Multiple depth plane three-dimensional display using a wave guide reflector array projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310559-B2
Application number	US-201313915530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2013
Priority date	Jun 11, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A two-dimensional array of linear wave guides includes a plurality of 2D planar wave guide assemblies, columns, sets or layers which each produce a respective depth plane to for a simulated 4D light field. Linear wave guides may have a rectangular cylindrical shape, and may stacked in rows and columns. Each linear wave guide is at least partially internally reflective, for example via at least one opposed pair of at least partially reflective planar side walls, to propagate light along a length of the wave guide. Curved micro-reflectors may reflect some modes of light while passing others. The side walls or a face may reflect some modes of light while passing others. The curved micro-reflectors of any given wave guide each contribute to spherical wave front at a defined radial distance, the various layers producing image planes at respective radial distances.

First claim

I claim:

1. A wave guide reflector array projector apparatus, comprising:
a first planar set of a plurality of rectangular wave guides, each of the rectangular wave guides in the first planar set having at least a first side, a second side, a first face, and a second face, the second side opposed to the first side along a length of the rectangular wave guide, at least the first and the second sides forming an at least partially internally reflective optical path along at least a portion of the length of the rectangular wave guide, and each of the rectangular wave guides in the first planar set including a respective plurality of curved micro-reflectors disposed between the first and the second sides at respective positions along at least a portion of the length of the respective rectangular wave guide to partially reflect a respective portion of a spherical wave front outwardly from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide; and
at least a second planar set of a plurality of rectangular wave guides, each of the rectangular wave guides in the second planar set having at least a first side, a second side, a first face, and a second face, the second side opposed to the first side along a length of the rectangular wave guide, at least the first and the second sides forming an at least partially internally reflective optical path along at least a portion of the length of the rectangular wave guide, and each of the rectangular wave guides in the second planar set including a respective plurality of curved micro-reflectors disposed between the first and the second sides at respective positions along at least a portion of the length of the respective rectangular wave guide to partially reflect a respective portion outwardly from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide,
the second planar set of rectangular wave guides arranged laterally from the first planar set of rectangular wave guides along a first lateral (Z) axis, the first lateral axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (X), the longitudinal (X) axis parallel to the lengths of the rectangular wave guides of at least the first and the second planar sets.

2. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rectangular wave guides in each of the first and at least the second planar set are arranged laterally along a second lateral (Y) axis, the second lateral (Y) axis orthogonal with respect to the first lateral and the longitudinal axes.

3. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first faces of the rectangular wave guides of the second planar set are parallel to the first faces of the rectangular wave guides of the first planar set.

4. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second planar set of wave guides is immediately adjacent the first planar set of wave guides.

5. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional planar sets of wave guides, the first, the second and the plurality of additional sets of wave guide arranged as respective layers in a stack along the first lateral (Z) axis.

6. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 5 wherein for each of the first, the second and the additional planar sets of the rectangular wave guides that comprise the respective first, the second and the additional planar sets, the rectangular wave guides are stacked along the second lateral (Y) axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another.

7. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 6 wherein the rectangular wave guides in each successive one of the first, the second, and the additional planar sets of rectangular wave guides are stacked along the first lateral (Z) axis immediately adjacent to successive ones of one another.

8. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a set of a plurality of second lateral (Y) axis distribution optical couplers, each of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution optical couplers in the set optically coupled to provide a respective optical path to a respective one of the first, the second, and the additional planar sets of the plurality of rectangular wave guides.

9. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end along a length of the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler, and a plurality of at least partially reflective elements that provide an optical path between the first end of the lateral axis distribution coupler and a respective one of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers of the set of the plurality of second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers.

10. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least partially reflective elements of the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler comprise a number of optical gates, and further comprising:
at least one light source, the at least one light source operable to emit red, green and blue pixel patterns;
an intensity modulator operable to modulate an intensity of the red, green and blue pixel patterns to produce modulated red, green and blue pixel patterns;
a beam deflector, the beam deflector optically coupled between the at least one light source and the set of a plurality of second lateral (Y) axis distribution optical couplers and operable to deflect the modulated red, green and blue pixel patterns, and wherein the optical gates are controlled to operate in synchronization with the beam deflector; and
an input fiber optically coupled to the first lateral (Z) axis distribution coupler at least proximate the first end thereof to provide intensity modulated beam deflected pixel patterns as an input cone of light representative of at least a portion of an image to be projected via the wave guide reflector array projector apparatus.

11. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of input fibers optically coupled to respective ones of the second lateral (Y) axis distribution couplers to provide an input cone of light representative of at least a portion of an image to be projected via the wave guide reflector array projector apparatus.

12. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein for each of the rectangular wave guides the plurality of curved micro-reflectors are aligned in a linear array.

13. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to reflect a portion of light from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front.

14. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are oriented to each reflect a conical projection of rays from the first face of the respective rectangular wave guide to form a respective portion of a spherical wave front.

15. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 1 wherein the curved micro-reflectors are each oriented at a respective angle about a second lateral (Y) axis to reflect a portion of light from the face of the respective rectangular wave guide in a spherical wave front, the second lateral (Y) axis orthogonal to the first lateral (Z) axis and the longitudinal (X) axis.

16. The wave guide reflector array projector apparatus of claim 15 wherein for each of at least some of the rectangular wave guides the respective angle about the

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Macnamara John Graham

Classifications

• G02B6/0078

  Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays · CPC title

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B6/0075

  Arrangements of multiple light guides (G02B6/0028 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/0076 Primary

  Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area · CPC title

• G02B6/0035

  provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it · CPC title