Diffractive Optical Combiner Display for Screen Door Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices used in virtual reality, such as head-mounted displays, often suffer from low resolution due to the screen door effect, making it difficult to achieve high resolution and clear imagery.
Innovation Solution
A display device design incorporating an optical combiner with diffractive optical elements and multiple display panels, each displaying a different color image, which are combined to enhance resolution and luminance through superimposition of monochrome images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single display panel is used in a head-mounted display, then the device size can be kept small, but the resolution is limited due to the screen door effect
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into multiple independent display panels (e.g., red, green, blue monochrome panels) that are positioned at different locations. Each panel contributes a specific color component, and together they form a high-resolution color image, overcoming the resolution limit of a single panel while maintaining a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional single-panel display to a three-dimensional multi-panel arrangement. Display panels are positioned at different spatial locations and orientations, utilizing the third dimension to combine multiple low-resolution monochrome images into a single high-resolution color image, effectively increasing resolution without increasing the footprint area.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple display panels are used to increase resolution, then the screen door effect is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Optical elements such as microlens arrays, beam splitters, or waveguides are introduced as intermediaries to guide and combine light from multiple display panels. These intermediary components efficiently merge the optical paths of separate monochrome panels into a single coherent color image, reducing the overall system complexity compared to direct multi-panel arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple display panels displaying monochrome images are optically merged into a single high-resolution color image. The optical system combines the light outputs of individual panels (e.g., red, green, blue panels) to create a full-color display with enhanced resolution, effectively merging multiple imaging functions into one unified output.
3Ease of operation
If display panels are positioned close to the eye, then the device can be worn comfortably, but the resolution appears lower due to the screen door effect
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of the display system by using multiple lower-resolution monochrome panels instead of a single high-resolution color panel. By adjusting the spatial arrangement, orientation, and optical combination method of these panels, the system achieves effective high resolution while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for wearability.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system uses a composite approach by combining multiple monochrome display panels (each with different color characteristics) to create a unified color display. This composite structure leverages the strengths of each individual panel to achieve overall high resolution and color accuracy, while keeping each component small enough for comfortable wear.
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 significantly increases resolution and improves luminance by combining monochrome images, potentially tripling the resolution compared to single-panel displays, while reducing the screen door effect.
Implementation Method 1
A diffractive optical element may be disposed on the first surface of the optical combiner. The diffractive optical element may cause light providing the first color image and light providing the second color image to travel in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the optical combiner.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes an optical combiner including a first surface; a second surface disposed at a first side of the first surface; and a third surface disposed at a second side of the first surface; a diffractive optical element disposed on the first surface of the optical combiner; a first display panel disposed on the second surface of the optical combiner and displaying a first color image; and a second display panel disposed on the third surface of the optical combiner and displaying a second color image.