Reflective switching device for inputting different wavelengths of light into waveguides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020249482-A1
Application number	US-202016735306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 1, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selectively incoupling light having different wavelengths into one of a plurality of waveguides. The systems and methods provided for selectively incoupling light having different wavelengths into one of a plurality of waveguides comprise a switching device comprising switchable reflective elements that can be configured to redirect incoming light towards an incoupling element associated with one of a plurality of waveguides.

First claim

1 . A wearable head mounted display system configured to be used by a wearer having an eye, said wearable head mounted display system comprising:
an optical projector configured to output light to form an image; a plurality of waveguides configured to receive said light to direct said light into the eye of the wearer, wherein the plurality of waveguides comprises a first waveguide associated with a depth plane and a second waveguide associated with the same depth plane; a frame configured to dispose the waveguides in front of said eye; and a plurality of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors disposed to selectively couple light into different waveguides in said plurality of waveguides.

2 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the optical projector selectively outputs different color light.

3 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of incoupling optical elements disposed with respect to said MEMS mirrors to receive light from said projector reflected off said MEMS mirrors and to couple said light received by said incoupling optical element into one of said waveguides associated with said incoupling optical element such that said light propagates along said waveguide by total internal reflection.

4 . The head mounted display system of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of outcoupling optical elements associated with the plurality of waveguides, the plurality of outcoupling optical elements being configured to redirect light from the plurality of waveguides out of the said plurality of waveguides.

5 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of MEMS mirrors is equal to a number of the plurality of waveguides.

6 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of MEMS mirrors is less than a number of the plurality of waveguides.

7 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of MEMS mirrors are configured to flip out of a plane of a surface parallel to a surface of the plurality of waveguides by an angle θ having a value between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees.

8 . The head mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of MEMS mirrors are configured to slide in and out of a light path of the output light.

9 .- 16 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Tinch David
• Jones William K

Classifications

• G02B2027/0127

  comprising devices increasing the depth of field · CPC title

• G02B2027/0112

  comprising device for genereting colour display · CPC title

• G02B2027/0185

  Displaying image at variable distance · CPC title

• G02B2027/0125

  Field-of-view increase by wavefront division · CPC title

• G02B6/3518

  the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device (MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833) · CPC title