Optical waveguide, method for manufacturing optical waveguide, and head-mounted display device

Abstract

To provide an optical waveguide, a manufacturing method for an optical waveguide, and a head mount display device.SOLUTION: An optical waveguide includes a first optical region and a second optical region, and transmits an image light flux. The optical waveguide includes a plate body, a plurality of first lightguide optical elements, and a plurality of optical microstructures. The first lightguide optical elements are disposed in parallel to each other on a lightguide plane inside the plate body. The lightguide plane exists in the first optical region, and a gap exists between the first lightguide optical elements. The image light flux is separated into a plurality of sub-image light fluxes after passing the lightguide plane, and the transmission routes of the sub-image light fluxes are different at least partially. An optical coupling out structure is disposed in the plate body and exists in the second optical region. Thus, the optical waveguide can provide the uniform image light flux. A head mount display device according to the present invention can provide an image screen with excellent quality. A manufacturing method for an optical waveguide according to the present invention can manufacture the optical waveguide that provides the uniform image light flux.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical structure, a method for manufacturing an optical structure, and an optical device, and more particularly to an optical waveguide, a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide, and a head mounted display device. [Background technology]

[0002] With the progress of display technology and people's desire for high technology, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are becoming more and more developed, and head mounted displays (HMDs) are displays that realize these technologies. The development history of head mounted displays dates back to the American military technology of the 1970s, when an optical projection system was used to project image or text information on a display element into the user's eyes. In recent years, as the resolution of microdisplays has become higher and smaller, and their size and energy consumption have become smaller, head mounted displays have also developed into portable display devices. In addition to the military field, the display technology of head mounted displays has also developed and taken an important position in related fields such as industrial production, simulation training, stereoscopic display, medicine, sports, navigation, and electronic games.

[0003] A type of conventional head mounted display device uses a waveguide element as an optical combiner that combines an image light beam from an optical device with an external ambient light beam. This waveguide element is mainly composed of a coupling-in prism, a light guide plate, and a coupling-out microstructure. Specifically, in this waveguide element, the image light beam is transmitted through the coupling-in prism into the waveguide plate, then transmitted by total reflection into the coupling-out region, and the image light beam is extracted from the waveguide plate by the coupling-out microstructure present in the coupling-out region.

[0004] However, since some image light beams are repeatedly transmitted inside the waveguide plate by total reflection many times, when the number of times of total reflection is different for image light beams containing specific image information, an opening (deviation) occurs between image light beams having the same specific image data. If this opening is relatively large, the opening when these image light beams having the same specific image information are coupled out from the waveguide plate by the coupling-out microstructure is also likely to be large. If the pupil of the human eye is located at the opening between the image light beams having the same specific image information, this part of the image light beam cannot be received, so this part of the image is missing in the image seen by the human eye. Therefore, the uniformity of the image reflected by the human eye is reduced, and the eyebox becomes smaller. Moreover, the larger the viewing angle of the optical device is, or when the thickness of the waveguide element is relatively large, the above phenomenon becomes more prominent. This not only affects the image quality, but also is disadvantageous to the design of a large viewing angle in the optical device design of a head-mounted display.

[0005] The "Background Art" section is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the contents disclosed in the "Background Art" may include some configurations other than the prior art known to those skilled in the art. The contents disclosed in the "Background Art" do not imply that the contents or the problems that one or more embodiments of the present invention are intended to solve were already understood or recognized by those skilled in the art prior to the filing of the present invention. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention provides a light guide that can provide a uniform image light flux.

[0007] The present invention provides a head mounted display device capable of providing a high quality image screen.

[0008] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a light guide that can produce a light guide that provides a uniform image light flux. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be further understood from the technical features disclosed in the present invention.

