Catadioptric Optical System for VR Headsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulky and heavy optical components in electronic devices, such as virtual reality glasses, often result in unsatisfactory optical performance, limiting the effectiveness of image display and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted electronic device with a display system and optical system supported by wearable structures, utilizing a catadioptric optical system with lens elements made from clear materials and reflective structures, along with a pixel array that produces circularly polarized light through a linear polarizer and quarter wave plate, to enhance optical performance and reduce bulkiness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional lenses and optical components are used in electronic devices, then the device can display images, but the optical components become bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines refractive lens elements and reflective optical components into a single catadioptric optical system. This merging allows the system to achieve compact form factor while maintaining excellent optical performance, directly resolving the contradiction between reducing bulkiness and maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical system uses composite optical design combining different optical principles (refraction and reflection) within a single system. This composite approach enables miniaturization while preserving optical quality, addressing both the weight/bulk reduction and performance maintenance requirements.
2Reliability
If conventional optical systems are used, then images can be displayed, but chromatic aberrations and field curvature reduce optical performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful chromatic aberrations and field curvature inherent in conventional optical systems into beneficial effects by using catadioptric design. The reflective components and carefully designed lens surfaces work together to cancel out these aberrations, transforming what would be defects into advantages for achieving superior optical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the optical system have specialized local properties - certain lens surfaces are optimized for specific optical functions. This local optimization allows the system to correct chromatic aberrations and field curvature in specific zones while maintaining overall compactness and performance.
3Volume of moving object
If optical components are minimized to reduce bulk, then device size decreases, but image contrast and ghosting are affected
Solution Approach 1:
By merging refractive and reflective optical elements into a compact catadioptric system, the patent achieves miniaturization without sacrificing image quality. The integrated design allows for reduced component count and smaller overall volume while maintaining high image contrast and minimizing ghosting through careful optical path management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved optical performance by minimizing chromatic aberrations and reducing field curvature, resulting in a more compact and effective display system with increased image contrast and reduced ghosting, while maintaining a wide field of view and comfortable wearability.
Implementation Method 1
The display system may also have a linear polarizer through which image light from the pixel array passes and a quarter wave plate through which the light passes after passing through the linear polarizer. The linear polarizer and quarter wave plate may be located between the pixel array and the optical system to produce circularly polarized light.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may include a display with a concave surface. A linear polarizer may be formed on the concave surface. A quarter wave plate may receive light from the linear polarizer. A catadioptric lens may have first and second lens elements. The first lens element may have first and second opposing surfaces. The second lens element may have opposing third and fourth surfaces. The first surface may be convex and may face the display. The fourth surface may be concave. The second surface may be concave. The third surface may be convex and may match the second surface. An additional quarter wave plate may be formed as a coating on the third surface. A partially reflective coating may be formed on the first surface. A reflective polarizer may be formed as a coating on the fourth surface. An additional polarizer may be formed on the reflective polarizer.