Augmented reality device

Abstract

The application discloses an augmented reality device, which comprises a support, a projection module arranged on the support and comprising at least a projection lens, and an optical waveguide arranged on the support and coupled with image light projected from the projection lens. The support is configured in a split type, comprising a first support and at least one second support which are independent of each other. The first support is connected with the projection module and the optical waveguide, and the second support is connected with at least the optical waveguide. The first support and the second support are respectively located on two sides of the optical waveguide and are respectively spaced from the optical waveguide by a first side gap and a second side gap. The augmented reality device with the split type support can flexibly adjust and determine the optimized relative position between the optical waveguide and the support, and then fix the optimized relative position by applying glue in the gap. The application effectively balances the adverse effects caused by the deformation of the adhesive material after solidification on the optical waveguide, and promotes the incident light and the surface of the optical waveguide to form a suitable coupling-in angle to obtain the best image quality.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application number "202010871981.2". The original application was filed on August 26, 2020, and the invention was entitled "Augmented Reality Device Assembly Method and Augmented Reality Device". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of optical imaging technology, and more particularly to an assembly method for augmented reality devices and an augmented reality device. Background Technology

[0003] Augmented Reality (AR) technology includes solutions using light sources, projection lenses, and waveguides, as well as the traditional Birdbath solution. Traditional Birdbath solutions are less popular with consumers due to their larger size, limited field of view, and relatively poor user experience. Waveguide solutions, on the other hand, are more compact and aesthetically pleasing because only one waveguide is needed in front of the user, resulting in a better user experience.

[0004] Schemes employing optical waveguides typically include an optical engine and an optical waveguide. The optical engine projects the image onto the waveguide, which then performs two-dimensional pupil expansion before projecting the image into the human eye. The image quality projected by the optical engine directly determines the image quality received by the human eye, and the waveguide also has angular requirements for the received light rays when expanding the pupil. Existing technologies usually use purely physical alignment to adjust the relative positions of the optical engine and the waveguide during assembly. This results in the final optical quality not necessarily being optimal. In particular, numerous optical components, such as the optical engine and waveguide, have accumulated errors during assembly, and their own processing and manufacturing also contain errors or accumulated errors to some extent. These factors can all adversely affect the final projected image quality, causing some degree of distortion in the image projected to the human eye.

[0005] The content described in this section is for the purpose of understanding this application and should not be assumed to be prior art simply because it is included in this section. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides an augmented reality device assembly method and an augmented reality device, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other issues.

[0007] First, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling an augmented reality device is provided. The augmented reality device includes a support, a projection module, and an optical waveguide. The projection module includes a housing, a light source, a display unit, a light-converting unit, and a projection lens. The display unit is used to modulate incident light into image light. The light-converting unit is used to redirect light emitted from the light source to the display unit and redirect the image light modulated from the light source to the projection lens for outward projection and coupling into the optical waveguide. The method for assembling the augmented reality device includes the following steps:

[0008] One of the projection module, the optical waveguide, and the bracket to be assembled is fixed in position, and the other two are arranged in their respective preset positions relative to it, so that there is a gap between the display unit and the housing, and / or between the optical waveguide and the bracket, for adjusting their relative positions.

[0009] The projection module projects image light.

[0010] The system receives the emitted image coupled from the optical waveguide and determines whether it meets a preset standard. If it does not meet the standard, the relative position is adjusted until an optimized relative position is determined that makes the emitted image meet the preset standard. If it meets the standard, the optimized relative position is maintained.

[0011] The optimized relative positions are fixed at least by means of adhesive application.

[0012] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the bracket is fixed in position, the optical waveguide is fixed in position relative to the bracket, and the projection module is arranged in its preset position relative to the bracket.

[0013] The emitted image is received at the exit pupil position of the optical waveguide and it is determined whether it meets a first preset standard, thereby adjusting and determining the optimized relative position between the display unit and the housing; and

[0014] The emitted image is received at the exit pupil position and it is determined whether it meets the second preset standard, so as to adjust and determine the optimal relative position between the optical waveguide and the bracket.

[0015] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the first preset standard includes whether the image quality of the received outgoing image meets preset requirements, and the second preset standard includes whether the brightness of the received outgoing image meets preset image brightness uniformity requirements and whether the angle of the exit pupil light meets preset angle requirements.

[0016] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the bracket is fixed in position, and the optical waveguide and the projection module are arranged relative to the bracket in their respective preset positions;

[0017] The emitted image is received on the light output path of the optical waveguide, and then it is simultaneously determined whether it meets the respective preset standards of the projection module and the optical waveguide, so as to synchronously adjust and determine the optimized relative position between the display unit and the housing, and the optimized relative position between the optical waveguide and the bracket.

[0018] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the image light projected by the projection module includes image quality data and image position and angle data. The image quality data includes resolution data. The preset standard at the projection module includes whether the parameters related to the display unit obtained based on the image quality data of the received outgoing image meet preset requirements. The preset standard at the projection module includes whether the image position and angle data of the received outgoing image meet their respective preset requirements.

[0019] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the adjustment amount of the relative position is obtained by calculating the aberration of the received outgoing image, and then the relative position between the display unit and the housing, and / or the relative position between the optical waveguide and the bracket are adjusted in real time in six degrees of freedom based on the adjustment amount.