[0010] In order to achieve one, some or all of the above objects or other objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides a light guide, the light guide having a first optical region and a second optical region, transmitting an image light beam. The light guide includes a plate, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and a plurality of optical coupling-out structures. The plate has a light-entering side, and the first optical region is located between the light-entering side and the second optical region. A plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are arranged parallel to each other on a light-guiding plane inside the plate, the light-guiding plane is located in the first optical region, there is a gap between each of the first light-guiding optical elements, and the image light beam is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams after passing through the light-guiding plane, at least a part of the transmission path of the sub-image light beams is different, and the sub-image light beams are transmitted to the second optical region by total reflection in the first optical region. A plurality of optical coupling-out structures are arranged in the plate and located in the second optical region.

[0011] To achieve one, some or all of the above or other objectives, one embodiment of the present invention provides a head mounted display device disposed in front of at least one eye of a user, the head mounted display device including a display unit and the optical waveguide, the display unit providing an image light beam and the optical waveguide transmitting the image light beam to the at least one eye of the user.

[0012] To achieve one or some or all of the above or other objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a light guide, the light guide transmitting an image light beam, the method for manufacturing the light guide includes the following steps: provide a first structural layer, the first structural layer having a first plane; provide a second structural layer, the second structural layer having a second plane; form a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements on the first plane or the second plane, and there is a gap between each of the first light-guiding optical elements; bond the first structural layer and the second structural layer to bring the first plane and the second plane into contact with each other to form a light-guiding plane, the image light beam passing through the light-guiding plane is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams, the sub-image light beams have at least a part of different transmission paths and are transmitted in a total reflection manner in a first optical region.

[0013] According to the above, the embodiment of the present invention has at least one of the following advantages or effects. In the embodiment of the present invention, the image light beam is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams after passing through the light-guiding plane by the arrangement of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and the density and uniformity of the image light beams can be effectively improved. Therefore, the image light beams can be transmitted through the plate body through total reflection in a relatively dense manner, and can be transmitted to the second light-guiding optical element in the second optical region in a relatively dense manner. This increases the density and uniformity of the plurality of sub-image light beams leaving the light guide, which leads to improving the uniformity of the image seen by the human eye, and reduces the occurrence of image defects or dark areas. This allows the image screen transmitted to the human eye through the light guide in the head-mounted display device to have good uniformity and good image quality.

[0014] In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more clear and understandable, the following detailed description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a type of head-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is an exploded schematic diagram of the optical waveguide of FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement scheme of a first light-guiding optical element in the optical waveguide of FIG. 1A; [Figure 1D] 1B is a schematic diagram of a different arrangement of the first light-guiding optical element of the optical waveguide of FIG. 1A; [Figure 1E] 1B is a schematic diagram of a different arrangement of the first light-guiding optical element of the optical waveguide of FIG. 1A; [Figure 1F] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of another type of first light-guiding optical element of the optical waveguide of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1B is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an image beam through the type of optical waveguide of FIG. 1A; [Figure 2B] 2B is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a first optical region of the optical waveguide of FIG. 2A; [Figure 3A] 1B is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an image beam through the alternative optical waveguide of FIG. 1A. [Figure 3B] 2B is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a first optical region of the optical waveguide of FIG. 2A; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The above and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will be more clearly described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front or rear, only indicate the directions with reference to the drawings. Therefore, these directional terms are used for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present invention.

[0017] FIG 1A is a structural schematic diagram of a head mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG 1B is an exploded schematic diagram of the light guide of FIG 1A. FIG 1C to FIG 1E are schematic diagrams showing different arrangements of the first light-guiding optical element of the light guide of FIG 1A. Referring to FIG 1A and FIG 1B, in this embodiment, a head mounted display device 200 is disposed in front of at least one eye EY of a user. The head mounted display device 200 includes a display unit 210 and a light guide 100. The display unit 210 provides an image light beam IB, and the light guide 100 transmits the image light beam IB to at least one eye EY of the user.

[0018] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, in this embodiment, the optical waveguide 100 has a first optical region OR1 and a second optical region OR2, and transmits an image light beam IB. The optical waveguide 100 includes a plate 110, at least one coupling-in prism CL, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements 120, and a plurality of optical coupling-out structures 130. In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which the number of coupling-in prisms CL is one is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and in another embodiment, the number of coupling-in prisms may be multiple. In this embodiment, the optical coupling-out structure 130 is, for example, an optical microstructure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the optical coupling-out structure 130 may be, for example, a diffractive coupling-out structure such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a surface relief grating (SRG). The following description will be given assuming that the optical coupling-out structure 130 is an optical microstructure.

