Provides concentric light field and monocular-binocular hybrid display system

Abstract

A display system and method for implementing a concentric light field with monocular-binocular blending. At least some embodiments include a display and an optical subsystem, the display being arranged to emit or transmit light based on image content from a content engine, and the optical subsystem being arranged to configure the light into a concentric light field. The concentric light field provides a virtual image in a large continuous spatial area so that each eye of a human viewer can detect a monocular depth from the light field to provide a large field of view.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 820,096, filed on March 18, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 793,495, filed on February 18, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The technology presented herein generally relates to light field displays. More specifically, the technology presented herein relates to a system for creating a concentric light field display with monocular-binocular hybridization. Background Art

[0005] In today's society, due to advances in electronics and micro-fabrication, there is an increasing appeal for more immersive light field and / or autostereoscopic three-dimensional (3D) displays. Most currently common autostereoscopic 3D displays may require a virtual reality (VR) helmet or similar device. However, VR helmets can cause eye fatigue and other similar fatigue-related problems. These problems arise due to two main problems with currently common VR helmets. First, the most common current VR helmets split the image into two viewing zones, where parallax is extracted from these viewing zones and overlapped to obtain a seemingly single complete image. Second, the viewing zone of most currently common VR helmets is too close to the user's eyes. Another problem with most currently common VR helmets is the binocular gap in the projected image, which is due to the image being fed to two separate viewing zones, one for each eye of the user, with independent optics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references refer to similar elements.

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display system including a display portion mounted on a bracket.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the display portion.

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Perspective view of the bracket.

[0010] Figure 4 is a block diagram of components of a display portion of a display system according to the techniques presented herein.

[0011] Figures 5A to 5D are schematic diagrams showing different embodiments of preparation optics for a display system.

[0012] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of relay optics for a display system.

[0013] Figures 7A to 7D is a schematic diagram showing a first set of embodiments of the system.

[0014] Figures 8A to 8C is a schematic diagram of a second set of embodiments of the display system.

[0015] Figures 9A to 9C is a schematic diagram of a third set of embodiments of a display system.

[0016] Figures 10A to 10E is a schematic diagram of a fourth set of embodiments of a display system.

[0017] Figures 11A to 11C is a schematic diagram of a fifth set of optional embodiments of the display system.

[0018] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a display system, wherein the display portion includes wearable glasses.

[0019] Fig.13A and 13B A planar light field and a concentric light field are shown respectively.

[0020] Fig.14 The use of a conjugate mirror and the positioning of a human viewer relative to the focal point of the mirror are schematically shown.

[0021] Fig.15A , 15B and 15C show examples of VR-based binocular isolation, AR-based binocular isolation, and binocular mixing, respectively.

[0022] Fig.16 An embodiment of a display system is shown that uses a conjugate mirror and a beam splitter to provide a concentric light field with binocular mixing.

[0023] Fig.17 An embodiment of a display system is shown that uses a semi-reflective curved mirror with a quarter wave plate placed above the display to provide a concentric light field with binocular mixing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In this specification, reference to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or similar words or phrases means that the particular feature, function, structure, or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment of the technology described herein. The appearances of such phrases in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. On the other hand, the embodiments mentioned herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

[0025] All illustrations of the accompanying drawings will describe selected versions of the technology described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology described herein. All references to one or more users are related to one or more individuals using the technology described herein.

[0026] The technology presented here includes a display system that produces high-quality virtual images, which can be 2D, stereoscopic 3D and / or multi-focal images, wherein the display system has an intended (designed) viewing point for a human viewer that is at least 10 cm from the display (in contrast to conventional head-mounted displays (HMDs)), but no more than 60 cm from the display without causing visual discomfort to the human viewer, while providing a diagonal field of view of at least 45 degrees. The system produces a single continuous light field that enables monocular depth to be detected simultaneously by each eye of the human viewer, wherein the monocular depth can be greater than the actual distance of the display from the human viewer, and when the human viewer is at the intended viewing point, the apparent size of the display (perceived by the human viewer) is at least twice (2X) the actual size of the display. "Monocular depth" is the optical depth perceived by one eye, which the eye can adapt to by changing the focal length of the eye lens. Monocular depth is based on the true curvature of the light wavefront. This is in contrast to stereoscopic depth, which is based solely on parallax. Using the techniques presented here, monocular depth is also dynamically modifiable and, in contrast to current autostereoscopic displays, is not fixed to a physical position on the display panel surface.

[0027] For example, in some embodiments, a display system according to the techniques described herein is designed to be located approximately 20 cm from a viewer's eyes and provide an apparent display size (i.e., as perceived by a human viewer) of approximately 80 inches diagonal, while using a display that is only approximately 24 inches diagonal in size, with a field of view greater than 90 degrees and a head-mounted frame (useful viewing area) that spans at least 60 cm horizontally, all while providing high-quality virtual images without causing visual discomfort to the human viewer. In this context, "horizontal" means parallel to an imaginary line passing through the geometric centers of a human viewer's two eyes when the human viewer is viewing the display in a normal (intended) manner.

[0028] The technology described herein generates a concentric light field and provides monocular-binocular hybridization. The term "concentric light field" (also called "curved light field") used herein refers to a light field in which, for any two pixels of a display at a fixed radius from the viewer (referred to as a "first pixel" and a "second pixel"), the chief ray of a light cone emitted from the first pixel in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the display at the first pixel intersects the chief ray of a light cone emitted from the second pixel in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the display at the second pixel. The image generated by the concentric light field can be focused to the eye at all points, including pixels far from the optical axis (center of curvature) of the system, where the image is curved rather than flat, and the image can be viewed within a reasonable viewing space (head-mounted frame) in front of the light field.

[0029] The term "monocular-binocular hybrid" (MBH) as used herein refers to the feature of producing stereoscopic images in a continuous viewable space region that is significantly larger (e.g., at least twice) than the distance between the two eyes of a viewer of the display in at least one dimension (e.g., horizontally), wherein each eye of the viewer can detect a monocular depth provided by the light field and can detect correct stereo cues at that depth. The images produced by MBH do not require binocular isolation (isolation of the two images of the two eyes, such as is necessary in a stereo HMD or any 3D that requires wearing a pair of glasses) to be viewed, meaning that there is no gap between the images seen by the left eye and the right eye.

