Curved Waveguide Near-Eye Display for Uniform Brightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-mounted displays with reflective surfaces face challenges in providing uniform brightness and color over the display field of view due to the need for precise control of reflectivity across partially reflective surfaces, leading to manufacturing and cost issues, while diffractive gratings are costly and prone to color aberrations. Additionally, existing frontlights are bulky and heavy, and optical films used in displays often suffer from undulations and pock marks, degrading image quality.
Innovation Solution
The use of an integral array of narrow switchable mirrors that sequentially reflect portions of light to provide a uniform image, combined with a compact and lightweight frontlight featuring a wire grid polarizer film for improved image quality, and methods to produce optically flat surfaces using optical films to preserve wavefront and enhance image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If arrays of partially reflecting surfaces are used to provide a thinner optical system, then the thickness is reduced, but uniformity of brightness and color over the display field of view deteriorates due to manufacturing difficulties in precisely controlling reflectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameter of the waveguide from a thin planar structure to a curved configuration. This curvature transformation allows the optical system to maintain reduced thickness while achieving uniform light distribution across the display field of view, eliminating the need for precise reflectivity control across multiple surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a curved waveguide as an intermediary optical element that mediates between the light source and the display field of view. This curved waveguide acts as a light redistribution mechanism that naturally achieves uniform brightness and color without requiring precise manufacturing control of multiple reflective surfaces.
2Device complexity
If diffractive gratings are used to redirect image light, then the optical system can be simplified, but color aberrations increase and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the diffractive grating mechanism with a curved waveguide-based optical routing system. This substitution eliminates the color aberrations inherent in diffractive optics while maintaining simplified device complexity, as the curved waveguide uses total internal reflection rather than diffraction to redirect light.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional optical films are used in displays, then the display can be manufactured, but image quality deteriorates due to undulations and pock marks on the film surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the curved waveguide structure itself as the primary optical element, reducing reliance on additional conventional optical films that are prone to surface defects. The waveguide's curved geometry is maintained through precise molding or forming processes that ensure optical quality without the undulations and pock marks associated with conventional optical films.
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 achieves a thin and efficient optical system with improved uniformity of brightness and color over the display field of view, reduces light scattering, and maintains high image quality while being compact and lightweight, and ensures optically flat surfaces for better image preservation.
Implementation Method 1
a wire grid polarizer film for improved image quality
Implementation Method 2
an integral array of narrow switchable mirrors that sequentially reflect portions of light
Implementation Method 3
methods to produce optically flat surfaces using optical films to preserve wavefront
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure concerns a near field communication (NFC) device which includes a wrist-worn NFC-enabled electronics device, wherein the wrist-worn NFC enabled electronics device includes a first communications link for communicating with a second NFC-enabled electronics device via NFC protocols, and a second communications link for communicating with an eyepiece via a medium-range communications protocol and receiving control commands. The wrist-worn NFC-enabled electronics device facilitates the transfer of data between the eyepiece and the second NFC-enabled electronics device. The eyepiece comprises optics enabling a see-through display on which is displayed the data.