[0019] For example, the optical waveguide 100 can be manufactured, for example, by the following steps. First, as shown in FIG. 1B, a first structural layer 111 and a second structural layer 112 are provided. The first structural layer 111 has a first plane PS1 arranged corresponding to the first optical region OR1, a plurality of first inclined surfaces IS1 arranged corresponding to the second optical region OR2, and a plurality of first connecting surfaces LS1. Each first connecting surface LS1 of the first structural layer 111 is connected to a different end of the adjacent first inclined surface IS1 to form a first sawtooth structure ZS1, and the coupling-in prism CL and the first sawtooth structure ZS1 are respectively located on different opposing surfaces of the first structural layer 111. In addition, the second structural layer 112 also has a second plane PS2 arranged corresponding to the first optical region OR1, a plurality of second inclined surfaces IS2 arranged corresponding to the second optical region OR2, and a plurality of second connecting surfaces LS2, and each second connecting surface LS2 is connected to a different end of the adjacent second inclined surface IS2 to form a second sawtooth structure ZS2.

[0020] Then, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements 120 are formed on the first plane PS1 of the first structure layer 111 or the second plane PS2 of the second structure layer 112. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1C to FIG. 1E, in this embodiment, these first light-guiding optical elements 120 are formed on the second plane PS2 of the second structure layer 112, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment not shown, these first light-guiding optical elements 120 may be formed on the first plane PS1 of the first structure layer 111. In this embodiment, there is a space SP between each of the first light-guiding optical elements 120, and the space SP between the first light-guiding optical elements 120 may be adjusted based on the uniformity required for each image light beam IB. That is, the space SP between the first light-guiding optical elements 120 may be the same or different. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1C to FIG. 1E, the arrangement manner of these first light-guiding optical elements 120 may be a regular arrangement (for example, as shown in FIG. 1C to FIG. 1D) or a random arrangement (for example, as shown in FIG. 1E). In addition, in this embodiment, these first light-guiding optical elements 120 are, for example, mirror reflective layers, and the size of each of the first light-guiding optical elements 120 is less than 2 millimeters.

[0021] In addition, a plurality of second light-guiding optical elements 140 are formed on the first slope IS1 of the first structure layer 111 or the second slope IS2 of the second structure layer 112. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1C to FIG. 1E, in this embodiment, the second light-guiding optical elements 140 are formed on the second slope IS2 of the second structure layer 112, that is, each second light-guiding optical element 140 is formed on the corresponding second slope IS2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment not shown, the second light-guiding optical element 140 may be formed on the first slope IS1 of the first structure layer 111. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second light-guiding optical element 140 is a partially reflective layer, which can transmit a part of the image light beam IB and reflect another part of the image light beam IB. In this embodiment, since the first light-guiding optical element 120 and the second light-guiding optical element 140 are made of different materials, the steps of forming the first light-guiding optical element 120 and the second light-guiding optical element 140 may be performed in different process steps, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, when the first light-guiding optical element 120 and the second light-guiding optical element 140 are made of the same material, the steps of forming the first light-guiding optical element 120 and the second light-guiding optical element 140 may be the same process step. For example, in this embodiment, the steps of forming the first light-guiding optical element 120 and the second light-guiding optical element 140 may be performed by a patterning process using a method such as a mask process, photoresist development, or laser.

[0022] Then, a bonding layer 113 is provided to bond the first structure layer 111 and the second structure layer 112, and the first plane PS1 corresponds to the second plane PS2, the second inclined plane IS2 corresponds to the first inclined plane IS1, and the second connecting plane LS2 corresponds to the first connecting plane LS1, so that the first plane PS1 and the second plane PS2 contact each other to form a light-guiding plane PL, and the first sawtooth structure ZS1 and the second sawtooth structure ZS2 anastomosed to form a plurality of optical microstructures 130, and the second inclined plane IS2 and the first inclined plane IS1 contact each other to form a plurality of optical surfaces OP of the optical microstructure 130. In this way, when the first structure layer 111 and the second structure layer 112 are bonded, the plate body 110 of the optical waveguide 100, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements 120 and a plurality of optical microstructures 130 are formed. The bonding layer 113 is, for example, a glue, and the difference in refractive index between the bonding layer 113 and the first structural layer 111 is less than 0.01, and the difference in refractive index between the bonding layer 113 and the second structural layer 112 is less than 0.01.