[0030] The technology described herein can provide a user with a device that reduces and / or eliminates eyestrain and other similar related strain on the user's eyes. It can also provide a user with a device that provides a concentric light field display, where the image is not divided into two viewing zones. In addition, the technology can provide a user with a device that does not require the viewing zone to be too close to the user's eyes. The technology described herein can provide a user with a device that allows the user to be located at the center of the light field projection and eliminates or minimizes the binocular gap in the projected image. The technology described herein can also provide a user with a device that produces a continuous converging beam of light rays towards the user's face to create a surround viewing experience or a panoramic viewing experience.

[0031] The technology presented here includes systems and methods for achieving a concentric light field with MBH. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some embodiments, a display system 1 according to the technology described herein includes a display portion 2 and a stand 3 , wherein the display portion 2 is attached to the stand 3 when in use and can be removably attached to the stand 3 via a connector 4 . Figure 1 A perspective view of the display portion 2 mounted to the stand 3 is shown. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the display section 2 itself, while Figure 3 A perspective view of the support 3 itself is shown.

[0032] The system is designed so that the display portion 2 can be positioned very close to the eyes of the user (also referred to herein as the "viewer") when in use, although not as close as conventional HMD devices. Therefore, the support 3 can include a base 5 and a plurality of elongated members 6 connected by one or more joints 7. At least some of the joints 7 can allow pivoting and / or rotational movement of the connecting members 6 to allow the user to adjust the position and orientation of the display portion 2 as desired.

[0033] In at least some embodiments, the base 5 can be connected to the bottommost member of the plurality of members 6, such as Figure 1 As shown. The plurality of members 6 can be of any shape, size, material, feature, type or kind, orientation, position, number, component, and arrangement of components that will allow the technology described herein to achieve the goals and intent of the technology described herein. The plurality of members 6 can be pivotally attached to each other end to end. The bottommost member can be mounted to the top side of the base 5. The topmost member can be mounted to the rear end of the connector 4. As shown Figure 1 As shown, the rear end of the connector 4 can be mounted to the topmost member of the plurality of members 6 , while the front end of the connector 4 is mounted to the display portion 2 .

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown schematically, the display portion 2 has a mechanical housing that houses a computer 45, at least one display 41, and an optical subsystem 46. The optical subsystem 46 includes a preparation optical device 42, a relay optical device 43, and an exit pupil 44. The computer 45 can be of any shape, size, material, feature, type or kind, orientation, location, number, components, and arrangement of components that will allow the technology described herein to achieve the goals and intent of the technology described herein. Figure 4 As shown, the computer 45 may mainly include a content engine 47 and (optionally) one or more sensors 48. The sensor 48 may include, for example, one or more of a tracking sensor, a positioning sensor, or other similar objects, and / or any combination of the foregoing items. Such sensors may also include, for example: mapping sensors, camera sensors, time of flight sensors, dual-single camera sensor devices, eye tracking sensors, hand tracking sensors, head tracking sensors, and other similar or similarly related objects.

[0035] The computer 45 may be or include, for example, one or more conventional programmable microprocessors, digital signal processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination of these types of devices. The content engine 47 in the computer 45 enables the computer 45 to generate digital image content 49 for generating images. At least a portion of the content engine 47 may be implemented as software or firmware. The digital content 49 may be isolated content to be displayed to the user, content based on some positioning and / or tracking data around the display, other similar related items, and / or a combination of the aforementioned items. The computer 45 is capable of pre-compensating the required distortion or modification on the digital content to produce the image that needs to be generated to the user, so that the image (based on the digital content) is emitted from the display portion 2 to the user's eyes with a corrected aspect ratio and structure according to whether the digital image content is 3D, 2D, multi-focal, and / or other similar related types or categories. The computer 45 sends the digital image content 49 from the content engine 47 to the display 41 of the display portion 2. In other embodiments, the computer 45 and / or the content engine 47 may be outside the display portion 2.

[0036] Still refer to Figure 4 , the display portion 2 includes at least one display 41, which can generate images from digital content 49 provided by a computer. The display 41 can be or include, for example, any one or more of the following: an image panel, a projector, a liquid crystal on silicon device (LCoS), etc. In the case where the display 41 is or includes a panel, the panel can be, for example, flat or curved, and can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a light emitting diode (LED), or other similar related types. In the case where the display 41 is or includes a projector, the projector can be a type or kind similar to, for example, the following: a scattering or diffuse screen, a microprojector, a laser projector, or other similar related objects projected at different angles by multiple projectors. The display 41 can feed the image to the preparatory optical device 42 by generating any form and / or shape of light beams. The backlight of the display portion 2 can vary with angle to provide autostereoscopic 3D in concentric areas. In some embodiments, this angle light is prepared by a vertical cavity surface emitting laser array (VCSEL). In some embodiments, the display 41 is or includes a stack of LCD panels to provide 3D images by computational methods.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the display portion also includes a preparation optical device 42, which receives the generated light beam from the display, adjusts the generated light beam to adjust and / or tune the depth and / or size of the perceived image, and submits the adjusted light beam to the relay optical device 43. Figures 5A to 5DVarious embodiments of the preparation optics 42 are shown in detail. In these figures and subsequent figures discussed below, arrows show examples of beam paths in the system. The preparation optics 42 may include, for example, curved (e.g., conjugate) mirrors, biconvex lens arrays, field evolution (FE) cavities, Fresnel plates, tunable lenses, projection screens, mechanical adjusters, and / or other similar related or associated objects. The preparation optics 42 may also enable images to be converted from a 2D format to a 3D presentation.

[0038] The preparation optics 42 may have any of a number of alternative embodiments. Figure 5A In an embodiment of the present invention, the preparation optical device 42 includes a field evolution (FE) cavity, which can change the focal plane of the virtual image by modulating the trajectory of the light beam, that is, by dynamically modifying the path length of the light. In some cases, the FE cavity can send different parts of the display to different focal lengths. In this embodiment, the preparation optical device 42 can include a beam splitter plate 52 located between two wave plates 51. One wave plate 51 is close to the display 41, while the other wave plate 51 is closer to one side of a liquid crystal (LC) plate 53. The other side of the liquid LC plate 53 is close to a polarization-dependent beam splitter 54.

