lithium niobate substrate.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the acousto-optical depth switch comprises a vertical transducer that generates vertical surface acoustic waves on a substrate, and a horizontal transducer that generates horizontal surface acoustic waves on the substrate.

15 . A system for projecting light, the system comprising:
a light generator that generates image light that corresponds to a series of images; an acousto-optical scanner, wherein the image light is deflected onto the acousto-optical scanner and the acousto-optical scanner deflects portions of the image light onto a plurality of diffractive optical elements, wherein each of of the plurality of diffractive optical elements corresponds to a different depth plane of the series of images; and wherein the acousto-optical scanner comprises a horizontal modulator and a vertical modulator, the horizontal modulator deflecting the image light horizontally and the vertical modulator deflecting the image light vertically, wherein the vertical modulator receives horizontally deflected image light from the horizontal modulator.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein acousto-optical scanner is configured to generate surface acoustic waves to deflect the light in horizontally and vertically, the acousto-optical scanner configured to generate the surface acoustic waves in a plurality of frequencies including a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, wherein the first frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a first diffractive optical element, and the second frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a second diffractive element.

17 . A system for projecting light, the system comprising:
a light generator that generates image light that corresponds to a series of images; an acousto-optical scanner, wherein the image light is deflected onto the acousto-optical scanner and the acousto-optical scanner deflects portions of the image light onto a plurality of diffractive optical elements, wherein each of of the plurality of diffractive optical elements corresponds to a different depth plane of the series of images; and wherein the acousto-optical scanner comprises a horizontal modulator and a vertical modulator in parallel to the horizontal modulator, the horizontal modulator deflecting the image light horizontally and the vertical modulator deflecting the image light vertically, wherein the vertical modulator receives a part of the series of images to be deflected vertically as an input and the horizontal modulator receives a part of the series of images to be deflected horizontally as an input.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein acousto-optical scanner is configured to generate surface acoustic waves to deflect the light in horizontally and vertically, the acousto-optical scanner configured to generate the surface acoustic waves in a plurality of frequencies including a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency, wherein the first frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a first diffractive optical element, and the second frequency deflects a portion of the image light onto a second diffractive element.

19 . A system for projecting light, the system comprising:
a light generator that generates image light that corresponds to a series of images; an acousto-optical scanner, wherein the image light is deflected onto the acousto-optical scanner and the acousto-optical scanner deflects portions of the image light onto a plurality of diffractive optical elements, wherein each of of the plurality of diffractive optical elements corresponds to a different depth plane of the series of images; and wherein a fiber scanning device receives the image light generated by the light generator and uses a fiber that actuates over an angle to deflect the image light onto the acousto-optical scanner, the fiber scanning device configurable to p

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Grata Jeremy A
• Welch Hudson
• Hussein Marwan

Classifications

• H04N2213/008

  Aspects relating to glasses for viewing stereoscopic images · CPC title

• H04N2213/002

  Eyestrain reduction by processing stereoscopic signals or controlling stereoscopic devices · CPC title

• H04N9/14

  using optical-mechanical scanning means only · CPC title

• H04N2213/001

  Constructional or mechanical details · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title