[0023] 1A and 1B, the plate 110 of the formed optical waveguide 100 has a light incident side IL and a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 facing each other, and a first optical region OR1 is located between the light incident side IL and the second optical region OR2. A light-guiding plane PL formed by a first plane PS1 of the first structural layer 111 and a second plane PS2 of the second structural layer 112 is located in the first optical region OR1 of the optical waveguide 100, the light-guiding plane PL is located between the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 of the plate 110 and is parallel to the first surface S1 and the second surface S2, and a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements 120 are arranged parallel to the light-guiding plane PL inside the plate 110. In addition, the optical microstructure 130 formed by the first sawtooth structure ZS1 and the second sawtooth structure ZS2 is located in the second optical region OR2 of the optical waveguide 100, and an optical surface OP of the optical microstructure 130 is formed by a plurality of first inclined surfaces IS1 of the first structure layer 111 and a plurality of second inclined surfaces IS2 of the second structure layer 112, and the optical surface OP of each optical microstructure 130 is each inclined with respect to the light-guiding plane PL.

[0024] 1F is a schematic diagram of another first light-guiding optical element of the light guide of the present invention. In this embodiment, only one first light-guiding optical element 120 is disposed in the first optical region OR1 of the light guide 100, and the size of the first light-guiding optical element 120 is smaller than 2 mm. The arrangement of at least one first light-guiding optical element 120 can reduce the occurrence of image defects or dark areas.

[0025] 2A and 2B, the optical path of the image light beam IB as it passes through the optical waveguide 100 will be further described below.

[0026] FIG 2A is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an image light beam IB passing through a type of optical waveguide in FIG 1A. FIG 2B is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a first optical region of the optical waveguide in FIG 2A. Specifically, as shown in FIG 2A and FIG 2B, when the image light beam IB enters the plate 110 through the first surface S1 of the plate 110, the image light beam IB is reflected by the inclined surface of the coupling-in prism CL and then transmitted into the first optical region OR1 of the plate 110. And the image light beam IB is transmitted in the plate 110 by total reflection to the second optical region OR2 in which the second light-guiding optical element 140 is provided in the plate 110, and then coupled out (taken out) from the optical waveguide 100 through the second light-guiding optical element 140. That is, in this embodiment, the light input side IL is installed corresponding to the coupling-in prism CL to form a coupling-in area, the first optical area OR1 is a total internal reflection transmission area of ​​the image light beam IB, and the second optical area OR2 is a coupling-out area, which guides the image light beam IB from the first optical area OR1 and transmits it from the optical waveguide 100 to at least one eye EY of the user.

[0027] 2B , the image light beam IB passing through each first light-guiding optical element 120 is reflected by the first light-guiding optical element 120 to form a first partial image light beam IB1, and the image light beam IB passing through the space SP between two adjacent first light-guiding optical elements 120 forms a second partial image light beam IB2. In this way, the image light beam IB passing through the light-guiding plane PL has its transmission path changed depending on whether it is reflected by the first light-guiding optical element 120, and is further separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams SB. 2B, the image light beam IB passing through one of the first light-guiding optical elements 120 forms a first partial image light beam IB1, and the image light beam IB passing through one of the intervals SP forms a second partial image light beam IB2, and in the process of passing through the first optical region OR1, the first partial image light beam IB1 and the second partial image light beam IB2 obtained by being continuously separated by the first light-guiding optical element 120 can continue to form sub-image light beams SB, and at least a part of the transmission paths of these sub-image light beams SB are different, and are transmitted to the second optical region OR2 by a total reflection manner in the first optical region OR1. In this way, after the image light beam IB passes through the light-guiding plane PL, it is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams SB, and the density of the image light beam IB can be effectively increased.