[0039] exist Figures 5A to 5D In the figures and other figures discussed below, arrows show examples of harness paths in the system. Figure 5A In the left part of the diagram, the light rays emitted from the display 41 are x-polarized. As the light rays leave the wave plate 51 further from the display 41, they become y-polarized. Then, as they leave the polarization-dependent beam splitter 54 toward the viewer (not shown, but toward the left side of the diagram), they become x-polarized again. Figure 5A To the right of FIG. 4 , the light rays reflected by the polarization-dependent beam splitter 54 back to the display 41 remain y-polarized, but are converted to x-polarized when they are reflected back (to the left) to the viewer by the wave plate 51 further away from the display 41.

[0040] exist Figure 5B In an embodiment, the preparation optics 42 may include a passive optical device 55 on the presentation end or side of the display 41 so that the image can be compensated for aberrations, distortions, and / or directional brightness corrections. Such examples of passive optical devices 55 may include, for example: Fresnel plates, lenticular lens arrays, parallax barriers, layered masks, and / or other similarly related or similarly related objects.

[0041] exist Figure 5C In the embodiment of the present invention, the preparation optical device 42 includes a passive FE cavity, the length of which (i.e., the distance from the display 41 to the beam splitter 54) can be changed or varied by a mechanical actuator 56 or other similar mechanism. Figure 5DIn an embodiment of the present invention, the preparation optical device 42 includes a passive optical device 55 combined with a mechanical actuator 57 mounted on the display 41 to change the position or distance of the display 41 relative to the passive optical device 55.

[0042] Reference again Figure 4 , the display portion 2 may further include a relay optical device 43. The relay optical device 43 may be or include, for example, a free-form rear mask, a waveguide, a screen with a holographic element, or some combination thereof. However, the relay optical device 43 may also have any combination of the following features and characteristics: curved or flat, with or without an electromagnetic metasurface, with or without a holographic element, with or without a diffraction grating, with or without a Fresnel grating, polarized or non-polarized, transparent or non-transparent, using a geometric optical device or using a waveguide and / or other similarly related and / or similarly related objects or features. Figure 6 It is shown how the relay optics 43 may include various combinations of these features / characteristics.The relay optics 43 may receive submitted bundles of rays from the preparation optics at one end while being able to relay those bundles of rays to the exit pupil.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the display portion may have an exit pupil 44. The exit pupil 44 may be an imaginary three-dimensional manifold around a hole that surrounds the beam of light that exits and propagates away from the display portion 2. The exit pupil 44 may be located in front of the user's face and between the remainder of the display portion 2 where the user sees the image.

[0044] In some embodiments, as discussed further below, the preparatory optics 42 include a curved mirror, such as a conjugate mirror, to provide a concentric light field. The conjugate mirror has the shape of a portion of an ellipse when viewed in a cross section (i.e., the end of the ellipse with the smallest radius) as viewed in a vertical plane parallel to the viewing axis. The ellipse has two foci. In the techniques presented herein, the display portion 2 is designed to be positioned so that the viewer's head is located at or near the focal point of the mirror closest to it (i.e., within a few centimeters) and between the two foci of the ellipse formed by the mirror portion.

[0045] Conventionally, most curved mirrors are hyperbolic, parabolic, biconical, or spherical. Such mirrors are generally suitable for single point imaging in the paraxial region when light is close to the axis of symmetry of the optical element, such as mirrors in telescopes or laser and sensing applications. However, in displays, these mirrors fail because they tend to perform well in the center of the image, but fail at the edges because the edges are very off-axis and no longer in the paraxial region. They are not suitable for providing a large horizontal field of view with high image accuracy in situations where the display and the mirror are very close together. For example, if one has a long flat horizontal display and positions it closer than a parabolic mirror or at its focus and views its reflection through the parabolic mirror, he will see that the image in the center of the display is acceptable, but the farther one looks from the center of the display, the more distorted and / or blurry the image becomes.

[0046] These problems can be overcome by using concentric light fields, such as those produced by using conjugate mirrors. Fig. 13B A concentric light field 131 is shown, which is Fig.13A The flat light field 132 is shown in contrast. Fig.13A and Fig. 13B In each of the , multiple rays of light are shown emanating from various different pixels of the display. Fig. 13B In the concentric light field 131 produced by the curved display in FIG. 1 , the vertical light rays from each pixel will converge toward the focal point and the vertical light rays from other pixels. In contrast, in Fig.13A In the plane light field 132, the vertical light rays from different pixels are parallel and therefore do not converge. Note that in alternative embodiments, a diffraction mirror or a nanostructure mirror may be used instead of a conjugate mirror.

[0047] In certain embodiments of the technology described herein, such as Fig.14 As shown, the head of the viewer 8 is at or near the focus 141 of the conjugate mirror 143 (one of the two focuses 141, 142 of the ellipse 144 that the conjugate mirror 143 partially traces). The display 41 is near the mirror 143, above the user's field of view. From the side, the beam splitter 145 is positioned at a 45 degree angle in the field of view. When the viewer views the displayed image, the other focus 142 of the ellipse 144 is behind the viewer's head.

[0048] In at least one embodiment, the distance between the foci 141, 142 of the ellipse 144 is about 1.2 m; and the viewer 8 can perceive a high quality image across the display as long as his or her head is within about 10% of the distance from the focal point 141 closest to the mirror 143 measured along the viewer's viewing axis (not shown) (about 12 cm in this example). The viewer can move forward or backward within this range (along the viewing axis) and still see an image with high quality. The reflection in the mirror 143, which the viewer 8 actually sees, is perpendicular to the axis between the foci 141, 142 (not shown), and is therefore coaxial with the major axis of the ellipse 144. The fact that the viewer 8 is close to one of the foci of the ellipse 144 (e.g., within about 10% of the distance between the foci) allows the viewer 8 to be at an almost equal distance from each edge of the mirror 143, which reduces edge aberrations.

[0049] Furthermore, the fact that the second focus 142 of the ellipse 144 is further away means that, unlike a parabola or hyperbolic mirror, light rays propagating from the edge of the conjugate mirror 143 do not actually remain divergent, but instead bend inwards more rapidly. This enables pixels further away from the centre of the display to be focused like pixels at the centre of the display.