[0020] Optionally, in the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, the augmented reality device assembly method further includes the step of:

[0021] One or more prisms are disposed between the projection module and the optical waveguide, so that the image light output from the projection module is refracted by the prisms and then coupled into the optical waveguide.

[0022] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, a receiving portion is provided on the outer wall of the housing to receive the display unit, and a first gap is formed between the display unit and the outer wall of the housing located outside the receiving portion for adjusting their relative position; and / or

[0023] A receiving space is provided on the bracket, and when the optical waveguide is partially inserted into the receiving space, a second gap is formed between the optical waveguide and the inner wall of the receiving space for adjusting their relative position.

[0024] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the housing is configured to include:

[0025] A first housing, connected to the bracket and having at least a first opening, is provided within the first housing; and

[0026] The second housing is connected to the bracket and has at least a second opening and a third opening. The second opening is configured to fit the first opening so that the second housing and the first housing are detachably and sealed together. The light-converting unit is housed in the second housing. The projection lens is arranged at the third opening and mounted on the second housing. The receiving portion is provided on the outer wall of the second housing or the first housing.

[0027] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the housing is configured to include:

[0028] A first housing, connected to the bracket, and having space for accommodating the light source and the light-converting unit, the first housing having at least one opening, at which the projection lens is mounted; and

[0029] The second housing is configured to be detachably and sealingly joined to the first housing, and the receiving portion is disposed on the outer wall of the second housing.

[0030] In the augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, optionally, the display unit includes a substrate and a chip attached to the substrate, the display unit is bonded to the housing through the substrate, and / or the adhesive thickness between the display unit and the housing is in the range of 0.1-0.6 mm.

[0031] Additionally, according to another aspect of the invention, it also provides an augmented reality device comprising:

[0032] support;

[0033] A projection module, mounted on the bracket, includes a housing, a light source, a display unit, a light-converting unit, and a projection lens. The display unit modulates incident light into image light, and the light-converting unit redirects light emitted from the light source to the display unit and redirects the modulated image light to the projection lens for outward projection.

[0034] An optical waveguide, mounted on the bracket and coupled to the image light projected from the projection lens.

[0035] The display unit and the housing, and / or the optical waveguide and the bracket, have gaps for adjusting their relative positions, so as to fix them at least by adhesive application to an optimized relative position determined during assembly, wherein the optimized relative position is determined to ensure that the emitted image received during assembly and coupled from the optical waveguide conforms to a preset standard.

[0036] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, a receiving portion for accommodating the display unit is provided on the outer wall of the housing, and a first gap for adjusting the relative position therebetween is formed between the display unit and the inner wall of the receiving portion; and / or

[0037] The bracket is provided with a receiving space. When the optical waveguide is partially inserted into the receiving space, a second gap is formed between the optical waveguide and the inner wall of the receiving space for adjusting their relative positions.

[0038] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the housing includes:

[0039] A first housing, connected to the bracket and having at least a first opening, is provided within the first housing; and

[0040] The second housing is connected to the bracket and has at least a second opening and a third opening. The second opening is configured to fit the first opening so that the second housing and the first housing are detachably and sealed together. The light-converting unit is housed in the second housing. The projection lens is arranged at the third opening and mounted on the second housing. The receiving portion is provided on the outer wall of the second housing or the first housing.

[0041] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the housing includes:

[0042] A first housing, connected to the bracket, and having space for accommodating the light source and the light-converting unit, the first housing having at least one opening, at which the projection lens is mounted; and

[0043] The second housing is configured to be detachably and sealingly joined to the first housing, and the receiving portion is disposed on the outer wall of the second housing.

[0044] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the display unit includes a substrate and a chip attached to the substrate, the display unit is bonded to the housing through the substrate, and / or the adhesive thickness between the display unit and the housing is in the range of 0.1-0.6 mm.

[0045] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, a limiting structure matching the limiting groove and the limiting post is provided between the housing and the bracket, and / or the housing and the bracket are assembled together at least by adhesive application.

[0046] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, at least one side of the optical waveguide is provided with an adhesive application area, and one or more through holes corresponding to the adhesive application area are provided on the bracket.

[0047] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the support includes:

[0048] An overflow section, which is connected to the gap, is used to contain adhesive material overflowing from the gap;

[0049] An overflow prevention section, located at the edge of the bracket, is used to prevent adhesive material from overflowing from the gap onto the optical waveguide; and / or

[0050] An adhesive reinforcement portion is disposed on the surface of the bracket and the optical waveguide opposite to each other, for increasing the contact area of ​​the adhesive material between the bracket and the optical waveguide.

[0051] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the support is configured as a split type, comprising a first support and at least one second support that are independent of each other, the first support being connected to the projection module and the optical waveguide, the second support being connected to at least the optical waveguide, the first support and the second support being located on opposite sides of the optical waveguide and respectively separated from the optical waveguide by a first side gap and a second side gap, the first side gap and the second side gap being equal or unequal.

[0052] Optionally, in the augmented reality device according to the present invention, the augmented reality device further includes one or more prisms disposed between the projection module and the optical waveguide, for causing the image light projected by the projection module to be refracted by the prisms and then coupled into the optical waveguide.

[0053] In the augmented reality device according to the present invention, optionally, the preset criteria include whether the image quality of the received outgoing image meets preset requirements, whether the brightness meets preset image brightness uniformity requirements, and whether the angle of the exit pupil light meets preset angle requirements.