[0028] 2A, when the sub-image light beams SB are transmitted to the optical surface OP of the optical microstructure 130 of the second optical region OR2, the second light-guiding optical elements 140 are located on the optical surface OP of the optical microstructure 130, so that the sub-image light beams SB are coupled out (extracted) from the light guide 100 by the second light-guiding optical elements 140 of the second optical region OR2. In this embodiment, the second light-guiding optical elements 140 are partially transmissive and partially reflective elements, and the second light-guiding optical elements 140 can transmit a part of each sub-image light beam SB and reflect another part of each sub-image light beam SB, so that a part of each sub-image light beam SB is transmitted through the second light-guiding optical elements 140 and then transmitted into the second optical region OR2 of the plate 110, and another part of each sub-image light beam SB is reflected by the second light-guiding optical elements 140 and then leaves the plate 110 from the second surface S2. Thus, the light guide 100 can transmit the image light beam IB to at least one eye EY of the user to display an image in the user's eye. In another embodiment, the second light-guiding optical element 140 is a specular reflection element, and at least a part of the sub-image light beam that is incident on the second light-guiding optical element 140 is reflected, while another part of the sub-image light beam that is not incident on the second light-guiding optical element continues to be transmitted within the second optical region and finally reflected by the second light-guiding optical element. Thus, after the sub-image light beam is reflected by the second light-guiding optical element, it leaves the plate from the second surface.

[0029] More specifically, the distance between the second light-guiding optical elements 140 must be defined based on the size of the pupil of the human eye. When the distance between the second light-guiding optical elements 140 is relatively small, the image light beam IB can be densely coupled out of the light guide 100 after passing through the second light-guiding optical elements 140 and transmitted into the human eye. For example, the second light-guiding optical elements 140 are, for example, optical film patterns, and the distance between two adjacent second light-guiding optical elements 140 is less than 4 mm, where the minimum distance means the distance from the center of one second light-guiding optical element to the center of another adjacent second light-guiding optical element 140. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A, in this embodiment, there may be a flat transmission area between each second light-guiding optical element 140, and the ambient light (not shown) can be transmitted through the light guide 100 and transmitted to at least one eye EY of the user, thereby realizing the function of augmented reality in the head-mounted display device 200. For example, ambient light (not shown) enters the light guide 100 from the first surface S1, passes through the flat transmission regions between the second light-guiding optical elements 140, and then leaves the light guide 100 from the second surface S2. In this embodiment, the distances between the second light-guiding optical elements 140 may be controlled to be equal, but may be different to adjust the uniformity of the brightness of the image viewed. The sizes of the second light-guiding optical elements 140 may be different to adjust the uniformity of the brightness of the image viewed.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first light-guiding optical element 120 in the first optical region OR1 is arranged so that the image light beam IB is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams SB after passing through the light-guiding plane PL, and the density and uniformity of the image light beam IB can be effectively improved. Therefore, the image light beam IB is transmitted to the second light-guiding optical element 140 in the second optical region OR2 in a relatively dense manner. This also increases the density and uniformity of the plurality of sub-image light beams SB leaving the light guide 100, thereby improving the uniformity of the image seen by the human eye and reducing the occurrence of image defects or dark areas. In this way, the image screen transmitted to the human eye through the light guide 100 in the head-mounted display device 200 has excellent uniformity and excellent image quality.

[0031] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of the light path of the image light beam IB passing through another type of light guide in FIG. 1A. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of the light path of the first optical region of the light guide in FIG. 3A. Referring to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the light guide 300 in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B is similar to the light guide 100 in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, but has the following differences. As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, in this embodiment, the first light-guiding optical element 320 of the light guide 300 is a partially reflective layer, so that, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the image light beam IB passes through each first light-guiding optical element 320, a part of the image light beam IB passes through each first light-guiding optical element 320 and passes through the space SP between two adjacent first light-guiding optical elements 320 to form a first sub-image light beam SB1, and another part of the image light beam IB is reflected by each first light-guiding optical element 320 to form a second sub-image light beam SB2. That is, when the image light beam IB passes through the first light-guiding optical element 320, the transmission path of a part of the image light beam IB is changed to form the second sub-image light beam SB2. In addition, as shown in Fig. 3B, the first sub-image light beam SB1 and the second sub-image light beam SB2 continue to be transmitted in the first optical region OR1 and separated into different first sub-image light beams SB1 and second sub-image light beams SB2, so that multiple sub-image light beams SB can be formed.