[0050] Using conjugate mirrors in this way can provide a very large area where a virtually magnified 2D or 3D image is visible on a curved surface or volume, with all pixels focused to the eye. This is different from having a lens or magnifier in front of the display, because all points on the virtual image are focused to the eye, including pixels far from the optical axis (center of curvature) of the system, and the virtual image is curved rather than flat.

[0051] According to the technology introduced here, a curved or concentric light field can illuminate a large area on the order of tens of centimeters in front of the display; this distance is much greater than (for example, at least 10 times greater than) the distance between the eyes of an average adult of about 6 cm, that is, at least 60 cm. Therefore, both eyes can not only appreciate the monocular depth provided by the light field, but they can also obtain correct stereo cues at that depth. Monocular depth is the depth perceived by one eye via accommodation (focus change) of the eye lens; binocular depth is perceived based on the parallax between the images in the left and right eyes. In most conventional systems, such as head-mounted displays, the curvature is either so steep that it replaces the natural human binocular field of view, or it is completely flat. This can cause eye fatigue; especially when the field of view is increased.

[0052] In addition, the technology presented here provides a very large field of view with no gap in binocular vision. Unlike goggles, where there is a gap between the eyes, making it look like looking through two pipes, the technology presented here does not have the pipe-like effect (binocular mask). This is due to the monocular-binocular hybrid (MBH) and the fact that the viewing area is a large continuous area, rather than two local points in front of each eye. This allows the user to move and rotate his or her head and still perceive depth correctly.

[0053] The human brain perceives depth based on eight cues, five of which are situational cues and three are optical cues. The optical cues are motion parallax, static parallax, and accommodation cues. If the wavefront of light is impacted to simulate a virtual distance, the perceived 3D provides not only accommodation depth cues, but also motion parallax and static parallax. However, the display system may provide only one of these depth cues; for example, autostereoscopic and stereo head-mounted viewers rely only on parallax to provide depth. They do not provide monocular depth cues for all depths for which they provide parallax. All stereo AR / AR head-mounted viewers and any 3D experience that requires wearing glasses, as well as most glasses-free autostereoscopic 3D displays, rely on a method of feeding light of different content to the left and right eyes to produce parallax. Most conventional implementations require wearing some kind of binoculars to eliminate crosstalk between the left and right eyes.

[0054] In contrast, the technique presented here provides monocular depth (depth that can be perceived by a single eye) that is perceptible in a very large continuous area in front of the display system. This is MBH, which not only provides the correct depth for each eye, but also provides matching vergence (disparity) of both eyes for objects at different depths in the scene.

[0055] Fig.15A , 15B 15C shows the difference between the MBH provided by conventional techniques and the techniques presented here. Specifically, Fig.15A and 15B 1 and 2 show the gap 151 in the binocular area (binocular isolation) that appears in the conventional curved display HMD and the flat display HMD, respectively. Fig. 15C Shown is a MBH (without gap) provided using the techniques presented here.

[0056] Unlike conventional techniques, the effective binocular viewing area of ​​the techniques presented here is significantly larger than the distance between the viewer's eyes, so that the viewer can rotate and move her head, and rotate her eyes left and right, and still see depth without a gap between the eyes. Therefore, as provided by the techniques presented here, MBH means that the area in which the viewer can perceive monocular depth is larger than the distance between the viewer's eyes, so that not only is the accommodation of each eye correct, but the vergence of the eyes also follows the accommodation. This mixture creates a more realistic depth representation than conventional 3D displays.

[0057] Fig.16 An embodiment of a display system according to the technology described herein is shown, which uses a conjugate mirror to achieve a concentric light field and MBH. The conjugate mirror 163 can be closed or partially transparent, forming the back of the display portion 2, i.e., a mask, which can be mounted to the adjustable bracket 3 as described above. In this embodiment, the display portion includes a flat directional or enhanced backlight located in front of and above the mirror, with its light emitting surface horizontally facing downward. The display 41 is located below and parallel to the backlight 161. The backlight 161 can be a standard side-lit diffuse backlight, or preferably a directional backlight, such as a backlight with a directional film or directional layer on the top, or a backlight with a diffractive layer to change direction. In at least some embodiments, the element has local dimming technology, such as a micro-LED backlight, in which the backlight can be dimmed in certain areas to provide better contrast and dynamic range. The elements in the backlight can be, for example, side-lit waveguides, micro-LED arrays, diffractive directional waveguides, light diffusers.

[0058] A privacy film 162 or other type of layer having directional optical transmission properties is disposed on the downward facing surface of the display 41. For example, the privacy film may have a pass angle of less than 100 degrees. A beam splitter 165 is disposed between the mirror 163 and the viewer 8 at a 45 degree angle (viewed in cross section from the side perpendicular to the viewing axis).

[0059] In operation, light emitted by the backlight 161 and modulated by the display 41 travels downward and then reflects from the beam splitter 165 toward the mirror 163, which reflects the light back to the beam splitter 165 with a rotated polarization so that the reflected light then passes through the beam splitter 165 and travels to the eyes of the viewer 8. An absorptive polarizer 166 may be disposed on the lower surface of the beam splitter 163 to reduce reflections. A lower bezel 167 of the display portion 2 may be disposed below the beam splitter 163 parallel to the display. One or more audio speakers 168 may be located in any convenient location, such as attached to the underside of the lower bezel 167.

[0060] Fig.17Another embodiment of a display system according to the technology described herein is shown. In this embodiment, the display portion 2 includes a curved display 41, which can be made of many continuous active displays, such as OLED elements. A first curved quarter wave plate 171 is directly disposed on the light emitting surface of the curved display 41. A semi-reflective curved mirror 173 is disposed on top of one quarter wave plate 171. A second curved quarter wave plate 171 is disposed directly on the surface of the semi-reflective curved mirror 173. A curved liquid crystal (LC) plate 174 is optionally disposed on the surface of the second quarter wave plate. A curved wire grid polarizer or polarization-dependent beam splitter 175 is disposed on the surface of the LC plate 174 (if present) or the second quarter wave plate 171. Line 176 represents the line of sight of the viewer 8.

