Fourier-beam shaper and display apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021003852-A1
Application number	US-202016919987-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 5, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are a Fourier-beam shaper and a display apparatus including the Fourier-beam shaper. The Fourier-beam shaper includes: a waveguide; an input coupler configured to direct a plurality of light beams toward the waveguide in a time-sequential manner; and a spatial converter configured to output the plurality of light beams traveling in the waveguide through spatially different regions of the spatial converter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Fourier-beam shaper comprising:
a waveguide; an input coupler configured to direct a plurality of light beams toward the waveguide; and a spatial converter configured to output the plurality of light beams traveling in the waveguide through spatially different regions of the spatial converter.

2 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the spatial converter is further configured to output the plurality of light beams in a plurality of specific directions.

3 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the spatial converter is further configured to output at least two of the plurality of light beams in different directions.

4 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the spatial converter comprises a plurality of selective transmission elements arranged in a first direction, the first direction crossing directions in which the plurality of light beams are output, and
wherein each of the plurality of selective transmission elements is configured to transmit one of the plurality of light beams to an external space and not to transmit remaining light beams of the plurality of light beams to the external space.

5 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of selective transmission elements is further configured to selectively transmit the plurality of light beams according to an optical characteristic of each of the plurality of selective transmission elements.

6 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 5 , wherein the optical characteristic comprises a diffraction characteristic.

7 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 5 , wherein at least one of a grating structure and a material of at least two of the plurality of selective transmission elements are different from each other.

8 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of selective transmission elements is further configured to selectively transmit the plurality of light beams according to an electrical signal applied to each of the plurality of selective transmission elements.

9 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the input coupler is further configured to direct the plurality of light beams that are incident on the input coupler at different incident angles.

10 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the spatial converter is further configured to output the plurality of light beams through the spatially different regions of the spatial converter based on incident angles of the plurality of light beams.

11 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the spatial converter is further configured to focus the plurality of light beams respectively at different positions in an external space.

12 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 11 , wherein a frame image is provided to a user based on the focused plurality of light beams.

13 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of light beams corresponds to a partial image of a frame image.

14 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of light beams corresponds to a pixel image of the frame image.

15 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein sizes of the plurality of light beams output from the spatial converter are different from sizes of the plurality of light beams incident on the input coupler.

16 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 15 , wherein the sizes of the plurality of light beams output from the spatial converter are greater than the sizes of the plurality of light beams incident on the input coupler.

17 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 1 , wherein the input coupler comprises:
a first input coupler configured to direct first light beams of the plurality of light beams toward the waveguide; and a second input coupler configured to direct second light beams of the plurality of light beams toward the waveguide.

18 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 17 , wherein the first light beams and the second light beams are synchronously and respectively incident on the first input coupler and the second input coupler.

19 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 17 , wherein the waveguide comprises:
a first waveguide in which the first light beams travel; and a second waveguide in which the second light beams travel.

20 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 19 , wherein the spatial converter comprises:
a first spatial converter arranged on the first waveguide and configured to output the first light beams through different regions of the first spatial converter; and a second spatial converter arranged on the second waveguide and configured to output the second light beams through different regions of the second spatial converter.

21 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 20 , wherein the first spatial converter is further configured to form a first sub-frame image in a first region of an external space, and the second spatial converter is further configured to form a second sub-frame image in a second region of the external space, the second region being different from the first region.

22 . The Fourier-beam shaper of claim 21 , wherein the first sub-frame image and the second sub-frame image correspond to different portions of a frame image.

23 . A display apparatus comprising:
a Fourier-beam shaper, comprising:
a waveguide;
an input coupler configured to direct a plurality of light beams toward the waveguide; and
a spatial converter configured to output the plurality of light beams traveling in the waveguide through spatially different regions of the spatial converter,
a light source configured to output the plurality of light beams to the Fourier-beam shaper.

24 . The display apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising an exit pupil expander configured to expand the plurality of light beams output from the Fourier-beam shaper.

25 . The display apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the exit pupil expander is further configured to transmit light corresponding to a reality environment.

26 . The display apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising a spatial light modulator configured to add image information to the plurality of light beams output from the Fourier-beam shaper or the light source.

27 . The display apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising a direction adjustment member configured to adjust incident angles of the plurality of light beams incident on the Fourier-beam shaper.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Iucf Hyu

Inventors

• Kim Young
• Lee Hongseok
• Song Seokho
• An Jungkwuen
• Won Kanghee
• Lee Changkun

Classifications

• G02B27/0944

  Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms (gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32) · CPC title

• G02B27/0938

  Using specific optical elements · CPC title

• G02B27/0927 Primary

  Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat · CPC title

• G02B27/09

  Beam shaping, e.g. changing the cross-sectional area, not otherwise provided for {(adapting the beam shape of a laser diode G02B19/0052; adapting the beam shape of an LED G02B19/0061; coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; beam shaping specially adapted for lasers H01S3/005)} · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title