[0032] In this way, due to the arrangement of the first light-guiding optical element 320, the image light beam IB is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams SB after passing through the light-guiding plane PL of the light guide 300, and the density and uniformity of the image light beam IB can be effectively improved, and the light guide 300 can also provide the same effects and advantages as the light guide 100, but this will not be described here. In addition, when the light guide 300 is applied to the head mounted display device 200, the head mounted display device 200 can also provide the same effects and advantages, but this will not be described here.

[0033] To sum up, the embodiment of the present invention has at least one of the following advantages or effects: In the embodiment of the present invention, the first light-guiding optical element is arranged so that the image light beam is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams after passing through the light-guiding plane, and the density and uniformity of the image light beams can be effectively improved. Therefore, the image light beams are relatively densely transmitted through total reflection within the plate, and more diverse transmission paths are formed, so that the image light beams can be relatively densely transmitted to the second light-guiding optical element in the second optical region. This increases the density and uniformity of the plurality of sub-image light beams leaving the light guide, thereby improving the uniformity of the image seen by the human eye and reducing the occurrence of image defects or dark areas. Therefore, the image screen transmitted to the human eye through the light guide in the head-mounted display device can achieve good uniformity and good image quality.

[0034] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. In other words, all simple and equivalent changes and modifications made based on the claims and the contents of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention. In addition, any embodiment or claim of the present invention does not necessarily have all the objectives, advantages, or features disclosed in the present invention. In addition, the abstract and the title of the invention are used for patent document search, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., mentioned in the specification or claims indicate the names of elements or distinguish different embodiments or scopes, and do not limit the upper or lower limits of the number of elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 100, 300 optical waveguide 110 Plate 111 First structural layer 112 Second structural layer 113 Connecting layer 120, 320 First light-guiding optical element 130 Optical coupling out structure 140 Second light-guiding optical element 200 Head-mounted display device 210 Display unit CL Coupling-in Prism EY Eyes IB Image Light Flux IB1 First partial image light flux IB2 Second partial image light flux IL light incident side IS1 First slope IS2 second slope LS1 First connection surface LS2 Second connecting surface OP optical surface OR1 First optical area OR1 Second optical region PL light guiding plane PS1 first plane PS2 second plane S1 first surface S2 second surface SB Sub-image light flux SB1 First sub-image beam SB2 Second sub-image beam SP interval ZS1 First sawtooth structure ZS2 Secondary sawtooth structure

Claims

1. An optical waveguide, the light guide has a first optical region and a second optical region and transmits an image light beam; The optical waveguide includes a plate, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and a plurality of optical coupling-out structures; the plate has a light incident side, the first optical region is located between the light incident side and the second optical region, the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are arranged in parallel on a light-guiding plane inside the plate body, the light-guiding plane is located in the first optical region, there are intervals between each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and the image light beam is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams after passing through the light-guiding plane; At least a part of the transmission paths of the sub-image light beams are different from each other, and the sub-image light beams are transmitted to the second optical region by a total reflection method in the first optical region; The optical waveguide, wherein the plurality of optical coupling-out structures are disposed within the plate and located in the second optical region.

2. 2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are partially reflective layers, and when the image light beam passes through each of the first light-guiding optical elements, a portion of the image light beam passes through each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements to form a first sub-image light beam, and another portion of the image light beam is reflected by each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements to form a second sub-image light beam, and the first sub-image light beam and the second sub-image light beam form the plurality of sub-image light beams.