[0061] Figures 7A to 12 Various additional alternative embodiments and illustrative details of the technology described herein are shown. In each of these figures, the display portion 2 can be mounted on a support 3 (e.g., an articulated arm as described above), which is not shown in these figures for simplicity. Fig. 7A In the embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 includes at least two display panels 71, one located above the user's field of view and the other located below the user's field of view. Each display panel 71 is coated with a preliminary optical device 72 on the light emitting surface of the display panel 71. In addition, in this embodiment, the display portion 2 includes a relay optical device in the form of a free-form rear mask 73 to relay or reflect the light beam toward the user's field of view.

[0062] exist Figure 7B In the embodiment of the display portion 2, the display portion 2 includes a single display panel 71 located below (or above, or to the side) of the user's field of view. The display panel 71 may be coated with a preparatory optical device 72 on the surface of the display panel that projects the light beam. The display portion 2 in this embodiment also includes a beam splitter 75 adjacent to and / or opposite to the display panel 71, having a preparatory optical device, so that the light beam projected from the display panel with the preparatory optical device is fed to the beam splitter plate before reaching or reflecting to the relay optical device in the form of a free-form rear mask, which in turn sends the light beam into the user's field of view.

[0063] exist Figure 7C In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the display portion 2 of this alternative embodiment may be viewed as being similar to FIG. 1 , except that the display panel 71 is located on each side of the user's field of view. Figure 5A The display part in Fig.7D In another embodiment shown, the display portion 2 of this alternative embodiment can be regarded as similar to Figure 7B, except that the relay optics are holographic element 76 with flat or curved features instead of a free-form rear mask. Holographic element 76 can be in the form of a three-layer panel, with each layer dedicated to a different color channel of the display, such as red, blue and green, or some other color space. The dotted lines represent the ray trajectories from the virtual image.

[0064] like Figures 8A to 8C As shown, the technology described herein includes a second set of alternative embodiments of the technology described herein. Fig. 8A In an embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 comprises at least two displays in the form of projectors 86, which are located on each opposite side of the user's field of view. In addition, in this embodiment, the display portion 2 comprises a curved holographic element screen 84, wherein the light beams are projected from the projectors 86 towards the curved holographic element screen 84. From there, the light beams are redirected to the exit pupil and pass to the user's field of view.

[0065] exist Figure 8B In another embodiment shown, the display portion 2 is similar to Figure 7B and 7D The display portion of the embodiment; however, in this embodiment, the display of the display portion utilizes one or more projectors 86, rather than a flat or curved panel. Each projector 86 can pass the light beam through a scattering screen 81 before the light beam passes through the preparatory optical device 82. For example, the scattering screen 81 can be directional. In at least some embodiments, the scattering screen 81 can be fed by multiple projectors 86 to create a high-density display 3D image. The image can then be fed through to the preparatory optical device 82. Alternatively, the scattering screen 81 can be similarly fed by multiple projectors 86 to create a super-multi-viewing angle light beam of a three-dimensional image fed to the relay optical device. The beam splitter 87 is also used in this embodiment in the above manner.

[0066] exist Figure 8C In an embodiment of the present invention, the display portion includes one or more projectors 86, relay optics in the form of a free-form rear mask 83, and a transparent diffuser screen 88, so that no preparatory optics are required. In this embodiment, one or more projectors 86 can be located near one side of the user's field of view, and adjacent to and / or opposite to the transparent side of the transparent diffuser screen, as shown in the figure. The transparent diffuser screen 88 can be made of a mesh object, such as a metal microwire or nanowire array, so that the light beams can be reflected and / or scattered from the transparent diffuser screen to the free-form rear mask, where the convergence of those light beams is prepared for the user's eyes. The transparent diffuser screen 88 can work alternately in a transmission mode and / or a reflection mode. The transparent diffuser screen 88 can have different thicknesses and surface roughnesses on its surface to allow the light beams to be scattered and / or reflected from the transparent diffuser screen 88.

[0067] Figures 9A to 9CA third set of alternative embodiments of the techniques described herein is shown. Fig.9A In an embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 includes at least two displays 41, one at the top and one at the bottom of the display portion. In the light transmission path, each display may be preceded by a preparation optical device 42. Light beams may be fed from each display 41 through its associated preparation optical device 42 to the top and bottom ends of the relay optical device 43. In some alternative embodiments, each display 41 and its corresponding preparation optical device 42 may be located on the side of the display portion 2, more specifically, on the side of the relay optical device 43 of the display portion 2.

[0068] exist Fig.9A In an embodiment of the present invention, the relay optical device can be a waveguide 93. The waveguide 93 can be a single layer or multi-layer structure that confines electromagnetic waves and allows electromagnetic waves of a few modes to propagate. The waveguide tube 93 can be a flat or curved panel. The waveguide 93 can be a transparent material with an embedded angled reflective surface to allow the light beam to exit through to the exit pupil. Alternatively, the exit surface of the waveguide 93 can include a surface characterized by a diffraction grating so that the light beam can be diffracted and exit from the waveguide. Alternatively, the waveguide 93 can be similar to a thin glass sheet so that the light beam is confined to electromagnetic waves of a few modes and is allowed to propagate along the exit surface of the waveguide.

[0069] Alternatively, Fig.9A The waveguide 93 in the embodiment of can be a light guide. The light guide can be similar to the above-mentioned waveguide in shape, size, material, characteristics, type or kind, orientation, position, number, components and component arrangement, except that the light guide can be a single-layer or multi-layer transparent panel so that the light beam is reflected only a few times before leaving the exit surface of the light guide.

[0070] exist Fig. 9B In an embodiment, the display portion 2 includes additional relay optics in the form of a free-form rear mask 94, so that the waveguide 93 can feed the light beam to the free-form rear mask 94 before the light beam is sent from the free-form rear mask 93 to the user through the exit pupil.

[0071] exist Fig. 9C In an embodiment of the present invention, the display portion includes a curved LCoS display 41. For example, the inner or intermediate surface of the curved LCoS display may be coated or covered with a preliminary optical device 42 in the form of a double convex lens array or a similar object. The inner or intermediate surface of the preliminary optical device 42 may be covered by a curved waveguide 95. The preliminary optical device may be in the form of a curved FE cavity or a similar object. In at least some cases where the beam of light from the display may be directional, the display portion 2 may not include a waveguide or other similar related relay optical device with a reflective curved surface.

