Substrate-guide optical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016341964-A1
Application number	US-201615225583-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2007
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical device, including a light waves-transmitting substrate has two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces ( 22 a, 22 b ) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces ( 22 a, 22 b ) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate, one or more of the partially reflecting surfaces ( 22 a, 22 b ) being an anisotropic surface. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical device, comprising:
a light waves-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges; at least a first and a second electronic display source, each having a predetermined resolution; optical means for coupling light waves from said first display source into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate; a switching unit for selectively controlling activation and deactivation of the first and the second display sources effecting a first and second operational modes, wherein in a first mode the switching unit activates the first display source and deactivates the second display source, thereby the image light waves from the first display source are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the partially reflecting surfaces into an eye of a viewer, and in the second mode, the switching unit deactivates the first display source and activates the second display source which enables viewing the second display directly through the substrate.

2 . The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical body, wherein said first and second displays, the optical means and the substrate are integrated into the mechanical body.

3 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the light waves-transmitting substrate is the protective cover-window of the mechanical body.

4 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein said mechanical body is a cellular phone.

5 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein said mechanical body is a wristwatch.

6 . The optical device according to claim 2 , further comprising a collimating optical module integrated into said mechanical body for collimating light waves from said first display source.

7 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the resolution of the second display is higher than the resolution of the first display.

8 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the resolution of the first display is higher than the resolution of the second display.

9 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the switching unit includes a control button for selectively activating and deactivating the display sources.

10 . The optical device according to claim 9 , wherein said control button is integrated in the mechanical body.

11 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is operated by an icon on a touch screen of a smartphone.

12 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is activated by pre-set vocal commands.

13 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is operated by utilizing gesture analysis.

14 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is operated by a movement detector.

15 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is operated by a proximity sensor.

16 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is operated by an optical sensor.

17 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein during the first mode only a part of the second display is deactivated.

Assignees

• Lumus Ltd

Inventors

• Amitai Yaakov

Classifications

• G02B27/1066

  for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B27/1073

  characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods · CPC title

• G02B6/0055

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G02B27/0179

  Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed · CPC title