[0054] This invention features a simple structure and process, and is convenient and efficient to assemble. It effectively avoids the adverse effects of accumulated errors in the assembly process of components in augmented reality devices, as well as errors or accumulated errors in their processing and manufacturing stages, on the final image quality. This allows augmented reality devices to achieve high-quality projected images, as well as high light energy utilization and brightness uniformity. This invention is highly practical and has high assembly efficiency, making it very suitable for large-scale production applications and significantly improving the quality of augmented reality devices. Attached Figure Description

[0055] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be understood that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and therefore need not be drawn to scale.

[0056] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of an augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention.

[0057] Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 These are three different three-dimensional structural diagrams of the augmented reality device according to the first embodiment of the present invention during assembly.

[0058] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the augmented reality device according to the first embodiment of the present invention after assembly.

[0059] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the projection module and a portion of the support frame in the first embodiment of the augmented reality device according to the present invention.

[0060] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The diagram shows the three-dimensional structure of the projection module in its decomposed state.

[0061] Figure 8 and Figure 9 They are Figure 6 The diagram shows a portion of the housing of the projection module, as well as two three-dimensional structures: the light-converting unit and the projection lens.

[0062] Figure 10 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a longitudinal side view of the projection module shown.

[0063] Figure 11 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the transverse side view structure of an alternative example of the projection module shown.

[0064] Figure 12 yes Figure 2The diagram shows a top view of the first embodiment of the augmented reality device, with an enlarged view of the gap and adhesive connection between the optical waveguide and the support located in region A of the diagram.

[0065] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a second embodiment of an augmented reality device according to the present invention.

[0066] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The diagram shows a top view of the second embodiment of the augmented reality device, which also enlarges the view of the gap and adhesive connection between the optical waveguide and the support located in region B of the figure. Detailed Implementation

[0067] First, it should be noted that the following will illustrate the steps, composition, structure, features, and advantages of the augmented reality device assembly method and augmented reality device according to the present invention by way of example; however, all descriptions should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way. In this document, the technical term "connected (or linked, etc.)" encompasses a specific component being directly connected to another component and / or indirectly connected to another component; the technical terms "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "vertical," "horizontal," and their derivatives should be used in relation to the orientation in the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that the present invention can take many alternative orientations; the technical terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for distinguishing purposes and are not intended to indicate their order or relative importance; the technical term "substantially" is intended to include non-substantial errors associated with the measurement of a specific quantity, such as ranges of ±8%, ±5%, or ±2% for a specific value.

[0068] Furthermore, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments herein, or any single technical feature shown or implied in the various figures, the present invention still allows for any combination or deletion among these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacle, thereby covering more embodiments according to the present invention. Additionally, for the sake of brevity, the same or similar parts and features may be indicated only in one or more places in the same figure, and general matters already known to those skilled in the art, such as various assembly tools, industrial cameras, and vision alignment devices that can be used in the assembly of augmented reality devices, are not elaborated upon herein.

[0069] According to the design concept of this invention, an assembly method for augmented reality devices is first provided. Compared with existing technologies, this method can effectively reduce or even eliminate the adverse effects of accumulated errors, especially in the processing, manufacturing, and assembly of various components, on the projected image quality of the augmented reality device, thereby significantly improving performance in terms of projected image quality, light energy utilization, and brightness uniformity. Specifically, firstly... Figure 1 The present paper exemplarily provides a general flow of an embodiment of an augmented reality device assembly method according to the present invention, and further... Figure 2-14 The present invention illustrates several specific examples of augmented reality devices according to the present invention, and the technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below through these embodiments.

[0070] Please see Figure 1 And in conjunction with other references Figure 2-14 The augmented reality device embodiment shown in this example assembly method can be assembled using steps S11 to S16 to form an augmented reality device, for example, having a support 10, a projection module 20, and a waveguide 30. In this augmented reality device, the projection module 20 may include a housing 21, a light source 22, a light-converting unit 23, a display unit 24, and a projection lens 25. The light-converting unit 23 is used to convert the light emitted from the light source 22 to the display unit 24, which then modulates the incident light into image light, which is then sent to the projection lens 25 for magnification before entering the waveguide 30. The waveguide 30 then expands the pupil before projecting the image onto the viewer's eye. The projection module 20 is fixed to the support 10. This invention does not limit the specific structure, size, or materials used in the projection module 20 and the support 10, nor does it limit the specific method of assembling them together (such as screwing, gluing, laser welding, or any combination thereof).

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown, in step S11, any one of the bracket 10, projection module 20, and waveguide 30 (e.g., the bracket) can be fixed in position first. Then, the other two components are arranged in their respective preset positions relative to the fixed component, thereby forming a preliminary relative positional relationship between the bracket 10, projection module 20, and waveguide 30. This creates a gap S1 between the display unit 24 in the projection module 20 and the housing 21, which can be used to adjust their relative positions (see [reference]). Figure 10 , Figure 11 ), and / or there is a gap S2 between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10 that can be used to adjust the relative position between the two (see Figure 12 , Figure 14 The following section will provide a more detailed explanation of the specific situations regarding the two types of gaps mentioned above.