[0072] Figures 10A to 10EAnother set of embodiments of the technology described herein is shown. Fig. 10A In an embodiment, the display portion 2 includes one or more spatial mapping and positioning sensors 108, each of which may include one or more stereo cameras, time-of-flight cameras, depth cameras and / or any other modules capable of providing depth and / or mapping information. These sensors 108 can, in particular, obtain position and / or orientation information of the display portion 2. In addition, the embodiment may include an eye tracking module, a head tracking module and / or other modules that provide or utilize information about the user's head and / or gaze position to adjust and / or calibrate the image or manipulate the rendering data. For example, the output of these sensors 108 can be used for user interaction with the display, or for adjusting content based on the position of the display. A more specific example is a display attached to a rotating office chair (see, for example Fig. 11B and 11C ), and when the user rotates the chair, the content of the display changes digitally based on the positioning data given by the sensor 108. This provides a digital extension to the physical size of the display and can be used to place different digital files in different locations. Another example is where the light field provides a 3D object that can be interacted with by the viewer, and where the sensor 108 can be used to capture and feed back information about the interaction to the display system to determine what should be displayed to the user.

[0073] exist Fig. 10B In the embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 (which may be similar to the display portions of other embodiments discussed above) is connected to a shoulder rest 110 via one or more rigid members 111 or the like. The shoulder rest 110 may be similar to, for example, shoulder straps commonly found in objects such as backpacks. In addition, the shoulder rest may contain a computer 45 ( Figure 4 ) or another computer (not shown) to help present the image. Alternatively, the shoulder rest 110 may include a necklace-like object (not shown) that can hold such a computer.

[0074] exist Fig. 10C In the embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 (which may be similar to the display portions of other embodiments) may be contained within the eyeglass-like structure 112. The display portion 2 may include a single continuous relay optical device that extends from one end of the user's field of view to the opposite end of the user's field of view, or from one eye of the user to the other eye of the user. The three-dimensional perception may be provided by an autostereoscopic mechanism applied to a single display.

[0075] exist Fig. 10D In the embodiment of the present invention, the display portion 2 (which may be similar to the display portion of other embodiments) may be attached to the tablet or notebook computing device 114 by one or more rigid members so that the display portion 2 may be retracted into or against the tablet or notebook computing device 114. Fig.10EIn a variation of the embodiment shown, the content engine for the display may be included in a smart device 115, such as a cell phone, tablet computer, portable screen panel, or other similar object.

[0076] Figures 11A to 11C Another set of embodiments of the technology described herein is shown. Fig.11A In the embodiment of the present invention, the base 5 of the support 3 can be attached or mounted to a bed or other similar object so that the user can lie down when using the display system. Fig. 11B In an embodiment of the present invention, the support 3 can be attached to or mounted to the headrest or backrest of a chair 119, sofa, or other similar object to allow a user to use the technology described herein without a table or stand, on which the base of the support can rest. In some embodiments, the display system can include other sensors and / or mechanical actuators, wherein the movement of the chair can be synchronized with the image content displayed from the display portion in a manner similar to an amusement park ride. Fig. 11B In a variation of the embodiment, Fig. 11C As shown, the display portion 2 can be worn on the user's face like glasses while being supported by and / or suspended from the support 3 in the same manner.

[0077] Fig.12 Yet another embodiment is shown in which the display portion 2 includes wearable glasses 122 worn by the user. The wearable glasses 122 may be simple lenses. Alternatively, the wearable glasses 122 may include cross-polarization films on the lenses to provide three-dimensional content conjugated with a screen that encodes stereoscopic information into different polarizations. Alternatively, the wearable glasses 122 may include multiple lenses in series, which may increase the depth of field so that the user's head may be moved closer and / or further away from the display portion without losing optical focus.

[0078] Examples of Certain Embodiments

[0079] Certain embodiments of the techniques described herein are summarized in the following numbered examples:

[0080] 1. A display system comprising: a display arranged to emit or transmit light that together forms a first image; and an optical subsystem optically coupled to the display and arranged to configure the light from the display into a single continuous light field that forms a virtual image based on the first image and simultaneously surrounds both eyes of a human viewer when the human viewer is viewing the virtual image, such that an apparent size of the display to the human viewer is at least twice an actual size of the display, with the display and the optical subsystem positioned at least 10 cm from the eyes of the human viewer.

[0081] 2. A display system as described in Example 1, the display system having an intended viewing point for a human viewer that is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display.

[0082] 3. A display system as described in Example 1 or Example 2, arranged to provide a field of view of at least 45 degrees diagonally.

[0083] 4. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 3, arranged so that the monocular depth of the virtual image from the human viewer is greater than the actual depth of the display from the human viewer.

[0084] 5. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 4, arranged so that the monocular depth of the virtual image from the human viewer is at least five (5) times the actual depth of the display from the human viewer.

[0085] 6. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 5, arranged so that the light field forms an image in a continuous spatial region that spans at least 20 cm horizontally in the visual reference frame of a human viewer, and each eye of the human viewer can detect the monocular depth of the display anywhere in the continuous spatial region.

[0086] 7. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the optical subsystem includes a curved mirror to generate the light field as a concentric light field.

[0087] 8. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the optical subsystem includes a conjugate, diffractive or nanostructured mirror.

[0088] 9. A display system as described in any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the optical subsystem includes: a preparation optical device arranged to adjust the size or depth of the virtual image; and a relay optical device arranged to receive light from the preparation optical device and relay the light to an exit pupil of the display system.

[0089] 10. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the preparation optical device includes a layer that performs directional optical transmission at a pass angle of less than 100 degrees.

[0090] 11. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the preparation optical device includes a field evolution (FE) cavity, by which the trajectory of the light beam is modulated to modify the focal plane of the virtual image.

[0091] 12. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the FE cavity is arranged to set different parts of the display to different depths.

[0092] 13. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 12, wherein the preliminary optical device includes a lenslet array.