3. 2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are mirror-reflective layers, the image light beam passing through each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements forms a first partial image light beam, the image light beam passing through the gap between two adjacent first light-guiding optical elements forms a second partial image light beam, and the first partial image light beam and the second partial image light beam form the plurality of sub-image light beams.

4. 2. The light guide of claim 1, wherein the size of each of the plurality of first light-directing optical elements is less than 2 millimeters.

5. the plate has opposing first and second surfaces; 2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the light directing plane is located between the first surface and the second surface and is parallel to the first surface and the second surface.

6. The plurality of optical coupling-out structures are a plurality of optical microstructures, each of the plurality of optical microstructures has an optical surface, and the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures are inclined relative to the light-guiding plane, the optical waveguide further includes a plurality of second light-guiding optical elements located on the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures; The optical waveguide of claim 5, characterized in that the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements reflect at least a portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles, another portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles continues to be transmitted into the plate, and the at least a portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles leaves the plate from the second surface after being reflected by the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements.

7. The optical waveguide according to claim 6 , wherein the distance between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements is equal to or less than 4 mm.

8. the plate includes a first structural layer and a second structural layer; the first structural layer has a plurality of first sloping surfaces and a plurality of first connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of first connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of adjacent ones of the plurality of first sloping surfaces to form a first sawtooth structure; the second structural layer has a plurality of second sloping surfaces and a plurality of second connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of second connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of the adjacent plurality of second sloping surfaces to form a second sawtooth structure; The optical waveguide of claim 6, characterized in that the plurality of second inclined surfaces correspond to the plurality of first inclined surfaces, the plurality of second connecting surfaces correspond to the plurality of first connecting surfaces, the first sawtooth structure and the second sawtooth structure anastomosed to form the plurality of optical microstructures, and the plurality of second inclined surfaces and the plurality of first inclined surfaces contact each other to form the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures.

9. 9. The optical waveguide of claim 8, wherein the first structural layer further comprises a first plane, the second structural layer further comprises a second plane, and the second plane and the first plane contact to form the light guiding plane.

10. A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide, comprising the steps of: the light guide transmits an image light beam; The method for producing the optical waveguide includes the steps of: providing a first structural layer having a first planar surface; providing a second structural layer having a second planar surface; forming a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements on the first plane or the second plane; and bonding the first structural layer and the second structural layer together to bring the first plane into contact with the second plane to form a light-guiding plane; There is a gap between each of the first light-guiding optical elements, A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide, characterized in that the light guiding plane is located in a first optical region, the image light beam passing through the light guiding plane is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams, at least a portion of the transmission paths of the plurality of sub-image light beams are different, and the sub-image light beams are transmitted in the first optical region by total reflection.

11. the first structural layer has a plurality of first sloping surfaces and a plurality of first connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of first connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of the plurality of adjacent first sloping surfaces to form a first sawtooth structure; the second structural layer has a plurality of second sloping surfaces and a plurality of second connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of second connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of the plurality of adjacent second sloping surfaces to form a second sawtooth structure; The method for producing an optical waveguide further comprises: forming a plurality of second light-guiding optical elements on the plurality of first inclined surfaces of the first structure layer or the plurality of second inclined surfaces of the second structure layer; the plurality of second inclined surfaces correspond to the plurality of first inclined surfaces, and the plurality of second connecting surfaces correspond to the plurality of first connecting surfaces, thereby anastomosing the first sawtooth structure and the second sawtooth structure to form a plurality of optical microstructures; and after the first structure layer and the second structure layer are bonded, the plurality of second inclined surfaces come into contact with the plurality of first inclined surfaces to form a plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures; The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide according to claim 10 , wherein the second light-guiding optical elements transmit a portion of the image light beam and reflect another portion of the image light beam.

12. 12. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide according to claim 11, characterized in that the optical waveguide has the first optical region and the second optical region, the plate of the optical waveguide has a light incident side, the first optical region is located between the light incident side and the second optical region, the first plane and the second plane are located in the first optical region, and the plurality of optical microstructures are located in the second optical region.