[0072] Next, in step S12, image light can be projected using the projection module 20. As described above, the light source 22 in the projection module 20 can be turned on, and then the image light is processed by the light conversion unit 23, the display unit 24, and the projection lens 25 before being projected outward onto the optical waveguide 30. Figure 5As shown, the optical waveguide 30 is typically provided with a coupling-in region 31 and a turning and coupling-out region 32. The coupling-in region 31 is used to receive the image light projected by the projection module 20, so that it is transmitted in the optical waveguide 30 and then coupled out from the turning and coupling-out region 32 after two-dimensional pupil expansion.

[0073] For example Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, an image receiving device 50 can be used to replace the human eye to receive the emitted image coupled from the optical waveguide 30 at the human eye side. The image receiving device 50 can typically be an industrial camera, and its specific parameters are related to the augmented reality device to be assembled. The goal is to simulate the human eye as closely as possible, such as requiring a forward-facing entrance pupil, higher resolution, a field of view larger than that of the augmented reality device, and a distance of 1cm-2cm (simulating the distance of the human eye) between it and the optical waveguide 30.

[0074] In step S13, the imaging of the received emitted image can be analyzed to determine whether it meets the preset standard. If, after analysis, the received emitted image does not meet the preset standard, then since gaps S1 and / or S2 have been reserved in the previous steps, the operable space provided by the gaps can be used in step S14 to adjust the relative positions of the components in real time. For example, the adjustment method may include a six-axis adjustment operation (i.e., translation in the X / Y / Z axis direction and rotation around the X / Y / Z axis direction) until it can be determined that the currently received emitted image meets the preset standard, thereby determining the optimized relative position between the display unit 24 and the housing 21, and / or the optimized relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10.

[0075] Then, in step S15, the optimized relative position determined through the above process can be maintained so that it can be fixed in subsequent steps. This holding operation can be achieved with the help of the assembly tools used during the assembly process. The above real-time adjustment process may only require one or two operations to complete, although it may require more operations to achieve the desired result.

[0076] It should be noted that this invention does not impose any specific restrictions on the aforementioned preset standards, but rather allows for appropriate selection and flexible setting according to different application requirements. For example, only one standard can be selected, or two or more standards can be combined. For instance, when using the image receiving device 50 to receive images, the received outgoing image can be compared with a preset reference image used as a comparison benchmark (e.g., a cross image, a dot matrix, or any other suitable image, which can be placed on the camera lens of the image receiving device 50 or generated in the received image using software). If the positional relationship between the two can be determined to be aligned, then the image quality of the currently obtained outgoing image can be judged to meet the desired requirements. For example, after a cross image is projected from the projection module 20, the image receiving device 50 receives the cross image after it has passed through the optical waveguide 30, and then identifies and judges the relative positional relationship between it and the cross image in the image receiving device 50. When the two cross images fail to align, the direction and / or size that need to be adjusted can be determined, and then the corresponding relative position can be adjusted by using the adjustment space provided by the gap S1 or S2 (e.g., rotating around the X-axis and / or Y-axis, translating along the Z-axis, etc.) until the two cross images are aligned, thus ensuring that the augmented reality device has high projected image quality.

[0077] To illustrate further, as an optional scenario, the aforementioned preset standard could also be to determine whether the brightness of the emitted image received by the image receiving device 50 meets preset image brightness uniformity requirements, and whether the angle of the exit pupil light meets preset angle requirements. For example, when the brightness of the received emitted image does not meet the uniformity standard, the corresponding relative positions can be adjusted using the adjustment space provided by the gaps S1 or S2. For example, real-time calibration can be performed in the six degrees of freedom directions: X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, XOY plane, YOZ plane, and XOZ plane, until the brightness of the received emitted image reaches the expected target of brightness uniformity. This can, for example, enable the augmented reality device to have high brightness uniformity.

[0078] In addition, in some implementations, relative position adjustments can be made first based on the above-mentioned criteria for determining image alignment, and then the position can be adjusted again based on the above-mentioned criteria for determining brightness. Of course, without departing from the spirit of this application, the preset criteria in this invention are fully permitted to include any other suitable content.

[0079] like Figure 1As shown, by performing the above steps S11 to S15, the optimal relative position between the display unit 24 and the housing 21, and / or the optimal relative position between the waveguide 30 and the bracket 10 can be determined. Then, in step S16, the optimized relative positions between the above components can be fixed by, for example, applying adhesive to part or all of the gap S1 and / or the gap S2, thereby fixing them together and completing the assembly of the augmented reality device according to the present invention.

[0080] The above only illustrates the general processing steps of the method of the present invention. It should be understood that the method of the present invention can be flexibly implemented according to specific needs in different application scenarios, and therefore allows for more implementation methods based on actual application situations, rather than being limited to the method steps mentioned above.

[0081] For example, in some implementations, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it is advisable to first fix the position of the bracket 10, then fix the position of the optical waveguide 30 relative to the bracket 10, and then arrange the projection module 20 in its preset position relative to the bracket 10. Then, as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, for example, an image receiving device 50 can be used to receive the emitted image at the exit pupil position of the optical waveguide 30, and determine whether it meets a first preset standard (e.g., whether the image quality of the received emitted image meets preset requirements, etc.), so as to adjust and determine the optimal relative position between the display unit 24 and the housing 21. Next, the image receiving device 50 can continue to be used to receive the emitted image at the exit pupil position, and determine whether it meets a second preset standard (e.g., whether the brightness of the received emitted image meets preset image brightness uniformity requirements, whether the angle of the exit pupil light meets preset angle requirements, etc.), so as to adjust and determine the optimal relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10, in... Figure 5 The image shows an embodiment of an augmented reality device after it has been assembled.