[0093] 14. The display system of any one of Examples 1 to 13, further comprising an adjustable arm, wherein the display and the optical subsystem are housed within the display portion, and the display portion is suspended from one end of the adjustable arm.

[0094] 15. The display system of any one of Examples 1 to 14, wherein the adjustable arm comprises a plurality of members capable of adjusting the adjustable arm.

[0095] 16. The display system as described in any one of Examples 1 to 15 further includes: a sensor module for acquiring position or orientation information of the display system; and a processor for modifying the image based on the position or orientation information of the display system.

[0096] 17. A display system as described in any one of Examples 1 to 16, further comprising a display portion comprising a display and an optical subsystem; wherein the display is flat and is arranged near and outside the field of view of the display system to emit or transmit light into the field of view; and wherein the optical subsystem comprises: a curved mirror formed or arranged on an inner rear surface of the display portion; and a beam splitter arranged within the field of view at an acute angle relative to the output surface of the display, the beam splitter being arranged to reflect light from the display toward the curved mirror so that the curved mirror reflects the light back to the beam splitter, which then transmits the light reflected by the curved mirror toward an exit pupil of the display system.

[0097] 18. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 16, wherein the display is curved and positioned to be in the line of sight of a human viewer when the human viewer is viewing the display; and wherein the optical subsystem includes: a pair of curved quarter-wave plates disposed closer to an intended viewing position of the human viewer than the display, at least one of the curved quarter-wave plates adjacent to the display, and a curved half-mirror disposed between the quarter-wave plates in the intended line of sight of the human viewer.

[0098] 19. A display system as described in Example 18, wherein the optical subsystem further includes: a curved liquid crystal plate disposed on a surface of one of the quarter-wave plates closest to an expected viewing position of a human viewer; and a curved polarizing element disposed on a surface of the liquid crystal plate.

[0099] 20. A display system as described in any one of Examples 1 to 19, further comprising: an adjustable arm comprising a plurality of components to allow adjustment of the position of the adjustable arm; and a display portion comprising a display and an optical subsystem, connected to the adjustable arm and suspended from the adjustable arm, so that the position and orientation of the display portion are adjustable.

[0100] 21. A display system as described in any one of Examples 1 to 20, further comprising a base, to which the display portion is or can be connected, the base being designed to be removably attached to a piece of furniture.

[0101] 22. A display system as described in any of Examples 1 to 21, further comprising a base, to which the display portion is or can be connected, the base being designed to be removably attached to the torso of a human viewer.

[0102] 23. A display system comprising: a display arranged to emit or transmit light that together forms a first image based on image content from a content engine; and an optical subsystem optically connected to the display, comprising a curved mirror and a passive directional optical element optically connected to the curved mirror, the optical subsystem arranged to configure the light from the display into a single continuous concentric light field that forms a virtual image based on the first image and is capable of simultaneously detecting monocular depth by each eye of a human viewer, the light field enabling the display system to have a designed viewing point for a human viewer that is at least 10 cm away from the display and no more than 60 cm away from the display and provides a field of view of at least 45 degrees diagonally, the light field further enabling, when the human viewer is located at the designed viewing point, the monocular depth of the virtual image to be greater than the actual depth of the display, and the apparent size of the display to the human viewer to be at least twice the actual size of the display.

[0103] 24. A display system as described in Example 23, wherein the optical subsystem includes a curved mirror to produce a concentric light field.

[0104] 25. A display system as described in Example 23 or Example 24, wherein the optical subsystem includes: a preparation optical device arranged to adjust the size or depth of the virtual image; and a relay optical device arranged to receive light from the preparation optical device and relay the light to an exit pupil of the display system.

[0105] 26. A display system as described in any one of Examples 23 to 25, wherein the preparation optical device includes a field evolution (FE) cavity, and the trajectory of the light beam is modulated or changed by the field evolution cavity to modify the focal plane of the virtual image.

[0106] 27. A method for displaying content through a display system, the method comprising: acquiring an electronic signal indicative of a first image in the display system; generating light rays from a display in the display system that together form the first image; and configuring the light rays into a single continuous light field that simultaneously surrounds both eyes of a human viewer and forms a virtual image based on the first image, the light field enabling each eye of the human viewer to simultaneously detect monocular depth, the light field enabling an apparent size of the display to the human viewer to be at least twice the actual size of the display, and the display being positioned at least 10 cm from the eyes of the human viewer.

[0107] 28. The method of example 27, wherein for a human viewer, the best viewing point of the image is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display.

[0108] 29. The method of Example 27 or Example 28 further comprises using a field evolution (FE) cavity to modulate the trajectory of the light beam to modify the focal plane of the virtual image.

[0109] 30. A method as described in any of Examples 27 to 29, wherein processing the light includes using a conjugate, diffractive, or nanostructured curved mirror.

[0110] 31. A display system comprising: means for acquiring electronic signals indicative of a first image; means for generating light rays that together form the first image; and means for configuring the light rays into a single continuous light field that simultaneously surrounds both eyes of a human viewer and forms a virtual image based on the first image, the light field enabling each eye of the human viewer to simultaneously detect monocular depth, the light field causing the apparent size of the display to the human viewer to be at least twice the actual size of the display, with the display positioned at least 10 cm from the eyes of the human viewer.

[0111] 32. A display system as described in Example 31, wherein for a human viewer, the best viewing point of the image is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display.

[0112] 33. A display system as described in Example 31 or Example 32, further comprising a device for modulating the trajectory of a light beam using a field evolution (FE) cavity to modify the focal plane of a virtual image.

[0113] 34. A display system as described in any of Examples 31 to 33, wherein the device for processing light includes a conjugate, diffractive or nanostructured curved mirror.

[0114] Any or all of the features and functions described above may be combined with each other, except to the extent that may be otherwise stated above or to the extent that any such embodiments are incompatible due to their functions or structures, which will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless contrary to physical possibility, it is contemplated that (i) the methods / steps described herein may be performed in any order and / or in any combination, and (ii) the components of the various embodiments may be combined in any manner.