13. The method of manufacturing the optical waveguide further includes providing a bonding layer that bonds the first structural layer and the second structural layer; 11. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide according to claim 10, wherein the difference between the refractive index of the bonding layer and the refractive index of the first structure layer is less than 0.01, and the difference between the refractive index of the bonding layer and the refractive index of the second structure layer is less than 0.

01.

14. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide according to claim 10, wherein the size of each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements is less than 2 mm.

15. a head mounted display device positioned in front of at least one eye of a user; the head mounted display device includes a display unit and an optical waveguide; the display unit provides an image light beam; the light guide has a first optical region and a second optical region and transmits the image light beam; The optical waveguide includes a plate, a plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and a plurality of optical coupling-out structures; the plate has a light incident side, the first optical region is located between the light incident side and the second optical region, the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are arranged in parallel on a light-guiding plane inside the light guide, the light-guiding plane is located in the first optical region, there are intervals between each of the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements, and the image light beam is separated into a plurality of sub-image light beams after passing through the light-guiding plane, at least a part of the transmission paths of the plurality of sub-image light beams are different, and are transmitted to the second optical region by a total reflection manner in the first optical region; A head-mounted display device, characterized in that the plurality of optical coupling-out structures are disposed within the plate body and positioned within the second optical region.

16. 16. The head-mounted display device of claim 15, characterized in that the multiple first light-guiding optical elements are partially reflective layers, and when the image light beam passes through each of the multiple first light-guiding optical elements, a portion of the image light beam passes through each of the multiple first light-guiding optical elements to form a first sub-image light beam, and another portion of the image light beam is reflected by each of the multiple first light-guiding optical elements to form a second sub-image light beam, and the first sub-image light beam and the second sub-image light beam form the multiple sub-image light beams.

17. 16. The head-mounted display device of claim 15, characterized in that the plurality of first light-guiding optical elements are mirror-reflective layers, the image light beam passing through each of the first light-guiding optical elements forms a first partial image light beam, the image light beam passing through the gap between two adjacent first light-guiding optical elements forms a second partial image light beam, and the first partial image light beam and the second partial image light beam form the plurality of sub-image light beams.

18. 16. The head mounted display device of claim 15, wherein the size of each of the plurality of first light-directing optical elements is less than 2 mm.

19. the plate has opposing first and second surfaces; 16. A head mounted display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the light directing plane is located between the first surface and the second surface and is parallel to the first surface and the second surface.

20. The plurality of optical coupling-out structures are a plurality of optical microstructures, each of the plurality of optical microstructures has an optical surface, and the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures are inclined relative to the light-guiding plane, the optical waveguide further comprises a plurality of second light-guiding optical elements; The head-mounted display device of claim 19, characterized in that the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements are located on the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures, and the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements reflect at least a portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles, another portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles continues to be transmitted into the plate body, and the at least a portion of each of the plurality of sub-image light bundles leaves the plate body from the second surface after being reflected by the plurality of second light-guiding optical elements.

21. 21. The head mounted display device according to claim 20, wherein the distance between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of second light guiding optical elements is 4 mm or less.

22. the plate includes a first structural layer and a second structural layer; the first structural layer has a plurality of first sloping surfaces and a plurality of first connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of first connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of adjacent ones of the plurality of first sloping surfaces to form a first sawtooth structure; The head-mounted display device of claim 20, characterized in that the second structural layer has a plurality of second inclined surfaces and a plurality of second connecting surfaces, each of the plurality of second connecting surfaces being connected to different ends of the adjacent plurality of second inclined surfaces to form a second sawtooth structure, and the plurality of second inclined surfaces correspond to the plurality of first inclined surfaces, the plurality of second connecting surfaces correspond to the plurality of first connecting surfaces, the first sawtooth structure and the second sawtooth structure anastomosed to form the plurality of optical microstructures, and the plurality of second inclined surfaces contact the plurality of first inclined surfaces to form the plurality of optical surfaces of the plurality of optical microstructures.

23. 23. The head mounted display device of claim 22, wherein the first structural layer further comprises a first plane, the second structural layer further comprises a second plane, and the second plane and the first plane are in contact to form the light guiding plane.

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