[0082] In the above adjustment process, the relative position of the display unit 24 was adjusted first, and then the relative position of the optical waveguide 30 was adjusted. Since the optical waveguide 30 only serves to diffuse and transmit light, it has no effect on image quality (aberration). Therefore, even if the optical waveguide 30 is only in a preset position, the adjustment operation of the display unit 24 can still be performed by placing the image receiving device 50 at the exit pupil position of the optical waveguide 30. After the optimized relative position of the display unit 24 is determined, the optimized relative position of the optical waveguide 30 is then adjusted to achieve the expected goals, such as brightness uniformity under different viewing fields and the angle of the exit pupil light.

[0083] Using the above method, since the display unit 24 and the waveguide 30 are placed in preset positions before active calibration, the assembly of the bracket 10, projection module 20, and waveguide 30 can be completed at only one workstation. Simultaneously, the image receiving device 50 does not need to be moved, thus effectively improving assembly efficiency and accuracy. In contrast, if the waveguide 30 is not placed in its preset position during active calibration of the display unit 24, then the image receiving device 50 needs to be placed in the light-emitting path of the projection lens 25. Conversely, during active calibration of the waveguide 30, the image receiving device 50 needs to be placed in the light-emitting path of the waveguide 30, making the operation cumbersome and inconvenient. Furthermore, when the image receiving device 50 does not need to be placed in the light-emitting path of the projection lens 25, the bracket 10 does not need to have holes or notches in the light-emitting path of the projection lens 25, thus avoiding problems such as light leakage and increased processing costs.

[0084] For example, in some implementations, the bracket 10 can be fixed in position first, and then the optical waveguide 30 can be arranged in its preset position relative to the bracket 10, and the projection module 20 can also be arranged in its preset position relative to the bracket 10. Then, for example, an image receiving device 50 can be used to receive the emitted image on the light output path of the optical waveguide 30, and then simultaneously determine whether it meets the preset standards at the projection module 20 and the optical waveguide 30, so that the optimal relative position between the display unit 24 and the housing 21, and the optimal relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10 can be simultaneously adjusted and determined. That is to say, after processing the information contained in the projected image, not only can data for actively adjusting the display unit 24 be obtained, but also data for actively adjusting the optical waveguide 30 can be obtained. Alternatively, the image light projected from the projection module 20 can be configured to include not only image quality data (e.g., resolution data that can be resolved from black and white line pairs, black and white squares, etc.) but also image position and angle data, such as crosshair images. These two types of data are separated on the image. In this way, during adjustment operations, adjustment information for adjusting the display unit 24 and the waveguide 30 can be obtained by projecting a single image, thereby significantly improving adjustment efficiency.

[0085] Corresponding to the above method, the preset standard at the projection module 20 can be whether the parameters related to the display unit 24 obtained from the image quality data contained in the received outgoing image meet the preset requirements. The preset standard at the projection module 20 can be whether the image position and angle data contained in the received outgoing image meet their respective preset requirements.

[0086] Depending on the application, the method of the present invention may simultaneously provide both gap S1 and gap S2 discussed above, or it may only provide gap S1 or gap S2. In some embodiments of the method of the present invention, when a relative position adjustment operation is performed by means of gap S1 (or gap S2), the adjustment amount regarding the relative position can be obtained by calculating, for example, the aberration of the emitted image received by the image receiving device 50. Then, based on the calculated adjustment amount, the relative position between the display unit 24 and the housing 21 (or the relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10) is adjusted in real time in, for example, six degrees of freedom, until the received image meets the preset standard. This makes the adjustment operation more precise and the assembly efficiency higher.

[0087] For gap S1, in Figures 6 to 11 Several specific examples are given in the text. For instance, in... Figures 6 to 10In the example shown, a receiving portion 218 can be provided on the outer wall of the housing 21 of the projection module 20 to accommodate the display unit 24. During assembly, a gap S1 can be formed between the display unit 24 and the outer wall of the housing 21 located outside the receiving portion 218. This gap S1 can be used to provide space for active adjustment of the display unit 24, allowing for convenient and quick active calibration of the position of the display unit 24 from outside the housing 21. After the adjustment is completed, adhesive material can be applied at the gap S1 to fix the optimized position of the display unit 24. Another advantage of the above-described active calibration method for the display unit 24 is that the projection image can be kept horizontal and vertical after entering the human eye or the image receiving device 50 by rotating the display unit 24.

[0088] In the embodiments mentioned herein, the display unit 24 is optionally configured to have two parts, namely a substrate 241 and a chip 242 attached thereto (such as an LCOS chip, a DMD chip, etc.). The substrate 242 may be made of ceramic or metal to give it greater strength and heat dissipation performance. When the display unit 24 is fixed to the adjustment tool by clamping or picking up, the ceramic or metal substrate with greater strength will not easily deform. The substrate 242 may further include a circuit board for forming an electrical connection with the chip 242.