[0115] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and acts are intended to fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising: a display arranged to emit or transmit light that together forms a first image; as well as an optical subsystem optically coupled to the display and arranged to configure light from the display into a single continuous light field that forms a virtual image based on the first image and that simultaneously surrounds both eyes of a human viewer when the human viewer is viewing the virtual image, such that an apparent size of the display to the human viewer is at least twice an actual size of the display, with the display and the optical subsystem positioned at least 10 cm from the eyes of the human viewer, wherein the display system is arranged to provide a field of view of at least 45 degrees diagonally.

2. The display system of claim 1 having an intended viewing point for a human viewer that is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display.

3. A display system as claimed in claim 1, arranged so that light from the display is incident twice on a particular surface of a component of the optical subsystem.

4. A display system as claimed in claim 1 arranged so that the monocular depth of the virtual image from a human viewer is greater than the actual depth of the display from the human viewer.

5. A display system as claimed in claim 4 arranged so that the monocular depth of the virtual image from a human viewer is at least five (5) times the actual depth of the display from the human viewer.

6. The display system of claim 1 , arranged so that the light field forms the image in a continuous spatial region that spans at least 20 cm horizontally in a visual reference frame of a human viewer, and each eye of the human viewer is able to detect a monocular depth of the display anywhere within the continuous spatial region.

7. The display system according to claim 1, wherein: The optical subsystem includes a curved mirror to produce the light field as a concentric light field.

8. The display system according to claim 1, wherein: The optical subsystem includes a conjugate, diffractive or nanostructured mirror.

9. The display system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The optical subsystem comprises: preparation optics arranged to adjust the size or depth of the virtual image; and Relay optics are arranged to receive light from the preparation optics and relay the light to an exit pupil of the display system.

10. The display system according to claim 9, wherein: The preparation optics include layers that perform directional optical transmission at a pass angle of less than 100 degrees.

11. The display system according to claim 9, wherein: The preparation optics comprises a field evolving cavity by which the trajectory of the light beam bundle is modulated to modify the focal plane of the virtual image.

12. The display system according to claim 11, wherein: The field evolving cavities are arranged to place different parts of the display at different depths.

13. The display system according to claim 9, wherein: The preliminary optics include an array of lenslets.

14. The display system of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable arm, wherein: The display and optical subsystem are housed within a display portion, and the display portion is suspended from one end of the adjustable arm.

15. The display system according to claim 14, wherein: The adjustable arm includes a plurality of members capable of adjusting the adjustable arm.

16. The display system of claim 1, further comprising: A sensor module, used to obtain position or orientation information of the display system; as well as A processor is configured to modify the image based on position or orientation information of the display system.

17. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a display portion including the display and the optical subsystem; in, The display is flat and arranged near and outside the field of view of the display system to emit or transmit light into the field of view; and Wherein, the optical subsystem comprises: a curved mirror formed or disposed on an inner rear surface of the display portion; and A beam splitter is disposed within the field of view at an acute angle relative to an output surface of the display, the beam splitter being arranged to reflect light from the display toward the curved mirror so that the curved mirror reflects the light back to the beam splitter, which then transmits the light reflected by the curved mirror toward an exit pupil of the display system.

18. The display system according to claim 1, wherein: The display is curved and positioned to be in the line of sight of a human viewer when the human viewer is viewing the display; and Wherein, the optical subsystem comprises: a pair of curved quarter wave plates disposed closer to an intended viewing position of a human viewer than the display, at least one of the curved quarter wave plates being adjacent to the display, and A curved half mirror is placed between the quarter wave plates in the expected line of sight of a human viewer.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein: The optical subsystem further comprises: a curved liquid crystal panel disposed on a surface of one of the quarter wave plates closest to an expected viewing position of a human viewer; and A curved polarizing element is disposed on the surface of the liquid crystal panel.

20. The display system of claim 1, further comprising: an adjustable arm including a plurality of members to allow adjustment of the position of the adjustable arm; as well as A display portion, including the display and optical subsystem, is coupled to and suspended from the adjustable arm such that the position and orientation of the display portion is adjustable.

21. The display system of claim 1 further comprising a base, the display portion including the display and the optical subsystem being coupled or capable of being coupled to the base, the base being designed to be removably attachable to a piece of furniture.

22. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a base to which a display portion including the display and optical subsystem is coupled or capable of being coupled, the base being designed to be removably attached to a torso of a human viewer.

23. A display system comprising: a display arranged to emit or transmit light that collectively forms a first image based on image content from the content engine; as well as An optical subsystem optically coupled to a display, comprising a curved mirror and a passive directional optical element optically coupled to the curved mirror, the optical subsystem being arranged to configure light from the display into a single continuous concentric light field that forms a virtual image based on a first image and is capable of simultaneously detecting monocular depth by each eye of a human viewer, the light field causing the display system to have a designed viewing point for the human viewer that is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display and providing a field of view of at least 45 degrees diagonally, the light field further causing, when the human viewer is located at the designed viewing point, the monocular depth of the virtual image to be greater than the actual depth of the display, and the apparent size of the display to the human viewer to be at least twice the actual size of the display.

24. The display system of claim 23, wherein: The optical subsystem includes a curved mirror to generate the concentric light field.

25. The display system of claim 24, wherein: The optical subsystem comprises: preparation optics arranged to adjust the size or depth of the virtual image; and Relay optics are arranged to receive light from the preparation optics and relay the light to an exit pupil of the display system.

26. The display system of claim 25, wherein: The preparation optics include a field evolving cavity by which the trajectory of the light beam is modulated or changed to modify the focal plane of the virtual image.

27. A method for displaying content by a display system, the method comprising: acquiring, in a display system, an electronic signal indicative of a first image; generating light rays from a display in a display system that together form a first image; as well as The light rays are arranged into a single continuous light field to provide a field of view of at least 45 degrees diagonally, the light field simultaneously encompassing both eyes of a human viewer and forming a virtual image based on the first image, the light field enabling each eye of the human viewer to simultaneously detect monocular depth, the light field causing an apparent size of the display to the human viewer to be at least twice an actual size of the display, with the display being positioned at least 10 cm from the eyes of the human viewer.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein: For a human viewer, the best viewing point of the image is at least 10 cm from the display and no more than 60 cm from the display.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising using a field evolving cavity to modulate the trajectory of a light beam to modify a focal plane of the virtual image.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein: Manipulation of light includes the use of conjugate, diffractive or nanostructured curved mirrors.

Images