Wearable laser based display method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018239148-A1
Application number	US-201815913674-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	May 17, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to wearable display technologies. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projection display systems where one or more laser diodes are used as light source for illustrating images with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. In one set of embodiments, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projector systems that utilize transparent waveguides and blue and/or green laser fabricated using gallium nitride containing material. In another set of embodiments, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating projection systems having digital lighting processing engines illuminated by blue and/or green laser devices with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. In one embodiment, the present invention provides wearable augmented reality glasses incorporating a 3D display system with optical delivery to the eye using transparent waveguides. There are other embodiments as well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laser module apparatus comprising:
a substrate member comprising a surface region; a blue laser diode configured on the substrate member, the blue laser diode comprising a first gallium and nitrogen containing substrate material, a first quantum well region overlying the first substrate region, the first quantum well region configured with one or a plurality of quantum wells; a first laser cavity configured with the first quantum well region, the first laser cavity having a first length of 500 um and less; a green laser diode configured on the substrate member, the green laser diode comprising a second gallium and nitrogen containing substrate material, a second quantum well region overlying the second substrate region, the second quantum well region configured with one or a plurality of quantum wells; a second laser cavity configured with the first quantum well region, the second laser cavity having a second length of 500 um and less; a red laser diode configured on the substrate member; a first optical device coupled to a first laser pathway for the blue laser diode; a second optical device coupled to a second laser pathway for the green laser diode; a third optical device coupled to a third laser pathway for the red laser diode; a beam combiner configured with the first laser pathway, the second laser pathway, and the third laser pathway; an electrical driver module coupled to each of the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode; whereupon the electrical driver module configured to individually supply a unique signal comprised of electrical power to each of the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode; and a light engine comprising a micro-display configured with the substrate member, the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, the red laser diode, the first optical device, the second optical device, and the third optical device; whereupon the light engine is configured with a frame configured as glasses for a human user.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the micro-display is comprised of a scanning MEMS mirror, an LCOS, or a digital light processing chip.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame is for a pair of glasses.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first length is 400 um and less or 300 um and less or 200 um and less or 100 um and less; and wherein the second length is 400 um and less or 250 um and less or 100 um and less.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate member is a single substrate or multiple substrates; wherein the first optical device comprises a first lens, the second optical device comprises a second lens, and the third optical device comprises a third lens.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate member comprises an intermediate carrier, the intermediate carrier is selected from at least one of a silicon, a metal, a plastic, a composite, or a ceramic.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first optical device, the second optical device, and the third optical device are configured from a single lens structure.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode each has a power of less than 5 mW, less than 15 mW, or less than 30 mW.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the blue laser diode, the green laser diode, and the red laser diode each has a power of less than 50 mW, less than 100 mW, or less than 200 mW.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spatial length dimension is less than 8 mm, less than 5 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm, wherein the spatial width dimension is less than 8 mm, less than 5 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm, and wherein the spatial height dimension is less than 8 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 1 mm.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the beam combiner is configured from a free-space configuration.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the beam combiner is configured from a waveguide device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate member is made of a silicon, a metal, a plastic, a composite, or a ceramic; wherein first and/or second gallium and nitrogen containing substrate is configured with a semi-polar or a non-polar surface region.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein first second gallium and nitrogen containing substrate is configured with a {20-21} surface region; wherein the second cavity is oriented in a projection of a c-direction; wherein the first laser cavity comprises a first ridge structure comprising a pair of first etched facets.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second laser cavity comprises a second ridge structure comprising a pair of second etched facets.

16 . An laser module apparatus comprising:
a laser diode source comprising a red laser diode, a blue laser diode, and a green laser diode mounted on a common carrier, the common carrier comprising a pedestal having at least three sidewalls, each of the red laser diode, the blue laser diode, and the green laser diode being an edge emitting laser diode mounted on a respective sidewall of the pedestal; and a wave guide structure having a first region and a second region, the first region configured for coupling to a display region, and the second region being coupled to the laser diode source, and configured to traverse electromagnetic radiation from the laser diode source through the wave guide structure to cause an image to be output on the display region,wherein the wave guide structure is disposed above the laser diode source, and light from the laser diode source is reflected vertically to the wave guide structure using mirrors etched in the laser diode source and the wave guide structure.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the display region is monolithically integrated with the wave guide structure.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the display region is configured to allow the human user to view the display region, while allowing the user to view ambient light through regions outside of the display region.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the wave guide structure is configured to direct the image to the display.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the laser diode source comprises a laser diode having a current threshold of 10 mA and less.

Assignees

• Soraa Laser Diode Inc

Inventors

• Rudy Paul
• Raring James W
• Goutain Eric
• Huang Hua

Classifications

• H01S5/32025

  non-polar orientation · CPC title

• H01S5/320275

  semi-polar orientation · 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

• H01S5/0014

  Measuring characteristics or properties thereof (measuring techniques per se G01J, G01K, G01N, G01R) · CPC title

• H01S5/2201

  in a specific crystallographic orientation · CPC title