[0089] During assembly, the display unit 24 is fixed to the housing 21 by gluing the substrate 241 to it, thereby securing the relative position between the display unit 24 and other components (e.g., the bracket 10 or the waveguide 30). Alternatively, the adhesive thickness between the display unit 24 and the housing 21 can range from 0.05 to 1 mm; for example, in cases where the optical axes of the various optical components are highly aligned, the adhesive thickness can range from 0.1 to 0.6 mm. This means that after actively adjusting and determining the optimized relative positional relationship between the display unit 24 and the housing 21, there may be gaps of varying thicknesses along the length of the contact surface between the chip 242 and the housing 21. This results in adhesive material having unequal thicknesses at different locations. However, by adjusting the tilt angle of the chip 242, the adhesive material can be made to have a linear thickness at least in a portion of the adhesive bonding area. Furthermore, when the positions of the light-converting unit 23 and the display unit 24 are determined by machine vision recognition, the display unit 24 can be glued to the second housing 212 after an adhesive material is applied thereon. The adhesive thickness can be in the range of 0.01-0.1 mm. Alternatively, when fixing the display unit 24 with the adhesive material, the final glued portion can be formed into a ring shape to better seal the internal space of the housing 21 and prevent unwanted stray light, dust, etc. from entering the housing.

[0090] The housing 21 of the projection module 20 can have any suitable structural form as needed; for example, it can be a monolithic structure or a modular structure composed of multiple parts. Please refer to... Figures 6 to 10 The housing 21 can optionally be configured to have two parts, namely a first housing 211 and a second housing 212, to accommodate and support the various component parts. Specifically, an opening 213 can be provided on the first housing 211 to place the light source 22 inside the first housing 211 through the opening 213; the second housing 212 can optionally have a hexahedral structure as a whole, and openings 214 and 215 can be provided on the second housing 212. The opening 214 can be configured to fit with the opening 213, for example, a recess 217 and a protrusion 216 can be optionally provided at the opening 214 and the opening 213 respectively and matched with each other, so as to detachably seal the second housing 212 and the first housing 211 together to prevent light leakage.

[0091] The light-converting unit 23 is placed inside the second housing 212 to receive the input light emitted from the light source 22 located in the first housing 211 and output it to the projection lens 25. Specifically, it can take the form of a PDS prism, a TIR prism, etc. The projection lens 25 is mounted on the second housing 212 and arranged at the opening 215. This can be achieved using any feasible connection method, such as threaded connection, alignment via machine vision followed by adhesive fixation, or snapping onto the second housing 212 using a limiting structure (e.g., using matching limiting grooves and limiting posts) followed by adhesive fixation. Other components, such as the light source 22 and the light-converting unit 23, can also be fixed using the same or similar methods described above. Although the above figures show the receiving portion 218 located in the second housing 212, it should be noted that the present invention also allows the receiving portion 218 to be located on the outer wall of the first housing 211, for example, simply by rotating the light-converting unit 23 90 degrees to fit it. The first housing 211 and the second housing 212, which contain the above-mentioned components, will be connected to the bracket 10, for example, in Figure 7 An alternative connection method is shown, in which the first housing 211 and / or the second housing 212 can be fixed to the bracket 10 by applying an adhesive material to, for example, the groove structure 14 located on the bracket 10.

[0092] As another exemplary example, for example Figure 11As shown, the housing 21 can be constructed with a first housing 211' and a second housing 212'. The former, after assembly, is connected to the bracket 10 and provides space for accommodating the light source 22 and the light conversion unit 23. Depending on actual needs, one or more openings can be provided on the first housing 211', and the projection lens 25 can be mounted at one of the openings. The second housing 212' is constructed to engage with the first housing 211' to form a cover-like shape, and the receiving part 218 can be provided on the outer wall of the second housing 212'. With the above structure, the light source 22, the light conversion unit 23, etc., can be installed in the same structural component through slots or limiting methods, thereby eliminating the alignment step and improving assembly efficiency. Furthermore, since these optical elements are all installed in the same structural component, they have high optical axis consistency.

[0093] For gap S2, in Figure 12 and Figure 14 Specific examples are given in the text. As an example, a receiving space 11 can be provided on the bracket 10, and when the optical waveguide 30 is partially inserted into the receiving space 11, a gap S2 can be formed between the optical waveguide 30 and the inner wall of the receiving space. This provides space for position adjustment operations on the optical waveguide 30 (e.g., adjusting two, three, four, or five degrees of freedom, or performing active calibration on six degrees of freedom: Y-axis, X-axis, Z-axis, YOX plane, YOZ plane, and YOZ plane). After the optimized relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the bracket 10 is determined, their position can be fixed, for example, by applying adhesive material 60 within part or all of the gap S2.

[0094] In some embodiments of the method according to the present invention, when performing the adhesive application operation, this can be specifically achieved by providing adhesive application areas 33 (the specific shape, size, and layout of which can be flexibly set according to specific circumstances) at suitable positions on one or both sides of the optical waveguide 30, and providing one or more through holes 12 (the specific number, shape, size, and layout of which can also be selectively set) on the support 10 corresponding to the adhesive application areas 33. This allows the adhesive material 60 to be conveniently applied to the adhesive application areas 33 of the optical waveguide 30 through the through holes 12 and the gap S2 after determining the optimal relative position between the optical waveguide 30 and the support 10, thereby securing the optical waveguide 30 and the support 10 together as described above. Additionally, in some embodiments, the method of the present invention also allows the adhesive application operation to be performed from one or both sides, top, and / or bottom of the receiving space 11 connected to the gap S2. Of course, in other embodiments, it is also possible to combine these adhesive application methods discussed above.

[0095] To facilitate adhesive application, this invention allows for various possible structural optimizations of the support frame 10 in augmented reality devices. For example, alternatively, the support frame 10 can be configured with adhesive reinforcement, anti-overflow portions, and / or adhesive overflow portions. The adhesive reinforcement can be positioned on the surfaces of the support frame 10 opposite to the optical waveguide 30 to increase the adhesive contact area between them, thereby improving connection strength. As an example, the outer contour shape of the adhesive reinforcement can be configured as, but is not limited to, continuous triangular / serrated protrusions, rectangular protrusions, arcuate protrusions, or combinations thereof. For example… Figure 12 and Figure 14 As shown in the enlarged portions of parts A and B, the adhesive overflow section 13 is configured to communicate with the gap S2 to accommodate excess adhesive material that may overflow from the gap S2. In practical applications, the adhesive overflow section 13 can be constructed into a groove or other suitable shape. The anti-overflow section can be located at the edge of the support 10 to prevent adhesive material 60 from overflowing from the gap S2 onto the optical waveguide 30, thereby avoiding contamination of the optical area of ​​the optical waveguide 30.

[0096] Alternatively, the present invention also allows the support 10 to be constructed as a split structure, comprising a main body and additional parts, the latter being separate from the former and respectively disposed on both sides of the optical waveguide 30 and connected thereto. These additional parts are respectively separated from the optical waveguide 30 by a first side gap and a second side gap, which may be equal or unequal. Furthermore, it is understood that in practical applications, two, three, or more of the aforementioned additional parts may be provided simultaneously; such a design may be very advantageous in certain situations. Additionally, the additional parts can be further connected to the main body 2 using suitable structural connection methods, such as screws. Using the above split structure, double-sided adhesive bonding can be implemented more conveniently and flexibly, thereby effectively balancing the adverse effects of possible deformation of the adhesive material 60 after curing on the optical waveguide 30, thus promoting the incident light to form a suitable coupling angle with the surface of the optical waveguide 30 to obtain optimal output image quality.

[0097] The present invention does not impose any particular limitations on the specific type or curing method of the adhesive materials mentioned throughout this document. Any suitable adhesive material can be used, such as UV adhesives, thermosetting adhesives, UV thermosetting adhesives, or other types of adhesive materials that are cured using natural light or moisture. Furthermore, when an adhesive material has already been used to establish a connection, the present invention also allows for the application of one or more additional connection methods, such as, but not limited to, screw connections and magnetic connections.

[0098] Depending on the component composition of the augmented reality device itself, the method of the present invention allows for a wider range of possible implementations. As an example, for instance... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, when assembling this augmented reality device, one or more prisms 40 can be optionally mounted between the projection module 20 and the optical waveguide 30. These prisms 40 refract the light output from the projection module 20 before coupling it into the optical waveguide 30. This allows the projection module 20 and the optical waveguide 30 to be arranged in parallel, resulting in a more compact overall structure for the augmented reality device. Alternatively, the prisms 40 and the support 10 can be pre-connected using any suitable limiting structure, such as matching limiting grooves and limiting posts, and can be fixed to the support 10 using suitable methods such as adhesive bonding. Furthermore, in an optional configuration, the method of the present invention also allows the projection module 20 to be arranged on the same side of the optical waveguide 30 as the receiving position of the emitted image, or to be arranged on opposite sides.

[0099] Furthermore, according to the design concept of the present invention, an augmented reality device is also provided. This augmented reality device may include a support, a projection module, and an optical waveguide assembled as a single unit. A gap may be provided between the optical waveguide and the support, and / or between the display unit in the projection module and the housing. During the assembly of the support, projection module, and optical waveguide, an optimized relative position between the optical waveguide and the support (and / or between the display unit and the housing) can be adjusted and determined by determining whether the emitted image projected through the projection module and the optical waveguide meets a preset standard. This optimized relative position is then fixed, at least by applying adhesive within the aforementioned gaps, thereby assembling the augmented reality device according to the present invention.

[0100] exist Figures 2 to 14 Different embodiments of augmented reality devices, namely augmented reality device 100 and augmented reality device 200, have been described separately. As an example, in augmented reality device 100, the projection module 20 and the support 10 can be arranged along the X-axis and Y-axis respectively to form a vertical layout, with a double-sided gap between the optical waveguide 30 and the support 10; in augmented reality device 200, the projection module 20 and the support 10 can both be arranged along the Y-axis to form a parallel layout, with a double-sided gap between the optical waveguide 30 and the support 10 as well.

[0101] It should be noted that the augmented reality device according to the present invention can also adopt more configurations. For example, only a single-sided gap can be provided between the optical waveguide 30 and the support 10, or the support 10 can be configured as a split structure, and a double-sided gap can still be provided between it and the optical waveguide 30. Unless otherwise specified, features or structures using the same reference numerals in these different embodiments are the same or similar to each other. Since the composition, structure, assembly, and advantages of these augmented reality device embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing description of the method of the present invention, reference can be made directly to the specific description in the corresponding foregoing sections, and will not be repeated here.

[0102] As mentioned above, in the technical solution of the present invention, the inventors have considered that the adjustable relative positions between the components in the augmented reality device to be assembled can be actively adjusted based on preset standards. This can effectively avoid the adverse effects of individual or cumulative errors in the manufacturing, processing, and assembly of components such as projection modules, waveguides, brackets, and their constituent parts on the final projected image. This can solve existing technical problems such as the existence of some process errors in the grating etching of waveguides, deformation of the adhesive used during assembly causing angular deviations in incident light when entering the waveguide, and the possibility of large assembly errors in the numerous optical components in the projection module during installation. These problems lead to distortion of the projected image when it reaches the human eye, reduced efficiency of light transmission by the waveguide, and poor brightness uniformity.

[0103] Finally, it should be noted that although some existing augmented reality devices also use adhesive bonding to assemble components such as optical waveguides with their supports, and due to the volume of adhesive material, a certain gap is passively present in the adhesive area, as discussed above, these existing augmented reality devices do not, like this invention, address the issue that, due to various possible reasons, the input light after exiting through the projection module and optical waveguide may fail to form a projected image with good imaging quality, light energy utilization, and brightness uniformity. Especially under mass production conditions, by inspecting existing augmented reality devices, it can be found that they cannot be mass-produced like the augmented reality device of this invention, which can achieve optimization of the entire system path from the input light source to the final projected image output by the optical waveguide, thereby stably and reliably mass-producing augmented reality devices with characteristics such as good imaging quality, light energy utilization, and brightness uniformity. Through the above-mentioned inspection, the significant difference between the augmented reality device of this invention and existing augmented reality devices can be found, and the outstanding advantages of this invention over the prior art can be fully understood.

[0104] The above examples illustrate the assembly method and device for augmented reality according to the present invention. These examples are merely for explaining the principles and implementation of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, although sheet-like optical waveguides are commonly used in many augmented reality devices, the optical waveguides in this invention are also permitted to adopt any other suitable structural form, such as locally formed bumps or other shapes. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should fall within the scope of this invention and are defined by the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. An augmented reality device comprising: support; The projection module is mounted on the bracket and includes a housing, a light source, a display unit, a light-converting unit, and a projection lens. The display unit is used to modulate incident light into image light, and the light-converting unit is used to deflect the light emitted from the light source to the display unit and deflect the image light it modulates to the projection lens for outward projection. as well as An optical waveguide, mounted on the bracket and coupled to the image light projected from the projection lens. The feature is that there is a gap between the display unit and the housing, and / or between the optical waveguide and the bracket, for adjusting the relative position therebetween, so as to fix them at least by adhesive application to an optimized relative position determined during assembly, the optimized relative position being determined so that the emitted image received during assembly and coupled from the optical waveguide conforms to a preset standard. The bracket is configured as a split type, comprising a first bracket and at least one second bracket that are independent of each other. The first bracket is connected to the projection module and the optical waveguide, and the second bracket is connected to at least the optical waveguide. The first bracket and the second bracket are located on both sides of the optical waveguide and are respectively separated from the optical waveguide by a first side gap and a second side gap. The first side gap and the second side gap may be equal or unequal. The outer wall of the housing is provided with a receiving portion for accommodating the display unit, and a first gap is formed between the display unit and the inner wall of the receiving portion for adjusting their relative position; and / or The bracket is provided with a receiving space. When the optical waveguide is partially inserted into the receiving space, there are first side gaps and second side gaps between the two sides of the optical waveguide and the inner wall of the receiving space, which are used to adjust their relative positions.

2. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, A limiting structure matching the limiting groove and the limiting post is provided between the housing and the first bracket of the support, and / or the housing and the support are assembled together at least by adhesive application.

3. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, Adhesive material is provided in part or all of the first side gap and / or the second side gap.

4. The augmented reality device according to claim 3, wherein, At least one side of the optical waveguide is provided with an adhesive application area, and one or more through holes corresponding to the adhesive application area are provided on the bracket. The adhesive material is applied to the adhesive application area of ​​the optical waveguide through the through holes and the first side gap and / or the second side gap, thereby fixing the optical waveguide and the bracket together.

5. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, The support includes: An overflow section, which is connected to the first side gap and / or the second side gap, is used to contain adhesive material overflowing from the first side gap and / or the second side gap; An anti-overflow section, disposed at the edge of the bracket, is used to prevent adhesive material from overflowing from the first side gap and / or the second side gap onto the optical waveguide; and / or An adhesive reinforcement portion is disposed on the surface of the bracket and the optical waveguide opposite to each other, for increasing the contact area of ​​the adhesive material between the bracket and the optical waveguide.

6. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, The second bracket is connected to the first bracket by screws.

7. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, The housing includes: A first housing, connected to the bracket and having at least a first opening, is provided within the first housing; and The second housing is connected to the bracket and has at least a second opening and a third opening. The second opening is configured to fit the first opening so that the second housing and the first housing are detachably and sealed together. The light-converting unit is housed in the second housing. The projection lens is arranged at the third opening and mounted on the second housing. The receiving portion is provided on the outer wall of the second housing or the first housing. The display unit includes a substrate and a chip attached to the substrate. The display unit is bonded to the housing via the substrate. The substrate includes a circuit board for forming an electrical connection with the chip.

8. The augmented reality device according to claim 1, wherein, The housing includes: A first housing, connected to the bracket, and having space for accommodating the light source and the light-converting unit, the first housing having at least one opening, at which the projection lens is mounted; and The second housing is configured to be detachably and sealingly joined to the first housing, and the receiving portion is disposed on the outer wall of the second housing.

9. The augmented reality device according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The preset standards include whether the image quality of the received emitted image meets preset requirements, whether the brightness meets preset image brightness uniformity requirements, and whether the angle of the exit pupil light meets preset angle requirements.

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